Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / The Bridgeport has Interlube

« on: October 20, 2021, 09:42:00 AM »

Hi freinds, This is a build that I have been working on and off now for many years, but I have had a big push and shove to get it finished and running.
Its a series 2 J head Bridgeport, running AC 750W servos on all axis and one for a 4Th A axis, I am using the original 1.5hp motor VFD controlled but have put an encoder directly driven of spindle for feedback for, positioning and RPM. This will be controlled by Mach3 and uses the VitelSystems interface.
All the Mechanical aspects on this mill are complete just wiring to go which brings me to my issue.
The mill is equiped with an interlube automatic way's oiler, the only thing I have no specs on it nor wiring digrams ect.
I am hoping somebody knows something about these units that can direct me on the correct way to wire this to the system. it was disconnected when purchased I am not even certain what  voltage/amps it requires to operate.
Thanks
Katoh

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 04, 2020, 01:01:04 PM »

Friends,
I can not thank you enough  for all your input to help me through this. I believe I have a shooting solution!
I ended up using 12v to power the opto, before I here the gasps it is only the opto, the trigger is still 5v that I took directly from the 5v supply not the 5v from the bob, personally I think this makes no difference, I tried also direct input to the ESS via bob  3 pin 13, yes it worked fine, made no difference? Switch back to pin 13 on the bob 2 as an input but still kept 5v directly from the power supply  0v from the bob and used 12v as the opto power. Confusing Maybe but actually it neatened up a few wires I had.
In saying this all this did is "Sweet FA"  Yes couldn't get it to thread, frustration, lots of!
I started searching for different opto switches , ect when I came across the one thing that sent shivers to my bones, Yes you have to tick sync spindle to index box in spindle setup. Yes I am very red faced and do apologise for wasting a lot of peoples time. Still in saying this it took a lot of tweaking to actually make this work, A real lot of tweaking and some of the figures I am going to state maybe a little over the top but they do work well on my lathe and work well.
Firstly for some stupid reason I activate timing and index on mach3 from the same port and pin? Spindle feedback in Sync Mode and Spindle Speed averaging both ticked in Spindle setup Ports and Pins. General Config Mach3 Debounce interval 10000 and Index Debounce 1000. On the ESS Plugin general config Encoder/mpgs filtering 5.00 .
Now I just like to point out the lathe runs very stable, everything works and works extremely well and now Threading works as well, Why I don’t know and have no explanation  3 days of trial and error may have paid off. The only issue I cannot get True rpm readout above 1500rpm, but can still run the spindle to 2000 without an issue.
The pic shows 3 different threads the bottom is a bolt 3/8 UNC but to trial I set it up to cut the first 1/2"which you can see by the different colouring were the lathe cleaned it up, I ran this program 5 times without fail each time had 12 passes. The Brass is the same thread ,the first 1/2" is scrap from trails but the back 1/2" is the new thread that was cut , Not bad I think. The top is a piece is 1020 steel That I cut 1.1/8" UNF but did it 14 times each time decreasing the X by 0.2mm the code took 15 passes each time, Why I wanted to make certain it would index to the same point every pass which it did. I am happy with this.
I hope it keeps behaving itself!!
Cheers
Kahoh

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 04, 2020, 04:10:11 AM »

Hi Roger
A little bumpsteer the limits are 5v to the BOB they go through a relay triggered by 12v, I forgot, I’m bad!
Do you think I could use my B signal from the Encoder on the servo to trigger the index? That would eliminate the whole opto slotted disk thing and be much more accurate.?

