[chich2]

Russ,
I can't find where I put the info I had on the PC to VFD hook up. The data sheet for my CNCTeknix breakout board says "PWM outputs 0-5VDC for spindle control" I talked to Delta (VFD Rep here in Austalia) and also CNCTeknix and they told me to put a capacitor and a resistor on the input line and it should be ok. Problem is, it was a long time ago and I cant remember the values of the components. I can call them again and ask if you like.

I realy like the opto isolated board you mentioned. Could save me a lot of bucks if I get something wrong. I have plenty of room in my servo drive enclosure to fit the board if is small and easy enough for you to make. Sounds like the go to me. The opto isolated coolant output sounds like a good idea too. I will e-mail you the layout of my breakout board and relay board for you to have a look at.

Chich

[chich2]

Hopefully my previous post has an embeded video clip in it of my horizontal spindle spinning?

Once I finished playing with the new variable speed spindle it was time to mill some curved slots in the flange of the new verticle spindle motor. I clamped the motor down to the table. I used a 18mm insert slot cutter in the horizontal spindle and used a Mach wizard to generate the g-code to make the curved slot and 2 holes. I also made a new Mach profile which is X,Y and Z axis's in relation to the Horizontal spindle. All this basicaly means is the the profile swaped the Z and Y axis.

Once everything was set up I ran the program and milled the new motor.
The slot and holes are for drive belt adjustment just like the standard hafco motor had. I also made a black poly spacer to fit the motor spigot.

Chich

[epineh]

'Tis done, attached are pics of the spindle speed schematic and board layout, connections are marked as required, not much more to say

The +5,+12 and Power Gnd on the bottom of the board is for the logic supplies to give LED indication on the electronics enclosure of logic supply available, the pinheader makes it easy to hookup, just use the little black plugs found on old PC's for the HDD LED's, Pwr switch etc and you are in business

Russell.

[RotarySMP]

Thanks for posting this Russell. Could you please also post a bill of material?

[davo727]

Looks good chich, Im still watchin. Im accumulating parts for my RF45 clone and hope to make some visual progress soon. Dave

[epineh]

Thanks for posting this Russell. Could you please also post a bill of material?

No prob Mark, the components will be about the $3.00-$5.00 mark, and you could use one of those small prototyping boards that sell for a couple of dollars. I will be printing my own PCB but the circuit is simple enough to do on a prototype board.

Funnily enough the connectors are about the most expensive part at 66cents for the 3way and 53cents for the 2way. The IC's come in at a whopping 33cents for the 4011 and 20cents for the PC817... lol. The Opto I used is just what is easier for me to get. Prices are in Australian dollars by the way.

Russell.

[chich2]

Good one Russ!.......................................... AGAIN!
The board looks great!!!
I can solder it up if you can drill the holes in the board for me.

Absolutely awesome!!!!

Chich

[epineh]

Hey Chich, I should be able to print the board this weekend, if not earlier. I am still waiting for a parcel of electronic stuff and of course the opto's are in that lot (chair)
The good news is that I happen to have a 4011 amongst my pile of stuff, so I don't have to order one in (and take more time)...not to mention the financial windfall

I will have the rest of the stuff so all we will be waiting for will be the opto.

Russell.

[philbert]

chich,

How much did the VFD and motor cost you in the end, if you don't mind me asking? I am thinking of using a VFD setup in my own HM-52 modifications.

[chich2]

Phil,
I belive the answers to your question is in posts:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=119
And
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...&postcount=131

Chich

[chich2]

Last week, Epineh here at the zone pulled another terrific stunt. What he has done is supply and wire up a very impressive enclosure for my VFD and spindle selector. It holds my VFD and braking resistor, it has a selector switch on the front pannel which uses a relay to pull in the motor contactors for each of my spindles. It also has a relay to turn my coolant pump on and off via Mach3.

The front pannel has a main power indicator, a spindle selector and selected spindle indicator, a VFD fault indicator, and a VFD fault reset button. The lable stickers are temporary for now and I have to get some lids for the cable ducting.

Very happy with how it turned out,
Thanks Russ!!!! :banana:

Chich

[epineh]

My ... that is a very nice enclosure...and it looks strangely familiar

Some duct lid will make it look a million bucks (or near enough)

Now you need a way of engraving some traffolyte labels for the front panel... if only you had access to some kind of machine rigid enough and with CNC control to be able to cut out some nice looking labels... I don't know where you could possibly find something like that ...

Russell.

[RotarySMP]

Hi Russell,

Sorry, I wasn't clear, by bill of material, I didn't mean what it cost, but a list of the required components. What are the values of the resisters, caps etc please.

