Messages

1

CS-Lab / Re: Getting started, Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 21, 2013, 10:42:44 AM »

Unfortunately, the schematics exceed by a little bit the forum 6MB file size limit so I sent them to you directly via email.

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CS-Lab / Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 21, 2013, 10:00:57 AM »

The PDF files are too large for this website and thus, I will be sending them via email.

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CS-Lab / Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 21, 2013, 08:15:58 AM »

I hit the four photo limit, here are the other four photos I wanted to post. I am thinking the smart place to do the surgery is within the Anilam cabinet itself. E.g. this is where I should mount the CS-Labs components, the PC . . . everything!

Finally, I am sorry for hijacking this thread. I will cease forthwith and start my own machine conversion thread. However, where should I do it, here in CS-Lab within Machsupport, or perhaps over at CNC Zone? Regardless, Hood, your first impressions of the CS-Lab components are enough to persuade me to make a purchase with them. They owe you a commision.

Cheers,

4

CS-Lab / Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 21, 2013, 08:09:46 AM »

Chaoticone - thanks for the DIN rail source.

Hood - so the tuning occurs in the drive, eh? There's so much I don't know! For example, is the term drive, or driver . . . or are they used interchangeably? Also, what about the power supply for same, is this something I should try to salvage from the Anilam case?

Speaking of the Anilam case, beside the main case on wheels, the lathe has several boxes mounted in which various components are wired (photos). I figured to try and re-use as many of these as possible - my thinking being - the crew at Anilam had forgotten more than I know about controlling a machine tool. Thus, because they probably did everything the right way (versus something I might inadvertantly Mickey Mouse together) I'd be wise to leave well enough alone as much as possible.

The thing is, while I am pretty good with things mechanical, I am weak with things electrical. I know it should be easy - but for me, for whatever reason - this isn't so straightforward. Anyway, all this by way of saying; I have the schematics for the lathe. If I post them, would you mind looking them over with an eye toward guiding me with respect to removing the Anilam brains and supbstituting the CS-Labs components?

5

CS-Lab / Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 20, 2013, 10:53:24 AM »

Hood, thanks for your time. I am preparing to order the following;

1. CSMIO/IP-A (analog version per your suggestion versus -S that finding drives in future with analog versus step/direction should be easy - otherwise, I was going to replace the motors/drives with news one but frankly, I would rather keep them because they work fine and are paid for)

2. CSMIO-MPG (for connecting the pendant)

3. CSMIO-ENC (for connecting to the existing encoder on the lathe's spindle)

4. CSMIO-IO (for connecting the turret - per an email from Wojtek, they have retrofitted a lathe with similar turret 'and' they have a VB macro for me)

Before I do however, do you have an opinion vice their upcoming Arbah DSP - AC Servon Motor Drive? I'm wondering if it would make life a lot easier to just bite the bullet now and use them to drive the existing servos (with a plan to replace these servos in future if/when the need arrises), e.g. would the retrofit would go easier with these drives, or should I leave well enough alone? Advice welcome.

Also, you mention these use DIN mounting rails. Where do I source these?

6

FAQs / Re: which way is xy as i stand at my mill?

« on: March 10, 2013, 11:31:22 AM »

Another old thread in FAQ, a year, or so so let's update it and nail this issue down. Here's my take.

A drawing, whether on paper or in a CAD program, usually have the axis set up as we learned in grade school, e.g. upper right quadrant are positive values. Thus, in effect, our pencil is the quill moving over the table.

However, the mill is moving the table beneath the quill, e.g. it is NOT moving the quil itself. Hence, moving the table to the far right and away from you finds the origin, or 0,0 of your drawing. Thus, the table moves to the left for +X (in effect the quill moving to the right) and toward you, for a +Y value (in effect moving the quil up the Y-axis).

Confused yet?

Machine center (X,Y) on a FADAL mill is usually center of travel of the table however, when milling a job, it is convenioent to relocate this to be coincident with the 0,0 of the part itself. This is especially handy when you have multiple vices on the table because then you set up offsets from the first jaw for each subsequent vice, e.g. a job with four vices on the table with each set 6 inches apart means you incerment the X-value by the with of the vice plus 6 inches for each subsequent job.

7

FAQs / Re: Mach3 does not respond to jogging or running G-code

« on: March 10, 2013, 11:07:18 AM »

This is an old thread, nearly a year on, what was the resolution?

8

FAQs / Re: touchscreen for mach

« on: March 09, 2013, 01:52:38 PM »

Folks using touchscreens - are you using Mach3 with Windows 7, Vista, or XP?

Also, I purchased an Acer T230H touchscreen, has anyone used this successfully with Mach3? With which operating system?

9

CS-Lab / Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 09, 2013, 10:43:31 AM »

So your idea is buy the analog version no matter what, eh? Absent a better idea I can go along with that! As for whether the amplifiers are good, or not, I suspect they are because the turret moves in the X and Y direction smoothly and quickly with no hesitations. The only difficulty is with the Anilam because getting parts is not impossible but they are outrageously priced by my standards (e.g. $600 for a used board because there are no new ones available, which means I can find myself in the same place soon again as whatever fail in my board soon fails in the replacement - I speak from experience).

As for a MPG/pendant, I purchased this MPG4 6-axis unit from CNC4PC a while back and while I have not used it yet, I am pleased with the industrial (read this as substantial) feel of the unit. Also, I don't have the exprience to judge the value of having an LCD readout on the pendant (per the Homann Designs pendant). Thoughts?

Finally, can you recommend a primer for a guy new to CNC conversions? Either in print or websites, which wouyld help guide me please? Frankly, I need something basic regarding things like servos and steppers, drivers, amplifiers and such, as well as basic like cabling, relays, switches, best practices, etc. Basically, a machine retrofit conversion guide. Does such a comprehensive document exist?

10

CS-Lab / Getting started, Re: First impressions of CS-Lab products

« on: March 08, 2013, 09:03:42 PM »

Hood, the lathe is equipped with SEM servos, which are 3 N-m, 2400 RPM, 140VDC (probably +/- 10VDC, but I am unsure at this time). Anyway, because everything moves smoothly I am quite tempted to try and keep them. However, new brushless servos would probably be smarter to do. Here are some photos of the servos.