Upgrading 1984 Wells Index 820 with Allin1DC

[Chevy427z]

Items in another box. Axis drives?

[polaraligned]

Yeah, those are your drives. The bottom picture looks like it might be your servo supply. Wells Index is still in business and might be able to supply you with the original schematics.

[Chevy427z]

That brake has no provision to be manually operated? The lever on the left side of the head looks a lot like the brake lever on Bridgeport heads.

Thanks for the info polaraligned! A lot of what you said went right over my head, but I'm betting that it will all be understood by the time this journey is over. Yes, it has a manual brake, not sure why, the mag brake worked fine, noisy as it was.

Mark

[Chevy427z]

Yeah, those are your drives. The bottom picture looks like it might be your servo supply. Wells Index is still in business and might be able to supply you with the original schematics.

I contacted them shortly after I bought the machine, they couldn't help. I actually tracked down the guy who invented the Sharnoa controller and he laughed at me when I explained what I was looking for. He hadn't touched any of this in 20 years and that was nearly 15 years ago LOL

Mark

[Chevy427z]

Centroid sells encoder cable by the foot. My personal preference is PUR insulated industrial continuous twist/flex rated CAT5/6 Ethernet cable. Usually 24 or 26 gauge, it's twisted pair and the better cables have each pair individually shielded.

Lapp Kabel Etherline 2170489
Igus Chainflex CF898.045
Leoni Fieldlink 20963

Thank you for the info Tom!

Mark

[Chevy427z]

Better shot of the transformer, incoming power side.

[polaraligned]

That brake has no provision to be manually operated? The lever on the left side of the head looks a lot like the brake lever on Bridgeport heads.

Thanks for the info polaraligned! A lot of what you said went right over my head, but I'm betting that it will all be understood by the time this journey is over. Yes, it has a manual brake, not sure why, the mag brake worked fine, noisy as it was.

Mark

I assume the the mag brake is on when you have no spindle power? If that is the case you could make the mag brake work by using a small VFD to provide 3 phase to it. You would need to use relays to power the brake to release it when the the Allinone puts out a FWD or REV command, that would release the brake and allow the spindle VFD to ramp up to speed. Easy to do. I don't know what tool holding system you have on this, but on my QC30 machines I need to use the brake to allow me to tighten the spindle nut when inserting a toolholder.

[Chevy427z]

I assume the the mag brake is on when you have no spindle power? If that is the case you could make the mag brake work by using a small VFD to provide 3 phase to it. You would need to use relays to power the brake to release it when the the Allinone puts out a FWD or REV command, that would release the brake and allow the spindle VFD to ramp up to speed. Easy to do. I don't know what tool holding system you have on this, but on my QC30 machines I need to use the brake to allow me to tighten the spindle nut when inserting a toolholder.

I appreciate the input! It makes sense when you explain it, but this is going to need some further explanation when I get to that step. Such as choosing and wiring the VFD and associated relays.

My mill has the Kwik Switch 200 tool holding system. I got lucky as my manual mill is identical to it (another Wells Index) with the same tool holding system.

Mark

[Chevy427z]

Starting to wire up my encoder cables. The installation manual says that position one on the solder side is "shield". Picture in the schematic says pin one is N/C. Picture in the online installation manual shows the shield being grounded to the plug body itself. The cables I bought from Centroid have what looks like a ground cable going through it. Does that go in position one or does that get solder to the body? Everything else went together fine.

Edited: Not all the pictures came through. Will try again.

[cncsnw]

Solder the shield drain wire (bare strand) to the metal shell.