[NJC]

Does anybody know the aproximate weight of an Okuma LB15? I'm condidering purchasing a used one and need to know for rigging expenses.

Thanks

[nlh]

Hi NJC,

Just picked up one of these myself. Would estimate weight to be around 8500-9000Lbs but that's just a guess. Although hefty, It didn't feel as heavy as the Mori SL-3 that was replaced and weight estimates on that were around 9500 -10K. Again this is only a guess based on what I could dig up.

Hope this helps

[nlh]

Looking through my manual yesterday and found the weights, with tailstock is 4500Kg (~9900Lbs) without tailstock 4200Kg.

[NJC]

Thanks for the info nlh! Your guess was pretty close. I went ahead and bought the machine a couple of days ago, this will be my first CNC lathe. I'm looking forward to getting this machine up and running, apparently there is an intermittent problem with the control panel. I don't have the machine yet, have to look into it more when I get it. I was thinking of retrofitting it with Mach 3, I'm in the process of updating my old Prototrak retrofitted Bridgeport with Mach3 at the moment. Do you have yours running yet? How do you like it? I understand they are very good quality machines with good support.

Thanks,
Scott

[nlh]

NJC,

I think you will like the lathe. I have not cut a part yet as I just powered it up Friday but from the process of familiarizing myself with the control, etc I think it will be quite easy to setup and run. One thing to point out, you don't need to zero return your X and Z axis when powering the machine up, it never loses it's position unless there is an electrical or mechanical problem somewhere. If I were you I would try fixing the control panel issue, more than likely a bad or loose connection, could be a faulty switch, etc.
Did it come with manuals? There should be connection diagrams in the back of one of the books, can't remember which one and don't be afraid to give Okuma or a local dealer a call. So far any question I call them with was quickly answered with no problems. Here is a website that will help you setup your control, http://www.countyhistory.com/rbcreat...perations.html

Good luck

[neilw20]

The absolute encoders are great. Never have to zero.
Not wrapped in the OSP human interface.
Must get rid of the paper tape reader. I'm running out of paper.
Damned accurate machine though. LC20 I think is on the door. Must look.

[Jarwalcot]

I thought some of you wouldn't mind knowing about this: http://www.countyhistory.com/rbcreat...perations.html

Hope it helps someone out there.

JR

PS: Send the guy a thank you if you have the time!

[skullworks]

Program on PC should look like this:

$MY-PROGRAM-NAME.MIN%
O1234 (COMMENT)
Nxx


M2
%

Note also that you can put all sorts of text notes without () after the M2 but before the last %. On mill programs I list all fixture setup info and a tool manifest including what tool holder is used for each tool.

You need to use the pip - READ CN0: to read from the serial port (unless/until you change the parameter to make CN0: the default location) just using READ will have the control expecting input via tape reader.

The $ denotes the file name and the first % indicates that the next line starts the program file. Without a $ the control will assign a name starting with A.MIN. If A.MIN exists then it will assign B.MIN etc.

The O number is optional - I rarely use it unless program was "ported" from a FANUC or Mazak platform.

.
snip

Is there hidden parameter's similar to a Mazatrol M2 control?

Thanks,
Nate

Oh yes - there are hidden parameters.

[nlh]

Thanks for the info Skullworks,

Concerning CN0, do you recall off hand which paramter/s switch the CN0 on/off? I will go back through my manual later tonight but I don't recall seeing anything about switching these ports or for that matter a distiction between punching and reading.

The hidden parameters, do I need to view these to get RS-232 going? If so how does one access them?

Does the cable setup on your okuma's resemble the one I posted awhile back or the one Okuma Tech posted?

Thanks again,
Nate

[skullworks]

Thats going to take some digging.

I made the 125ft serial cable back in 1991 - I'd have to pull the clamshells off to verify the wiring "I" made - however there is a cable we now use on all machines in the building which should work for you. That is on a little computer cart we roll up to the machines and plug in. The 125' is at a different venue where all the machines are wired to a central download PC which has several port switches.

Same for the parameters - I hope I have them written down. - I do know that I had the best luck using 2400 baud with the Okuma's - 4800 on the Fanuc's and 9600 on the Hurco's, Mazaks I don't recall.

