Hi All,

I have a Mazak VTC-20B machine I'd like to install a 4th axis on. I currently have a SMW System 50 indexer on the machine, however, that setup runs off of a spare M-Code. I'm sure everyone is familiar with this setup, but I'd like to go with a full 4th Axis. I have worked on VQC - 20/40B and a 20/50B, doing upgrade on 4th axis and rebuilding cables such. I got lucky and found a used Tsudakoma someone was stripping off a parts machine that had the correct motor inside, very identical to the model number I had on our 20/40B. We allready had a spare drive, and the wiring was allready setup to accept the drive. That was pretty easy.

Now I want to upgrade the VTC - 20B, and use that SMW indexer on an old Fryer CNC mill we recently got working. I contacted Mazak, and they sent me a bunch of information regarding the pinouts for the cables, drives, parameters, and such. The cable pinouts look similar and very identical for the cables for my other two Mazak machines. I can make the cables no problem.

The problems I am running into are the drive, servo motor and the rotary table. I have contacted several places about upgrading and buying a new rotary table. At this point, we do not want to spend $15k plus trying to do this. Technitron says they will come out and install a new Tsudakoma for $43,000!!!

I have opted for a used table. I am having trouble finding one with the correct motor. Mazak says to use a Mitsubishi motor, Meldas HA33NCTS, and a Meldas MDS-A-V1-03 drive, which they have said is being replaced with a Meldas MDS-C1-V1-03 these days. How can I find a good used rotary table that will accept this servo motor? I would like to buy a used 4th, and possibly just swap servo motors? I have found alot of used rotary tables, alot have different servos such as Yasnak, Yaskawa, Fanuc. It also looks like the bigger the table, such as 10-12" use a HA40C servo. Do I have to use a different drive to use a bigger servo? Or will any size servo work with this drive? I just want to go with a 10" table on this machine...

In other words, I'd like to buy a used 4th. I'm having trouble finding anything with these Mitsu motors already installed. Does anyone have any ideas if I can swap out the motors and wiring, and to what model number motors would be compatible between tables?

Any advice or ideas anyone could give would be great.

Thanks.