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 03, 2020, 09:15:02 PM »

Hi Roger
I can see the light if I go very slow, I haven’t looked at the ESS diagnostics yet, didn’t even know there was one till now
Here is a thread way back before the ESS days when I had the same issue with mach3 and rpm feedback using the same machine.

https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=23520.msg171575#msg171575

I might try today changing the voltage that powers the opto, I know that I am using 12v for the limits and e-stop and the jog buttons. If I remember 5v couldn't cut it. The opto is on 5v I wander if its picking up a stray signal or loosing one or more every now and then. Must state the wires to the opto are shielded and earthed, but the length is a good 1.5m.
Cheers
Katoh

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 03, 2020, 09:43:05 AM »

Craig, Roger
Roger if your referring to a CRO as an Oscilloscope, I am out of luck on there and my electronics are not that good. I’ve built 3 machines a router a lathe and a mill(90%) complete. All issues I have had in the past I have solved either by the forums or trialling something different. Still have a sneaking suspicion about the BOB and all the issue I had before the ESS and servo spindle upgrade.
Thanks Again

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 03, 2020, 03:59:11 AM »

Hi Craig, Roger
This is definitely an index problem, I cant see any other issue.
One thing that comes to mind was a long time ago before the ESS was installed or the servo spindle. I do remember that I could only get feedback from the index if I bypassed the bob and went directly to mach, Why? we never knew or found out.
Everyone is saying that at speed the GUI wont light up but at 50-100rpm it should come on every time without fail, it doesn’t, that’s not quick pulsing at all.
I am thinking that I might bypass the BOB and run the index pulse directly to the ESS Board, it might save the issue, or its the opto trigger itself, but  I can see it activating the little led on the BOB next to where it plus in every time its triggered and at speed, for some stupid reason the signal is not getting through, hence my erratic start points and the only issue this lathe has.
How can I do this? Or should I do this?
Thanks
Katoh

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 02, 2020, 11:29:18 AM »

Hi Friends
In this crazy world its amazing how quickly things change. I installed the new ESS software and it seems to be fine, quick test I cut a M12 thread in some mild steel, even cut an M4 thread into a nail, was impressive then tried a larger thread and it all went to hell .
Started doing its usual starting from a random point? The rpm is rock solid, the only thing I notice is the index pulse, on the diagnostic page works well when turned by hand but anything above 20rpm fails to show the index light flash on the on the screen.
On the bob it shows every pulse flash next to its input pin but not on the mach diagnostic page only shows random flashers, could this be the issue?
Thanks
Katoh

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 02, 2020, 03:51:24 AM »

Hi all
Thanks for all your help, just a quick update working still on the older software I managed to find some errors, my errors more than anything. I had set the ESS config to RPM setup from mpeg where I only had figures of 1 and 1 in there it was actually still getting rpm feedback from the slotted disk on the spindle (don’t know how). Turns out if I changed a few figures to what they should be it works as it should feedback from the servo and correct speeds through mpeg pulses.
I wish I knew this earlier! A quick trial produced a 1-1/8" UNF thread in some 1020, without an issue. Later I will attempt to load the latest ESS software and do a few more trails, Ill keep you all posted.
Thanks Roger, if this all goes well I maybe able to help you write that manual. 
Cheers
Katoh

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 02, 2020, 03:31:12 AM »

I should clarify a things first.
The spindle is driven by a timing toothed belt, absolute no give in that one.
The timing is still controlled by a slotted timing disk directly off the spindle.
The AC servo works of step and direction, funnily enough I forget certain things that I’ve done and its encoder runs back to mach already on the mpg1, when programming a speed its rock solid in the spindle.
I haven’t yet had a chance to upgrade the software but I am thinking now its something in the config settings.
I an turn the spindle by hand and get an rpm to show on the screen.

Dont know.

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and latest ESS Driver - threading now works!

« on: May 02, 2020, 12:30:08 AM »

Hi Craig

Yes I do have an index input directly from spindle to mach3, in the form of a slotted disk only one slot triggers an opto sensor works a treat, before I went to the ESS it worked with just the BOB,s use to thread Ok not brilliant but worked.
What I just sort of noticed then is the thread cuts but wants to put a second thread 180 deg from the first one started. look at the pic. Bizzare!