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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Dyna Mechtronics > Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements
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  1. #1
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    Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Hi,
    I appear to have secured a Dyna DM4400M. Yay...super happy! However, it is a bit of a funny thing. The machine isn't very convenient for me to measure to ascertain the dimensions. It presently has a full enclosure on it which I'm pretty sure I cannot fit (that is 74W x 72D plus about 24 for the pendant). That means I need to take the enclosure off. Ideally I'd find what I call the 'toolroom' version of enclosure which has a movable tray and then trip troughs underneath. But even if I can't, the machine is still better than my Hurco KMB1 that I'm retrofitting to LinuxCNC right now, which has no enclosure at all.

    So... I'm looking for the width and depth of the machine without any enclosure and/or the width/depth of the machine with the older toolroom type enclosure. I'd also love the minimum height of the machine. I need to move it through about a 6' 8" doorway (rough... don't recall the exact height). I can take off the light and easily removable things, but if I have to cut off 3" of the casting, well, that obviously isn't going to work!

    So, there you have it.... Do you have any of those dimensions or can you get them from your machine? I would *really* love to get the information!

    Regards,
    Alan

  2. #2
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Alan-

    I don't know how close the 4400 is to the 4400M, it was my understanding they were basically the same machine with a Mits controller and more cabinet. Anyway here's a photo of my 4400 just after I placed it in my garage:

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/4Hnq41jmfdpsnN1a7

    This is just a standard 2 car tract home garage (don't tell my HOA) and it barely takes up one quarter of it, so it fits real easy. I can send you dimensions later on if it's what you're looking for.

    Dan

  3. #3
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Hi Dan,
    First and foremost, thank you for the response. I definitely appreciate it!

    Yeah, the 4400 and 4400M are basically the same footprint. The pendant size may be a little different but I have a very good idea on that so I'm not worried about dimensions there.... Actually, even the 4000 is essentially the same machine, I believe, except that it doesn't have the toolchanger. I'm ramping up on Dyna jargon and models pretty quickly, LOL..... I think the only measurement that may or may not be different on the 4000 to 40000M is the height. But I'm not positive about that.

    There are a few concerns I have. Although it isn't a big machine, I already have a boatload of stuff in my garage. So 1/4 is actually quite a bit. It is mainly the width and height that concern me. I can back the machine up against a door so access to the rear isn't as big a concern. Let's take these one by one.

    Height: I have an 79" tall garage door. I need to get the height of the machine to something (hopefully) less than that. I don't mind removing motors, sensors to accomplish this task, but I can't lop off the top of the machine, of course! I suppose I could probably remove the bed from the base, but that seems like a huge amount of work. Once inside, I can position the machine so that it is between rafters... within reason.... so height is less of a concern there.

    Width (and to a degree, depth): are my next problem. The machine in question has a full enclosure. That is awesome but it takes a lot of room and space is a premium. My old Hurco KMB1 (which needs to find a new home...sniff sniff) was tucked in such that I could move a table to one side when not in use. It was completely a non-OSHA approved fit! However, in a one man shop, it was OK. Like all home hobbies, the machine really isn't even used that often and being a piece of automated equipment, I just stay clear of all moving pieces whenever the machine has power to the servo amplifiers. The Dyna's full enclosure is going to be a problem though. I don't think I can keep that much "static" width devoted to the machine all the time though. So I will probably have to remove those. I like your setup better, although the drip trays look like they might be just as wide as my full enclosure.

    I guess the measurements I'm looking for all ignore the control pendant, but they would be:
    1. Full width (including your drip trays)
    2. Width of table enclosure (which moves with the table, I assume)
    3. Width of the table without the table enclosure (really skimping here...)
    4. Depth of the machine minus the control pendant
    5. Dimensions of the base and then:
    A. Move the table to the right stop, measure to the right edge of the table and enclosure (2 measurements). Ditto on the left
    B. Move the table to the left stop, measure to the left edge of the table and enclosure (2 measurements). Ditto on the right
    6. Distance from the back of the enclosure to the rear of the machine (it looks like you have a computer station back there, so I'm guessing there is more room than I would have though)
    7. Anything else...