I use Procomm for DOS for some up/down transfers. (shareware), and a little DOS program called COMMS for doing DNC - both at the central wired PC. On the cart unit, Preditor Editor for W95.

I think comms would also work fine for file transfer - its just rather spartan and tends to give non PC/Dos types fits because it is not GUI based or very user friendly.

[nlh]

Tried CN0 as suggested but still no go. Getting the "RS232C Device Read Error FFFFFFFF" as before. I haven't looked at parameters yet but that is my next step. Still not positive my cable is correct even though it matches the sheet I uploaded, also have an Xon/Xoff cable I use with my Mazak that exactly matches the one Okuma Tech uploaded. Both with the same result. There doesn't appear to be any form of handshaking going on between the PC and NC so my guess is a particularly odd pinout (broken wire possibly?) or param's still not correct.

Thanks

[theokumaguy]

With the 5000L green screens, the hydraulics would come up during power on because the emergency stop would actually turn the control off (nothing but relay logic controlling the hydraulics if I recall). Regardless, you do need to fill the hydraulics if they are coming on and before you troubleshoot any control bootup issues.

Regardless of the control, there are a few good starting questions:

If you open the control cabinet and look at the card cage, there should be a row of LED's located on the cage. Are any red ones on, and if so which?

There is a brass colored power supply for most of these vintage controls, near the card cage. Are any of the red LED's lit up on this unit?

When the power is turned on, do all the LED's on the operating panel come on?

If so, give the control a few minutes to boot up, the older ones can take 3-5 minutes, after waiting do most of the LED's turn off, but a few stay on?

[theokumaguy]

Clearly it's late, I replied to another post here too . . .

[NJC]

I think I'll deal with the control later, I'm concetrating on the alarms for now. As you suggested, I checked the three terminals, R to S and so on, they are all testing at 245 VAC.

The Fanuc servo unit number is A06B-6044-H018

I'm not sure of what you are refering to as "TAPS", can you explain these and how I might change them?

The X drive is a BDU-50-A and the lower, Z drive is a BDU-75-A if this helps

Thanks,
Scott

[theokumaguy]

Good idea, we might already have that part fixed with the transformer taps already (info on that below)

The Fanuc units are sold with separate base unit, control PCB, and possibly an orientation card. The number you posted is the model 8 base (could be long or short chassis, but it's the same big bore 7.5/11kw standard). There should also be an A20B number on the top board, also known as the control PCB. This should be about 2/3 of the way down on the left hand side.

The taps in your transformer change the incoming voltage (the 245 VAC you stated) to the proper operating voltage. If you are looking at the back of your machine, to the right of the hydraulic unit, to the left of your electrical cabinet, and below the back of the turret there should be a large metal box with a label that says __KVA. This is your transformer. Make sure you have the main power to the machine off and remove the cover on the transformer, then you should be able to see the tap bars for the incoming (primary) and outgoing (secondary) settings. Usually on this age of machine, the secondaries are in the center of a ring of tap points you can move the bars to, each labeled with a different voltage. Most likely these are currently on the 200 or 220 points. If you remove the tap bars from their current position and move them to the 240 position, this should bring your power down to 203-204 or 223-223 (depending on which they were set to before). This will bring your machine's power into the proper operating range. Again, if this gives you 203-204, flip the switch on the drive to the down position, but if it gives you 223-224 you need to flip it to the up position. Once you do this, the #8 alarm "should" go away.

If both drives are BDU style, they should be giving you the same LED feedback. The LV LED could just be another symptom of the wrong incoming power. If not, on the left hand side of the drive you should see a terminal strip with several wires going to it. Two of these should be HV and LV. These are your input power wires from the DC Power Supply do the BDU units. Please set your meter to Volts DC and check from HV to LV on each drive then post the results. I believe this should be 300VDC nominal, but operating range is something like 270-340VDC (I could be wrong, I'm going off memory and will double-check the actual values later).

[NJC]

Good idea, we might already have that part fixed with the transformer taps already (info on that below)

The Fanuc units are sold with separate base unit, control PCB, and possibly an orientation card. The number you posted is the model 8 base (could be long or short chassis, but it's the same big bore 7.5/11kw standard). There should also be an A20B number on the top board, also known as the control PCB. This should be about 2/3 of the way down on the left hand side.

