Messages

251

General Mach Discussion / Re: trouble cutting circles

« on: March 03, 2012, 09:49:12 PM »

The pinion should be engaged by air or a spring.  If it's fixed, the distance from the rack to the pinon centerline will have to be exact along the length of the machine or you'll have tight spots and loose spots.  Where ever the pinion is not fully engaged, you'll have backlash. 

252

General Mach Discussion / Re: Operating a punch machine via Mach3

« on: February 21, 2012, 05:22:17 PM »

The last Pullmax I saw has an air punch.  Worked kind of like a planishing hammer.  They were using it to form louvers.

253

General Mach Discussion / Re: System Freezes - Plasma mode

« on: February 21, 2012, 05:19:13 PM »

I think it has more to do with the fact that they are just shunting the HF directly to ground rather than allowing it to "find" the plate.  If the path of least resistance is through the air to the plate, the process of transferring the arc to the plate cause a huge amount of stray HF in the system.  Dumping it directly to ground eliminates...or greatly reduces that.  My guess is that you're right in that the torch will fire at full voltage in the air.  The torch should not light at full voltage unless there is complete arc transfer.  Grounding the tip may just be fooling the system into thinking it always has a good arc.  If that's the case, then "Arc OK" in Mach3 will not work properly either. 

We bought one of these to play with but ended up giving it away.  Even used at the other end of the shop as a handheld, it effected the CNC machines. 

254

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 19, 2012, 11:13:20 AM »

The 201X has dip switches to set the current.  Leave the resistor terminals open and set the dip switches.  Go with 5.4.

255

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 19, 2012, 09:57:59 AM »

The 126 takes a 110VAC supply, the 107 plugs into the option slot on the 126 and needs no separate power supply and the 133 needs no power supply...other than your DC motor power.  Nothing on your list needs a 5 or 12V supply.  To figure your power supply, add up the current on all your motors and take 2/3 of that.  The motor you have chosen draws 5.5A.  5.5 x 3 = 16.5.  2/3 of that is roughly 11A.  Don't go less than 11A.  A KL-4813 should work fine.

The general rule on voltage is to use 10 - 25 times your motors rated voltage.  Your motor voltage rating is 2.4V, so 48V puts you right at 20X.  For lower RPM applications you can stay on the low side.  Higher RPM requires higher voltage to maintain torque at the higher RPM.  I've always tried to stay right around the 20X mark and it's always worked.

256

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 18, 2012, 10:53:19 AM »

OK...Why do you need 3/8" shafts then?  If the existing motors are NEMA 34 then replace them with NEMA 34.  If all you can find is a 1/2"shaft, buy a new motor pulley or bore out the old one.  If you go to NEMA 23 motors, you'll have to make new motor mounts. 

Personally, I give it a shot with the old motors.  It won't cost you anything to try.  If they don't work, then replace them.  You'll use the same drives, power supply and BOB regardless. 

257

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 17, 2012, 10:54:28 PM »

Your existing motors should work fine...as long as they are still operational.  The based on the photo you posted of the motor,  Gecko G201X drives will work.  A power supply in the 36-48V range and a PMDX-126 BOB should finish it off.  To figure your power supply current, add up the current draw on the three motors and take 2/3 of that.  Since the Z is usually smaller than the X and Y, I usually just add the X and Y and go with that.  It's always worked.  If your motors are gear or belt reduced and you need fairly high RPM, you might want to stay on the high side on the voltage range.

258

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 12, 2012, 09:57:06 PM »

Mach can only output one set of speed control signals.  The command "S1000" would set the spindle speed and send pulse stream to the VFD interface board accordingly.  If you only want on and off, then I suppose you could set up relays on other outputs and just set one of the VFD's for a set RPM.
 

259

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 12, 2012, 08:50:25 PM »

You could put in a contactor to switch between the two spindles.  Unless you need both of them though, probably makes more sense to remove one.

260

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help converting a Precision Automotion PA2000 router to Mach 3

« on: February 12, 2012, 04:19:47 PM »

I would, unless the Anaheim drive is up to date.  If it costs $1500 10 years ago, that pretty much makes it obsolete today.  I've always used Geckos, so that's my comfort zone.  I know they perform and it there's a problem, the solution is a phone call away.  Same goes with PMDX.