Seven years using Centroid CNC and still Loving it!
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 9:42 pm
I retrofitted my first a centroid cnc seven years ago this July. I am a machinist by trade and had only ever used manual shop equipment. I had wanted a cnc for years but the cost of a good used machine with a current control was out of my range. I decided the only way I was going to be able to afford a cnc was to find a machine with a dead control and do the retrofit myself. I purchased an old Bridgeport Series l Boss 4 off Ebay for $700 and then started looking for a control. Back then most do it yourself retrofits were stepper motor systems. I was about to purchase a Ah-Ha stepper system (out of business now) when I heard about centroid CNC. The cost for the centroid CNC servo system was less than the stepper system and had more accessories (Digitizing Probe, Automatic Tool Length Measurement, Offline Programming among others). Ajax even had a retrofit kit designed specifically for the Bridgeport Boss.
The kit was well documented and the technical support was fantastic whenever I needed them.
I was even able to do 99% of all the electrical work myself (I had an electrician help me with selecting the correct wire size for the given loads and wiring the motor reversing contactor).
When the time came to apply power to the system, every thing went smoothly with no surprises.
I have included a before and after photos of my first retrofit.
Part programming is where the Ajax system really stands out. The conversational programming is just fill in the blank and had me making parts in a matter of hours. The machine ran so well that I ordered another kit and retrofitted another Bridgeport Boss eight months later. And talk about bulletproof. My machines are located in Eastern North Carolina in a non air-conditioned building. In the summer it is not uncommon for the temperature to be 92° and 70% humidity in the building and in seven years not one glitch. My machines are the old DOS based controls not the Linux type. I will upgrade to the Linux system if mine ever dies, but after seven years of wonderful service, I don’t think that will be happening any time soon!
So for anyone who is thinking about an centroid CNC system, all I can say is the system is affordable, reliable, easy to use with great documentation and fantastic technical support.
What is there not to love?
The kit was well documented and the technical support was fantastic whenever I needed them.
I was even able to do 99% of all the electrical work myself (I had an electrician help me with selecting the correct wire size for the given loads and wiring the motor reversing contactor).
When the time came to apply power to the system, every thing went smoothly with no surprises.
I have included a before and after photos of my first retrofit.
Part programming is where the Ajax system really stands out. The conversational programming is just fill in the blank and had me making parts in a matter of hours. The machine ran so well that I ordered another kit and retrofitted another Bridgeport Boss eight months later. And talk about bulletproof. My machines are located in Eastern North Carolina in a non air-conditioned building. In the summer it is not uncommon for the temperature to be 92° and 70% humidity in the building and in seven years not one glitch. My machines are the old DOS based controls not the Linux type. I will upgrade to the Linux system if mine ever dies, but after seven years of wonderful service, I don’t think that will be happening any time soon!
So for anyone who is thinking about an centroid CNC system, all I can say is the system is affordable, reliable, easy to use with great documentation and fantastic technical support.
What is there not to love?