Re: Nuts and Volts Magazine (now planning the program)
Posted by
Wkuehsel@a...
on 2003-09-17 07:28:33 UTC
In a message dated 9/17/2003 1:52:15 AM Eastern Standard Time,
wizard@... writes:
Thank you, and thanks also to the others on the list, who have provided me
with so much information. Let me try to explain what I meant by "planning out
and executing the program". By way of introduction, I have spent decades in
the computer field mostly on the management side (the last time I wrote a
serious piece of assembly code was in the 1960s), but I have a working knowledge of
C++ that I have noodled with recently. On the electronics side, I have some
theoretical knowledge of electric circuits' digital logic, and microelectronic
circuits (Sedra and Smith text). I have also done some simulation using
pSpice and Electronic Workbench and took a course in Autocad (pre Windows version).
However, in no way do I consider myself even a beginning design engineer -
just a low level tyro. On the machining side, I have been doing it for a few
decades and have a fairly complete machine shop, e.g., Hardinge mill, SB 10K,
Mikron T90, etc.
My hard learned experience in machining has taught me a couple of lessons.
Most importantly not to jump in and spend money on equipment or software before
you understand what you are doing. Early on I did that and now I have some
great boat anchors. Insofar as CNC, etc., I can speak about it at the
management level, but I haven't got the foggiest idea of how to load the G code into
the machine as an example. On the practical side of CNC, the local community
college use to offer numerous courses in this an allied subjects, but lately it
has been dry. Of course, I don't want to make the mistake that I did in
machining, so some education is required. Too bad the college is zip.
Therefore, to begin, I though I might do a small pilot project that I could
get my hands around and go down the learning cure. I don't want to try to
build an aircraft carrier just a sail boat for the bath tub as my first project.
To do this, I have a couple of 486 PCs and what I call a commercial pin
router/mill as baseline equipment for the project. At the end of this lengthy
response, I will provide a description of the pin router. In the year that I have
had it, no one has been able to give me any insight on the equipment. So, in
this area input from the list would also be welcome. Of course, I have other
computers that I can use for various CAD software, etc.
Based on the above, I would like to develop a plan to work through my pilot
project and which answers the following preliminary questions.
1. Is this pin router/mill suitable for conversion to CNC to do some serious
work, i.e., what are the pros and cons of this particular machine?
2. Is it possible to drive and control the exiting XY ball slide table on
the router to do accurate work (what are my options and at what cost)?
3. How do I drive and control the Z axis which is a quill mechanism with a
micrometer depth stop (both up and down motion)?
4. Where does VFD fit into the program to control spindle speed?
5. Can the 486 computer be dedicated and used to control the process?
6. What type of software would be resident on the 486 computers and who
provides it?
7. What are my options for design software for the other computer and how do
I select the most appropriate software for my needs? Is does not have to be
industrial strength, but it has to be beyond "lite". There seems to be
numerous choices Autocad, Ironworks, Soild Works, VectorCam, etc. Where do I begin?
Based on the list recommendations, I have began to assemble a file of
information from various sources, e.g., HSM, various linear mechanism manufactures,
Siemens tutorials, websites, etc. I need to go through all of it in detail to
try to get some level of comfort - not a small job. My timing is not
critical, but I would like to complete the pilot with a year. I will also post
pictures of the pin router, if anyone is interested (I just need to make some space
in the shop first which is undergoing some renovation). Any input on the
above questions would be appreciated.
Again, thanks to all for their help.
Bill Kuehsel
Pin Router Description
The name of the manufacturer is:
Vaucher
La Tuilerie
Arbent, France
The machine weighs approximately 100+ pounds. It is a table models. The best
way to describe its appearance is to say that it looks like a light duty
vertical mill. It is certainly is of heavier construction then a drill press with
a one piece casting for the column and the arm which is then attached to a
cast iron base. The arm holds the milling spindle assembly which is 2.2 inches in
diameter and has ball bearings. The spindle has a 2.5 inch travel and is
controlled by a lever as in a drill press or like the Bridgeport quill. The limit
on the downfeed is controlled by micrometer thread which is an integral part
of the spindle. The milling spindle and the template tracer assembly (which is
also located on the arm), accept tooling with Schaublin 10 mm Type W-Group 80
shanks.
The mill table, which is an XY ball slider, has an 0.75 inch aluminum plate,
an is operated by a set of levers for X-Y travel. The overall table dimensions
are 8 inches by 11.5 inches. As in a mill drill, the table does not move
vertically. Lever operation of the table is very smooth with no slop. The table
movement cannot be locked in either direction.
On each table sits cast aluminum fixtures. Each has a set of locating dowel
pins. One set holds the template to be traced and the other for locating and
holding the workpiece. Fixture/table movement is controlled by the tracing pin
in the miller/router arm as the operator uses the XY table levers. There is
also a pneumatic line connection to each fixture with suitable controls. This
clamps the workpiece to the fixture when milling or routing.
The motor is also European and is 3 phase. Given the pulley ratio, cutter rpm
is about 11,000. Far to fast for steel. But probably fine for plastics,
composites, wood and soft metals (A VFD could be used to control the rpm of the
motor).
