[JinMTVT]

Hi all , just acquired a "very used" AXYZ 4008 circa ~ 2004 cnc router.
It has lots of running time, but the linears ( Rexroth ) are superb and they cut mostly light loads on it ( sign industry )

Here are quick specs :

- HSD quick tool change ( ATC possible ) 5KW aka 915 flat nose on iso30
- Steppers on all axys ( Oriental motors Vexta PK299-F4.5A 2 phase 1/8 step? DC 4.5A 0.66OHM )
( dual steppers on Y, but i did not get to see if it was the same servo used )
- Ball screw on Z axis ( looks like ~15mm pitch )
- Gear racks on X and Y ( belt driven direct gear from servos, unfortunately straight type gears )
- spindle drive is from TB WOODS X2C model i believe

i forgot to take out the axisstepper drives type/model

The unit came in with auto mister from unimist, a cold air gun and 2 extractor hoods ( foot pressure and brush type )

Unfortunately, it seems that i cannot add ATC to this machine with the AMC AXYZ board in place even though the spindle is ATC capable ( what?? )


What i wish to use the machine for :

- main use for this year would be routing of aluminum composite panels ( aka ACM, ACP, ALUCOBOND ) which is my personal house finish and needs to be done asap.
- wood works ( house doors , cabinets, some engravings )
- Some aluminum work of course


The machine has space to install tool racks at the back ( it is a 4X8 but 10' length ..so i got free space at the back )



My questionning here is the following :

Do i keep the old AXYS controller and work it out with their software ( toolpath i believe , never used yet ) as the machine is already in working function
( once i put it back in 1 piece , down for cleaning now .. )
That would mean that i would be jammed with an XP compatible computer ( damn ..old stuff ) and their software seems very slow to import large files to transfer to machine, and no ATC ever .

Or , should i look out for Mach3-4 motion controller and set it up with that ?

How difficult is it to setup such a machine for basic functionality with Mach3?

I am not on a low-budget, but it do not wish to invest 10 000$ on this machine, as its value will not follow because of the year and lack of vacuum.

But i wouldn't care to pay for a good quality, easy to setup controller card and new axys drives as required.

I am more time limited than money limited right now for this project.

Thank you all for your time ...
Will review every comment and suggestions!

As i said, i am not on a 400$ budget, will not settle for lower quality controller than there is already on the machine.

[JinMTVT]

Looking at Edingcnc ( usbcnc ) and Planet-cnc..

your thoughts ?
any of the owners involved here?

[Larken]

So your wanting to change it over because you don't like XP ?? If its working, is it worth all the messing around and down time to convert it. It will do the job, as the 1000's of axyz do now.

I have worked on those machines in the past and they are well built , but tech support is very bad from axyz.
But its not that hard to convert it to mach3, since the drives are step/dir and controller cabinet is easy to understand.

Unless your a mach3 guru, the toolchanger isn't easy though.

[JinMTVT]

Larken : i am not 100% defenite, but i do not like AXYZ pricing scheme for updates and supports.

I am not going to run a 2004 style of computer system in 2015, simply unacceptable.

The more i look into it, the more i wish to change the controller.

Having an ATC ready spindle and not being able to use it is one of the main reasons.

Mach3 seems a little complex for me, i believe i'd be better with a more complete package
such as Edingcnc etc...

Not to say that the AXYZ machine is not good, it looks ok robust and they seemed to use only good quality componenets
( japan,canada,usa,germany etc.. )
Still a ~2002+ model with very limited hardware control on my part.

And you are right the cabinet is clean ,large and easy to understand even for a n00b such as myself

Do you have products to propose Larken? If i recall correctly, you manuf servos and drives in canada right ?
Maybe i could upgrade the 4008 from steppers to servo ? wonder if the controllers i looked at would work with servos ...

[victorofga]

if its not broken, then don't fix it..

you can afford might be a stepper drive (of your description) ... so why would you do that?

if it was used by signshop.. they probably didn't wear out this machine..

It might be bad you cant use the atc function.. however to get working the atc plus a new control... that makes a lot expenses..
im not sure if you can get for that machine a servocontrol with atc capability under 4K

[Larken]

Here are quick specs :

- HSD quick tool change ( ATC possible ) 5KW aka 915 flat nose on iso30
- Servos on all axys ( Oriental motors Vexta PK299-F4.5A 2 phase 1/8 step? DC 4.5A 0.66OHM )

But i wouldn't care to pay for a good quality, easy to setup controller card and new axys drives as required.

As i said, i am not on a 400$ budget, will not settle for lower quality controller than there is already on the machine.

I think those are Stepper drives (not servo).
But that spindle and nice one and is worth about $6-7000 to buy.
Mach3 is not that complicated and would be your cheapest choice for a retrofit.
Where is the machine located ?

Can i ask why you think XP is outdated and what benefit it would be to change to 7 or 8 on a cnc machine ?

Larry

[JinMTVT]

Victor: maybe not, but i'd consider what i would get for 4K$ ... as i said, i am not really budget limited ( up until it makes sense of course )
i am not looking to save 100$ here, trying to get what is best for current situation.

