Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Home shop power for a big machine - Thanks for the input

I can second what Jon says about the Tree Mills. I retrofitted a Journeyman 300. True it is not a VMC but it is very stout and therefore rigid. The one I picked yup had a busted ball nut and a few other mechanical issues but I was able to fix them all. I was really luck with the ballnut that the flange broke just before the first ball groove. I silbrazed the flange back on and replaced the balls and it now runs very nicely. If you get a chance at a Tree Mill I would highly recommend them. I gutted all tree cabinets and weld in storage shelves so I now have a ton of sotrage for tools, coolants and lubricant.
The one mistake I made was with the spindle servo amp. I gutted all of the servo amps bcecause the Y axis blew when the encoder incadecent lamp failed.
After receiving some drawings and schemtaics it looked like the other amps could have been converted to run with modern software such as EMC or Mach3

Dan Mauch

low cost stepper and servo motors.
cases for Gecko drives G201,G203, G320, G540
kits and assembled 3-4 axis drives
www.camtronics-cnc.com
www.seanet.com/~dmauch

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Fagan
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 4:49 AM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Home shop power for a big machine - Thanks for the input


One of the advantages of alot of the new machines is that they have a
spindle encoder, which could easily be used for feedback to a servo
drive or VFD. They are used for rigid tapping and spindle alignment
(for the auto-toolchanger) but I have no idea whether they are being
used internally for the spindle drive electronics.

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 8:40 PM, Jon Elson <elson@...> wrote:
> vrsculptor wrote:
>> I think this thread pretty well investigated what It would take to run
>> a larger VMC in a home shop environment. There are other issues, such
>> as the air requirements for a Fadal like machine, that we didn't
>> address but still need to be considered. For me, right now, the
>> negatives out weigh the positives.
>>
> What I would avoid like the plague are machines with a lot of
> hydraulics, like the Mazak they converted to EMC at Roland Freistad's shop.
> It is a reliable machine, but if something in the hydraulics broke, it
> could get quite expensive to fix it. The machines with the simplest
> tool changers would be much more desirable. Anything with a "spindle
> drive" would be a plus, as opposed to something with just a massive
> 3-phase motor and a contactor. The Mazak mentioned above uses a huge DC
> brush motor, probably would make a good traction motor for an electric car!
>
> The Tree is well thought of, and I think they are of the simple=better
> sort. I know several people have done successful retrofits of them.
>
> Jon
>




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