    I know that is a lot, but what I'm really trying to do is to get a good idea of the size of the machine, primarily without an enclosure and/or with the style of setup that you have. I can't really ascertain how much larger the machine is than my Hurco KMB1 and that is important because I want to put it into the same spot, if possible.

    Now for the fun stuff.... Do you like your machine? I think they look like the cat's meow. The one I'm getting is a little different in that it has servos and the Mitsubishi control, but I'm guessing that most of the capabilities are the same.

    Thank you for any help you can provide!
    Alan

  4. #4
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Alan-

    I don't think you have anything to worry about concerning the height, as long as it's not any different re: motors. Even at full height (Z axis at the top), the spindle motor still clears the 8 foot ceiling by almost 12", and lowered down it clears the garage door easily. I can get you some dimensions later this afternoon. What do you plan on doing with the cabinet now? Do you plan to sell it? If so I'd like to have a look at it, I might be interested. Where are you located? I'm in Arizona.

    I love this little machine, it's a full on industrial level machine with a pretty impressive work envelope for its size, and sturdy as a brick outhouse as they say. I've done a lot of work retrofitting, in case you haven't seen my re-fit thread look here:

    https://www.cnczone.com/forums/dyna-...rum-posts.html

    Dan

  5. #5
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Alan-

    The height is exactly 79" to the top of the Z axis motor fan. That's with the head moved down and the spindle motor lower than that. I remember I had to disconnect my garage door from the opener and prop it up higher to get the clearance, but if that's not an option the motor/housing is not a big deal to remove/replace.

    Here's the dimensions from your numbered list:

    1. The full width of the custom enclosure (bare aluminum part) is 77". It's fixed and stationary so that's it. The width of the original backsplash guard is 53" (also fixed). All of that is pretty easy to remove.

    2. The width of the table enclosure is 51" and it does move with the table.

    3. Table is 29". However, the X axis motor and radial bearing for the screw stick out both ends and travel with the table, total 41", so even with just a bare table you have more to contend with.

    4. Total depth is 63". This includes the transformer at the back which sticks out a little more than the cabinet. I left a little room at the back so I could access the interior of the cabinet, which was necessary as I did a full electronics re-fit (and still doing some!). With the Mits control and servos I would assume that's not on your agenda, so the back door access is not as necessary for you.

    5. The bottom casting (they call it the plenum, collects and directs the coolant) without the guards is 38", that's the widest part of the machine. If that's not what you're after ask again. For the other measurements, it wasn't clear what you wanted but here's what I did: I moved the table all the way to the right then measured from the spindle C/L to the edge and doubled that number for max travel both ways. Total travel width is (with original moving enclosure) 65" and just to the table is 41" but that does not include the motor and bearing I mentioned in #3. So with the moving enclosure the machine center must be 65/2=32.5" from the wall.

    6. Do you mean from the back splash guard? It's 24" to the back of the cabinet, but as I said the transformer housing sticks out some, so total 31"

    They didn't do a great job with the original splash guards so I made a make shift curtain from pvc and a shower curtain from Wally World:

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/pKHpXxTccEDWvYC37

    I only wish the machine looked nicer--it looks like at some point they gave some kid some 'make-work' and handed him a brush and a bucket of paint. Wow, what a mess! Maybe after I retire and still have it I'll do something about that.

    Anything else you want to know ask away, I got a lot of help from regulars Marty Escarcega and Jim Dawson so I'm happy to give back what I can.

    Dan

  6. #6
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Awesome, Dan! I'm going to pick through your information more carefully, but I think you've pretty much nailed most of what I was looking for (one caveat which I'll get to in a bit). Thank you so very much!

    It is interesting because I got an email this morning in which the gentleman indicated that the height was 79" with the servo motor removed. I'm guessing he must have meant *not* removed (or I read it all incorrectly... need to check) because that would definitely conflict with your measurements. 79" would be a problem for me as my garage door has sagged in the middle to that height. I'd need to get creative in a hurry, and that isn't fun (in this case). Removing the motor isn't a concern though.... For the record, to move my Hurco in/out, I have to decapitate it; but that is easier than it sounds.

