Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 06:27:27 PM

Author Topic: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion  (Read 212839 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #170 on: March 02, 2011, 04:30:16 PM »
Hey Pete,

I've been watching your thread on the Zone, it looks like your ready to tap !  You can "rigid tap" with a VFD and Mach, but if you use a floating tap holder then you can tap all day long.  I use this feature ALL the time on this new machine.

As far as the RS485 ModBus, all you need on the PC side is a USB to RS485 dongle (20-30 buck on ebay)  Read/Watch the ModBus videos and use the test feature in Mach to verify you can read/write the registers in your VFD.  Depending on the features your VFD has, you should be able to set RPM, monitor AMPs, Temperature, ect.   

Thanks,

JH
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #171 on: March 02, 2011, 08:14:14 PM »
Ya mean like this one....
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-RS232-UART-TTL-RS485-Module-FTDI-FT232BM-BL-Chip-/130400051055?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5c72df6f



Or like this one.......
http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-RS232-UART-TTL-RS485-Module-FTDI-FT232BM-BL-Chip-/130400051055?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5c72df6f



I gotta admit I know nothing about this stuff... As I said  I bought the Tormach TTS Tension compression holder and some collets and my spindle now has good torque and reversing so I should be able to accomplish this soon. I guess I will order up the Teco RS485 interface board and then whatever of these two auction you are saying I will need.. thanks for the input... I assume the videos you are talking about are on machsupport.. peace

Pete
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #172 on: March 03, 2011, 11:46:35 AM »
I think either one of those will work.  Yes the Mach3 Training Videos :)   Its hard to explain how to set it up, but once you do it.... you say "man that easy"

Let me know how it works out for you.

JH
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #173 on: March 03, 2011, 03:56:48 PM »
JH,
   actually I posted two of the same links there, I was trying to show you these two for comparison....

http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-USB-RS232-RS485-UART-TTL-Signal-Converter-/180560121332?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0a38cdf4

Or this one that looks simpler...

http://cgi.ebay.com/RS485-RS-485-DB9-Serial-USB-2-0-Adapter-Converter-/180533603407?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a08a42c4f

  I watched those videos a little and not having the hardware here it is difficult to understand. What it sounds like to me is that Mach can test the device and output words as they call them or data bits in binary and you then know that you are in communication. Do you have to write VB code to get this to work with the spindle control as you show here?  I just want to get it to control FWD/REV/STOP and maybe load metering... the rest would just be bells and whistles really... Let me know which one of these you think would be better for this hardware and I will order it and see what I can figure out on my own. Thanks for your help man.. peace

Pete

Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #174 on: July 11, 2012, 11:43:03 PM »
With the machine basically functional, I thought I would snap a couple of pics of the electronics used before the all the sheet metal is back on.

JH


Hey JH,  The machine turned out great and the retrofitting seemed to work out pretty seamlessly.  I too just bought a BP 412 and planning on retrofitting and following this as a guide.  It's a very nice write up.  I was curious if you could possibly compile a hardware build list and suppliers for all the items you needed to retrofit this mill.  I know the post covers most of the items but not all.  I could pay you for this information.  I started buying some of the hardware so far I bought 3 power supplies 5v,12v,24v.  I bought the Po-keys, 2 CNC4PRO breakout boards, 1 safety charge pump, and the 5 solid state relays.  The components I was curious of that I didn't see covered are as follows:  In the picture that I quoted directly above the second breakout board there is a boards that's labeled but it's too fuzzy to make out it's function.  Directly to the right of said board there is 3 more boards and what looks to be a capacitor.  I'm assuming that's the starting cap you spoke up in regards to the ac motor driving your tool changer indexing?  Directly to the right of the said cap there is another board that I'm unsure of what it is or it's function?  Directly above that there is what I'm assuming to be your larger power supply 12,24v one and directly above that looks to be your 5v power supply.  Above that is a 4 fuses and I wanted to know the value of those and there function?  Also the large transformer more towards the middle of your setup where did you get that and what are it's specs?  I'm assuming that's the transformer that sets the voltage in for your VFD for the spindle motor.  I read the post about your choice in servo motors/drivers and VFD.  I'm assuming the servo drives just take line voltage and act as a power suppy and controller?  I was assuming the same to be true for the VFD but with that transformer there it must be bringing it down to 200V.    That may be asking a lot and again I don't mind paying for such information.  I just see you have all the kinks worked out and instead of me stumbling through my retrofit I'm gonna use yours as a so to speak step by step guide.  Thanks a lot for any information in advance, feel free to PM if would like. :)

