Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: PC based CNC system architecture

Wally K wrote:

> Matt, thank you for taking the time to answer all of my questions.
> I think myself and the others on the list now have a good idea what
> you are building.
>
> And one last thing. I am getting the impression you and Jon designed
> this to sell to indrustrial people and not necessarily the people on
> this list, would that be a fair statement.

Well, there are all sorts of people on this list. Now, the people who
are planning on building their own mill from the ground up, or retrofitting
the Rong-Fu mill drill are obviously not making engine blocks at GM
or machining wing spars for the 777.

But, there ARE people who are doing commercial retrofits for hire,
or for speculation (buy the mill, retrofit, and then try to sell it). And,
there are others who have serious shops and are looking to do a retrofit
on their own machines and tell Allen-Bradley (now Rockwell) to take a
hike the next time they suggest $4000 to replace the memory backup
battery in a CNC control!

So, don't assume all of these people are hobbyists on a $100 a month
(or less) budget. I had a guy out to show me a Mill-Rite demo.
It was REAL NICE, yes, but getting down to brass tacks, the retrofit
was $13,000 for 2 NC axes and a DRO on Z! Well, I spent about
$2500 on mine (not counting the detour to put an Allen-Bradley 7320
control on the mill first). I now have 3 CNC axes, G-code and still
adding stuff to it - because I can! The Mill-Rite, of course, is a
closed system.

Jon