    Now for measurement #5.... If the table is symmetric then your measurement is fine. However, I (albeit cryptically) phrased what I did because I've dealt with machines (Hurco) that are not symmetric. Essentially you are on the right track though. From the Centerline of the spindle, I'm trying to find the distance to the rightmost and leftmost edge of the table when jogged to the respective limits. That, ultimately, will govern the minimum free width I need available and, therefore, the width envelope of the machine. You've given me enough other dimensional information that I can figure out the left edge when jogged fully right, etc (you hit the head of the nail on #3 when you gave me the 41" for the extra "stuff"... I just don't know how much "metal" is on the left and right of the milling (29") table CL. Does that make sense?

    You are correct that I don't think I want to retrofit right now. Although I have experience with LinuxCNC (Hurco), the Mits M3 is working fine on this machine. It already has rigid tapping, high speed, nicely tuned servos, so I'm kind of left wondering what I would really gain by retrofitting.... If you have thoughts there, though, I'm all ears.

    Pardon my expression but when I looked at your, umm, artful splash guard I thought, "Dude! That is ugly!!!" . But the reality is that it doesn't matter. I will likely have to do the same thing and that is fine. Kudos to you for that very, ahh, creative solution! The only thing i think I'd probably do differently is to use a true shower curtain as they are pretty see through. Other than that, looks good to me!

    I'll go through this more carefully later, but again.... thank you, thank you, thank you! I really appreciate your willingness to help search out some measurements for me!
    Alan

    Others might find the following photos of a DM4400M with its clothes removed (not my machine, sent to me by another person)
    Click image for larger version. 

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  7. #7
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Quote Originally Posted by MrMetric View Post
    It is interesting because I got an email this morning in which the gentleman indicated that the height was 79" with the servo motor removed. I'm guessing he must have meant *not* removed (or I read it all incorrectly... need to check) because that would definitely conflict with your measurements. 79" would be a problem for me as my garage door has sagged in the middle to that height. I'd need to get creative in a hurry, and that isn't fun (in this case). Removing the motor isn't a concern though.... For the record, to move my Hurco in/out, I have to decapitate it; but that is easier than it sounds.
    I don't know about the 4400M but both of my 4400's use a servo motor for the spindle. It's possible that's what he meant--if you remove the spindle (servo) motor then the highest point would be the Z axis motor as I mentioned before. But it still doesn't make sense because you would want the head down for moving anyway and that's all it takes to get the spindle motor out of the way, so I'm not sure either what he meant. Look at the first photo I sent you and you can see what I mean--the head is down and the spindle motor is below the Z axis motor.

    Edit: actually looking at the pictures you posted it looks like the Z axis servo is sticking up higher than on mine, so maybe that's it.

  8. #8
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    The gentleman who made the statement is well versed in servicing Dyna machines and I'm sure he would move the head all the way down. Therefore, I assume he was talking about the Z axis servo motor; it was how I interpreted his comment as I wasn't even thinking about the spindle being a servo (I think that is the same on the M version too). Removing the Z axis servo is a minor inconvenience but not terrible.

    The castings for the SKIP and M are probably the same or, at most, have superficial changes. As you are standing next to your machine and the other gentlemen was working from recollection, I'd defer to your measurements for what I can expect. I hope to visit a machine in person to confirm though. I did this once and if I can schedule it again, I'll take a tape measure and a level so that I can get an accurate measure on a real 'm' version just to be safe. It would not make for a good day to find out I can't get the machine into my garage without demating it from the plenum (thank you for the terminology)!

  9. #9
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    I looked at the machine in person over the weekend and grabbed the manuals. First, it is always hard to get a feel for the size of something when it is in a wide open space. However, next to 13,000 pound giants, the 4400 really does look pretty small. I took a ton of measurements, however, and have drawn these up in a dimensioned drawing. It isn't a pretty document, and the measurements are really kind of the +/- 1.000 or so, but it does wonders to try to get a better feeling on how stuff will fit into a much more compact environment. When I get a chance, I'll add that information to this page in the hope that some other wayward soul can benefit from it.

    One of the things I noticed in the manual is that when these machines were shipped originally, the counterweight was hung from a hanger and the head was resting on a wood cradle. I'm sure that hanger is long gone on the machine I am getting... But, I'm wondering how you guys moved yours. Did you prep it in any way for transit? Mine is only going about 20 miles, but I certainly don't want it to get damaged in that distance. So... what are your experiences and recommendations?

