New Router for Acorn

[cbb1962]

I finally got it! I've only been talking about this router for a year, but as of last Monday it's in my shop! I spent all day today cleaning away years of crud, crap, and corrosion. I think it cleaned up pretty well!

I'm will have to wait to start the Acorn conversion until I get the phase converter in. I will probably have to wait on the ether1616 expansion board, I haven't finished mapping all the I/O yet. The machine is 8 years old. It used a PLC, smooth stepper and Mach3.

It will sing again with an Acorn! It has Yaskawa Sigma II servos, a Delta VFD, a 6 HP Spindle.

The original manufacturer (NewCNC) recommends a digital phase converter. More expensive on the front end, but operating costs are much less than a rotary phase converter. Does anyone here use one?

[Gary Campbell]

Clint...
How many HP is the spindle?

[Muzzer]

He said 6HP.

Isn't it fairly straightforward to run this on single phase, rather than add a phase converter? Very few VFDs actually know or care if they are seeing 2 or 3 phase connections, so will work on 240V (across 120-0-120) if they are good for 208 / 220 3-phase.

[cbb1962]

Isn't it fairly straightforward to run this on single phase, rather than add a phase converter?

The servopacks for the SigmaI II's and the 10 HP vacuum pump are 240v 3 phase.

[cncman172]

I really like that machine. With the 4th axis along the side you will be able to make some amazing things. With that big 10HP vacuum pump you might have to run with a rotary phase converter. It will have slightly higher operational costs but will be able to support multiple three phase motors.

Russ

[cbb1962]

Well, I did a preliminary I/O mapping - even connecting all the home and limit switches in series and I will still exceed the 8 inputs and 8 outputs of the Acorn. So I will be anxiously awaiting the Ether 1616 integration for Acorn. I did a quick search and cnckeith said that support for the Ether 1616 support should be in the next software release. Hopefully, that won't be too much longer.

[martyscncgarage]

Well, I did a preliminary I/O mapping - even connecting all the home and limit switches in series and I will still exceed the 8 inputs and 8 outputs of the Acorn. So I will be anxiously awaiting the Ether 1616 integration for Acorn. I did a quick search and cnckeith said that support for the Ether 1616 support should be in the next software release. Hopefully, that won't be too much longer.

Can you list all the IO you think you need? Maybe we can get you going in the mean time...

[cbb1962]

This is a preliminary list of what I think I will need:

Inputs
Spindle OK
E-Stop
Home All
Limit ALL
Servo Alarm
TTO
Coolant pump Alarm
Spindle Zero Speed
Tool Present Sensor
Clamp/Unclamp Sensor
Dust hood

Outputs
VFD Fwd
VFD Reset
Servo Alarm Reset
Air Blast
Air Seal
Tool Change
Dust Hood
Z-Axis Break

This machine currently has a rack mount tool changer, but it also has a tool change button for manual tool changes. You press the button and it unclamps the tool and pops it out. Has anyone done a machine with that type of configuration? Did the button go to an input on the Acorn/Oak?

[Gary Campbell]

Clint...
The output of that button (and I am speaking to my experience with HSD spindles) connects to the output (is in parallel) to the output terminal that controls the tool release (your tool change OP)

[cbb1962]

Clint...
The output of that button (and I am speaking to my experience with HSD spindles) connects to the output (is in parallel) to the output terminal that controls the tool release (your tool change OP)

It looks like they originally wired to switch to inputs. Part of the documentation talks about NewCNC using HSD spindles. However, NewCNC told me that the spindle on my machine was a Chinese Xingchen 6HP BT30 water-cooled.