Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Disappointing Lathe CNC Software

In a message dated 08/28/2000 7:33:50 PM Hawaiian Standard Time,
dougrasmussen@... writes:

<< Peter,

I also have an Accuslide, <snip>

How do you like the Fagor control? <snip>
I guess others have had servos fry while
the machines sat unattended). <snip>
Servo Dynamics (the maker of my amps) tells me Upgrade doesn't
connect the amps correctly so as to provide motor over current
protection. Duh??

I was able to buy the last servo direct from the manufacturer at
quite a saving over Upgrade's price. <snip> Incidently, the servo
people have come out with a direct replacement motor having about 50%
more torque AND a built in circuit breaker. <snip>

By chance to you have spindle indexing?


Doug >>


Doug,

I trimmed your post a little to reduce bandwith.

Yes, I thought when I bought the thing, it was gonna take a while to pay
off. Was I wrong. I got one contract and paid for 2/3rds of the machine in
about 2 and a half weeks!! Too bad those jobs only let once in a while.....

In this day and age of PC controls, the Fagor's criptic K values and such
really have no reason to continue existing. The lack of a hard drive, floppy
drive and the horrible keyboard just about kill my eggs. However, I have not
had it give me one problem in about 60 or 70,000 parts run through it. Some
are SS parts with steps, threads, tapped holes, the whole spectrum. We do
copper, brass, steel, etc etc. Not a single glitch.

Yep, I just fried a motor about 3 months ago. Went to lunch, instead of a
bucket full of parts, I had a room that smelled "not good". Turns out the bar
puller jammed onto a large fragment of swarf and stalled the servo. I guess
the following error is allowed to get large at higher feed rates. Anyhow,
like yours, the CNC did not throw up an error and go e-stop like it should
have. I was gonna buy the larger motor you mention with the circuit breaker.
They were out that week and my job couldn't wait. I bought a stock motor from
Upgrade as that was the only one I could find anywhere. $900 is steep for a
brush DC servo........ a little one at that.

No, I don't have the C-axis option. I'm using a 3 HP open drip proof 3
phase motor on mine, a .85 or .9 to 1 pulley ratio. It has supprisingly good
torque for tapping 1/2-20 in steel, 3/8-16 in ss. I have not tried larger
than this. I have on occasion tapped 2500 1/2-20 holes at a time (with one
tap) in 6061-t6. The machine is really easy on the tooling if programmed
right. I have parted off 1500 parts, .6" dia in junk mild steel with a single
grind on a standard m-2 parting blade, no honing, no retouching. Back to the
c-axis, I got a bunch of jobs I could quote if I had the c-axis, as it is, I
will have to second op on the cnc mill.


Anybody out there build a Mill/Turn machine ala Mazak style for home /
light commercial use? It would make some really neat stuff.

Peter Tsukamoto
THRD, Inc.