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Author Topic: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?  (Read 7526 times)

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wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« on: January 21, 2013, 06:28:27 PM »
ok  so here is the story.

i work on drag atv's and have been more and more fascinated with machining and lathe work.  i came across an older series 302 cnc wells mill and bought it.  i know that i would really like to update the controller and would love to be able to reuse as much of the older hardware as i can  preferably the motors and the motor drives that are in it now.  i am not sure what all i would need to use mach3 and have it control the existing machine.  to switch to newer servo motors and drivers of something of this size i feel is outside of my "hobby" funds.   i dont mind taking the time to research and attempt to get anything i need worked out.  my time is not as valuable as some others seem to think theirs is.  when your limited on funds.  time becomes pretty resaonable!   i have been told by some i have talked to that mach 3 wont run a servo setup at all?  but then some others say it might?  after looking at the software and having a spare desktop computer i can dedicate to using as a controller i would really like to try and see what i can get to work right.   i have a cad/cam sofware already and amd working learning myself to using that. 

ANY help would be greatly appreciated.  i can list as much of the "specs" as i can find and any motor driver numbers etc.

the machine has power 3 axis and 3 phase spindle control .  also has coolant pump and existing limit switches and if i can get it to work right a good DRO>    the existing controller is a heidenhain tnc145? 
Re: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2013, 08:26:33 AM »
I have retrofitted to Mach3 a bunch of Bridgeport CNC machines which had tnc145 on them. I strip out the controller, motors and drives. Put in new Chinese AC servo motors/drives, a break out board and Mach3. The iron on these old Bridgeport machines is very good and with new motors and controls they give many more years of satisfactory performance.

Zafar
Re: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2013, 11:19:11 AM »
I have a similar Wells Index machine.  I scrapped the controller, but did keep the motors.  Mine has dual encoders on the X and Y (on the motors and the table).  I am using a Galil controller feeding the DC servos that came on the machine.  Some day I will replace the motors with AC.

I started out with just a parallel port interface (using a breakout board) and Gecko Drives on the original motors.  It works.

I wanted to do like you and keep the stock drives and motors, but I couldn't figure out an easy way to interface the pulsetrain to the stock drives.  It was a closed proprietary system.  I sold off the controller and drives to help fund the first upgrade.  There are still some out in production that people like to have spares for.  Post your part numbers and see what you can get.  Some may take your motors and everything and offset a lot of the price for an upgrade.

AC systems have come down a lot since I did the upgrade.  If I was doing it now I would go AC.  Currently have no "need" to do it as it all works.

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Re: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2013, 01:32:26 PM »
All depends on what you have regards motors/amplifiers (drives)
The chances of them accepting Step/Dir input is close to zero, most likely is they need +-10v analogue input.
If you wish to keep the amplifiers then with Mach you have a few options.
CSMIO-IP/A  http://www.cs-lab.eu/en/index.php
DSPMC   http://www.vitalsystem.com/web/motion/dspmc.php
Kflop with a Kanalog    http://dynomotion.com/
Galil.  http://www.galilmc.com/

Kflop will be the cheapest route in monetary terms but is a lot more complicated in the setup I would say.
Think CSMIO and DSPMC will work out roughly the same, maybe CSMIO slightly cheaper but depends on the exchange rate between, I presume, $ and €
Galil new would be the most expensive and would probably cost almost as much as getting new AC Servos and drives.

I have  the step/dir version of the CSMIO controller on the wee lathe  and really like it and yesterday I ordered the analogue version for the mill I am currently doing.

Hood
Re: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2013, 11:42:10 PM »
great information here.  thanks!!

i will try and get into it this weekend if i have a chance adn take some pictures adn maybe look at figuring out what type of motor's drives etc i have.

if i went A/C  where should i look for that type of product?  what size motor should i look at  and/or  how do i figure out what strength( lack of a better word) is on it now.

i believe i can get a hold of wells and find out all the original build information..  i think..     the iron on this machine is very strong and ways are in great shape.  it was used to cut mostly alluminum aircraft parts...
Re: wells-index cnc knee mill controller conversion?
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2013, 12:44:00 AM »
great information here.  thanks!!

i will try and get into it this weekend if i have a chance adn take some pictures adn maybe look at figuring out what type of motor's drives etc i have.

if i went A/C  where should i look for that type of product?  what size motor should i look at  and/or  how do i figure out what strength( lack of a better word) is on it now.

i believe i can get a hold of wells and find out all the original build information..  i think..     the iron on this machine is very strong and ways are in great shape.  it was used to cut mostly alluminum aircraft parts...

Do post pictures (we all love pictures  :) ). For selecting AC servo motors you have to match the torque of your existing motors with the new ones. See if you can find the motors' torque rating on their labels.

Zafar