[Jackal66]

Well the retro has started. The wires are being cut now.:banana:

No turning back.

I will post progress on here as it goes.

If you need any Hurco parts let me know.This machine has a bx control.

It has this board from amts that lets you change the masters and drip feed g-code from a computer:

ACCURATE MACHINE TOOL SVC

Also there is a CMC systems tape emulator board, too.

I am selling everything cheap. Just ask or make offer.

Pics will come soon.

JAckal

[skullworks]

You didn't state what you were refitting to.

Do you intend to continue using the Voltec card to control the speed adjusting motor which sets the vari-drive pulley positions for the programmed spindle speed?

Are you going to reuse the existing servo amps?

Just wondering what your end target is.

[Jackal66]

The servo drives will be Dugong, with Mach3 & CNC4PC boards. The parts have been back-ordered and should be in next week.


Probably for the spindle, a VFD will drive it. Starting out I may just use the fwd/rev contactors & adjust the speed manually.

There should be some pics in a few days.

JAckal

[Jackal66]

Here are some pics of my butchering:


Empty cabinet


Guts removed carefully didn't pull or rip out any of it.



No turning back now!!!!

Looking inside the cabinet, the back plate or whatever it is called, come out rather easy after it is cleaned out.

This will make for a neat & tidy installation for the amps, etc.

Right now it isn't impressive at all. This is just proof that it is started. If I don't post pics as it goes, it will pile up and never get posted.

Stay tuner for more havoc.

JAckal

[Jackal66]

I've started putting the mother board & PC stuff in the cabinet on the mill.

The computer was completely dismantled and just some of the frame/skeleton, was put in the cabinet to mount the motherboard, power supply, CD drive, hard drives, & fans.

After installing, the computer was booted up with a monitor, mouse, and keyboard connected to make sure I didn't fry anything.

When the cable connectors & bulkhead are in place for exiting the cabinet, there will be more pics.

It's easier for me to post a little at a time, than to let the pics and info pile up.

If it piles up, it may never get put on here.





Here is a swing out plate that Hurco had some of the factory power supply & relays mounted to. None of this was thrown away. The servo drives will be mounted to this plate. Since it is mounted with hinges, a ground wire will connect it to the large ground junction in the bottom of the cabinet. The doors and main casting of the machine go to this ground point. The plate will get cleaned off with sandpaper before the drives are mounted with a heat transfer paste. Hopefully this will gain a little more room and make things somewhat easier to work with.







Here is a small bracket that I made for using the factory power switch & LEDs from the PC.

This may get changed later.



There will be more as things progress.

Hope all of you like this.

JAckal

[Jackal66]

Here is some more info from some other threads here on CNCzone concerning this build.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/gecko_...ive_these.html

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/gecko_...ard_g320x.html

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera..._windings.html

Al was a tremendous help on this.


Have any of you noticed the buy me a beer emblem in the upper right corner of someones profile? It is right under the location, join-date, number of posts, etc.

PIC:





We need to start buying these guys a beer for all they help they give.

It is only $5 thru Paypal.

They don't get paid for helping us, and it is worth a lot more than a beer for fixing a machine.

Just something to think about.:cheers:

JAckal:cheers:

[mtechserv]

Hey JAckal,

Any progress on your project?

I would like to follow your retrofit closely, as I'm considering doing a similar project.



Thanks
mtechserv

[Jackal66]

mtech,

There are quiet a few some pics that I can load up. All info has been saved.

Each wire has been numbered on both ends to help identify.

No one has really shown any interest ,so I haven't posted anything.

Stay tuned for more info, then.:wave:

What kind of machine do you have?

Have you decided on any parts & components, yet?


JAckal :cheers:

[adee1066]

hey JAckal,i like what you are doing.very interesting.i'm thinking that this may be the way to go with my machine sometime.
keep the pics and posts going.
all the best,adee.

[skullworks]

Just cause we are not asking questions does not mean anyone has lost interest.

I have a KM3P with the MAX32 upgrade with all the bell & whistle software options, so as long as I can keep it working as OEM I will.

On the other hand I am looking for a 2nd KM3 or KM3P which the CPU part of the control has made its final trip south so to speak but the servos and amps are still functional. I want to gut the control computer and spindle controls and convert it to EMC2 with a VFD spindle drive with encoder for rigid tapping and also a 4th axis which is just too much to consider adding to the OEM config.

Another option I am considering is using a monster stepper to drive the knee with glass scale feedback for in position checking. This allows the tooling to be outside the quills 5 inch travel limit. The "W" axis would not be used while in most programs except for when a hole would need to be drilled deeper than 5". Generally it would only move the knee for tool changes.

Based on the other machines I've used EMC2 on I expect the EMC2 converted machine to run circles around the OEM controlled machine in a production mode - but for quick single part jobs I can have the machine cutting using the Ultimax conversational before I would be ready to post G-code.

