Gerber AR600 Retrofit

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ericbowman
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by ericbowman »

The spindle did not come with a manual but there is a diagram inside the electrical housing.
66A86E95-54E8-4816-89FC-0701630291D1.jpeg
And labels on the terminals.
E03CDE93-19FB-46CA-9D09-4124A1D165A1.jpeg
Am I right to follow the 220v diagram? Why are the connections offset by one letter? W2 is connected to u1 instead of w1?

I’m guessing the small terminal touching the housing is the ground, is that right?
martyscncgarage
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by martyscncgarage »

That diagram to me (as an electrician) means to move the SHORTING bars vertically across the terminals for 220V
Yet, on your terminal block, unless I am missing something, you don't have another set of three terminals above where your wires are landed.
Chinese motor I presume?
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martyscncgarage
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by martyscncgarage »

ericbowman wrote: Mon Nov 15, 2021 11:36 pm I’ve got 220v single phase power in my shop.

Here is the manual:

4.0KW---A2---(--)V1.79.pdf
Follow the schematic on Page 5 and use 0-10VDC in
You will have to adjust parameters as well.
I am not fond of generic Chinese VFDs. I do not use them.
Only one I will REMOTELY consider using if absolutely necessary is a Genuine Huan Yang VFD. (Even the Chinese knock off each other)
Good luck
Marty
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by ericbowman »

I definitely wish I could afford a name-brand spindle and VFD, but unfortunately I'm on a very tight budget.

I've got everything wired up and working now, I just wired it as you guys suggested.

Thank you so much for your help getting the router going!!

There are a whole lot of tuning questions I have, but I'm sure I'll find a lot of those answers through search and if I can't I'll start a new thread to keep things specific and focused.

Once again, thank you so much for being patient with a rookie!!

Eric
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by martyscncgarage »

Acorn Knoweldge Base:
viewtopic.php?f=63&t=1650
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ericbowman
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by ericbowman »

I just wanted to thank you all for your help so far. I know I've been quiet for a few months, but I haven't given up :) I actually installed a noise filter onto the VFD and that has helped a lot with the noise. I've also bought 1.5" pink insulation foam and I've been practicing on that instead of MDF to avoid breaking any more bits or risking damage to the machine as I get everything working properly.
20220201_005758884_iOS.png
The L-shaped cuts in the upper right are cuts I was using to dial in distances. Then there is a square, with a circle and smaller square that should be centered in each other. I highlighted a few places where those should come to the same point but there's some drift going on.

Even though I've had quite a bit of success the machine is still drifting as it cuts and the z axis slips now and then. I took the stepper off of the z axis and it has a sort of flanged collet that the stepper motor shaft slips into and then there is a clamp nut that secures them together. It seems like a poor design.

I'm planning to go to my second post and edit it to add more information about the router so that anyone who comes to the thread can quickly and easily know about the machine.

I'll also post a few photos of the motor and lead screw to show their condition and how they go together. I'm trying to decide if I can work with the motor and lead screw I have, or if I need to replace one or both of them. If I do have to replace the motor, I have the gecko 214v driver I already have for the z-axis but if I should really switch to a closed-loop motor and drive this might be the time do that.

In summary, I've still got noise, settings to dial in, and a z-axis that needs mechanical work so it stops slipping. I think I'll start by fixing the z-axis so I would especially appreciate thoughts and advice on that issue.

Thanks!
Eric
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by martyscncgarage »

Could you remind me which PC you used?
Also post a fresh report?
That machine does deserve some nice servos, like Clearpath SDSK or Leadshine closed loop....

Marty
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by ericbowman »

I am using a HP ZBook laptop for my PC.

I'll get a fresh report once I can get out to my shop here in a minute.

I'll also spend some time updating the first post with info about the router.

With those clearpath SDSK servo motors, do they include an integrated driver so I would connect them directly to the acorn or would I still use my gecko drivers? Either way they look like they would really be a nice upgrade.

Eric
martyscncgarage
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by martyscncgarage »

ericbowman wrote: Wed Feb 09, 2022 12:57 pm I am using a HP ZBook laptop for my PC.

I'll get a fresh report once I can get out to my shop here in a minute.

I'll also spend some time updating the first post with info about the router.

With those clearpath SDSK servo motors, do they include an integrated driver so I would connect them directly to the acorn or would I still use my gecko drivers? Either way they look like they would really be a nice upgrade.

Eric
You understand that laptops are not recommended for CNC12.
I would substitute another PC to see if your MPU/PC resend errors go away.
Many laptops have power saving features that can cause trouble.

The driver is right on the servo motor You run two cables for each motor from the control cabinet. (No need for your Gecko Drives) Clearpath sells the cables and power supply.
Go take a look at my Syil X4 build log at the top of the main Acorn page for an idea and videos on what is involved.
They are not the least expensive solution but they are good motor/drive combo
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Re: Gerber AR600 Retrofit

Post by ericbowman »

I have photos here of the z-axis lead screw to motor coupler.
9F046212-54C6-43F7-908D-F2D274E75760.jpeg
BCDB61F8-050A-429F-83C9-E6F5D0844C19.jpeg
B468D198-A257-4850-BD4F-EFD15A4839E3.jpeg
I’m not even sure what to call this coupler but it seems awful. If I need to buy a new motor then I’ll find the money to get one like you suggested, but it would be a lot better for my budget if I can work with what I’ve got. Is there a better style of coupler I could use here?
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