Install of a Troyke 4th axis on Bridgeport Torq-Cut 22

[RedGTZ]

Well I finally got a decent price on a brand new Troyke NC rotary table so I decided to move on with this project. Here it is:

Troyke Model NC-9-B-RH-PC-S-180-B
Bridgeport Model 31542657

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=180160536509



Now here are the facts

My machine is a 1997 Brideport torq-Cut 22 w 8k rpm, 22 tools, DX32 etc... The machine is basically new. The plugs are installed on the monitor support arm to accept the 4th axis, i check in there and the wiring is done there. There is no 4th drive in the cabinet and I did not see any wiring ready for it to be plugged, there is a location to install it however. As far as i know the 4th axis is reday to use with the DX-32 control (plug and play)

So here is my list of things to do to install this baby, let me know if this is okay or I miss something here:

Things I have:

- Rotary table
- Machine Wiring Diagrams
- Mechanical and electrical skills

Things to get if I'm right:

- Buy the correct drive, witch BPT part # do i need?
- Complete the wiring to drive and other components
- Get air supply and solenoid for the pneumatic brake on the 4th axis
- Tell me if I need to do something else...

Any help is greatly and advice appreciated! Let me know if you have some experience installing or running a 4th axis on a DX-32 equipped Bridgeport.

Thanks you!!

[NC Cams]

If the Torq-Cut wiring diagram is of a comparable quality and level of detail as those on the VMC's and the other DX32 based systems, you should be able to wire it and go without too much hassle, providing the machine is prewired for 4th axis.

The V2XT I got is/was 4th axis prewired - the wiring was coiled up and already lying in the cabinet, ready to connect and go. They even had the wires label coded to match the wiring diagram. The XT's cabinet had all the relays and power connectors installed and wired as well - all you had to do was connect the servo amp and plug in the MIL Spec connector.

The Torque-Cuts did use, as I recall, somewhat unique servo drives, however. They were a PWM style unique to TC's as opposed to the analog style industry standard ones used on the other BMDC fitted controls. They required a PWMINT card that was piggybacked onto the BMDC - you should already have one in the machine.

The special amps used in the TC's with the PWM style drives were unique to Bridgeport - I haven't seen equivalent drives sold in the aftermarket. How/where you'd find one outright may be a bit of a problem anymore - I'm pretty sure that those are only serviced on an exchange basis anymore. Perhaps you can score another find on E-bay as this would be the easiest way to "plug and play".

I've looked for and had absolutely NO luck in finding any schematics on/for the TC amps - this pretty much precludes any self servicing of the amps unless you're real good at reverse engineering PCB's and house numbered IC's. System wIring diagrams are findable, however.

WIth a bit of study, it should be pretty easy to figure out how to wire the device once you find/get a 4th axis amp located and installed.

[RedGTZ]

Thanks for the input NC Cams, it's appreciated

On another side... I'm a little less enthusiastic right now since I located my first and biggest problem for the install. I was in a rush lately and must have jumped over a part of the description of this unit... I read the main line and saw it was DC opereated, but this is only for the solenoid valve the servo is an AC! I need it to be a DC servo to work with the TC-22 since the other axis are all DC powered...

Wiring: The wiring configuration of this unit consists of a 24V
DC Solenoid valve (energized to clamp the table), a pneumatic
pressure switch (to verify if the table is clamped or unclamped),
a zero return or decel switch and dog (for initial homing or zero
returning of the table), and a Siemens 1FT5046OAS71 AC Servomotor /
encoder package. The servomotor and electrics are enclosed
in a sheetmetal enclosure around the servomotor. Refer to the
Bridgeport wiring diagram for further information.

I still got this unit for a really low price but that's a frustrating situation

I'll think about everything further

[machintek]

Correct. This is for a VMC such as the 760, 800, and 1000 which had the Siemens drives and motors (AC). Even the later TC machines were different in that they used Yaskawa drives and motors.
You need to find a SEM motor/encoder unit, cables, etc. The SEM may need some adaptation for mounting.

