Emco VMC100 Rebuild .. I need help..!

Hi guys..! I have been an inactive reader and admirer of your work for quite some time now..! Waiting to find out if I want to buy or build..?

Well the answer gave itself the other day when I got an Emco VMC100 milling center in my basement. The controller cards are not working on it, and after several phonecalls to Emco and local distributors I have given up on ever getting it back in working order..!

BUT..! I have not given up on the Emco in general.. What I need your help with is to find out what stepper controller and stepper drive cards I can purchase and use instead of the "control panel" part of the mill..? I have decided to utilize the existing powersupply if that's at all possible, and just connect the original wires to new electronics..

It has 5-phase stepper motors that are 2,7A for each phase..?

Anayway.. Please help me guys.. If you need aditional info I'll post it here..

PS. If i'm on the (wrong) please feel free to bump me.. Not quite used to CnC-Zone qet..:confused:

Well, 5-phase drives are harder to come by now days it will be easier and cheaper to get 2-phase steppers and drives. Unless you find some 5-phase drives on eBay. I'm pretty sure the old power supply will work fine. As for cnc control software I recommend Mach3: http://machsupport.com/artsoft/index/index.htm
You can get a free demo the only limitation is 500 lines of code.

Not sure who to recommend for buying steppers and drives in Europe as you guys have the RoHs stuff there.

Thanx for the info mate.. :)

I'll be keeping my eyes open for some 5-phase drivers on e-bay..

Just started taken the old Emco apart now.. I hope I can ask you for help again if needed..!?

Sure, anytime any day or night!!!! The digital age:)

hi enok1969

Well i se that u haw had the same exprience that i haw had whit EMCO
funny enof i haw en vmc100 in my celler to.:wave:whit the same problem :mad:that i want to rebuild myself.
if u haw a schematics of the controler i ma be able to make the driver for u.
sins i am building one for my self

sorry for my bad english:confused:

Your in luck..!

I have all the manuals.. Unfrotunately some of them are in Norwegian, but most are in english. I can scan the schematics and e-mail them to you.

Contact me on [email protected] and we'll work it out..!

Hi guys,

i all ready have made a prototype 5 phase driver that can do max 1.8 Amp and have almost completed the design of a one that can go up to 3 Amps.

If enouth people want one, then maybe i could make some kind of build-it-yourself kit.

I have been thinking about making a Emco to Mach3 converter kit cause replacing those wonderfull 5 phase motors (2 phase does not even come close) is really a shame.

are there more folks out there you want 5 Phase driver cards ?

Greezt,

Markus

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gunshot

hi enok1969

Well i se that u haw had the same exprience that i haw had whit EMCO
funny enof i haw en vmc100 in my celler to.:wave:whit the same problem :mad:that i want to rebuild myself.
if u haw a schematics of the controler i ma be able to make the driver for u.
sins i am building one for my self

sorry for my bad english:confused:

---

I had a look at the schematics, and they are in english and german.. I can make a scan in pdf of both the schematics and the manual. But I need your e-mail adress or an adress to send it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Markus53

Hi guys,

i all ready have made a prototype 5 phase driver that can do max 1.8 Amp and have almost completed the design of a one that can go up to 3 Amps.

If enouth people want one, then maybe i could make some kind of build-it-yourself kit.

I have been thinking about making a Emco to Mach3 converter kit cause replacing those wonderfull 5 phase motors (2 phase does not even come close) is really a shame.

are there more folks out there you want 5 Phase driver cards ?

Greezt,

Markus

---

I can't asnwer for the others, but it sure sounds interresting to me..! PM me and we'll figure something out. I really need to get this machine up and running now..:)

Hi
I have a VMC100 great little machine apart from the drive boards, which like most of us that own them will know, keep popping. I must have done 14 plus boards since I got the machine 3 years ago.

I may have an answer to the problem, but the drive boards from Markus sound very promising.

What I have found after all these years, humidity plays a large role on how the boards act when you turn the machine on and I have had this confirmed by a electronics engineer who repairs them for me. Since I installed a de-humidifier 3 months ago in my garage and keep the humidity below 45%, no problems (touching wood, hee hee).

Hope this helps?

Adee

hey guy's
Im a small retrofitter for CNC machines.
Yesterday i retrofitted a vmc100 whit a STOCK berger Lahr steppermotorcard . the problem is that the old card gives an status signal to the CPU of the VMC. so whe had to leave the defected card plugged in. has annyone of you acces to he plans of the steppermotor card???

Hi All,

I've been reading the board for some time now so here's for a first post, just thought I could add something to this thread.
I too have a VMC100 which I bought in bits several years ago. After many repairs to the axis boards I had just got the darn thing to reference for the first time and it suffered mutliple 'pops' so I made the decision to give up on the old TM02 controller and go for retrofitting...that was sometime ago but I am finally getting things together. I looked around for 5 phase drives but came to the conclusion these were going to be hard to find so bought some new 4.2A stepper motors and MSD556 drives from Motion Control here in the UK. These coupled with 2 breakout boards from CNC4PC, a relay board off ebay, KBIC DC motor drive and couple of power supplies pretty much makes up the shopping list.
I've just got the Z axis working nicely now, using Mach 3, and the next task is work out how to get the ATC functioning - having a problem with one of the proximity sensors so just need to swap that out and then see how the tool shop works.

