Re: Fanuc 6T controller picture posted

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Alan Marconett KM6VV <KM6VV@a...> wrote:

> Hi Fred,
>
> Thanks for the pix and comments. This control panel is nice! I

get the

> gist of it, That's a joystick for moves, and an encoder dial

(handle)?

It's not a Joystick, but rather a unidirectional jog switch with a
pushbutton on the tip that starts the motion in the selected direction

The big round silver knob is for positioning and moves the X or Z
axis + and -, which ever is selected on the rotary job selector.

> The keypad would not be hard to interface to. the remainder of the
> sw's, pots (?) also do-able. But it would be a major effort to do

the

> interface and control job (and a shame, if it's already working!).

This machine is in perfect working order, keeping my fingers crossed.

> would be useful to run and study a machine such as this; then one

(I)

> would perhaps have a better idea of what controls were necessary and
> wanted by the operators.
>

I put up some more pictures from Fred's Museum of Antique CNC
controllers. same link, http://www.imsrv.com/images

The Fanuc 5T is just a year or 2 older. The 6T was a major
technology step forward because of the CRT instead of the LED strip.
The 5T had an obsolete form of CMOS memory that went out of
production making it harder and harder to keep them running. Mine
runs off a BTR only as the memory chips are blown and replacements
are nearly impossible to find. Controls not visible on the
operator's panel are the air actuated chuck open and close buttons on
top of the machine. This machine was very cryptic to operate due to
the fact that the program could only be viewed one block at a time.
The LED's along the top strip indicated the Word G M S, etc, and the
value would be shown in the strip below ( +/- 6 digit number, 4 place
decimal, Decimal not shown). This is not a good one to emulate for
user friendliness, but the actual controls, once the editing was
behind were not too bad.

The Bandit Mill is a machine that I sold on ebay a couple of years
ago. It is about 1982-5 vintage, a retrofit package.It belonged to
one of my customers and was their "first" CNC in a long established
manual tooling/engineering shop. They kept it many years after they
had switched to high speed Kitamura machines because of the
sentimental value. ;-)

The AB8400 says Bandit IV because AllenBradley bought out the Bandit
line and used the trademark on their own designs. It is nothing like
the older Bandit 1-3. In fact it programs almost identical to EMC,
which is in part based on Allen Bradley. This conrol is a Pendant
that extends over the top of the enclosed machining area out to the
operator. Controls not shown are the tool release button on the left
side, and the Spindle CW, CCW, and Stop and Coolant ON/OFF switches
on the right side of Pendant. There is an AB clam shell PLC computer
in the relay panel. Larry VanDuyn was lucky enough (I think) to find
a NEW one of these and retrofitted it to a Bridgeport BTC. He is
more ambitious than me. I just push the buttons and make parts. ;-)
The AB8400 is about a 1989-1990 era machine. Note that there are a
lot fewer buttons and switches. This is a very complicated machine
with an automatic 24 slot, tool changer, 10HP 8000 RPM spindle, rigid
tapping, etc. The little brown chicklet buttons along the right side
of the screen serve as soft keys. Instead of touch screen, the key
labels are shown on the CRT and the button is then activated for that
function. Very similar to the function keys on a PC keyboard.

> You're right, a hobby controller couldn't replace this! And with

all

> the machines being considerably different from each other, it would

be a

> difficult task indeed to be able to address all the I/O. $5K? Are
> control panels (and schematics) like this available surplus

(wouldn't

> need the CPU)?

I think you will find them in the trash every day. The old GE550,
1050 and similar vintage controllers all had heavy duty switches and
controls. Owners have to pay the trash man to haul them away.

Best Regards,

Fred Smith
IMService