Hi from little old Dunedin NZ
I recently bought an EMCO VMC100 mill. and have spend almost a month trying to get it running on the original controller, to no avail.
The mechanicals of the machine are great as it has had very little use, but unfortunately the brains are confused and temperamental. so i'm going to do a MASSO retrofit for it along with clear path servos.
I am a machinists by trade so making any brackets or mounting block is no problem, and I maybe able to use this retrofit as part of my diploma of mechanical engineering I'm in the process of completing.
These machines are a great solid unit and are often snapped up by home shop machinists and converted to Mach control.
I have a lot of work lined up for it when it is finished. I'm hoping that I can get the retrofit done in 6 months, but I'm also well aware that things take longer then expected usually.
I am starting to build a shopping list of everything I'll need so i can order it in the new year, I have already settled on a 4 axis MASSO controller and 3 clearpath CPM-MCPV-3411S-RLS. (I may do a small rotary set up at a later date)
I'm not sure if I can use the existing spindle motor, it is a 10-4000 rpm brushed motor, but I plan on doing a lot of high speed engraving so would like at least a 10 or 20k spindle, it is just connected with a 1:1 timing gear so shouldn't be to hard to replace
the other advantage of doing this retrofit is that the existing controller is about the same size as the mill, so being able to half the foot print would be great as I also have an EMCO turn 220 lathe I bought at the same time which is my retrofit project after i get the mill finished
~Sizigi
I recently bought an EMCO VMC100 mill. and have spend almost a month trying to get it running on the original controller, to no avail.
The mechanicals of the machine are great as it has had very little use, but unfortunately the brains are confused and temperamental. so i'm going to do a MASSO retrofit for it along with clear path servos.
I am a machinists by trade so making any brackets or mounting block is no problem, and I maybe able to use this retrofit as part of my diploma of mechanical engineering I'm in the process of completing.
These machines are a great solid unit and are often snapped up by home shop machinists and converted to Mach control.
I have a lot of work lined up for it when it is finished. I'm hoping that I can get the retrofit done in 6 months, but I'm also well aware that things take longer then expected usually.
I am starting to build a shopping list of everything I'll need so i can order it in the new year, I have already settled on a 4 axis MASSO controller and 3 clearpath CPM-MCPV-3411S-RLS. (I may do a small rotary set up at a later date)
I'm not sure if I can use the existing spindle motor, it is a 10-4000 rpm brushed motor, but I plan on doing a lot of high speed engraving so would like at least a 10 or 20k spindle, it is just connected with a 1:1 timing gear so shouldn't be to hard to replace
the other advantage of doing this retrofit is that the existing controller is about the same size as the mill, so being able to half the foot print would be great as I also have an EMCO turn 220 lathe I bought at the same time which is my retrofit project after i get the mill finished
~Sizigi
