Phillips 432 controller for Maho 600/700C ~1985 model

[tillxplus]

Who has experience working with this control.

Is it capable of:
1. true radius movements or does it break down arcs into small linear steps;
2. at which release level is simultaneous 4 axes movement supported;
3. how well is backlash compensation handled;
4. does it have feed acceleration/deceleration.

Any general comments with this control are very welcome.

Thanks in advance

[VWSatOz]

I have a Philips 432 controller on Maho 700HS 1989 model prox, it has 4th axis simultaneous (but i dont know when this was 1st brought in) G1 XYZB, does G2 G3 smooth curves, seems to decellerate OK at ends of G1 moves but rather jolty on the Rapids cf Fanuc control on other vertical mill we have. Why dont you try cutting cuvres, it should show up if you only get short straight lines?
Backlash compensation is not an issue as is has glass scales feedback of position, ie fully closed loop control of positon to one micron, this slows things a bit but gives accuracy provided slides are not too tight & jolt loose, ie stick slip through strain & let go.

[tillxplus]

Thanks VWSatOz!

What software release are you running on your '700? Another question, I have heard that the monitor on the control doesn't last that long. Do you still have the original? Any other wear issues on the Maho?

[VWSatOz]

I think I have version 6 software. I don't use all its fancy features as I program off-line with an old EzCam 2d system, and have created 2 post processors for vertical milling &horizontal milling with G0 B... indexing to .001 degrees of rotaion angle prior to the 2d milling at that angle.
My monitor is still the original one. I had trouble with the thin panelgreen cycle start button failing, even got button lock-down-on! which is a bit dangerous as the mc can restart when you are not there!
The turcite slideways of Z & Y were a pest with swelling up from coolant, but that has now stabilised. The knee is very heavy as we have pallet changer too, and adjustment of gibs on the vertical knee slide is not easy to check. Indicator up high & traverse X saddle left & right to waggle the weight yet keep Y-narrow guide slop within small value, Z horizontal ram has tension rods up top that seem to be required to BEND/flex the nose upwards slightly to overcome droop effect as the weighty ram moves out by 700mm. Our head can swivel from vertical to horizontal by program command... very fancy... and toolchanger automatically knows how to do either vert or horiz toolchange from 36 pockets.
Big job if your battery goes flat, you lose all parameters & takes ages to get them back in. I should have fitted jumper leads to outside world so battery could be backed up with 12v when next replacement is required. If you were to pull out the battery to check etc, it disconnects! and you would lose the lot! so you must just leave it alone. Your battery method may be different.
Have fun , they are a very clever mc, In one setup of a part bolted on top of a small raised pedestal fixture at the centre of the table we can mc all around and on top & even endmill accross under the edges of a part, to leave it hanging by just 3 little nibs. A vertical program can simply "call" a horizontal program to completely mc with no one there.

[tillxplus]

Thanks again. I haven't come across the program controlled head swivel from vertical to horizontal. That i s fancy considering what pain it usually is to either rotate and adjust the head by hand or take it off to access the horizontal spindle as is the case on the '600C and '700C 1985 models I have come across. I tried to look up the '700HS but didn't find any references so far. Is that an Australia only model (so you guys don't have to sweat too much in that heat changing/adjusting the head by hand :-)?

[VWSatOz]

Thanks again. I haven't come across the program controlled head swivel from vertical to horizontal. That i s fancy considering what pain it usually is to either rotate and adjust the head by hand or take it off to access the horizontal spindle as is the case on the '600C and '700C 1985 models I have come across. I tried to look up the '700HS but didn't find any references so far. Is that an Australia only model (so you guys don't have to sweat too much in that heat changing/adjusting the head by hand :-)?

I believe very few were made with auto swivel head, MH 700HS, maybe only five! Fascinating to watch it work as it has a dust cap cover to plug over the 40 taperr spindle hole that is not in use. It automatically removes the tool, does a head swivel, then grabs the dust cap & swaps it into the spindle nose not being used so no swarf gets in, then replaces the original tool into the latest head just called in. The head can also be tilted left & right by undoing bolts by sweating and adjusting. I only did this once... to drill some spoke holes at an angle into tapered flanges of cast ally Harley hubs, quite tricky manual programming to then "whirl" in a hockey-stick cutter to poke its undercut tip through this hole to the inside of the flange through all these holes using subroutine with short line xyz simultanous G1 moves to generate the undercuts for the spherical seats reqd for the spoke heads the B0 to the next hole etc . Of coarse only manual toolchanges when head is tilted off the vertical. I gues 5axis is the way thes days. A twin pallet high speed Chiron was ordered by the company to do mass production after we invented this method!

[tillxplus]

Stop. I'm getting way to envious.

[damholt]

HELP
can anyone help me.... i have a Maho 600 E2 toolmag.
my probleme is that the machine got stock in a tool change... i got it back to the right pesecition but what ever i do it comes with the alarm 183 ( tool still in the changin fork )