I am also interested as I have an old Tree325 that I would like t do a similar conversion too. As sone as time and Geography allows.
On 15-01-08 12:53 PM, Greg Bentzinger wrote: > Well - I've gone and done it, I bought another Hurco CNC mill. > > My existing machine was a 1990 KM3P with the MAX32 upgrade and the whole 9 > yards of software upgrade options... Which is fantastic - if it would only > boot. This machine is kinda unique with many special gotcha's if you were > trying to do a conversion / retrofit. > > My new aquisition is a 1987 KM3 which is the little brother of the KM3P. > Being older in this case is a very good thing as it uses standard 10V analog > drives with encoder + tach feedback. > > Both displays (control console uses 2 CRTs) are toast and the console layout > was barely adequate with the Ultimax Conversational control program. If you > switched into NC mode then the console was a hemroid for program edits etc. > Bottom line is the old console will be reconditioned and fitted with new > displays and sold to someone still holding on the the old Ultimax II control > platform. > > The console died back in bout 2002 and I have been trying to get the owner to > sell it since then... my persistance has finally paid off. This blue iron has > special meaning for me as I was hired on to run it when it was first bought > new back in 87 (delivered 12/87). The shop was a custom tool & die shop > which had expanded into doing production CNC turning, but this was the first > CNC mill and the existing staff was quite lost trying to understand it all. I > was somewhat lost myself trying to wrap my head around Ultimax II, as I was > trained in 'normal' RS-274D type G & M code word address programming. > > I was the primary operator / programmer of this machine until 2001 when I was > laid off. By this time the company had added other vertical machining centers > and the Old Hurco had been retask as a tooling / short run and prototype > platform since it requires manual tool and speed changes. After I left it > pretty much just sat unused until it finally died. So I know its entire > service life and repair history. > > For those who have no idea what a KM3 is... Think Bridgeport type Knee/turret > mill with Vari-drive back gear head 60-499 in low and 500-4000 in high with a > hand cranked adjustment to the variable pulley system. The spindle motor is a > 3phase 1800 rpm (at 60Hz) 2.2Kw (3hp). As shipped it has FWD and RVD > contactors and an air activated spindle break to lock the spindle. Spindle is > a Universal Engineering Kwik Switch 200 and is often mistakenly called a 30 > taper. > > Travels are: > X 24" > Y 13" > Z 5" > > Yes this uses a Quill for its programed Z motion, but this allowed 250 IPM > rapids from a control based on a pair of Intel chips, the 8086 teamed with > an 8087 running at a blistering pace of 4.077 MHz. There is un-used headroom > as I could jog my KM3P at nearly 400IPM. > > OK - Planning. > > The console is a goner... but I will want to make a better suitable > replacement - I'm old school CNC as in I used to punch paper tapes... so > forgive me if I love older classic styles control panels. I would love > something with simple elegance based on say the FADAL CNC88. I want true > override switches and buttons and indicators... not something you manipulate > via a PC keyboard. A keyboard exists for setup, MDI commands and program > edits - anything else and your just playing around. > > Phase I - Get the mill up and running in a basic configuration: > a) Re-use existing DC Brushed servos and analog amps and existing encoders > for motion. > > b) Use a TECO FM50 VFD to utilize existing 220V single phase power to drive > spindle motor FWD & RVD at a set 60Hz speed and use mechanical vari-drive to > adjust actual RPM. No encoder feedback at this time. > > c) Re-use existing limit switch wiring for limits and homing. > > d) Add 1/4HP VFD to drive coolant flood pump. > > e) Add relays for Air mist coolant solenoid, and spindle break air solenoid. > > f) Re-build E-STOP chain, and make a spartan minimalistic operating console. > > This gets the machine up and back into use. > > Phase II - As good as it can get. > > 1} Build final operating console. > > 2} Add 'A' 4th axis ( most likely stepper based with encoder feedback and > Index homing ). > > 3} Encoder feedback with index on spindle, PID tuned for rigid tapping. > > 4} Auto sense High / Low gear via feedback from encoder. > > 5} Allow VFD to make minor speed PID speed corrections ( +/- 10%) > > 6} Mount Stepper motor to Vari-drive crank to allow machine to set inital > spindle RPM (no load). > > 7} Add web cam for remote monitoring of excessively long programs. > > 8} Add monster sized stepper to knee to allow 'W' Axis movement to allow > extra long or extra short tools in a program. Feedback via glass scale. > > = = = > Now here is what I have. > > I have a 400K version 7i43, but I have been also looking at the 5i24 as hosts. > > A 7i33TA would get the ball rolling but I wonder if I should be looking at a > 6 axis card considering the spindle and 4th axis, and who knows I might add a > bolt on mini 4th/5th axis at some future point. > > The 7i42TA looks the kit for I/O for limits and relays, but I will also need > something fast for passing step/dir commands for the other stuff above. Also > not sure if there would be enough I/O for the operator panel. > > I'm not set on using that 7i43, as I will also be doing a simple CNC lathe > conversion following getting the mill up to basic phase I level. > > Anyway Peter and the rest of the Hive mind wants to make suggestions I'd > really welcome hearing all my options. > > Maybe if someone could explain how these daughter cards can be daisy chained > and / or what are the limits in that respect. I do have a few of the 50 pin > direct to screw terminal breakouts if they can be used with the 7i42TA to > pass the fast stuff. > > I have done parallel port and stepper based conversions before but this is my > first big iron job. I will need lots of help before this is all done, as the > phase II ideas are a bit unique as a package. > > This is worse because instaed of working in the machine trade I have fallen > on hard times and had to revert to IT work to pay the bills supporting > windows and active directory. Mind numbing :( > > Anyway I thank you all for reading my mini novel and any comments you care to > make. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! 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