The second MM was easy, but the building's electrics were noisy #28 - Orlando, FL

[smreish]

Hello all.
Well, a good friend up the road (TIM) has a construction company and has found themselves in the need for a CNC machine for various uses. Being fairly experienced in building the MM, I was able to convince them this was the machine for them.

I have agreed to "mentor" them in their build process and will be tending to the forum duties for Tim along with fairly frequent shop visit's to check on build/fabrication process.

This being my 3rd build to date - I hope to have some fun! Plus with Nils and my existing table as reference it should go a little easier and quicker this time.

The specific's based on their needs:
5' x 10' table
3 axis
2.2 kw spindle
pmdx 122
56V transformer with 12 & 5 volt taps
gecko 203v drives
7,2 Geared OM motors
(the same powertrain and control box as my #5 and Nils Machine)


The component ordering started yesterday along with cutting steel. This should be a quick build as long as all the parts get here in quick fashion.

Sean #5

[domino11]

Sean,
Do you ever sleep? :)

[smreish]

Sleep? With my 1 and 3 year old's running around the house I am awake anyway. So why not make use of that awake time! :D

[smreish]

...A quick start today. All the main table steel cut. The Main beams will get back cut tomorrow.

All the holes in the cross members drilled.

4572

[domino11]

Sean,
Saw your post about your new spindle being ordered. Let us know what model you got and pros and cons versus the porter cable router you are using now. Is that for this new table or your older one? :)

[smreish]

New Table....old table just fine and happy with a router.
Specs on the new spindle:

Columbo RV73/2 3HP Package (50ft Cables), Hitachi Drive
With 10% Discount (thank you for honoring your April Special price)
Free shipping in the United States

Power requirements: 115VAC/25A or 220VAC/20A

[smreish]

...Cutting down rails yesterday and today. Gosh, I forgot what fun (& messy) it really is :)

Piece of cake 2nd time around!

Oh yeah - table standing on it's own feet.

[cncb]

bet that columbo spindle cost as much as almost the entire machine :D any idea what the price tag was on it?

[smreish]

Brian,
Actually, Blurry Customs (you can find them in the Market place section of this forum) is running a package special.
For about 2300$, You get a complete 3HP spindle, drive, collet, wrench and Cable package. Best price I have found to date. Plus, very timely customer service and phone help thus far.

[cncb]

you said "drive".. so this includes a vfd? that's a fantastic price!

[smreish]

...and according to UPS, should be here this Wednesday!

[cncb]

lucckyy :cool:

[smreish]

New spindle is here! ...and to my surprise, it came with the Delta VFD and not the hitachi.....Thanks Blurry Customs.
Sean
4756

[blurrycustoms]

New spindle is here! ...and to my surprise, it came with the Delta VFD and not the hitachi.....Thanks Blurry Customs.
Sean
4756

Looks great, enjoy. We are looking forward to seeing it on the machine.

BTW, I thought we had mentioned the upgrade to the Delta. If it's an issue, please let us know, and we'll make it right. Otherwise, enjoy that sensorless vector control on the Delta.

[smreish]

Alex,
We talked about it and I forgot I said yes! It's perfectly fine...I prefer the Delta. The difference in cost was minimal for a drive I prefer.

Regards,
Sean

[sailfl]

Sean,

Nice. I am eager to see it on the new machine and see it in operation.

[Gerald D]

How is the thermistor handled with the Delta drive?

[smreish]

Well, now you have me making some phone calls. I know how it was handled on the Hitachi. I will have to look into it. As you are well aware, the delta VFD-b series in the 2007 < vintage drives handled it fairly oddly. The addition of a series relay may be in order if the RV series Colombo spindle has an accommodation for it. I'll get back to you after some homework.

[smreish]

Okay, some answers after talking with the spindle engineer at PDS.
The Internal Thermistor coupler on the Columbo Spindle (yep, has one) is connected to the Delta VFD via terminals DCM and M14. This is designed to fault the drive and initiate a shutdown at 110C. (or roughly 45 degrees F above ambient) Anyone of the Aux contacts can be used an output to trigger another stop. An extra relay and wire it in series with the e-stop circuit to the pmdx or interupt is the ticket. {good thing I have plenty of extra little PCB relays I am using for the proximity circuit for the additional dry contact}

The current Delta VFD has some significant upgrades and changes since the 2008 model year.

I think this answers your question Gerald.

[Gerald D]

Sean, it is this discussion that got me kicked out of the ShopBot community:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/27/15390.html#POST41164

followed by:

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/11099/11113.html?1160501868

and shortly after that they went to Yaskawa drives.