Larken: just try and install XP on recent hardware and you tell me how outdated it is...
I know that you mean on a cnc controller computer that may be not used for anything other than that,
but it still bugs me because i can't use recent components nor upgrade,
which is one of the reason why i do not like the machine current controller = stuck with ~2005 toolpath archaic software.

Yes the machine is currently on stepper drives,
but as i said i would consider upgrading if it was worth it.
Mach3 is an option, but again i am not on a 100$ budget....

So the question is : is mach3 the best solution for that kind of money ?

I am near Montreal .

thanks all for your time!!

[wizard]

if its not broken, then don't fix it..

Sometimes good advice, often not good advice at all. Controls and computer tech have advanced dramatically in the last decade.

you can afford might be a stepper drive (of your description) ... so why would you do that?

if it was used by signshop.. they probably didn't wear out this machine..

Probably true, if (it is a big if) they had a good maintenance program.

It might be bad you cant use the atc function.. however to get working the atc plus a new control... that makes a lot expenses..
im not sure if you can get for that machine a servocontrol with atc capability under 4K

One always has to balance buying new against buying used and upgrading. The economics have to be considered for each machine in question.

[wizard]

Victor: maybe not, but i'd consider what i would get for 4K$ ... as i said, i am not really budget limited ( up until it makes sense of course )

Do consider running as is before you look into upgrades. Learn what the real weak spots are for they're of work you intend to do on the machine. This is best done in your production environment.

i am not looking to save 100$ here, trying to get what is best for current situation.

Don't rush into anything then. You really won't know what is best until you either have experience with this machine or can apple the experienced learned on other machines.

Larken: just try and install XP on recent hardware and you tell me how outdated it is...

I'm going to take the middle ground here and say you are both right. The main problem being that modern computers and operating systems simply aren't designed to run CNC software. If something works well finding a decent upgrade machine and OS can be a problem. The payoff is certainly there in better performance but finding the right combo can be an issue.

I know that you mean on a cnc controller computer that may be not used for anything other than that,
but it still bugs me because i can't use recent components nor upgrade,
which is one of the reason why i do not like the machine current controller = stuck with ~2005 toolpath archaic software.

With today's hardware and operating systems you are almost required to consider off system G-Code processors.

Yes the machine is currently on stepper drives,
but as i said i would consider upgrading if it was worth it.
Mach3 is an option, but again i am not on a 100$ budget....

In a case like this I wouldn't we'd myself to Mach without considering all of the options out there including extensions to Mach like Smoothie Board. Off the top of my head: Mach, Flashcut, EdingCNC, KFlop, Centroid, FANUC, GRBL and the others, there are probably hundreds of possibilities out there for a controller.

If you have a small facility think big and consider standardizing on one platform.

So the question is : is mach3 the best solution for that kind of money ?

It is a solution amongst many others. Asking if it is the best solution is like asking someone to read your mind. Mach has been very successful in pro implementations but I can't say it is suitable for your plant.

I am near Montreal .

thanks all for your time!!

[JinMTVT]

wizard: thanks for your tips

first off, this machine is for personal use
i might use it for small production in the future if i find it suitable ..not sure yet

i also believe i should try it as is, with an upgraded controller and look at options later
probably going to upgrade Z axis( looks pretty simple as the gantry is only bolted together ) and change the servos to something like Leadshine hybrids being there ..

as far as controller goes

i am currently leaning toward EdingCNC
Bert is fast on answers, i like the 3d printing possibility
and it seems like a decent mature system

[louieatienza]

wizard: thanks for your tips

first off, this machine is for personal use
i might use it for small production in the future if i find it suitable ..not sure yet

i also believe i should try it as is, with an upgraded controller and look at options later
probably going to upgrade Z axis( looks pretty simple as the gantry is only bolted together ) and change the servos to something like Leadshine hybrids being there ..

as far as controller goes

i am currently leaning toward EdingCNC
Bert is fast on answers, i like the 3d printing possibility
and it seems like a decent mature system

I use Bert's CPU5A with Leadshine drives and it performs excellently. Also runs off Win7 and USB with no issues. Haven't tested it yet with 7-64bit or Win8 but they're unnecessary for computer controller. It will run off an Atom processor though you want a decent video card.

[JinMTVT]

Louie: thanks of the info
i am going with the same controller

many options, looks fast enough
i like the software, easy ..looks stable

I'll probably get a amd A serie with a micro-atx mobo so that i can fit the hole setup inside the machine box .
i don't buy Intel


how was the setting up ?
it looks simple enough from the manual ..
did you made/get a pendant?

[louieatienza]

Louie: thanks of the info
i am going with the same controller

many options, looks fast enough
i like the software, easy ..looks stable

I'll probably get a amd A serie with a micro-atx mobo so that i can fit the hole setup inside the machine box .
i don't buy Intel


how was the setting up ?
it looks simple enough from the manual ..
did you made/get a pendant?

Easy enough. Pretty much worked the first time I installed it. Haven't made a pendant because my machines are smaller. I can't vouch for AMD processors or graphics cards as I prefer Intel and nVidia (better OpenGL support.) I do have a video where I'm running a job in the air, have my CAM system up, calculator, and online surfing CNC ZONE, all at the same time without a hiccup, running XP SP 3. I've also run it on Win7 with no problems.