    Oh, and I like the full enclosure. I'm planning on keeping it for the time being, although I may have to put it into storage while I rearrange my garage. If I *do* decide I cannot keep it (probably not likely), I'll find a home for it unless nobody wants/needs it. Rest assured, however, I do believe it trying to help out other owners of the machine; I won't send it to the trash bin unless there are no takers.

    Alan

  10. #10
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Quote Originally Posted by MrMetric View Post

    Oh, and I like the full enclosure. I'm planning on keeping it for the time being, although I may have to put it into storage while I rearrange my garage. If I *do* decide I cannot keep it (probably not likely), I'll find a home for it unless nobody wants/needs it. Rest assured, however, I do believe it trying to help out other owners of the machine; I won't send it to the trash bin unless there are no takers.

    Alan
    Hey Alan-

    I mentioned earlier that I might be interested in the enclosure if you do decide to let it go, so keep me in mind if/when the time comes.

    As far as moving, I've moved both of mine several times (far more than 20 miles) and never did anything to secure the counterweight. Not that I'm recommending that but just to let you know I didn't have any bad surprises with it.

    Dan

  11. #11
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Hi Dan,
    Yep.... You are first in line if I decide to not use it. I must say, however, that I'm going to really really try to store it if I can't fit the machine into my garage with the enclosure. After looking the unit over, I think it is the cat's meow. I could never use coolant on my old machine because of the mess. This enclosure is cool... That said, I'll throw a question back at you. :-) . Is there an chance you would part with what I am calling the 'toolmakers' enclosure? It seems less beneficial than the full one, but you've certainly managed to make it work well enough with the curtain. But if you have to have the trays on the side, then perhaps it really isn't much smaller than the full enclosure (width wise). I don't know..... Anyhow, rest assured that I will *not* send the full enclosure to the scrap yard without trying really hard to find a home for it.

    As for moving.... I just created another post here about that topic. I've been in contact with an ex-employee who has been very helpful (extremely so). He cautioned against not blocking and detensioning the chain. If the chain breaks, it will send the weight plummeting down through the column and it sounds like the only way to retrieve it is to demate the column from the plenum. That sounds like a massive amount of work.

    As you may see in that other thread, I'm looking for pictures of the *top* of the column area and of the weight. You seem to have been very willing to help out (thank you very much... I hope to do the same when I'm versed), any pics from you would be great. Ideally I'd have a few with the weight at the top (Z down) and with it lower. My goal here is to see how the weight is attached, where this darned 'hook' attaches to the frame, and how much room there is around the weight (so I can figure out what I need to effectively wedge the weight).

    I'm assuming that the setup looks something like.... Big weight with a loop in the top. And on the machine side.... a piece of metal straddling the column hole. That metal has a pulley on it (for the chain) and also a hole through which you can install the hanger.... Or maybe I'm off with that last thing. I don't know. What I'm kind of thinking though (and that pictures might help confirm) is that I can probably lower the axis and then take a rope and tie off the weight. From there, I can slightly detension the chain, wedge the weight, and wedge/block the head (to the table). The approach is slightly more favorable to me because it makes accurate measurements less important. I don't have the machine in front of me, so knowing what to make/bring is a problem (limited fabrication ability onsite).

    Alan

  12. #12
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    I can get you some pix and other stuff later this afternoon. Mine still has the eye bolt in the top of the weight, probably metric thread. There is a smallish hole in the casting going all the way through in the weight area (I think that's what you're referring to) but it's not in line with the weight in such a way as to secure it. I did some work on mine where I needed the weight off the head so I just used some wire rope through the eye bolt and wrapped around a rod laying on the top of the casting over the weight hole. Anyway, pretty much how you described it in your last paragraph. If for any reason it does drop it's not a disaster, you don't need to demate the column--as long as the eye bolt is still in place it can be grabbed with a hook. We're not talking about a massive amount of weight here, I'm actually a little surprised these machines had a weight on it but that just adds to the luster of these machines being made for industrial use, not just hobby machines.

  13. #13
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Yeah, I hadn't considered the possibility of a set of holes in the column casting sides through which one could insert a rod that would (also) go through an I-bolt in the weight. That would be a nice way to stow a weight to detension the chain. The downside to this approach is that it would make the dimensions for the head block far more sensitive which is a problem for me (not next to the machine with a saw and blocking at hand).