I am still not convinced that the Delta VFD is designed for taking a thermistor over DCM and MI4.

[sailfl]

Gerald,

Interesting. Didn't your Mother tell you not to question authority figures?

[smreish]

I recall that conversation between you and Eric back in 2007.
I will look further into this - I haven't done anything except open the shipping box.

I use Delta series drives frequently in my line of work for standard machine automation and control, but never for the spindle.

....more to follow.

[smreish]

Interesting.
I uploaded pictures during lunch today and now I can't find any portion of the thread. Well, Anyway. I am almost done with Machine #2. Just wiring the last bits up. Hopefully, I will be cutting before the weekend is over.

[smreish]

4865

4866

[domino11]

Sean,
That is some great progress. I really like your control wiring, looks real professional. :)

[Gerald D]

I am nervous of those tightly bundled parallel wires, unless they are screened. Is your first control box also like that?

[javeria]

Sean - you do it so fast - it takes the excitement out of the build :D LOL

[smreish]

Gerald,
Of course you noticed that! I caught that after I took the picture home last week!

I already gave the shop the note to fix the routing of wires in the panel.

I think it's already been fixed. I haven't looked in the cabinet since last week.

Sean

[domino11]

OOps,
Yup Gerald is right, very neat but not shielded. That will teach me to comment after midnight.:o

[smreish]

more photo's of wiring fun
4890

4891

4892

[Robert M]

Sean.... you did advise to be on the watch out for some coming pics... you devil.... you never give me clue that it would be Sooo sexy :D

[smreish]

...got her moving tonight. Maybe cutting and logo's tomorrow. Under the gun to get this one cutting.
I have a few wiring challenges to address - like routing the contact for the spindle enable, but should be able to sort it all out tomorrow.
Wish me luck....the machine is in a shop where the heat hit 102 F today. Whew hot.

[Gerald D]

Good luck Sean!

. . . . and take a cooler box with some cold drinks (non-alcoh.). A desk fan standing on the table will also help you to think straight. :)

(Our weather is as dismal as it gets around here in winters: Storm winds, lashing rain and temps down to 10 C. Had a laugh from this news story (http://www.news24.com/Content/SouthAfrica/News/1059/b2e391da2ea24554bc77f8a440bdd5bd/23-06-2009%2007-06/Winds_devastate_Cape) - the weather forecaster doesn't know what a spring tide is!)

[domino11]

Good Luck Sean,
That heat can really slow you down.
Gerald,
I think I would take the wind and rain over -40C in the winter. Well maybe not hurricane type wind though. :)

[smreish]

I finished the MM this morning.
I have a few modest tweaks to attend to - like a dust foot, laser pointer and zero plate.

All in all, a good building experience on this one. Aside from most wiring challenges, I am really happy with the outcome.

The end user (a close friend of mine) is quite please. I feel it will serve their General Contracting business well.

Noteworthy - the spindle at speed is SO quiet that it's almost to quiet. It's hard to realize that it's running. At 16K RPM, it's like a sewing machining running in the background.

I will revise my cabinet build drawings to reflect the EMF corrections needed to properly react to the building this machine now resides in for future Mechmaters that may encounter similar issues.

Accolades go out to PDS and Blurry Customs for fantastic support on their products and helping thru the EMF/RF issues associated with this installation.

Cutting,
It's blue
It has a logo
...now it needs a number!

Back to work now, have a lot of cutting to do!


Sean
5099

5100

5101

[Gerald D]

Smart job Sean! Congratulations on #28

[sailfl]

Sean

Looks good. I will have to go visit the new machine. Congratulations

[servant74]

Great looking machine! ...

... Since the spindle is quiet (while not cutting), I have seen some installations that put a 'blinking light' on top of the spindle whenever it is spinning! (OSHA would be proud! :)

[smreish]

Gerald,
Thanks for the congratulations and changing my comment line!
I'm starting to feel like a MM factory. Interesting for me, each build has been different and rewarding.
#5 - standard build with a router
#12 - standard build with fancy prefab rails and router
#28 - standard build with spindle.

More to follow after I install the "upgrades".

Sean

[domino11]

Congratulations Sean!

Shouldnt #5 say, standard build, upgraded extended Z slide? :)

[smreish]

Heath,
That was a much later (about 12 months) add on for a specific project.
The #5 machine was with pre-mamba parts too. I had to make all my own cable chain attachments, skate grinder and proximity circuit! How things have changed in two short years.

Heck, soon I will have enough machines under my belt to rival Gerald's Sean!

