Hi. I am looking to buy a much more capable machine than the X4 I have now. My son is a CNC technician, and he recommended an Okuma MC4VA or similar. He really likes the box ways which he says are much more durable and crash resistant than typical linear bearing machines.
I'm trying to get a handle on what I'm looking for.
What years were this machine made? Are there similar Okuma machines with box ways I should consider?
Machine I'm looking at now has the 5020 control. Uses 3.5 floppy discs, although it seems like you can purchase a USB/floppy adapter for these.
Is the control system modern enough for most jobs? Is memory size a real issue? I'd really like to get good at using mastercam.
Should I consider swapping out the control for something more modern, whether based on EMC or something commercially available?
I don't have 3ph power, so I'm planning on adding a new vector drive to allow for single phase power. Any links or builds for this process?
Also, really stupid question, is there any way to test machine using single phase 240? Is there a quick and dirty workaround just to power up and move everything? Going to look at a machine, no 3ph on site. Maybe rent a big generator for the day or perhaps a phase converter?
Really appreciate any advice,
Thanks,
Bryan
CT USA