Re: EMC Running My Controller

Dan,

How is the Servo Lite system doing? I would think that EMC connected to
that would be a very cost effective way of getting a decent servo system
without having to buy the $800 servo to go card. Keep us posted on how
your EMC experiences go.

In the past couple of weeks, I have been using EMC to run hundreds of parts
on my machine. It is definitely a good system. I have run into glitches
with other software, that I don't experience with EMC.

Has anyone out there been using any Linux CAD/CAM yet? Arne, I looked at
Xfig, but it doesn't seem to output DXF. It does output postscript, but
then there's the problem of no CAM setup. Varkon looks interesting.
(parametric programming , DXF out) As soon as I wipe Windows off one of my
computers, I am going to install a pure Linux system, just to play with
stuff like Varkon, etc...

Mill/drill quill drive- I have a ballscrew running the quill up and down.
It works great. The screw is held axially by a bracket that is attached to
the bottom of the quill. the nut is attached to a timing pulley, which is
attached to a hollow shaft that runs through two bearings, with some
preload applied. So, the nut spins and the srew moves up and down. I
ripped out the worm, pinion and spring assembly that are associated with
the old z-axis downfeed. I don't even worry about drilling by hand- canned
drill cycles work. I still have to work out tapping, but that's another
project.


Dan Falck

There's not a word yet for old friends who've just met...
~ Gonzo, The Muppet Movie