Thanks

[epineh]

Hi Russell,

Sorry, I wasn't clear, by bill of material, I didn't mean what it cost, but a list of the required components. What are the values of the resisters, caps etc please.

Thanks

Ah, my bad... I think I will test the board before I put the exact components on, but I will post the component list and board layout just as soon as it works, I kinda got a little distracted last weekend but will get back to the board next week, which also happens to be next year

Russell.

[RotarySMP]

No hurry, I think a number of us will be a little distracted this next week.

[chich2]

Today I removed the back plate in the cabinet that holds all my spindle controlls. (This was done so I don't fill anything with metal swarf from cutting holes). I then went about mounting a 240V AC cooling fan to the enclosure. Firstly I stuck masking tape to the enclosure so when I cut the hole with the jigsaw I don't scratch the paint. I got a fan grill and filter from Jaycar and marked out the kinda round funny shape on the tape. I then took my jigsaw and cut out the hole. Next was to mark the holes and tap threads into the holes in the fan. All that was left to do was screw the fan and filtered grill to the hole.

Here's how it turned out.


Chich

[SimjetAU]

HI Chich

I have been following your progress and you have supplied a wealth of info. I want to convert my X5015 mill in a similar way to you mill. I was looking for cheap ballscrews and I gather you got yours from Action. I havent found anywhere in your posts where you give an idea of the difference between now having ball screws as opposed to the original acme threads.

[chich2]

Thanks for the post SimjetAU,
The difference between my acme threads and my ball screws are huge. Each axis is very easy to moove and the backlash is almost non-existant. Just depends on how much you pre-load the ball nuts. The acme double nut setup I had was very dificult to stay on top of the adjustments. Here's what I didn't like about it:

If there was say 0.02mm of backlash with the doubble acme nuts - then the machine would be ok to use but with still some drag but 0.02mm backlash.
If I were to try and adjust out 0.02mm down to 0.00mm well then that's a lock nut senario and nothing mooves. There is simply no clearence in the thread any more. The problem therefore is that you have to keep adjusting the nuts all the time because when they are set to a low backlash - they wear very rapidly. Then you have to adjust them again.

The ball screws how ever. I have adjusted them twice I think. The first time I went pretty light with the preload but found the machine was very springy then. In this I mean you culd turn the hand wheel very slightly and the axis would not moove. This is not back lash in terms of clearence but more so an issue of the nut loading up before something would moove.
To remedy this I simply increased the preload on the ball nuts..... (not crazy load. enough to do the job) Beautiful thing! The ball nuts take load and do not increase in drag.

To sum up. I realy like the ball screws. They were cheap (compared to ground and preloaded nut types which are approx $700Au PER NUT!) easy to install and work very well.

Chich

[SimjetAU]

Hi Chick

Thanks for the quick response. Yes I like the pricing on your ballscrews...just to confirm that you get the ballscrews from Action?...If it was I will ring them today and get a set for my mill and do you think it was worth it to use the double ballnuts?...its just that this may make mounting on my machine a bit more difficult. A local here in Brisbane modified his X5015 with stepper motors and I have the steppers and also the toothed gears and belts already, these are all easliy got and not that expensive from Naismith Engineering in Victoria. I think I will get rid of the steppers and go for servos after doing a lot of reading on this site. Also I note you used optical encoders for your servos but I think the best would be binary encoders and these are usually built into the servos from what I can gather. What power (oz/per inch) servos do you have I dont think anywhere in your posts you tell us. My machine is a knee machine and Justin who did the similar machine used gas struts on the knee on his machine and it seems to work well. I suppose it depends on the weight of your job. I have some pics of his machine which I will post here. It was done about 4 years ago.

Regards

Mark Kyle

www.kyle.com.au

[chich2]

Mark,
Yes I got my ballscrews from Action Bearings in Breyside NSW. They are not like normal ball screws. They have a strange profile along the screw. Mine are not ground they are just hot rolled. From Memory they are something like acurate to 0.02mm per foot or something like that. Pretty good for me especialy because I will probably never need to be more acurate than that any way. Each nut has a bit of backlash in it so you will need 2 on each axis so you can pre load them apart to eliminate the backlash. You may get away with just 1 on the Z axis but 2 will guantee position.

I haven't had much to do with Binary encoders so I can't realy comment on the use of them.

I have no idea what the torque my servo's produce? I put them together myself and will probably soon change them all over to the same type of motor that's on my Z axis because I often get anoying trips on my current X axis drive because I think the motor on there now has a bug!

Chich