[jlaiii]

I have a small Yamaha 2-axis XY arm-style pick-and-place robot with controller. (I think about 10 years old) The idea is to add a third axis (z) and be able to machine foam (up to 15psf urethane). My understanding is that I would have to get software to write gcode for a surface and then to convert the gcode to xyz points in yamaha robot language. This is about all I know.

Can someone give me an idea if the software exists and how easy it would be to mount an additional axis and contoller to make this work? How big of a project is this and does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[svenakela]

EMC2 can control a machine with robot kinematics in XYZ style G-code. How are you going to replace the third axis, with a similar drive or do you plan to get some new drives? If you get new drives, I'm pretty sure you'll able to do it with EMC2.
I researched robot milling with EMC2 just a couple of months ago, this is what we discussed then: http://www.mail-archive.com/emc-user.../msg16900.html (the complete reply chain is in the bottom of the page)

Regards,
Sven

[svenakela]

Oh, BTW... I really want to move this thread away from the Engineering forum. But I couldn't find another forum that is better for the question.

[Larken]

Before stripping a factory controller off , it would be easier to write simple Gcode to Yamaha conversion program in VB.

Can you post a picture of the machine ?

[jlaiii]

Sorry it has taken so long to respond -- just got back to where the robot is.
The robot is a Model: SXY, SN: KA7-261561, Production: 1992.
The controller is a Yamaha Motor Controller, DRC-2, SN: KD1-251087
This is a DC servo series, 2-axis controller.

Guess the question is whether to 1)replace the controller with a 3-axis generic, run g-code directly, find another single axis controller and drive, or, 2)add a third axis, get another yamaha controller (3-axis) and use conversion software to speak XYZ robot language.

Any comments of the simplest route to cut some foam?