[jgstang]

hope this is the right spot for this....i just picked up this machine and was wondering if it a good one or not ? its suppost to have a 7500. up grade on it but not sure! is this thing easy to use or is it a pain ? and what will it do ? looks pretty cool and would like to make signs with it, was told it does 3d and it has a 5hp router ? not sure if i did a good thing or bad ? i got the tower with it but no monitor, can my laptop be hooked to it ? thanks for any input on this....Jim [email protected]

[jgstang]

ok how bout this, does anyone here have this machine and if so is there an easy way to use it ? can you give me a step by step how to use it ? or what is it worth ? i'd like to use it to make some cool signs, or if its for the advanced persons my a trade ? there isn't alot of info on this machine or examples thanks

[jgstang]

Wow, thought i would get something by now.....out of all you smart guys/gals out there nobody knows about this machine shoot ? well i hope its not that bad nobody want to say anything... i guess i can always try calling the co. to see whats up!! hey but thanks anyways, and have a great day.

[cabnet636]

if you can get it to work then look at the vectric demo software and see if there is a Post processor for it, if so you may have something.. Key is machine has to work first

[jgstang]

i was trying to get it to run today and, but when i turn it on there is a clunk, i turned it and on again and a clunk! took the top cover off where the clunk was coming from and it sounds like and seems to be the stepper motor....what the hack does it do ? does that stop everything from working ? when i turn it off i can manuely move the router arm kinda easy but when its on the arm is hard and wont move easy at all....so i guess i'll see what a new motor costs. thanks

[alan_3301]

That sounds normal. the clunk is the stepper jumping to the nearest step.

The machine itself is nothing special, just like 90% of the machines out there. You need to figure out the control and computer side of things to see how to get it to work.

post some pictures of the electronics, and the control software.
someone can help you once you give more info on what it is you are working with.

[jgstang]

i'll take some pictures tomorrow of the differant parts to this....mybe you guys can help me figure out if it works or whats wrong....thanks

[cabnet636]

Alan is right, clunk may not be a bad thing, what controller is running machine ?

[jgstang]

ok here is what i have, mybe i can just hook the laptop up to it ??

[jgstang]

[jgstang]

just seems like something is missing...or i'm doing something wrong....

[jgstang]

again thanks for any help you can shed on this, i really want this thing to work...but what you see is what i have.

[alan_3301]

It looks like it is all there, did you hook a monitor up to the computer yet?
If the computer has the right software and it can talk to the controller box then you are good to go, you just need to figure out the interface and make sure all the functions work.
It does look like if anything in the control box stops working, you might be better off replacing the whole thing with something more modern.

[jgstang]

ok, are you saying that it just clunks and does nothing be cause the monitor is not hooked up to it so it doesn't know what to do ? so if a monitor is hooked up and a key board it might work ? so i think what you are saying is right now its not a complete circuit untill the others is there ? makes sense i think! Jim

[jgstang]

almost forgot to mention that nothing comes up on those screens/windows.....

[alan_3301]

The handheld device is just to make things easier when you are in front of the machine. It is not the main interface.

You need to be able to see what is happening on the computer. It is not going to automatically start the router software and call everything ready to go, that would be dangerous.
You are going to need to turn it on, double click some program to start the control software, come out of estop, home the axes possibly, then it will probably be ready to jog or run a program.

If the VFD (grey box with blue face) doesn't come on, it probably isn't plugged in. You said that spindle is 5hp? I'm sure it is 240V, did that get plugged in?
If the handheld pendant doesn't come on that might take some figuring out, unless it comes on after you start the software.

[jgstang]

first of all i want to thank you for taking the time on this.....seeing how they probably have all the software on that tower, and by the way there is a cd it the tower still, so if i plugged my laptop into it that it probably wouldn't do me any good cause all the software is in the tower correct ?? sorry i'm trying to learn this as you tell me! sounds like i need to get a monitor,key board and mouse to give this a good chance is this right ? oh and the router says 3.3 hp 110v and made sure that everything is plugged in. thanks, Jim

[alan_3301]

yes you definitely need that tower working to control the machine, laptop wont be any help here.

110v doesnt sound right for the spindle, thats like 30 amps.
can you post a picture of the info plate on the spindle, and if possible the sticker on the back of the vfd?

[jgstang]

i'll double check that tomorrow and get a picture...i got the monitor,key board and mouse that was used for this machine today! i will probably try it tomorrow mybe but atleast i have it. talked to a guy today that knew the guy that had it and he said that it was updated in 2010 and then was put away...

[cabnet636]

There is no hard drive, the three cards are your axis drives,,, that is a DSP controller meaning it needs a file (probably on a flash drive to run). this unit is run by operator from that handheld device.

next time you plug it is see if the "seek limits" will allow it to "Home" or "Initialize" I would check the plate in the spindle and get the model number of the VFD (variable frequency drive) that runs the spindle, there are small wires that are control (off and ON) from the control box and larger that power the spindle, where to they get their source, they may go to a hard wire box waiting on some power !


,, you really need some one with some basic machine control device and electrical experience. pretty simple machine actually, I do remember when this model was introduced and any local cnc operator who is used to maintaining a machine could be of some use to you.