[RedGTZ]

Thanks for the reply, my TC22 has the SEM on the X and Y and the Parvex on the Z. I'll look forward to find all that stuff or sell the 4th axis and wait for another deal to come by...

[NC Cams]

Look for a letter via P/M

[JROM]

I have used Troyke tables in the past and I would not buy another.
They have problems with coolent and chips getting inside and killing the table.
If you use one do everything you can to seal up the cases and try not to pump coolent on the case if you can help it. Also if you send one back to the factory for repair it's like droping it in a black hole! A word to the wise.

[NC Cams]

Haven't seen a Troyke in person BUT, the numerous fotos that I've studied suggest that the 4th axis devices are merely adaptations of conventional mechanical rotary tables with servo motors hung/grafted onto them.

They definitely do not seem to have the small, package specific adaptations/packages of internal motors and drive systems ala Haas or the like. Not what one would expect out of a noted machine tool maker like BPT or the like.

Maybe that's why the original company went bust - they wore out their welcome by selling over priced/poorly packaged/diminished quality machine tool options.

I recall reading where the Troyke 4th axis not only have problems with coolant ingress but also with corrosion and decay problems with the drive belts and pulleys - not uncommon in dirty/wet environments with poor/non-existant drive protection.

It is too bad that even noted machine tool makers don't know/care about making their stuff robust - especially when they charge as much as they do for it.

In light of what is/was developed for the various Bridgeports, however, there isn't much in the way of an option/alternative to Troyke. I've already tried to see if Haas tables could be used (can't due to lack of tach f/b for SEM, I dunno for A/C drive systems).

Thanks for the warning about "Troyke factory service". Clearly a case of caveat emptor.

[RedGTZ]

got the unit and I can tell it's new, I remove some of the panels around it and it's easy to see it have never been used I will do more research about converting this thing to a DC servo...

[RedGTZ]

found some SEM DC servo's, do you think it would work well with the BPT drives for the 4th axis?

I found 2 of these if somebody else would be looking to get one.



Let me know waht you think Thanks again!

[NC Cams]

Motor voltage and encoder count and RPM need to be programed and/or considered by anything that is to be adapted to/with and eespecially the BMDC controller in the T/C - especially if the motor you purchased differs from the "standard" values that the BMDC is looking for.

I do believe that your new motor does have different peak speed constant and voltage ratings than what Bridgeport used with the P/S that powered their BMDC DC servos with the BMDC powered devices.

The factors in the parameters used by BMDC are NOT intuitively obvious to decipher as they are in some odd CUM multiplication factor and they are NOT labeled - it is just a huge list of numbers.

Fortunately, the file that has the factors is a text file so it is easy to change. Unfortunately, the conversions and "decoder ring" are not well documented - the factors are published but not necessarily in the owners manual for the particular machine you have.

There are tech guys who are wiz's at reprogramming the BMDC and guys who won't touch them to save their ass. The device is/was a "universal" PC based controller that ran 2, 3 and 4 axis machines - all you had to do was load the right software (VMC, mill, Expath, whatever) and the machine would self load the parameters and pretty much run once it was tuned/retuned properly.

HOWEVER, if you gave the thing bum parameters (xxxx.bez file as I recall), the thing would go ugly and not run well if at all. BE careful if you mess with SWAG values in the parameters - you could get hurt or hurt the machine.

Since the T/C is NOT using tacho feedback (they bypass it with the PWMINT and the servo encoder interface), the motor speed should be QUITE critically matched to what the servo amp is tuned for/expecting. THe use of a motor with a vastly different speed constant than what the amps are programmed to expect could give you operational problems.

Probably the only outfit who knows how the T/C servo amps work/are programmed is EMI. These guys are NOT DIY supporters as they charge DEARLY, in advance, for consultative services. Good luck getting any adaptive programming info to/for the BMDC out of them.... and have youre checkbook or credit card ready. Last report was that phone support was offered at $90/hr and there were minimums for biling.

As one tech warned/advised, "messing with the BMDC based systems is NOT a task for sissies....."