Joey




Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #175 on: July 11, 2012, 11:45:02 PM »
In the above post for some odd reason it didn't bring the picture in with the quote.  It's in regards to the picture at the top of page 9.  Thanks
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #176 on: July 12, 2012, 04:13:59 PM »
Joey,

Your going to love your 412.  Its a little tank, boxed ways, nice foot print, powerful, ect ...

There are several things you might consider doing a little different.  1) PoKey is only OK for MPG, not great, use different Inputs for your MPG.  2) Add Mod bus serial for additional non-realtime inputs  (ATC Inputs, Oil Level, Draw Bar,... ).   3) Try to keep you VFD (we had to make the spindle orientation ourselves and it was a pain)

Do you have 3 phase available ?  Some of our design changes were based on the fact that we only single phase and power is limited.

Some of those boards you see are hand made to interface PC electronics to the machine hardware. 

I will be glad to help you with your build, I would suggest doing it in phases one step at a time and test each stage before moving onto the next.   

Start a new build thread to document each step.

We run this machine at least 3 to 4 times a week.

Thanks
JH
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #177 on: July 12, 2012, 08:00:15 PM »
JH,

I can't wait for the 412 to get here.  It just shipped out yesterday and making a long trek all they way from California.  I live in Pennsylvania some 2500+ miles away.  It's supposed to be delivered either Monday or Tuesday of this coming week.  So picking it up as you did wasn't an option for me.  I tested the Po-keys out a little just mapped one key and pulled it to ground and it triggered as I would expect it to.  What would you suggest for MPG?  You spoke of mod bus serial for additional inputs do you have an example link of a board that's capable of this?  The original VFD will require me generating 3 phase with a phase converter(seems like a waste) and I live in a residential neighborhood in the country and the closest 3 phase is a 1/4 of a mile away and would cost close to 50K to have ran to my house(lol not an option)<--  I called the electric company and asked them and that's how I know:-).  I only have 60 amps single phase available in my garage so I too would like to go with single phase as you have done.  I planned on doing it in steps as you have done was just trying to get some of the items ordered and here to test out.  I will start a new build and document each step and make anything that I build available for people to download so others can benefit from my thread as they have from yours.  I was thinking about your orientation method for the spindle.  Does that hurt the stepper being spun by the larger motor constantly?  I know you disconnected it via relays when not in use but I wonder what wear that would cause the stepper over time?  I can only find a rigger that can set it in my garage(not able to drive all the way in due to height constraints)  so I plan on putting several sections of gas pipe under it to move it inch by inch to it's final resting place.  So I was curious if you could measure the base of yours and give me the rough length and width of the actual cast iron steel base? Thanks a lot

Joey
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #178 on: July 13, 2012, 05:59:44 PM »
Run the MPG to your parallel port inputs, not via pokeys.   All other functions of the pokeys work great!

You might be able to run your stock VFD on single phase, it should have 3 phase rectifier to generate the 400 Volt DC Bus, if it doesnt since the phases, it will work.  If not, swap it out.   The stepper gets hot running at 6000RPMs, I have added some heat sinks to case to keep it cool.  Its warm, but it can be touched, so its not exceeding the max case temp.  I figure when it fails, I'll just replace it...

The pipes will work for moving it.  I have moved mine several feet with just a 3 feet bar.  You might want to invest in a toe jack.  I got one cheap from northern tool, its great for lifting to help move and level.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200349250_200349250

Oh, I am using a CNC4PC serial mod bus on my other CNC, works great for non-realtime I/O

Hope this helps,
JH
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #179 on: July 25, 2012, 10:38:45 PM »
JH and whomever it may concern,

The machine finally arrived and I started a thread under the Show "N" Tell Category.  Thanks and have a great day

Joey