Re: servo help

livsteam@... wrote:

> From: livsteam@...
>
> Robert, Doug, and Jon,
> Thank you all for your replies to my query. To clarify things a bit more,
> the computer is indeed proprietary, has a seperate memory board, a Data-Ray
> CRT board, Deltron power supply, and Westamp servo amps. I'm not exactly
> certain what is going wrong with the computer, but it is showing non-repro-
> ceable memory errors on start up (which prevent machine use, but disappaer
> when the machine isshut down and restarted). Additionally, the machine will
> do unexpected rapid feeds for up to half an inch before shutting down (breaking
> tools in the process), and when EM stop occurs for no apparent reason, the
> spindle is not always shut off. Jon, the system you suggest sounds inter-
> esting, but I was hoping to do this a little more on the cheap, and an $888
> board was a bit more than I had wanted to spend.

Well, you have to balance that with the cost of broken tools, ruined workpieces,
and possible damage to the machine or an emergency room visit when you get
hit with a piece of flying cutter. Since everything else is free or nearly so, and you
already have servo amps (hope they aren't the problem, probably not) this really
isn't so bad. I had a number of breakdowns with my old Allen-Bradley control.
The worst was when half the buttons on the panel stopped working in the middle
of machining a part, but there were lots of less serious problems that would have
the machine down for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. I have had
excellent reliability on my EMC system, and I'm very glad I went with it.

Jon