I am thinking of buying a 1992 vcm 20 from a friends shop. It had complete controler up date 3 year ago. They took it off floor 3 months ago. How long can it sit without power?

Should not be a big deal if the way lube system was working prior to being pulled from service. You can always pull the way covers and look at the linier rails, make sure there is lots of lube on em, if not do it manually and re start that bad boy. If it is the old grease zerk type lube just lube all of those points for each axis and you should be good to go.

I have the 95 version of that machine, runs like a champ.

I saw it run before they unhooked it. It was a one shift 5 day aweek machine, same dude ran it last 5 years. I do not know how long before the control will lose memory and need to be rebooted. It will be all I can afford to get it and hook it up. Poor boys cant take big chances.

When you fire it up, open up the control cab, far to the left on the bottom is the system card, has a backup battery on the board aith a red button on the top, that is a button and light to test the backup battery. Replacements can be had pretty cheap from Fadal. If you loose that battery it will just loose your offsets and tool table, and any programs when you power down, and will require a cold start every time you start up. Not really too big a deal.

The system memory is on an EPROM, won't go away for 20+ years no matter if it has power or not.

Thanks,
That is what I needed to know. I will make arrangements to pick it up on Saturday.

Thanks again.

P.S.
They said I could buy for what Fadal would give on trade-in $10 k because of newer control is that about right?

You don't want their new control. The old ones, 88HS, MP are both very reliable and easy to use. You can if you want upgrade the whole controller to current spec for about 5k. I did it and to be honest it makes little difference. The only advantage is that you can use over 422 memory on the newer control, 4-16megs.

You can also DNC and pretty much have unlimited program size on the older controls so you can still run big programs if you want.

I misstated on control update. It is the latest of the old control. They said Fadal service put it in at $5300. in 2002. Anyway I am to pick it up Sat. morning if all goes well.
I have only ran Mazak since 1998,but fadals was all I ran 1991 till then. I hope I have not lost as much memory as hair since then.
The screen as I remember looked same, when started he did not need cold start deal like I use to , It seemed to have canned cycles with some kind of graphics. Back lash comp. in control was not excessive and when put dial indicator in spindle moved away and back it zeroed every time.
It is box way machine and seemed to be alright.
I did not know what else to look for.
I hope all is well with it
R.

Yea with the newest version you don't need to CS every time you startup, assuming your backup battery is still good(they last for years so it should be).

Post up some pics when you get it, I'd love to see it. I hope all goes well in the move and power up!

If it prompts you to set parameters at startup there should be a list of startup parameters in the control cab or on the inside of the pendant, just enter "setp" at the command prompt and enter that data and you will be back up and running.

Fadals manuals can be downloaded from their site if you did not get a set.

It is here waiting on lift to set it inside door. Trip went well, machine looks to be in good shape needs lot of clean up. No bad cuts on table, it had fixture plate when I saw it run.

Here are pictures of new (old) machine; and her two older sisters.

Oh that thing is sweet!

Looks like it has been treated well, nice shop too.

Dave

I still have not got the machine wired up yet, have to drop another 200 amp service, and garage funding ran out.
But I wanted to thank 65-295 for helping with everything. Let me use his truck and flatbed to haul it home, after got in side helped me move and set it, he took the pictures and posted them.
I ask what I owed for all his help he said nothing, that if we were better to each other it would not be so easy for our work to be taken overseas.
I don't know about the work but he is sure right about being better to one another.
Thanks