The taps in your transformer change the incoming voltage (the 245 VAC you stated) to the proper operating voltage. If you are looking at the back of your machine, to the right of the hydraulic unit, to the left of your electrical cabinet, and below the back of the turret there should be a large metal box with a label that says __KVA. This is your transformer. Make sure you have the main power to the machine off and remove the cover on the transformer, then you should be able to see the tap bars for the incoming (primary) and outgoing (secondary) settings. Usually on this age of machine, the secondaries are in the center of a ring of tap points you can move the bars to, each labeled with a different voltage. Most likely these are currently on the 200 or 220 points. If you remove the tap bars from their current position and move them to the 240 position, this should bring your power down to 203-204 or 223-223 (depending on which they were set to before). This will bring your machine's power into the proper operating range. Again, if this gives you 203-204, flip the switch on the drive to the down position, but if it gives you 223-224 you need to flip it to the up position. Once you do this, the #8 alarm "should" go away.

If both drives are BDU style, they should be giving you the same LED feedback. The LV LED could just be another symptom of the wrong incoming power. If not, on the left hand side of the drive you should see a terminal strip with several wires going to it. Two of these should be HV and LV. These are your input power wires from the DC Power Supply do the BDU units. Please set your meter to Volts DC and check from HV to LV on each drive then post the results. I believe this should be 300VDC nominal, but operating range is something like 270-340VDC (I could be wrong, I'm going off memory and will double-check the actual values later).

I will be away for a long weekend, but will check the values above and post my results early in the week.

Scott

[NJC]

Ok theokumaguy, here's what I found.

1) The top board of the Fanuc unit is an A20-1000-069.

2) I changed the taps to the 240 positions, they were on 220 BTW

3) I moved the switch to the upper position, tests at the 3 lower legs at 224 VAC

4) I do not have the alarm #8 LED on anymore.

5) Both of the DC servo drives have the LV LEDS on now, only had one before, I tested between the LV + HV legs on both drives, they both test at 310 VDC, (the legs are listed as VL + VH, by the way not LV + HV as they are listed in the boards), am I testing the right legs, I didn't see any others?

6) Control will not boot any further yet.

Your Thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott

[theokumaguy]

1) Non-issue now that there's no alarm LED 8
2) - 4) Great! This is a common mistake made by people installing used Okumas. The good thing is that you didn't plug it in to 480VAC with the taps set to 220. I've seen the fire damage as a result, not pretty.
5) Check the breakers on the drives, they are usually hidden by the top card on the drives. If they aren't tripped then the drives aren't enabled yet. I doubt they're tripped, this should just be an indication that the machine hasn't booted up all the way and enabled the drives.
6) You can try removing some boards from the card cage to see if you can change the problem:
-svp/tbo are the servo boards, it won't boot up all the way without these but you can see if it goes further than it does now
-ec or eo board, this controls the machine I/O, the switches and solenoids etc. The machine will alarm out but again can at least see if it gets past the alarm
-mc3, this controls rs232 and tape puncher, no need for this during bootup or testing at all

Depending on options you may have other boards that can be used to test this. At this point I'd remove all the boards but the main board and mc2 (mc2 is the display) and see where it alarms, then add one board at a time and see if you get further or not then move to the next. Most likely if you don't find it by this, you either have a memory problem or just need the software reloaded.

[NJC]

OK, I removed the control, I found that the cooling fan on the top of the card cage looks like the tar inside came out and some of it got on a couple of the cards. I pulled the cage out and cleaned it with contact cleaner, some came off, but most of the tar is still there. Should I worry about getting it off? If so, what would you clean it with? I seperated the cards, I was thinking of cleaning them with more contact cleaner and a toothbrush?

I don't see the number or letters on the cards that you listed above, I just see the corresponding connections, (CN1,CN2,CN#, ect), there are 6 cards total, 7 including the panel control card, am I in the right area?

Scott

[theokumaguy]

Those don't really ring a bell or translate to any boards I know off the top of my head, is there any way you can take a digital picture of the card cage and post it?