    Anyhow, I look forward to the pictures, but it sounds like I'm going down a path in at least some semblance of the right direction.

  14. #14
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Hi Alan:

    I got home today and couldn't get the machine to respond so what I have is limited but I think it should help. The machine was left with the head up, so the weight was down at the bottom. Here's a pic of that:

    Attachment 425774

    The four cap screws are holding a flat plate to the top of the weight with a gap underneath. I managed to reach in and get the eyebolt loosened up and pulled out. Here's that:

    Attachment 425776

    As you can see they didn't just tap into the weight itself but used a nut underneath in the gap. It's a 12mm thread but of course the thread doesn't matter as long as your eyebolt will go in the hole in the plate, so maybe a 3/8" thread if you don't have the metric. There's only a slight amount of room bigger than the thickness of the nut so the thread can't be extra long.

  15. #15
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Fantastic! This is making a lot more sense to me now. I have to laugh though. I have no idea how you reached down into the column and removed that eye. It looks like the weight is 3 feet down or something and the hole is only 6x6 inches. Maybe it is just an illusion. But this does introduce a few questions though:

    1. What is the size of the opening?
    2. how big is the eye?

    I'm guessing that there is no reason to remove the eye, so it is probably on my machine. I had envisioned some type of hook contraption that would be removed during setup and inevitably become lost. Granted, whatever hooked onto that eye is probably long gone, but I don't really care. I can lay a 1" bar across the top of that hole, tie a rope off between the eye and the bar, then slowly lower the head until the chains are de-tensioned, finally block the head. That should work fine. Question there though... do you really think blocking the head is necessary?

    Great photos! Thanks again for being willing to help out.
    Alan

  16. #16
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Can you identify this photo. It was sent to me but I can't quite make it out. That seems to be the table below the weights, which would make the weights above the spindle. That doesn't make sense to me... Plus, the metal on the side looks like sheet metal, whereas the other photos show more of a casting (which is what I had been expecting). Finally, there are two eye bolts (which I asked about and was told that one was for lifting the machine with a hoist, along with the bolts on the plenum).

    I'm all discombobulated with the photo and can't get a bearing. It seems like the photographer was standing on the Y axis way cover and shooting the photo facing the rear of the machine (and downwards, of course). But it doesn't quite add up and is definitely confusing me.Click image for larger version. 

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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Quote Originally Posted by MrMetric View Post
    Fantastic! This is making a lot more sense to me now. I have to laugh though. I have no idea how you reached down into the column and removed that eye. It looks like the weight is 3 feet down or something and the hole is only 6x6 inches. Maybe it is just an illusion. But this does introduce a few questions though:

    1. What is the size of the opening?
    2. how big is the eye?

    I'm guessing that there is no reason to remove the eye, so it is probably on my machine. I had envisioned some type of hook contraption that would be removed during setup and inevitably become lost. Granted, whatever hooked onto that eye is probably long gone, but I don't really care. I can lay a 1" bar across the top of that hole, tie a rope off between the eye and the bar, then slowly lower the head until the chains are de-tensioned, finally block the head. That should work fine. Question there though... do you really think blocking the head is necessary?

    Great photos! Thanks again for being willing to help out.
    Alan

    Definitely an illusion. The opening is roughly 5 x 7 inches, taking into account the Z axis motor housing which is partially over the opening. Eye bolt was just a little less than arm's length down, I was able to reach down with a small ball peen hammer to loosen it up. The eye is about 1-1/8" opening.

    The photo in your other post is definitely standing where I did, at the front of the machine looking down, but the weight/opening is out of view at the back (top) of the photo. I recognize the same size table down at the bottom with the X motor on the left and the ball screw end bearing housing sticking out the right side. I would say the two eye bolts are attached to the drawbar mechanism at the front and the spindle motor housing at the back. At least that's what's in the same place on mine but it's different. You can just make out the chains on the right and left at the back of the photo.

    If I could get the head down on mine I could show you the same view but that's not gonna happen until I figure out what's keeping mine from starting. Last weekend I started in on converting it from LinuxCNC to UCCNC--I put in a different hard drive in the controller pc and left the Linux installation alone in case I needed it before I got the other system running (like I thought I would do today) but for some reason my signalling over the parallel port is not getting through, so nothing responds. Not sure what I did.....

