[scottyd1]

Hello - new to the forum and looking for help please.
.
My neighbor gave me a P & W Tapemate series F.

Here are a couple of questions to start. Thanks in advance for any assistance. By the way, I have done a search on a couple of forums (this one included) and the net. There's not a lot of info out there for this machine built in '84.

1. I have seen this machine referred to as a CNC tapping and drilling machine. Assuming I provide the appropriate control (Mach3 for instance), is the machine going to perform well as a CNC verticle mill? Accuracy, side loads of milling cutters, etc.?

2. Where the heck do I find manuals for the base machine (P & W). I'm not as interested in the Fanuc electronics, as most of that will be replaced. It would be handy to know the weight of the various components (if this is documented) for drive parameters and figuring out the tool changer control.

thanks,
Scott

[scottyd1]

Ya got nothing guys?? I am surprised.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

scottyd1, my experience with the P&W Tapemate machines is very limited. The only milling we could do on the machine was very light. Just like your description, it was intended to do drilling, tapping and boring. The milling was referred to as "pad milling". I suppose that meant milling off the surface of bosses cast onto parts.

The one we had used round ways with ball bushings, not a very substantial support system for milling.

Dick Z

[BZWAK]

scottyd1, We use RoboDrills and that is what they are meant 4. strong Z. It will not handle loads in X,Y as a real VMC but, they can do the job. Very light cuts!
We engrave Ti & SS + profile Exotic woods, + pocket the SS to .04 deep, works well. We hold three place tolerance w / these.
I am partial to F@nuc W/ the proper options, but do not know where to find the manuals.

B.

[wessPrecision]

I have a tapemate 6M 1981 I don't know the series off hand but all the documentation was FANUC. Even some of the tool holder were FANUC. Because of the NT 30 taper tooling I mill as if it were a R8 Bridgeport. My ways are Box type so it does ok. The ATC and FANUC 6M are the limiting factors

I seen one that they took the ATC off and made it a manual tool change but this really opens up the clearance and the size of the "forbidden zone" If you have nothing in it $ The machine has a lot of cast iron for its size, I had a HAAS TM1 and the Tapemate side by side and I think the Tape Mate was at least 2000lbs heavier.

My thoughts are convert the spindle to CAT40 and remove the ATC (it is a turret style and travels in the Z so it is always running into clearance issues) and upgrade the control to a PC based one.