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
wizard@... writes:
> I'm not sure what you mean by "plan out and execute the program".Hi Dave:
> You do understand that there are three differrent areas that have to
> come together to get EMC up and runnning? First is the assembly of
> electronic hardware that will sork correctly on the mechanical hardware
> it is about to drive. Second you have to get EMC and a Linux
> installation up and running. Finally you need to develope that
> software that will drive the machine to make your parts. This last
> part is the actual CNC code that is unique for each part. To sum it up
> about a third of your effort involves hardware and elecronics and the
> rest software.
>
> Dave
>
Thank you, and thanks also to the others on the list, who have provided me
with so much information. Let me try to explain what I meant by "planning out
and executing the program". By way of introduction, I have spent decades in
the computer field mostly on the management side (the last time I wrote a
serious piece of assembly code was in the 1960s), but I have a working knowledge of
C++ that I have noodled with recently. On the electronics side, I have some
theoretical knowledge of electric circuits' digital logic, and microelectronic
circuits (Sedra and Smith text). I have also done some simulation using
pSpice and Electronic Workbench and took a course in Autocad (pre Windows version).
However, in no way do I consider myself even a beginning design engineer -
just a low level tyro. On the machining side, I have been doing it for a few
decades and have a fairly complete machine shop, e.g., Hardinge mill, SB 10K,
Mikron T90, etc.
My hard learned experience in machining has taught me a couple of lessons.
Most importantly not to jump in and spend money on equipment or software before
you understand what you are doing. Early on I did that and now I have some
great boat anchors. Insofar as CNC, etc., I can speak about it at the
management level, but I haven't got the foggiest idea of how to load the G code into
the machine as an example. On the practical side of CNC, the local community
college use to offer numerous courses in this an allied subjects, but lately it
has been dry. Of course, I don't want to make the mistake that I did in
machining, so some education is required. Too bad the college is zip.
Therefore, to begin, I though I might do a small pilot project that I could
get my hands around and go down the learning cure. I don't want to try to
build an aircraft carrier just a sail boat for the bath tub as my first project.
To do this, I have a couple of 486 PCs and what I call a commercial pin
router/mill as baseline equipment for the project. At the end of this lengthy
response, I will provide a description of the pin router. In the year that I have
had it, no one has been able to give me any insight on the equipment. So, in
this area input from the list would also be welcome. Of course, I have other
computers that I can use for various CAD software, etc.
Based on the above, I would like to develop a plan to work through my pilot
project and which answers the following preliminary questions.
1. Is this pin router/mill suitable for conversion to CNC to do some serious
work, i.e., what are the pros and cons of this particular machine?
2. Is it possible to drive and control the exiting XY ball slide table on
the router to do accurate work (what are my options and at what cost)?
3. How do I drive and control the Z axis which is a quill mechanism with a
micrometer depth stop (both up and down motion)?
4. Where does VFD fit into the program to control spindle speed?
5. Can the 486 computer be dedicated and used to control the process?
6. What type of software would be resident on the 486 computers and who
provides it?
7. What are my options for design software for the other computer and how do
I select the most appropriate software for my needs? Is does not have to be
industrial strength, but it has to be beyond "lite". There seems to be
numerous choices Autocad, Ironworks, Soild Works, VectorCam, etc. Where do I begin?
Based on the list recommendations, I have began to assemble a file of
information from various sources, e.g., HSM, various linear mechanism manufactures,
Siemens tutorials, websites, etc. I need to go through all of it in detail to
try to get some level of comfort - not a small job. My timing is not
critical, but I would like to complete the pilot with a year. I will also post
pictures of the pin router, if anyone is interested (I just need to make some space
in the shop first which is undergoing some renovation). Any input on the
above questions would be appreciated.
Again, thanks to all for their help.
Bill Kuehsel
Pin Router Description
The name of the manufacturer is:
Vaucher
La Tuilerie
Arbent, France
The machine weighs approximately 100+ pounds. It is a table models. The best
way to describe its appearance is to say that it looks like a light duty
vertical mill. It is certainly is of heavier construction then a drill press with
a one piece casting for the column and the arm which is then attached to a
cast iron base. The arm holds the milling spindle assembly which is 2.2 inches in
diameter and has ball bearings. The spindle has a 2.5 inch travel and is
controlled by a lever as in a drill press or like the Bridgeport quill. The limit
on the downfeed is controlled by micrometer thread which is an integral part
of the spindle. The milling spindle and the template tracer assembly (which is
also located on the arm), accept tooling with Schaublin 10 mm Type W-Group 80
shanks.
The mill table, which is an XY ball slider, has an 0.75 inch aluminum plate,
an is operated by a set of levers for X-Y travel. The overall table dimensions
are 8 inches by 11.5 inches. As in a mill drill, the table does not move
vertically. Lever operation of the table is very smooth with no slop. The table
movement cannot be locked in either direction.
On each table sits cast aluminum fixtures. Each has a set of locating dowel
pins. One set holds the template to be traced and the other for locating and
holding the workpiece. Fixture/table movement is controlled by the tracing pin
in the miller/router arm as the operator uses the XY table levers. There is
also a pneumatic line connection to each fixture with suitable controls. This
clamps the workpiece to the fixture when milling or routing.
The motor is also European and is 3 phase. Given the pulley ratio, cutter rpm
is about 11,000. Far to fast for steel. But probably fine for plastics,
composites, wood and soft metals (A VFD could be used to control the rpm of the
motor).
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]