Home Artists Posts Import Register
Patreon importer is back online! Tell your friends ✅

Content

This is the pre-CNC pre-game.  Exploring how Maho did what they did on the MH400, and formulating battle plans for the war to come.

Files

Milling Machine Autopsy!

The first step in any CNC conversion: know your enemy. --- Music: Spirit of the Dead - Aakash Gandhi

Comments

Anonymous

Wohoo :) Your video editing is en point, as always :) Love it!

Anonymous

My cnc uses driven nuts on X and Y. They’re actually dual start ball screws as well so six points of contact instead of just three. Ems-moederl (old guy with a one man show CNC company near Ingolstadt) makes them relatively cheaply if you’re maybe still looking for some ideas.

Anonymous

Hi Sam, Just had a look at the web page of EMS Möderl (https://www.ems-moederl.de/index.html) - It seems his shop is closed and the website indicates that his machines are now produced by Sorotec: https://www.sorotec.de/shop/CNC-Mills/p3-ems-moederl-made-by-sorotec/

Anonymous

Ah, I see Hermann has sold everything to Sorotec. He did want to retire, so good for him. Sorotec has an English language site as well. https://www.sorotec.de/shop/EMS-holder-for-driven-nut-with-fixing-screws-and-toothed-belt-wheel-60-teeth.html?language=en

Anonymous

Good luck!

Anonymous

Tony, I'm sensing a trend. You purchase old equipment that still has "good bones." Am I correct? Are there certain manufacturers that you recommend? Or that you would NOT recommend?

Anonymous

afaikt the commonly available 20mm ball screw nuts are rated for 1600kg static load, but they must have chosen such large acme screw for a reason. Maybe it is because it is mostly in compression

TaoHawaii@GMail.com

Don't be a scared-E-cat. Ethercat devices have an in and an out. What comes in must go out (to the next device). The computer sends all the "commands" for all the axes in a sequential group to one (and only one) controller which forwards everything to the next controller, and the next etc... Each device searches through the received commands for only the commands that belong to it and must ignore the commands for the other controllers that are "just passing through". You run a daisy-chain of cat5 cable from the computer to each device(controller) in turn, stopping at the last device in the chain. If you have inputs like limit switches or encoders that the computer needs to be aware of, you will need to extend the chain so it goes back to the computer on a second "input' port. In this way, each burst of commands from the computer goes through all the controllers one after the other and then back to the computer's other port. This seems unnecessary; why would the computer want to see what it just sent? Because it can be changed by the controllers along the way. The state of inputs (limit switches, etc) can be inserted by any controller, into a command burst as it passes through. Of course, each device needs to be configured to look for only the data that belongs to it, but this can be as simple as a software setting on the computer and/or a dip switch (or other "ID" address mechanism) on the controllers.

Anonymous

I like the idea of keeping the existing Z axis screw. Backlash being a non-issue. If your CNC system is closed loop with linear encoder feedback you should be able to account for any inaccuracies in the screw due to wear..... Then again, did I see that you cut the cable for the Z-axis encoder?

Anonymous

I wonder if there is any way to counter balance the weight of the Z axis on that mill?

thisoldtony

No, not really. There are certain countries and vintages that made great machines, but usually it all comes down to good old cast iron. The heavier they are the better. Or course, they still need some life in them or a fun buy can quickly turn into a nightmare.

thisoldtony

I'm leaning towards keeping the screw for now. Part of me is curious to see what happens. The other part of me knows how much a 1 1/2" ballscrew costs. :)

thisoldtony

Plan of attack as of today: if I need them, probably gas springs from the wife's car.

Anonymous

crazy idea, closed loop control of a hydraulic cylinder with encoder. That tracer attachment Keith Fenner has on his lathe is basically that done mechanically

Anonymous

I’d recommend dump Mach4 (even if it’s free) and go centroid acorn (or linux cnc) for the control. I’d go centroid just for the ease of use, reliability, and support. my 2cents