Likewise having 2 machines with common tooling is also a plus. I have a very nice U200 tooling package I've built up.

[mtechserv]

Jackal,

I would be very interested in seeing the other pics that you have. I have a Clausing Kondia CNC knee mill from the early 90's that is very similar to your Hurco. It has the rigid head, mounted on a ram.
It currently has a Dynapath Delta 20 on it. I've owned it for about 6 years. The controller has been getting flaky for the past couple years. So I'm beginning to look into retrofits.
I'm leaning more towards EMC instead of Mach right now, but haven't definetely decided just yet.


mtechserv

[Jackal66]

Thanks Guys,

I'll get some pics up.

Mtech,

If you need any parts to limp your machine along let me know and I may have something that will give you a little time before your retrofit.

Skull,

Mine had the bx control, but some of the amps ,etc. may work on yours if you need any parts.



In a few day you will see some more pics.:wave:


JAckal:cheers:

[tjs]

you have done a lot of research and have a lot of great information. I am interested in seeing the completed project!

[mtechserv]

Jackal,

Just curious...why did you decide to use the Dugong drives instead of the Viper or other brand?

I have no preference at this point. I'm just wondering what issues / facts made you decide to go in that direction.


Thanks
mtechserv

[Jackal66]

Mtechserv,

The Vipers had just changed to the new version. There wasn't any info on the Viper site, yet. I checked with Larry @ Viper and he didn't have any of them in yet. They had only made 10 prototypes at that point, and were still trying to assemble them in house.

Several people on Practical Machinist & here told me to avoid the Vipers and go with Dugongs.

CNC4PC is the Dugong distributor in the US.
Arturo (CNC4PC) has a board ( C32 ???) that allows you to connect all of the drives & breakout board with network cables. Simple plug in like a telephone, with RJ 45 connectors.

The powers cords will have to be regular wiring.

Well, that didn't go so good.

After ordering the drives in early March, I ended up getting a refund at the last of May.

It seems that over in Hungary they were having trouble getting the Dugongs ready.

Arturo at CNC4PC is very nice and apologized and all. It wasn't his fault.

So I ended up going with (3) Gecko 320x drives and a PMDX 126 board, & PMDX 107 spindle control card.

The PMDX stuff is top notch and Steve @ PMDX is a great guy & very helpful.


There is information on the Gecko drives everywhere. The warranty is great, and support is excellent.

Plus, you can get a Gecko drive in your hands within 24 hours anywhere in the US ( possibly in the world).


I started the retro when business was slow and there was more time.

After I finally got all of the parts, business has picked up and it is 108 degrees outside. Sometimes the evening temp in my shop is 115+.

Last week the temp of the west facing wall was 130 degrees.

I'll get some updates.

JAckal:cheers:

[Jackal66]

Something else.


On the PMDX board you run (2) wires from a 120 volt AC to power it.

It is nice not having to mess with wires from an external power supply.

The board looked a little intimidating at first, but I made a drawing and cheat sheet of the connections.



You can just look at the manual and number your wires accordingly. Also you can add side note to what goes where.

On my machine I marked out what won't be used.

Hope this helps someone,

JAckal :cheers:

NOTE: I am not responsible for this accuracy in this drawing. PMDX & CNCZONE are not liable in any way. This is just an example to show how it was performed on my particular machine. Your machine and/or breakout board may vary and it is up to the user to make changes and modifications to suit their machine and breakout board.

[Jackal66]

Here is a thread about my limit switches:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera..._switches.html

JAckal :cheers:

[mtechserv]

Jackal,

Is there any issue with not having enough power when using the Gecko drives?
I believe they are only rated for 80V. I forget the excact ratings of the servos on my Kondia, but it's around 200V. The servos on your Hurco are probably similar.



mtechserv

[skullworks]

The servo motors on the KM3/KM3P appear to be the same as used on other Ultimax II machines and should be good for 400IPM rapids with a bit of excess overhead room available.

However it appears the rapids are detuned in the knee mills by use of a lower voltage powersupply.

I seem to recall servo power to be in the 60VDC range, which is enough to allow 250IPM rapids with headroom.

Voltage is well within the Gecko limits. You may have following error issues or motor cogging related to encoder resolution and how you choose to tune the system.

B controls used a lower resolution encoder then the BX controls.

[Dave Rothermel]

Jack,
Checked this group out. Thanks for the privet email. It is 86 here in Logansport Indiana. Worked out side earley, now time to start taring out wiring on the hurco. Checked my servo transformer. The secondary is 66 volts. Will take turns off soon. I think I want 52 volts on the secondary. I would like to be on the low side to protect the 320x's. Plan on the PMDX 126. Will have more to post soon. Dace Rothermel. [email protected]