  18. #18
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Great. Thank you for confirming the size. The weight seems to be fairly snug in the cavity, with little more than a half inch or so around the edges. It almost seems like wedging this during transit isn't as big a concern as I originally thought (?).

    I'm still baffled by the photo I posted. Those look distinctly like weights to me, but are in the wrong place. They'd be adding to additional need for counterweight, not reducing it... But, I guess it is academic. The other photo clarifies what I need to capture.

    I'm curious why you are changing from LinuxCNC to UCCNC. I never completed my LinuxCNC conversion, but I may have to do the Dyna someday. I had assumed it would be to LinuxCNC again..... The Dyna is working with the Mitsubishi Meldas M3 control so I'm not seeing a driving reason to retrofit it right now. I'd certainly welcome people's opinions on why I should reconsider that position though. The main reason I'm avoiding an immediate retrofit is that I want to have some fun! I've been converting for years and I'm a little burned out. And, I'm not too sure if I could reuse the Mitsu drivers. They are all digital and I don't know if I could interface these to LinuxCNC. So a retrofit quickly gets out of control... Do I need to replace the AC servos too? That would be even more money... You get the idea. But we'll see. I will learn more over time about how the Mitsu M3 works and whether I like it, but I'm going to stick with it for awhile (one argh is that it is 3 phase only... I kind of like being able to run without a phase converter if possible).

    This looks like it might be a suitable bolt:
    https://www.amazon.com/Swpeet-Stainl...1&s=hi&sr=1-12

  19. #19
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    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    Quote Originally Posted by MrMetric View Post
    Great. Thank you for confirming the size. The weight seems to be fairly snug in the cavity, with little more than a half inch or so around the edges. It almost seems like wedging this during transit isn't as big a concern as I originally thought (?).

    I'm still baffled by the photo I posted. Those look distinctly like weights to me, but are in the wrong place. They'd be adding to additional need for counterweight, not reducing it... But, I guess it is academic. The other photo clarifies what I need to capture.

    I'm curious why you are changing from LinuxCNC to UCCNC. I never completed my LinuxCNC conversion, but I may have to do the Dyna someday. I had assumed it would be to LinuxCNC again..... The Dyna is working with the Mitsubishi Meldas M3 control so I'm not seeing a driving reason to retrofit it right now. I'd certainly welcome people's opinions on why I should reconsider that position though. The main reason I'm avoiding an immediate retrofit is that I want to have some fun! I've been converting for years and I'm a little burned out. And, I'm not too sure if I could reuse the Mitsu drivers. They are all digital and I don't know if I could interface these to LinuxCNC. So a retrofit quickly gets out of control... Do I need to replace the AC servos too? That would be even more money... You get the idea. But we'll see. I will learn more over time about how the Mitsu M3 works and whether I like it, but I'm going to stick with it for awhile (one argh is that it is 3 phase only... I kind of like being able to run without a phase converter if possible).

    This looks like it might be a suitable bolt:
    https://www.amazon.com/Swpeet-Stainl...1&s=hi&sr=1-12
    Yeah, that's the right eye bolt. Assuming yours is the same. Don't know about the lock nut that comes with it though, it might be pretty difficult getting a wrench in to try to tighten that on the bolt and I wouldn't want to just finger tighten it. Edit: I just re-read this and remembered you'd be able to bring the weight to the top so getting a wrench in shouldn't be difficult.

