Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: altered on July 08, 2008, 01:13:27 PM
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Hi welcome everyone.
I introduce myself, I'm a machinist who got a cnc mill 1 years ago (tawain one with CTEK control). It's a 2000 model. The drive, motors and other thing are easy to get (a little costly but still ok). The major problem is the computer, it's an old 166 with isa motion card. The mother board is very important (i tried to swap it and the servo was not responding) I think is the bios setting that make it all(but try find an otherone). Here come my problem, yesterday i tried to boot the computer, nothing on the screen, i go behind the hard drive was turning, fan, power supply ?? I tried to swap video card (wich was pci of course !!!) nothing, tried with another computer(hooked up to the machine power) it work. Now I've become to the point asking myself if it was the time to upgrade or again repair something that will break up and will be pain to fix. Now my question :
Is it possible to keep everything drive , servo, tapping, break, spindle, with a pc with mach3(without the motion card ?). And will it be efficient in a "production like" shop??
Thanks a lot for the reading.
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What signals do your servo drives take? (Analogue or Step/Dir)
Hood
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I think analog, I need to adjust screw behind the drive.
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If they are analog (analogue at this side of the pond ;) ) then you will need a converter board. Pixies used to do that but they dont make them any more. CNCTeknix are supposedly soon to be producing them and I think Rutex may do them. Mach is Step and Directiion so cant run Analogue drives directly.
Hood
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yes you should be fine , their are motion controllers which give analog ( + - 10v ) outputs available which suit Mach3
Dave
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Is it difficult to rettrofit, out of 10 :P ???
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could be 1 out of 10 or could be 11 out of 10 :D
Many factors inclucing your knowledge of electrics, whether you have drawings, what needs to be done. With it already being PC controlled then its likely to be easier but no way to know without seeing it.
Hood
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I have many electrical plans ... but not in deep details ... i'm stuck ...
hood do you think it can work in long terms? (sur it depend on the execution but in general)
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no it's not difficult , time consuming maybe !.
i am not familiar with the machine you have but we should be able to advise and walk you through
email me off list if you wish
where are you based ?
Dave
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hood do you think it can work in long terms? (sur it depend on the execution but in general)
Not sure what you mean but if its can it be done then yes it can, will it work as good as before then yes it should and probably better. I have a large lathe from 1981 that I have retrofitted and its used daily and no problems.
Hood
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no it's not difficult , time consuming maybe !.
i am not familiar with the machine you have but we should be able to advise and walk you through
email me off list if you wish
where are you based ?
Dave
Thanks a lot i will surely email you if i go that route.
Is the encoder or decoder need to be special ??
I'm in canada quebec more precisely.
Not sure what you mean but if its can it be done then yes it can, will it work as good as before then yes it should and probably better. I have a large lathe from 1981 that I have retrofitted and its used daily and no problems.
Hood
You understood me correctly. Thanks
I will look into rutex.
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I will post pics of the machine tomorrow it will clear thing up.