Your parts recommendations for retrofit

[letratek]

I've got an old MultiCam with a bad controller. (3-axis with steppers)
Found this site while researching controllers. Very impressed!

Looks like I just need the Acorn controller and at least the Pro version of the software.
I think I've seen some comments here that the SanMotion motors and Pac-Sci drives that came on the MultiCam may have some compatibility issues and may need to be replaced. I'm OK with that. I can use the old motors and drives as back-ups for another machine.
Please let me know if you think I'm on track so far.

Also, please let me know your recommendations for new motors and drives. Currently have the SanMotion Type SM2862-5254 motors (250 vac, 6 amp, 1.8 degree step) and the Pacific Scientific 6410 drives.

Finally, any other suggestions you might have.

thank you very much for your input!
El Jefe Jeff

[Ken Rychlik]

The motors you have are good. The drives will function, but not as smooth as putting leadshine in there. DM860E drives work well and are just over $50 each at automation driect. Power supply can be good or not for powering the drives. I'm on my third MC retro now and redoing the spoilboard now. I've done an SF, a 1000 series and getting ready to sell a MG. Many here will tell you to put clearpath servo's on, but most end up having the factory help them tune them. They don't charge, but it's not just plug and play. Steppers are simple, work well, and if you stay within what the machine is capable of, it runs well with them. Proxy sensors will need to be swapped out for npn as the stock ones won't work.

[letratek]

Thank you so much for the info. Yes, I'm OK with steppers. Like you say - simple.
This machine is really old, "6612 Plus". Think I bought it in '98. (I used to have an even older one that I bought at a trade show back in the early '90's from the owner of MultiCam. It was a little 4' x 4' machine with a serial number something like 000127.)
Anyway, this machine is pretty big. The gantry is more than 8' wide overall. I'm probably pushing the motors close to their max and doing the same to the drives. I see the DM860E is rated for 7.2 amps, which should be great. I think the PacSci drives on the machine are only rated for 5 amps, which may explain why they would burn up at the output terminals.

If you needed to change the motors, which one would you suggest?

[Ken Rychlik]

If I was changing motors and drives, it opens the door for at least getting steppers with encoders. Stepperonline makes some that I would try. I would run the motors you have at the amps they were running at before.