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Author Topic: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?  (Read 270362 times)

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Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #210 on: May 28, 2016, 03:29:07 AM »
Whats the actuating system - air cylinder?

Offline Hood

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #211 on: May 28, 2016, 03:59:07 AM »
Yes, 15 cylinders in total if you include the drawbar release.

Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #212 on: June 02, 2016, 03:24:47 AM »
Panel buttons I have ...
cycle start
feed hold
cycle stop
spindle toggle (manual)
coolant AUTO / OFF / MANUAL
SAFETY RESET
PC POWER
FRO knob
SPO knob

Jog wheel will be remote pendant type with axis select and multiplier ratio built in.

Now, bearing in mind I have the keyboard and track-ball, should I leave REF-ALL and AXIS DRO ZERO options to the screen for safety or should they have physical buttons?

For Z axis touch-off I would guess a touch-plate etc would be in use so I'm fairly certain a Z-Ref physical button would be good - I only have R8 tooling so getting preset tool heights is going to be a bit of a kludge. Z ref will need doing every tool-change.

Offline dude1

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #213 on: June 02, 2016, 03:33:25 AM »
add the tool height to your pendent as well, it makes life very easy being able to be right there. ones you use pendents you love them

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #214 on: June 02, 2016, 03:34:31 AM »
Still working on the dual-spindle setup...

I need two spindles - the main mill quill (slow/heavy) and a bolt on one (fast/light) - this will be clamped to the main mill quill for starters. Yes it will reduce the Z travel a bit but lets see how it plays before version 2. The aux spindle will only be doing thin stuff and engraving etc so smaller Z travel is probably not an issue.

Obviously when i clamp on the aux spindle it will stop the main Z home functioning so i need two Z homes, maybe two Z++ limits as well?

Ideas -

Two Mach profiles will work - The speed setup will be different for each motor, as will offsets probably and other stuff.

Choosing the Mach profile controls the system - spindle 1 / spindle 2 - an output activated only in one profile will operate a relay that changes Z limits, vfd power, vfd control lines etc.

Will only ever use one spindle or the other, restarting to change over is not an issue.

Looking for ways to switch all the lines needed -

Vfd supplies - contactor?
vfd control and fault lines - changeover relay?
vfd speed lines - changeover relay?
Home/limit switches for Z axis in two positions - changeover relay?

probably others?

The programming for the CSMIO plugin I hope will be specific to each profile, will test this today.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #215 on: June 02, 2016, 03:35:23 AM »
add the tool height to your pendent as well, it makes life very easy being able to be right there. ones you use pendents you love them

It's a pre-built unit, doubtful if there are spare lines in the cable but will check.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #216 on: June 02, 2016, 04:06:16 AM »
Ok, the good news is that the CSMIO plugin setup IS specific to the Mach profile in use.

But, I need an output that energises as soon as Mach is started - an output that comes on when out of reset won't work as the signals will be in the wrong state to allow Mach to come out of reset - catch 22.

Is there an output that I can get which will allow me to control a relay as soon as Mach is loaded?

A hard change-over switch is the next option but that is risky as changing it accidentally while Mach is on will probably cause havoc.

Offline Hood

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #217 on: June 02, 2016, 06:19:22 AM »
Not even sure if it would work with the CSMIO but maybe you could utilise  the chargepump if it does?

Hood

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #218 on: June 02, 2016, 06:43:13 AM »
Seems not, no mention of charge pump in manual :(

Any other options?

It really needs some sort of interlocked changeover.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #219 on: June 02, 2016, 07:47:58 AM »
I don't need to mess with switching homes/vfd signals etc - the wonderful CSMIO has so much I/O that i can connect both systems at once and use the different Mach profiles to do the control. :) It has two 0-10v outputs for the spindle motors, most of the functions can be duplicated, just the Z-home switch, 0-10v and the Run Fwd need their own outputs.

Nice.

Also, as we don't need to switch control lines now, I think the spindle VFD required can be controlled via its own output using the HV output in CSMIO and a small contactor/relay combo.

Even nicer :)

So startup will be just a matter of choosing the right shortcut for Mach to launch and let the machine get on with the settings while i fit or remove the high-speed spindle.

One little hiccup to my smoothness here is that the spindle needs to be parked in a position low enough to enable the aux spindle to be fitted before OR it means starting one profile then lowering the spindle then closing and starting the aux profile - not as smooth;)
« Last Edit: June 02, 2016, 08:02:32 AM by Davek0974 »