"Drill-O-Matic" converted to Acorn
Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:02 pm
A number of my Acorn videos show my automated driller for control panel backplanes. This is a simple belt driven 2 axis machine that positions a drill head, then runs a macro to toggle on a solenoid that triggers a plunge and retract cycle to allow the self feeding ARO Para-Matic drill to drill to a specified depth and then retract.
A limit switch on the drill head monitors that: 1) Drill has retracted from previous cycle, 2) plunge has started, and 3) drill is fully retracted before rapid to the next location occurs.
I had been using another controller to operate this machine, but since that controller required a tower PC, a few hundred in extra hardware dollars and most of all, moving the machine from one corner of my crowded shop to another, thru the gauntlet of in progress projects, I decided to install an Acorn and one of my tiny Lenovo CNC-PC's. This made the machine autonomous. It can now sit in its corner and be fully funtional without the required journey across the shop, and back, which usally takes much more time than it takes to drill a backplane.
The heart of this system is a LeadShine MX_3660. A 3 axis, 6amp controller with IO capabilities similar to its bigger brother, the MX_4660 or a Gecko G540. I used the MX-3660 as "drives only" and setup a custom DB 25 map to accomodate the 2 Y motors (channels 1 & 2) and the single X (channel 3) and connected the Acorn to the MX-3660 via a shop built DB25 ribbon cable.
There are 4 inputs used, X home, Y home, Plunge Sensor and Estop. 2 outputs are in use, one that engages 4 MagSwitch magnetic hold down units that have had the handles replaced by timing pulleys and an air cylinder driving a looped belt around the 2 pairs of pulleys. The other output toggles the plunge circuit solenoid valve.
The CNC-PC is mounted on the right side of the tool cabinet that supports the drilling table and I was able to make a flat bracket and mount the 15.6" ASUS touchscreen monitor in one of the toolbox drawers. I have a mouse for when my fingers get fat, but no physical keyboard, just an onscreen one.
Here is a short video showing the machine
And a few pics:
A limit switch on the drill head monitors that: 1) Drill has retracted from previous cycle, 2) plunge has started, and 3) drill is fully retracted before rapid to the next location occurs.
I had been using another controller to operate this machine, but since that controller required a tower PC, a few hundred in extra hardware dollars and most of all, moving the machine from one corner of my crowded shop to another, thru the gauntlet of in progress projects, I decided to install an Acorn and one of my tiny Lenovo CNC-PC's. This made the machine autonomous. It can now sit in its corner and be fully funtional without the required journey across the shop, and back, which usally takes much more time than it takes to drill a backplane.
The heart of this system is a LeadShine MX_3660. A 3 axis, 6amp controller with IO capabilities similar to its bigger brother, the MX_4660 or a Gecko G540. I used the MX-3660 as "drives only" and setup a custom DB 25 map to accomodate the 2 Y motors (channels 1 & 2) and the single X (channel 3) and connected the Acorn to the MX-3660 via a shop built DB25 ribbon cable.
There are 4 inputs used, X home, Y home, Plunge Sensor and Estop. 2 outputs are in use, one that engages 4 MagSwitch magnetic hold down units that have had the handles replaced by timing pulleys and an air cylinder driving a looped belt around the 2 pairs of pulleys. The other output toggles the plunge circuit solenoid valve.
The CNC-PC is mounted on the right side of the tool cabinet that supports the drilling table and I was able to make a flat bracket and mount the 15.6" ASUS touchscreen monitor in one of the toolbox drawers. I have a mouse for when my fingers get fat, but no physical keyboard, just an onscreen one.
Here is a short video showing the machine
And a few pics: