[goldenfab]

I'm looking at getting my first VMC and I'm narrowing in a 4020 Fadal. I'm wondering if I should go '96 or newer because I think that is the year they went with AC servos and metric ball screws and would be faster. I think I've read there are some other minor things that are better as well?

Another thing is I'm thinking of upgrading the control of whatever I get with a KFLOP board. Reason being I already have a knee mill I did a CNC conversion on and used a KFLOP so I'm familiar with it and from my understanding it would be an improvement over the the controls that were available on the older Fadals (before they went under). The improvements I'm expecting is basically unlimited memory and faster cutting feeds and smoother motion for complex geometry like surfacing. I'm thinking this would give me the best bang for the buck for a 4020 size machine. If I can get better iron in my door (Japanese brand) in my door for under 15k after transport and rigging I'd go that route but I'm not seeing much.

I'm considering a '92 model what was rebuilt. Still DC servos and no rigid tapping. I'm wondering if I'd have much benefit going with a '96 or newer if I replaced the control with the a KFLOP?

AC servos and metric screws of the newer machine have faster rapids but should I expect cutting feeds to differ much if I went with a KFLOP?

Will I need additional parts to get rigid tapping with KFLOP if the machine wasn't originally equipped with rigid tap?

[atex57]

Rigid tapping requires an encoder on the spindle for position feedback. If it did not have rigid with the old controller it would have to be added. Mine has no spindle encoder.

Kflop is something I am not familiar with. I have Linuxcnc running a mill with rigid tapping, easy enough to set up. Fadals are not known to be fast machines.

Ed.