Emco PC Turn 55

[martyscncgarage]

Very nice work.
Looking forward to watching the video of it running and changing tools.
Congrats on the progress.
Marty

[Threedj16]

Very nice work.
Looking forward to watching the video of it running and changing tools.
Congrats on the progress.
Marty

Thank Marty....you and me both!!

Here's a close up of the encoder mount. I was going to mill one out, but ended up being more complex that I really wanted it to be. The 3D print with PETG turned out very strong, so I am going with it and see how well it does. Found some neat couplings made for encoders to keep them safe, yet accurate. But to use it, I had to push everything further out on the spindle shaft than I originally wanted. Now that I have a prototype, I may tweak it some to see if I can reduce the mount length. We'll see how it goes after doing some real testing.....very soon I hope.

It's hard to find tools for this turret since it has a very small stick out limitation. So I'm experimenting with what I have on hand (3/8") as stepping up to 1/2" puts the head of the tools too large to fit the gap (part of the saddle extended under the turret). I did manage to find a cutoff tool that works (which was the hardest one). I also need to make some insert adapters for the 3 round tool holders. But I'm happy to be at this stage finally.

[Threedj16]

Bit of a delay on a video due to a few bugs in the turret program. Eh, it happens, but support is working them out and hopefully soon I'll get that pawn video made!! I'm waiting on some new tooling anyway, since my turret didn't work before I started this project, never got to test out my existing tooling....well...it doesn't fit well...LOL. So I had to order some new tools to fit the turret properly. Getting there....

[Threedj16]

Well, since I'm waiting on the bugs for the turret PLC to be worked out, decided to take care of a few other things. I really like the Automation Tech (LeadShine) closed loop steppers, but if you ever fault them, it's a total system reboot for me. So I decided a relay for the 48V power supplies was a much easier solution. I prefer to keep my different control voltages as segregated as possible (all 120 stays on the bottom cable tray). So simplest solution was just to add one of those thin DIN rail mount relays next to my 120v terminals. So now the 48v power supplies' 120v inputs are tied to this relay on a NC circuit. No more shutting down. Tie to Aux 8 and now if I need to do a drive reset, just tap the button to reset the drives. Doesn't happen often anymore now that everything is setup, but hated doing a system shutdown just for a drive reset. Eh, gave me a project for an hour anyway. Found the relay on Amazon (new but damaged box) for $4 bucks, so hard for me to resist automating anything...LOL.

Now I'm milling out shims for a couple of my turret tools. Only 3/8" cutoff blocks would fit the turret and since the machine was made for 12mm tools, it takes a lot of shimming. Much easier just to mill out a large one instead.

I keep forgetting that my mist system isn't plumbed in yet, could have done that today...argh...the mind is a terrible thing.

Might as well add a quick pic with the fan and temp controller moved out of the way. Maybe one of these days I'll finally mount that thing down permanently....LOL. Funny part is I keep saying to myself, absolutely no way one more thing will fit, yet somehow it does. I just hope to actually get to use this lathe soon. Not being able to make a pawn is killing me. But swore to myself this lathe's first run, in god only know how many years, was going to be full CNC and with gCode turret control. Fingers crossed by the end of next week, that will be the case.

[martyscncgarage]

Looks great Jasen

[Threedj16]

Looks great.

Hmm, I never got a notification on this post. Anyway thanks.

I'm back on track now. Thanks to Mario, everything seems to be working on the turret PLC code and it's working on the latest release of CNC12. Plus I've got my pendant going with several macros now too. So this should be sweet! Unfortunately I don't have all my lathe tools in for the turret (such odd sizes and small space to fit). But think I can make what I have on hand fit for a test this weekend.

If everything goes to plan, I'll post the files on this thread and the other thread.

[Threedj16]

Quick pic of my new beefed up encoder mount. The first 3D printed one was fine, but wanted to cover the hole in which the old optical switches were mounted. Also figured beefing up the rest would reduce any flex. Pretty happy with how it turned out. Originally planned to mill one, but the design got a bit to complex for an easy mill op. Printed with PETG, it's actually quite strong now and pretty sure this is my last revision on it.

Also a quick pic of the pendant hanging onto the front of the Emco. Had no clue till tonight it had a magnetic back on it. Very cool feature.

[Threedj16]

Sorry, I dropped the ball on posting. Ended up when I did my first test cut, the lathe keepers (plates below the Z made from plastic) were not tight like the seemed moving by hand. Also had the turret jam up. So ended up having to pull the entire bed, milled out a one piece keeper from aluminum bronze instead of the two plastic ones and made a nice thick pawl for the turret (as the little thin thing they had in there seemed to be causing the jamming).

Anyway, all put back together, but I still have to adjust the back step on the pawl to allow the turret to rotate far enough for alignment. The tool plate adjustment wasn't enough to get it there.

Anyway, a few pics of the new parts.

[Threedj16]

I totally agree with what you’re saying...hopefully they see this and give it some consideration. I wanted to get some automated probe setup going as it seems super cool but I honestly don’t make much of anything and can live without it for now. I ended up buying a Haimer 3D Taster (Taster??? WTF? ) and it works great for what I need. Edge finders and all are just too much confusion for my lazy butt!

This is one of the biggest reason's I will not swap over with my mill. I have all those auto probe routines already setup (I use Screenset 2017 with UCCNC). I can click a button and do corner probing, angle edge finding, hole center, single edge (pretty much any probe routine you could ever need). Click another button and it will set the work Z zero and then move over to my touch off point on my table and set the offset for that tool. Then for each tool change during an Op, it prompts me to change tool, I click ok and it goes over and touches off with the new tool to the table and adds/subtracts the offset value automatically and continues on with the operation using the next tool. While I'd love to setup the Acorn on my mill and have consistency between my two major machines, no way I'm giving up all my probe routines for a Pro version that really isn't a Pro version. Funny part is UCCNC comes with everything the $400 package has for $50. So someone at Centroid needs to see they are missing out of a lot of potential customers by trying to push off the Digitizing bundle to people who just want the probe routines and macro abilities.

FYI, all I did was isolate my mill table by anodizing the work plate and T-nuts. So my spindle and work plate are electrically isolated. So one probe wire is hard wired to the work plate and another to the spindle via my mist/air nozzle mount. So i don't even have to clip on probe wires. If I can't use this on CNC12, then I see no point of upgrading, much as I'd love to ($400 isn't worth it when the $140 Pro should have it already).

I did contact technical support and voice my compliant about wanting probe routines and not digitizing. I've also requested several friends to do the same. The way I look at it, if enough people voice their issue with not wanting a digitizing bundle, just add the probe routines and macros, maybe they will get the message. If a company doesn't listen to customer feedback (within reason, which I think this is), then it really isn't a company I want to do future business with.

I think the point.was made long ago. Let's let this issue rest.
Marty

Is there a particular reason I'm getting an email showing I was quoted on this post a year and a half later? Seems a bit odd.

[martyscncgarage]

The board software was modified yesterday and some quirkyness occurred