Re: MyCenter 1 Refurb or Retrofit?
Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on the machine. If it's in good mechanical condition then it will be a good candidate for a retrofit. If you can reuse the existing servo motors and drives then you are way ahead of the game. You'll have to figure out if you can run the yellow cap motors without the Fanuc control system. I think the yellow cap motors are brushed DC motors so it may not be not too difficult. I was not able to figure out a reasonable way to run the red cap motors without the Fanuc controller on my lathe, so I just replaced all of the servos and drives with modern hardware. On my mill I'm still running the old DC drives and servo motors and it works fine.
Upgrading the controls to a modern computer is well worth the effort and expense, will give you a lot more capabilities and is normally much more user friendly. Not to mention you can run million line G-code files. I would take a hard look at Centroid to see what they can offer. If you're up to it, writing your own CNC control program is also an option. I've upgraded a number of machines this way, and it allows you to add features as needed and you're not locked into someone else's idea of the way the world should work.
Jim Dawson
Sandy, Oregon, USA