[Newbie] PC retrofit for Acu-Rite MILLPWR controlled mill

[ihab.awad]

Hi folks,

I am a total newbie here; please feel free to redirect me to a different forum.

My company has an Acu-Rite MILLPWR control system mounted on a knee mill. The hardware is excellent, but the controller is hard to use and its interfaces (floppy disk or serial port to a computer) are somewhat outdated.

Is it worthwhile to try to retrofit to a PC controller, using (say) EMC2 (LinuxCNC.org)? It appears the interfaces from the MILLPWR controller to its motors are proprietary. How much would I have to replace, realistically?

Kind regards,

Ihab Awad
Palo Alto, CA

Similar Threads:

• Acu-Rite MillPwr Problems
• Acu-rite Millpwr help!
• MILLPWR, ACU-RITE
• Acu-rite Millpwr

[ihab.awad]

... and for reference, to be more precise, what we have is one of these (I'm not sure of the exact model):

ACRA MACHINERY

Regards,

Ihab Awad
Palo Alto, CA

[Al_The_Man]

Is there any make/model of the servo drives and motors used?
Al.

[ihab.awad]

Thanks for the reply -- I will check as soon as I'm back in the shop!

[ihab.awad]

Hi again!

The controller has cables going to the motors, and each motor has a box attached to it that, when popped open, contains a couple of PC boards with what look like very proprietary electronics -- no make or model or anything. Here is what the boards look like:

http://goo.gl/CsDOA
http://goo.gl/lYQhR

The motors are marked with the following data plate:

ACU-RITE
Type: MTS30H4-44 No: 41368-0210
C. Stall Torque: 20 lb/in 5.3 A
Max: 3100 RPM 140 V 26 A
Tacho: 7 V/KRPM IP 44 IC 400
2003919.H.SINK. H2004
Manufactured by SEM Ltd in England

which looks like they are probably from here:

MT DC Brushed Motors - SEM controlled motor technology

The system includes glass linear encoders marked:

ACU-RITE 2 um p/n 3852522740

which look like they are probably those:

Linear Encoders - SENC 150 :: Acu-Rite

Thanks!

Ihab Awad
Palo Alto, CA

[ihab.awad]

Ah! Aha! ... Actually, now that I have the data plate information, I did a Google search and it turns out my setup is exactly like this person's (except of course I have a different mill -- an Acra):

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/genera...30h4-44_a.html

My assumption then, when the above-mentioned thread talks about a "drive", they are assuming that all the electronics I saw in the Acu-Rite box would be torn out and replaced with something else that connects directly to the SEM motors?

Ihab Awad
Palo Alto, CA