    As for LinuxCNC, I have several reasons for switching over, not least of which is just for the fun of it (yes, I'm an unapologetic nerd) but for technical reasons as well. I first started using it about 10 years ago when I built a cnc router--I looked at Mach3 at the time, but since Linux was (is) free and I had a resident Linux expert (my son) to help me out, I got all the basics working and was able to apply my experience with it when I acquired the DM4400's. It's a good system and really very capable if you have the expertise in understanding how to integrate all the electronics/sensors, etc. I only have a very limited background in electronics but I was able to get all the basics working, just not the ATC, that was (and still is) way out of my league. I've been a bit frustrated at times trying to find my way around Linux--I've tried a couple of times to add a second parallel port to gain more I/O's but was never able to get it working so even if I had the ATC expertise I would still be at a standstill. I know there are other ways of adding hardware to Linux but all in all I'd rather just switch to something Windows based with the proper hardware for it. I had been looking at UCCNC off and on over the years and just recently found out they had a special offer until the end of August to get a free seat of the software when buying their entry UC100 dongle, so I just ordered that and waiting for it to arrive while I prepare the PC for it. I would really prefer their higher end boards for the additional I/O's, but figured for the low cost it would be a good starting point. When I (hopefully) retire in the next year or three or four, I hope to be able to really dig in to the ATC and see if I can get somewhere with it. UCCNC looks like it offers a great deal of support for machine hardware/sensors etc. so when I'm ready for it I will upgrade to the better board then.

    I don't see any compelling reason for you to switch the 4400M over to Linux as long as the Mits controller is working good. It's an old system now but I've run several Mits controlled machines over the years and I've always been pretty impressed with their interface and reliability. I'm sure LinuxCNC would be able to handle all of it but I don't think I would be inclined to do it unless I was supremely bored (which happens all too often).

    I ran the DM4400 for quite a while on single phase in the garage. The only piece of hardware that ran on 3 phase is the spindle (servo) motor so I used it on single phase for some time, but I found I was severely limited in how much material I could cut for roughing. Using a 2" diameter 4 flute index mill I couldn't cut tool steel at more than 0.020 depth with half the cutter width, and when the inserts got the slightest bit dull the motor stalled easily. I broke a lot of inserts that way. I just recently acquired through a trade a nice Phase-Craft 5 HP rpc and got it hooked up--what a huge difference it made! I made some test cuts under the same conditions, I was able to run the cutter down .060 depth with 3/4 of the cutter width with no sign of giving up, and since that's about the max I would cut tool steel at anyway I called it good.

    Dan

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    361

    Re: Urgent: Dyna DM4400 / DM4000 measurements

    You read my mind. The Eye shouldn't be too hard to put in with a lock nut if I've got the head down (so weight up). I'll see the machine later this week for a run through and I'll look then. I hope the mini-training goes well. The machine was jogged to the -Y limit and I cannot jog it off that now. It is kind of strange. Not sure what is going on there, but I'm definitely not familiar with the MITS so perhaps there is some mode that needs to be set? Hopefully the person that ran the machine will know. But, the servo amp definitely works, etc. No damage... I MPG'd to the limit very slowly; this is definitely a logical error.

    I'm an electrical and software engineer, so LinuxCNC, control systems, wiring, etc don't really bother me. Oddly, however, some of the servo tuning stuff was very frustrating to me. Ditto for getting some of the configuration parameters right for LinuxCNC. The manuals are on the weak side, in my opinion, but the support in the forums is excellent. I did a nice job on the Hurco I was converting. Sadly, it looks like I'm going to be carting that to the dump to make room for the Dyna. I don't have room for the Hurco but it is a nice machine. sniff sniff. I will just drop the electrical box, though, so I'll have all the components ready for the Dyna if I want to convert that sometime.

    I spent far too long on the conversion (start/stop). The really frustrating thing was, as mentioned, the tuning. I don't look forward to that if I do decide to retrofit the Dyna sometime. But right now, that control is working great so I see no reason not to just have some real working time. I have a backlog of CNC projects I'd like to tackle! The really big reason why I'd consider a retrofit is to get away from the 3-phase. I'll contact Mitsubishi at some point soon, but a tech told me that the M3 control requires 3-phase. It is more than just the VFD for the spindle; all the amps have 3-phase inputs too (AC servos). Internally, all of these drives are manufacturing their own motor voltages and frequencies (essentially they are all VFDs of a sort) using a high voltage DC bus. So those 3 phase inputs don't really do anything but get rectified made into DC (well, I don't really know AC servo technology, but I'm guessing it is the same as a VFD). But, that doesn't mean that the 3-phase isn't monitored and, therefore, necessary. It is all how they designed the system. So, if a tech says that the Mitsubishi control requires 3 phase, then I'm inclined to believe him. For a variety of reasons, I've got a PhasePerfect 10HP converter, which is kind of a Cadillac. I should be OK.

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