Interact I Mk2 Retrofit

[StudentofCnC]

Good evening,
I'm looking for a little/lot of help in retrofitting my new tool. Saturday I acquired an Interact I Mk2 Mill with a Heidenhain TNC 151 control, and due to my inexperiance with the control type I'd like to change it to a pc with mach3control. I am working on getting it powered up, but was told that everything was in working condition when I bought it. My questions are these.

Can I power each cabinet seperatly? Using single phase 240v for the control and using my phase converter for only the three phase section?

I'm using Aspire software on a Mach3 controlled router, and some of the programs have 7000 lines of code. Can I drip feed a program of this size and type into the Heidenhain TNC 151?

If not, can I use Mach3 to drive the existing Bosch z15-1-240v boards and the SEM MT-30R4-58 servo motors?

If so, can I leave the Heidenhain TNC 151 intact to control the spindle drive?

I'm looking forward to learning a lot about CnC, and would appreciate any and all comments or advice.

Many Thanks.

[gus]

I believe you can drip feed. the 151 does iso g code

[awemawson]

TNC151 is a very good control, yes it can be drip fed and yes it can operate in ISO G code mode. I think it would be a shame to remove the controller, leave it and feed it G code from a CAM program.

[mwoodard]

I recently bought a used Interact 1 MK2 with Heidenhain TNC 151B control and have considered similar options. Here is what I know, but consider that I am very inexperienced in this by comparison with others on this forum.

I did run my machine initially on single phase and left the breaker off to the spindle cabinet. I was able to fire up the controller and the drive cabinet. The TNC worked and I was able to reference the machine. I know that the control can be drip fed but haven't done that yet. I only did some rudamentary testing on single phase while awaiting parts to make a rotary phase converter. My plan is/was to run the entire system on 3 phase power.

I have built the converter but have yet to get the spindle drive to work correctly on my home-brewed 3ph source. I ran into a bit of a snag. The spindle turns on whenever I hit the START button. It turns on while referencing. That isn't right. There is no 0-10V output nor is there a M03/M04 command or control line active. Hmmmm.. I don't have this sorted out yet.

I have read and heard that the KTK spindle drive (assuming that is yours also) is very phase sensitive so I am thinking about the phasing aspects of my power source…. Phase rotation, I’ve come to discover, is another way for electricians to describe the ordering of the 3 legs of a 3 phase circuit. With my rotary phase converter, I may have an insurmountable problem (not 120D shift) or it may be a matter of swapping two legs of the input circuit. Still thinking on that one. I think I have read that others are using rotary phase converters to power 3 phase electronics. Not just motors. I don't know of anyone running a KTK drive from a rotary phase converter.

I have been very busy of late so I have made no progress in almose a week and don't expect to get back to this until tomorrow or Tuesday.

Here is what I have learned.
1) Search the forum. I have seen so many of the same questions asked and answered that one might expect to hear a level of frustration if you ask a question that has been answered numerous times before. (such as GROSS POSITIONING ERROR)
2) Manuals can be found for the Heidenhain controls.

TNC 151 B/Q

Then READ them.

3) Be specific when you ask a question and you can expect a specific answer.
4) If the machine references in the wrong direction, look for a stuck reference switch on the offending axis.
5) Use the MOD button and code to get to the machine parameters. (the code is in the manual or search this forum)
6) Save your parameters. You don't want to have to rediscover them if they get lost. Generic Heidenhain params aren’t going to cut it. They are machine dependent. I have mine on hardcopy since I have yet to try the communications port transfer.
7) My first mistake of many! TURN THE MONITOR INTENSITY UP so you can read even the non-bold/highlighted text.

I have 2 D or E sized prints of my electrical interconnect (not reduced to electronic format easily but it can be done I'm sure) and have been found some excellent documentation that I can pass along if it will do you any good.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on Mach vs. Heidenhain choice. I personally think that the largest obstacle to overcome is the DC spindle motor and KTK drive with home-brewed 3 phase power not the TNC 151.

Mark

[gus]

>>>>7) My first mistake of many! TURN THE MONITOR INTENSITY UP so you can read even the non-bold/highlighted text<<<<


I think you can forgive yourself for that now. We all got a chuckle out of it, but none of the smarty pants here thought of it.....

[StudentofCnC]

Thanks Guys, My ears and mind are open, and I appreciate all the information.

[mflux_gamblej]

So, did you retrofit?

I have an interact 1 mk2 - kept the control, its way ahead of its time.

I'm considering how to put together a 4th axis though. This means that I need another Bosch card, a servo motor and a rotarty table with an encoder.

A retrofit might be a more reliable way - or i might be able to simply put together a 4th axis that is compatible even if not made with original equipment.