Hey Everyone! I am being gifted a late 90's Hardinge VMC-1000 in excellent mechanical condition, but there are some electrical issues currently. I want to fully clean, paint, and convert this machine with Centroid Oak to make it the modern-day beast it could be but I need some help.
Current Electrical Problems
The machine's controller battery backup was removed, then the machine was powered off. This caused the main memory on the controller to lose ALL its parameters. I do have a floppy disk with the original parameters, but someone also previously replaced a couple capacitors on the main control board that were bulging.
After someone manually entered in the parameters, the machine does operate properly but now the serial cable connection to a computer isn't communicating.
Big Questions
Can the Centroid Oak fully support this machines monster electronics stack? Its a 15hp / 8k Spindle.
Will I need to re-use any of the main control boards or can Oak replace them?
The Good News
I have the OEM wiring schematics for everything on this machine
I have copies of the original parameters on floppy disk
There are many replacement control boards available for this machine on ebay.
Where to start!? Can it be done!? If Oak can do it, I am going to do it and post my journey along the way.
Hardinge VMC-1000 Conversation - Fanuc Controllers
Moderator: cnckeith
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- Posts: 1
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:32 pm
- Acorn CNC Controller: No
- Allin1DC CNC Controller: No
- Oak CNC controller: Yes
- CNC Control System Serial Number: none
- DC3IOB: No
- CNC12: No
- CNC11: No
- CPU10 or CPU7: No
Re: Hardinge VMC-1000 Conversation - Fanuc Controllers
If by "main control boards" you mean the ones in the card cage at the bottom right, or anything in the operator console, then the answer is no, you don't need them at all.
If by "main control boards" you mean the servo and spindle amplifiers and their supporting power supply, it would be nice if you could use them, but you probably cannot. I doubt they have a discrete-wired analog velocity-mode interface, which is what you would need in order to control them with the Oak.
See if you can get good pictures of the servo motor data plates, then check the compatibility tables in:
http://www.centroidcnc.com/downloads/CE ... Manual.pdf
You may be able to drive the existing servo motors with Centroid's AC/DC drives, once you put new encoders on them.
You will have to do some research to find a spindle drive that can run the Fanuc spindle motor. Again, a good clear picture of its data plate would be a good starting point.
If by "main control boards" you mean the servo and spindle amplifiers and their supporting power supply, it would be nice if you could use them, but you probably cannot. I doubt they have a discrete-wired analog velocity-mode interface, which is what you would need in order to control them with the Oak.
See if you can get good pictures of the servo motor data plates, then check the compatibility tables in:
http://www.centroidcnc.com/downloads/CE ... Manual.pdf
You may be able to drive the existing servo motors with Centroid's AC/DC drives, once you put new encoders on them.
You will have to do some research to find a spindle drive that can run the Fanuc spindle motor. Again, a good clear picture of its data plate would be a good starting point.