[javeria]

Congrats Sean ! on the thhird build - may the fourth began soon :)

[jhiggins7]

Congratulations Sean on Serial #28. Very impressive!:):):)
You are a wonderful contributor to this Forum. Keep up the good work.:D

The Updated Builder's Log is here (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pLoxg8wu4WnsBc2_U5yEaQw).

[Greg J]

It's a pleasure watching your builds Sean !!!

Always the highest quality work and second best (G's number 1) with sharing the knowledge.

[smreish]

Thanks MM fans!

I must say, Nils has been a huge help and kind for letting me help him with his machine. Not to mention - he promised to come and customize my Mach screens for me! :)

My machine build detail is not the level of JR, Greg and others, but they function. Once again - the machine can be built with multiple craftsmanship levels and still obtain the same cut quality.

Thanks Gerald.

Sean

[fredjr]

Hi Sean
That was some fast time to get that MM built. I'm still on the Z plate . Way to go.

[myozman]

Congrats Sean,

Your like an American Dealer for MechMates. Maybe you could have one of those shows like Orange County Choppers (OCC), Monster Garage, or Pimp my MechMate.:D

Thanks for posting pictures of your builds. It really helps. I need to see things to get a grasp of things I've never done. In fact, I never saw a cnc router until I built my own.


MIKE

[javeria]

he promised to come and customize my Mach screens for me! :)


Nil's thats unfair - u need to make a Mach screen for all Mechmater's :D

[sailfl]

Irfan and anyone else,

I have not responded to you comment about my supplying MechMate Blue Screen for Mach3. I don't want you to think I have forgotten you.

I would be happy to supply Blue Screen for every one, if I had a Blue Screen for my self. Sean just made a misquote. If you look at my build again, you will see that I do have a Macro for my Zero Z Touch Plate and for my Red Laser but I am not using a Blue Screen or Mach3 screen to utilize those features. I am using my Shuttle Pro for that. I didn't want to be attached to my computer to run these routines.

I did provide a copy of my Zero Touch Plate Macro to Sean but he has already modified it and I might change mine to work like his. He is using a button on the Y Car to activate the Zero Touch Plate Macro.

If you want to modify you Mach Screen, the best person that has made these changes is Greg Greolt. He has designed a screen for Mach and I think it is blue. I don't have the links but he has answered lots of questions on how to do it on CNCZone and the links are listed here but I couldn't find them.

I know I have listed the links in the past.

If you want a copy of my Macro let me know.

Back to Sean's excellent #28 build. (Sorry to take control of your thread Sean.)

[domino11]

Nils,
I got this link from Arts site.
http://www.turningaround.org/MechMate/Mechmate.htm

There he gives the link to the CNCZone thread with the mach blue modified screens for zero stuff.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56079

Is that what you were thinking of? :)

[smreish]

So, I was cleaning up the server files this morning and came across a few pictures from when I converted MM #5 over to a VERY large foam statue cutting machine.
This picture is a 2 sided cutting test of the statue. File created in Rhino from Active laser scans, then imported to CUT 3d for tool path. NOTE: in the top of the picture you can see the 1/2" (very expensive) tool bit hanging down from the bottom of the z-axis spindle.

13580

[smreish]

Work to do...
16443

16444

[jhiggins7]

Congratulations Sean. Looks to be in pretty good mechanical shape. Can't actually see the control box. Is it present? In good shape?

[smreish]

16445

All in working order but missing all the wire management and some wire routing over the years. A couple of days with zip ties, panduit and some wire all will be sorted and good as new.

[jhiggins7]

Looking good. Even has that extra Gecko...sweet.

[mike nelson]

Thinking....."out of the box"

[smreish]

https://youtu.be/5tlZQ6Nm3ak

Hello All,
I was in the process of moving the machine and removed the spoilboard to do a ground up recalibration of the entire machine, oil things, square up things, etc.

I had a small order of 244 electrical boxes that needed “D” shaped holes for the connectors. I built a quick roll pin registration point, quick clamp area and cut all the boxes in about 2 days.

...just more fun with this machine 15 years later!

Best - Sean

[jhiggins7]

Hey Sean. So glad to see your MechMate still producing. Making those hole in the electrical boxes is a very creative use of the MechMate. Also it was great to just to hear from you.

[smreish]

Thanks John!
The machine has been really sidelined to R&D work, specialty projects and doesn’t get much used lately. Thankfully, I still have room for a 5x10 machine to take up space in the shop.

I am in the process to order a 15W laser to use as a second z axis to engrave, mark and layout the part of each object not being cut. Fun stuff for sure!