Cheers for now
TH

Hi Tinhead

Very interested in your emco vmc project, and would very much like to follow your progress. I was thinking of converting mine last year, but just wasn't sure on the MACH3 after reading up on it, plus I had one last go in sorting out my VMC and got good results with the the original boards.
I would be very interested on how you get the toolchanger to work. even if you but a word.doc together and charge for it.

I will PM you.

Adee

I've done some electrical drawings which I don't mind sharing and can email these to you if you're interested, still work in progess as I finalize what I need (and don't need), and I'll get a pic or two to show the progess.

I have a question you might be able to help with: during the tool change process as the Z axis moves up to mesh the spindle drive gear with the tool turret gear, does the spindle rotate in order that the spindle gear is in line to mesh correctly with the tool turret gear? Possibly the spindle is rotating very slowly in order for this to happen, if you can help with this much appreciated?

TH

Hi all . Just seen the question about the tool change on the vmc100 . I would also be interested in your electrical drawings if that is ok .

I to have one although it has not seen an electrical socket for a while . However I do have 3 manuals that came with the machine . 1 of these explains the exact sequence for tool changing .

To quote:-

1.The pinion on the main spindle is turned in engagement position to the pinion of the toolshop (control by the torque pick-up on the main motor).

2.The Z-slide moves upward . The clamping device for the tool is opened by a hoop . The toolshop is supported .The slide moves upward until the tool taper is free . The drum can turn around .

3.Swivelling to the tool location selected (command via control unit , command control by means of torque pick-up . Report of exact angle position by proximity detector).

4.Milling head is lowered . Tool is clamped .

5.Toolshop and milling head remain in Z-position (reference point). Tool change is finished .

Note : The up and down movement is controlled by the proximity detector of the Z-feed drive .

That is the exact wording from the manual . There are a couple of extra pages with "Clamping process during tool change" , which include sectional drawings . If you need anymore info I will try to get the rest of the pages scanned and I will then send them to you via email if you wish . Just pm me and let me know .

All the best Colin

Hi Enok
I have a Vmc100 and have the same problem with the electric,and of course no manuals to look in, I don't know what to do, have spent so many hours just try fixing the problem. Now i can see an end to this, if some one can be nice and let me buy a copy of the manual and electric schematics. I have a friend that have skills with electrics but he does not want or can not do any thing without the schematics. I will be so glad if some one can do anything to help! Thanks in advance! My mail is [email protected]

Magnus, you have mail... hope the manual helps but there's not a great deal of detail more block diagram type drawings than actual schematics. I once spent many hours and nights drawing the output circuits for the drive cards to help with fault finding but after fixing a couple of boards and the boards working for a while gave up when once again they 'popped'.
Good luck!
Cheers,
TH

Thanks Tinhead!

I received the pdf file and that was nice but as you told i need more details about the cards to be able to measure. And now i have even more problems now the tool changer has given up, the spindle motor is changing the tool when it is in the top position. Now the spindle motor act like it has some bad signals in and i get warning tool turret failure this is not so good. But the strange thing is that when the machine gets warm the tool changer works fine, maybe there is some problem with condensator same ware. The electrolyte condensator has a habit to dry out. And when i run a program in dry run the spindle starts moving to the left and the to the right, but it suppose to stand still. I think there is maybe problem with the encoder? If the spindle changing during the tool change mod in due to some interference then it will lose the position and course the warning? My question will be is it the spindle motor card or data card or some thing else? And Thanks to everyone for the help I really appreciate that!

Best Cnc Regards Magnus

If anyone has converted their VMC100 or Turn120P and still has the original boards I would like to collect a set of spares. I can be emailed at [email protected]

My current hobby collection of Emco includes
Compact 5 PC lathe
Turn 50 lathe
PC Mill 100 mill
A CIM system which indludes
VMC100 mill
Turn120P lathe
Scorbot ER-7 Robot System
Linear slide
Conveyor System.

Getting the units operating one by one. Almost no problems in hardware, mostly cockpit due to poor manuals.

Thanks,

Doug Wilson

Good day "Tinhead"
I've just purchased an Emco VMC-100 without toolchanger (removed)
The machine's axes are not working but the spindle works in hand, the BOB controls power correctly from the Mach3 watchdog pulse and the estop.
I was wondering if you had any success and if I may "pick your brains"
Regards, Dai.

What info would You like to find?
I'm currently trying to ring one vmc100 back to life.
Ii can already control axes by step dir signals on original drivers and looking for the way to control spindle speed.
I think everytging else is quite easy.