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Author Topic: Bridgeport Series 1 CNC Needs Help  (Read 5432 times)

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Bridgeport Series 1 CNC Needs Help
« on: November 02, 2010, 11:41:40 PM »
I started the conversion from original set up to Mach 3 with Gecko drives in October 2009.  Fast run down of changes: break out board from Bob Campbell, Windows XP Pro, stripped out old and replaced with new power supply and rewired everything, and a new computer.
Problem: X and Y axis has intermittent bumping and losing steps randomly. I have read a lot of the posts concerning lost steps and have tried many of the solutions offered with no luck. Motor tuning will run without any problems as high as 102 IPM but I can not get the mill to perform without losing steps as far down as 2 IPM which is unacceptable for a rapid rate or a G0 function. I have spent hours reading posts of other Bridgeport posts that only get 50-60 IPM on rapids which would be fine with me if I could get that without missing steps.
Any and all suggestions would be most welcome as I am at my wits end. Trying to keep post short but rebuilt :-\ ball screws, replaced steppers (NEMA 42) and drive. There is a lot more I have tried, if you need more information on what else was done in order to help me please let me know.  Basically just about everything has been replaced with new.

Thanks in advance
Coke  :-\

Offline poppabear

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Re: Bridgeport Series 1 CNC Needs Help
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2010, 07:47:14 AM »
coke_e

    I suspect that your drives and/or servos just arn't powerful enough for your machine. (hopefully your using servos).

If you plan to make money with the machine, and run it daily, you really need to consider two options.

1). If you want to keep the geckos and motor set  up you currently have, then you may have to "Gear Down" lets say your using a 3-1 pully now
well make that ratio 6-1. Yes you will loose top speed, but in essence increase motor power so to speak.

2). I use "AC Servos" on machines that I plan or my customer/OEM plan to do commercial production with. I use Automation Direct Sure Servo system,
BUT!!! There are others that I have also used that are just as good (ADC is just more cost effective), like Mitsubishi, Yaskawa, etc. Most of the low
to medium inertial systems are all made at the same plant in Tiwain any way......   A 1KW system will usually run your around $1,500.00 per axis,
so 4500 on a 3 axis machine. If your making money with it, you can recope that.

I have heard that a company called "Dugong" is making drives that offer higher voltage than the Geckos, and some of the users sing thier praizes, but I have not used them, so cant say....

scott
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