Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] GE 1050CM control

Harlan Gustafson wrote:

> Jon:
> I have been pondering what you said about the use of a GE 1050 to
> machine 5-axis simultaneous. I misled you when I said 250 IPM!! It should
> be 25 IPM!!! I have two machines that I use daily with Fagor 8025
> controls. The feed rate code for the Fagor is "F250" which means 25.0 IPM.
> Oops, I forgot that little decimal point!
> Anyway, all I really need would be 25, maybe 35 IPM max 5-axis
> simultaneous. Do you think the GE would do that?

I have absolutely no way of knowing. I sort of doubt it, just from the vintage,
but it is possible. If you could accept poor following error even at 25 IPM,
an Allen-Bradley 7320 (about the same vintage) could do it, but it would
be VERY sluggish by today's standards. The AB had a 100 Hz servo
update rate with up to 6 axes. I'm using a 1000 Hz servo update rate on
the PC control with EMC, and the machine is a lot snappier.

I would really suggest you don't put much effort at all into the GE 1050, as
it wil likely require a lot of maintenance. My AB broke down 3 times in
6 months. I would have been in BIG trouble if I couldn't have fixed it
myself.

The missing decimal points is another thing. How many broken tools is
that going to cost you. I made a number of mistakes when I worked with the
AB, which also worked without decimal points.

Jon