Hardinge lathe >>New Project

[lavrgs]

This is a bit of a shot in the dark but I need to start somewhere. I am trying to assess buying a lathe with this control
I have no knowledge about the T39 Control; I suspect its a legacy control, but google brings me to a Centroid page... although it mentions VGA monitors.
The machine is a Hardinge but I don't know the model yet. I know the retrofit was done in 2002 and this lathe has been in storage for
a "couple Years"
Could I expect to use the controls as is, or is replacement best? I know its difficult question but put another way; Is a T39 viable today? Can the T39 Controls be updated? The Retrofit was done by Machines in Motion - they don't know the machine but said Centroid serial number would start with a "K" ...the only number I have was on the bill of materials; CNC-1380-A2-16 Does that mean anything to someone?
Are there a variety of machine that the T39 were used on or did they fit best with certain machines. I'm try to guess what the machine is. Started with CHNC but the current caretaker doesn't think it has a 7.5/10 HP motor and MIM says they probably would have swapped it.

EDIT One major ommission; there was mention of a missing motherboard, which to me. would be a show stopper.
EDIT 8/15 Update Title

[cncsnw]

Unfortunately, "T39", like "M400", has meant a lot of different things over the years. In general, it just means a lathe control with a handheld jog panel pendant instead of a console.

A ca. 2002 T39 on a Hardinge would probably be running MS-DOS and CNC7 v8.23. It would have an ISA-slot CPU7 board, and it would probably have a SERVO1 drive and a PLCIO2 I/O unit. The Centroid control serial number would be in the 2000 series (probably somewhere between 2100 and 2150). By convention that would be prefixed with a "T" or a "K", but the 2000-series number would be unique in any event.

Assuming the seller knows what a motherboard is, a missing motherboard is a significant handicap. ISA-slot motherboards are hard to find, and it is possible that if the motherboard is missing, then so is the CPU7 control board.

CNC-1380-A2-16 would be the Hardinge machine serial number. That identifies it as a CHNC (or possibly CHNC4) with the larger spindle (16C collets). That makes it a somewhat more desirable machine than, for example, an HNC with 5C collets.

The control could be upgraded using an Allin1DC unit plus a PLCADD1616 I/O expansion board, and a current Windows PC. An updated jog panel pendant is optional. If you are doing this for a home shop on a limited budget, you could just use a wide-screen monitor and the Virtual Control Panel.

[lavrgs]

Thanks that info is very helpful.
The only picture I have is of the control panel, which was "cut off" for it's last move. https://photos.app.goo.gl/zYt6SESvGbNhZ2sp9 it was posted as part of the missing motherboard conversation. For me, it's difficult to see what is missing because I don't know what is supposed to be there.

UPDATE Based on the serial number I found that the machine is an AHC. I don't know anything about these...yet. Any comments would be helpful.
UPDATE 2 Apparently these started life with hydraulic cylinders to control the axes...no ball screws...? Would a Centroid retrofit have added ball screws?

[centroid467]

I can see the motherboard, CPU7, SERVO1, and a PLC in the linked photo.

[lavrgs]

I can see the motherboard, CPU7, SERVO1, and a PLC in the linked photo.

That's interesting the current owner thinks its missing 9-) I updated the posting twice as I started investigating what an AHC is.
Would a Centroid retrofit have included ballscrews?

[tblough]

Which means the owner tried to power it up and got a blank screen. Ballscrews are dependent on the installer.

[lavrgs]

Which means the owner tried to power it up and got a blank screen. Ballscrews are dependent on the installer.

The current owner probably never powered it up because the control box connections were cut. If I know the installer was Machines in Motion is there a best guess about the ballscrew upgrade? I did talk to them yesterday and they couldn't tell me much based on the info I had

[cncsnw]

There would have to be lead screws of some sort: preferably ballscrews.

The SERVO1 drive cannot do anything except make DC servo motors rotate, so if the machine ran, it ran via a DC servo motor on each axis.

The CPU board shown in the computer is a CPU10B, so either this is a 2006 or newer control, or it was updated somewhere along the way.

[lavrgs]

I'm going to put the picture in line to help identify all the items metioned

I can see the motherboard, CPU7, SERVO1, and a PLC in the linked photo.

Would you mind telling me the general location of each item?
Is this a control that is still supported? Can files be loaded via usb?

[cncsnw]

The SERVO1 drive is lower right. It is missing its cover plate, so the green circuit board is visible.
See http://www.cncsnw.com/Drives.htm#SERVO1

The PLCIO2 unit is horizontal in the center, just below the PC shelf.
See http://www.cncsnw.com/PLCs.htm#PLCIO2

The computer is sitting on the shelf. It appears to have a Gigabyte PCI motherboard (perhaps http://www.cncsnw.com/Motherboards.htm#GAM68M).

The CPU10 board is plugged into a PCI slot on that motherboard.
See http://www.cncsnw.com/CPUs.htm#CPU10B

Strangely, the control appears to have the "high power" DC supply (large transformer in the lower left, diodes and capacitor lower center just to the right of the transformer); but that transformer would require a 240VAC single-phase supply, which in turn would require at least two fused lines coming in the main disconnect switch at the upper right. Somebody seems to have done something "creative" with the power service and distribution.

The extra toggle switch on the door, and the orange extension cord, are also some kind of aftermarket creativity.