[must0401]

I am trying to get pointed in the right direction. I guy at work gave me a complete Fanuc S10 robotic arm with 2 pendents and 2 control boxes with all the drivers in them. He told me it was operational when it was removed but I don't have three phase power yet to try it out. I am in the process of making a rotatory phase converter but it is taking me a little longer then expected. So in the mean time I am going to do a little research. Know I am somewhat familiar with cnc machines and mach3, I just finished up my first cnc router build a couple months ago. What I am wondering if it is even worth putting money into getting the motors up and running with a phase converter or replacing all the motors with stepper motors and try to run the machine off of mach3 or a similar program with a cam software. I would also like some input as to what I could use this for. Any ideas would be greatly appropriated. Let me know if there are any questions.

Thanks

[awerby]

It would be a lot easier to run it off its existing motors, drivers, and software than to have to replace all that. 3-phase power isn't as hard to produce from single-phase as it used to be; modern electronic inverters have supplanted the old rotary ones, especially in applications that don't require a huge amount of power. Here's a link to a manufacturer of digital phase converters: Digital Phase Converters - Phase Converter Information Are you planning to use this machine for welding or something else?

[must0401]

I would like to install a spindle on it and use it as a 3D carving robot if that is possible. One of my concerns is dealing with the driver's and software's limitations. From what I understand this arm is only controlled through the teach pendent and there is no computer interface. It has the R-G2 controller.