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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > South Bend Machinery > MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Does anyone have copies of the manuals for a MagnaTurn 1218? I just got one & unfortunately it didn't come with any. I haven't powered it up yet, but in case I need it, I'd like a copy of the software too if anyone has it available!
    Mine doesn't have a chuck, I think the PO used custom collets to turn plastic parts. Does anyone know what the mount is? A2-5 hopefully? Someone told me it takes 16-C collets.

    Thanks!!

    Mike

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    I powered it up today & it turns out the hard drive is missing! Does anyone have a copy of the control software or a copy of the hard drive I could get from you?

    Thanks!

    Mike

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    I was able to get a copy of the software,1.27 I think. The control comes up now but when I press the green button that controls the main contactor it only closes it while I'm holding it down. When I let go it opens. I have the control running off single phase & have a big VFD with soft start to power the pump. I'm not sure why it won't stay on? If I hold it down to get the pump running the control locks up until I let go of it. Any ideas what's wrong?
    Once I solve this issue, how do I home it? I don't see any options for it? Also, does anyone have a list of G Codes for it? Mainly canned cycles.

    Thanks, Mike

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hello Mike,
    I see this is two years old so you maybe have all your issues figured out. I have Magnaturns here... I think mine is 1224 but sounds like the same system. Let me know where you are at on this, maybe I can help. I have 5 of these... not all running so I have lots of spare and backup everthing.

    George

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hi George, Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I just started messing around with the lathe again. I have version 1.27 of the Magnaturn software. Any idea if there's a newer version? I have it running where I can home it and change tools. I need to write a program to try it out soon. Unfortunately it has a couple of leaks that I need to do something about. Just found that the main seal at the pump/motor is leaking pretty good. The user interface is a bit of a PITA to understand. I'm slowly figuring it out. Was thinking of putting the software on a hard drive instead of the two floppies, know of any issues with that?

    Mike

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    I have considered putting a new control on these but it needs to be cost effective. I would likely replace the spindle drive with electric and just use the small hydraulic pump for turret and axis. And get rid of that 15hp motor. I'm too busy now but maybe later this winter.

    George

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2023
    Posts
    1

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hello there guys, would anyone have a copy of the control software, dynapath software, and also im having an issue i cant figure out, cant get it to read floppys at all. I tryed a new floppy reader still no luck, wondering what the heck is going on.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hello Mike,
    Ver. 1.27 is what I have on mine and I don't know of any newer. If you try to use a hard drive instead of floppys you will have to go into a setup program and change some things and then save it that way. I was going to try that but ended up with more important things. I put a flat screen on... the original screens are very hard to read. The homing routine they call syncing. So if your screen says SyncMode it isn't complete yet. There are canned cycles and conversational programming in UltraPath. (F7) The G & M codes are all listed for you. I only use manual code entry to tweek the program the software generates. Did you get a manual? if not, I can send you some pics of pages to help, or answer your questions as needed You can practice with the programming with the motor off.

    George

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hi George, thanks for getting back to me! I did put a flat screen in it along with USB floppy emulators. I'll look in the ultrapath utility, I haven't used it yet. No, I didn't get a manual but another member sent me some pages from his a while ago, for the G & M codes mostly. Any chance you could post a simple program for me to verify my BOBCAD post against? That's what I've been working on tonight, but I'm not too sure yet if it is correct.
    Interesting idea about the spindle motor!

    Thanks, Mike

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Mike,
    I'll try to post pics with this of a short program to part off a spacer. I'm not sure how it will work to load a program from another source.


    George

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Thanks George.
    I've got a question about Ultrapath. When I go into it, the right hand part of the screen just flashes and I can't type anything. All I can do is Ctrl-Alt-Del to reboot the computer to get out of it. Any idea what's going on there? Also, if I have the hydraulics running going into Ultrapath shuts them down.

    Thanks,

    Mike

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Mike,
    It is normal for the hydraulics to shut off when entering Ultrapath. On the main screen in Ultrapath there should be a small box marked SELECT. You should be able to enter a number from the canned cycle menu above it or from the right hand menu that flashes. If you enter 99 and hit enter, along the bottom should appear a question if you really want to exit. By entering 1 or 2 you are selecting yes or no as prompted. Let me know if any of this is working.

    George

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    I tried that last night & I couldn't type anything. I tried the number pad and the numbers above the keyboard.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    11

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    When you first boot up the machine, does it take you to a Blue screen with a stack of boxes to select using the F keys? You should be able to press the space bar and a 9 box square representing your number pad comes up. By pressing the space bar you scroll thru 3 different ones... one for jogging, one for running programs and one for misc functions. Press escape to return to the Blue screen. If you select F5 for MDI it should take you to a screen where you can manually enter a program line by line. Try these things to make sure your keyboard is working. If all this works, I am guessing there is a problem with the Ultrapath Disc. Either a missing or bad file or something.

    George

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    Hi George, I'm guessing there's something wrong with the ultrapath then.
    Right now I'm trying to load a sample program I made in BobCAD, but it's not finding it. Can you tell me how the files are supposed to be named?

    Thanks!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    116

    Re: MagnaTurn 1218 Manuals & Software?

    I figured out that it wants FILE001.LNC as the format, but it wouldn't accept that until I saved a program from the control and copied my code into it. Seems weird, not sure what's going on there.
    My other issue now is the program is running OK, except BobCAD won't post in radius, even though it is set to. It posts in diameter, so everything is off. Trying to get that figured out in another post in the BobCAD post forum.

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