Gerber Dimension 200x router upgrade

[Neon_Armadillo]

I'm fairly new to the CNC community with the exception of updating a laser to a Ruida controller I bought in September. I recently picked up a Gerber Dimension 200x router, for a mid to late 90's tabletop 32x36 it seemed well built & the T-slot vacuum table was a selling point for me. The software is missing so I wanted to scrap the controller & update to the Acorn.
Do I need to change out the stepper motors & drivers right away or can I use them with the Acorn controller until I get the bugs worked out & start making money with it?
The stepper motors are Nema 23, Superior Electric, SLO-SYN synchronous/stepping motor Type M063-LS-516 Hold 150 oz in Spec. BM101025 Steps 200, volts 2.25, Amp 4.6, DC, not sure what driver is used. Any feedback is welcome.

Thanks
Shannon

[martyscncgarage]

Hi Shannon,
Welcome to Acorn!
It might be possible to keep the existing drives, but we need close up high resolution photos of the drive to see if there are any clues as to the screen printing of the wiring.
Does the machine run now? That would be helpful.

You may find it easier to simply replace the motors and drives with new ones. If you are sticking with Open loop (steppers no encoders) CNC4PC and Automationtechnologiesinc.com are my favorite go to sources. I tend to shy away from ebay for this sort of thing.

Closed loop hybrid steppers are better in my opinion, because you don't have to worry about lost steps. But they are 2-3x the money.

I see the spindle/engraver motor is an AC on off motor. Acorn can turn it on and off with an M3 and an M5. Are you using the machine as an engraver or are you going to put a small router motor on it?


Marty

[Neon_Armadillo]

Thanks for the reply Marty. I have this at our local Makerspace & doing this as a community project so others can learn as we go, I can get some better pix tomorrow. Gerber did not build the fastest machines but they seem to be solid & well made with many still in use today. I figure the budget can afford hybrid close loop steppers but servo's are probably beyond budget as software & other upgrades are still needed, do you have a recommendation on brands to use or avoid or companies to buy from.
I bought the machine not running, it has both an engraver & a Porter Cable router attachment. I'm not sure if I will be able to keep both in operation or switching to a spindle makes more sense. I figure the priority will be to get the machine mechanically sound & running with the router before spending much time or expense on the tool end. But I guess that raises another question, does Acorn support automatic tool changers? It seems like I read that it does, but now I can't find that information.

[martyscncgarage]

I think if the spindles are easily swapped you could make them work. You'll need a DC spindle controller like KB Electronics to control the DC brush engraving spindle but should be doable. Of course worry about getting it under Acorn control first

[Neon_Armadillo]

The router & engraver are both AC, the pix of the motor end cap is from the stepper motor. Good news a friend of mine hooked up an old Mach3 controller he had, and got all 3 axis to move, so now we know the servo motors, wires & drivers are all functional. It looks like the Y axis has some play in it so a new set of linear bearings are now in order. A little more cleanup time & ready for the new controller.

[martyscncgarage]

Cool, so you are able to reuse the existing stepper drivers?

[Richards]

I've worked on a lot of large printers (photographic) that use Superior Electric stepper motors. Those motors were dependable, but expensive and power hogs. Kodak, Bremson, and Lucht used them in their $125,000 printers. I still have three motors in my spare parts drawer. Modern stepper motors and drivers are much more efficient and much less expensive. As Marty pointed out, closed-loop steppers do a more dependable job. Automation Technology has a NEMA 23 motor/driver with almost twice the torque at $150. An adequate open-loop stepper with DM542 drive would cost about $50-$60.