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Author Topic: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000  (Read 13448 times)

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Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #10 on: April 21, 2011, 04:40:29 PM »
Nice mill - looks like it has a granite column ???

I upgraded a Colchester lathe that had analogue drives, I changed it using Viper drives and new encoders.
Dugong look good and I'd give them a try on my next project.

ATB
Derek
You can "chop it off" but can't "chop it on"
Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2011, 12:50:23 PM »
Hi, I have a benchman vmc4000 that I am considering converting to mach3 too. Please keep me updated on your progress. Thanks, David.
Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2011, 12:51:16 PM »
I have many spare parts for these machines, so if there are any parts you need, let me know.
Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2011, 03:16:59 PM »
Is a mach3 control going to be an improvement on the original benchman setup ?

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Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #14 on: May 02, 2011, 05:05:24 PM »
Can you run gcode or do you run a proprietary software with your Benchman?
I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather, not like the passengers in the car! :-)
Re: Upgrading Benchman VMC-5000
« Reply #15 on: May 17, 2011, 10:54:13 AM »
Sorry for the quietness we had a holiday for a week and have been busy setting up a list of needed components.

The status we are now at is finalizing the design and making a ordering list so we can order all the components in one go. We ran into a bit of luck to day since we finally found the manual for the original spindle driver and managed to figure out the in/output values of the transformers with the help of one of our teachers. Once we get the components in ill see if I can get some pictures up again.

And to answers some of your questions:
Nice mill - looks like it has a granite column ???
Its a look a like, not even sure its stone at all.


Is a mach3 control going to be an improvement on the original benchman setup ?
To be fair we don't even know what the original benchman setup was from what we understood when we started the whole software system wasn't even functioning.

Can you run gcode or do you run a proprietary software with your Benchman?
Mach3 will be running the machine via Gcode, the Gcode is created using a converter on invertor files.