Need Help!- Broken VyTec Router Table

[jdkaeser]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and I was hoping someone here could help me. I have an old VyTec 48"x 96" Industrial Routing system that I use at work. The thing died on me at the end of last year. The unit itself seems to be OK. I think the problem lies in the controller. When you turn the unit on it wants to run the bit straight down into the table instead of trying to find its home position and wait in standby mode. I called Vytec and they are of no help since the unit is over 14 years old and they have moved on to lasers. The only guy who knew this machine well at VyTec died. My question is, I live in Cincinnati, OH, is there anyone local who could help me get this machine back up and running. Like I said the machine is top notch, but I think the problem is in the controller.

Any help would be of great use. If you know of a better place here in the forums for me to post this as well that would be good to know as well.

Thanks,

John
Cincinnati, OH

[CNCMAN172]

John,

Sounds like a bad controller or a bad motor or drive. Is it equipped with Stepper motors or Servo motors? If it is 14 years old my guess is stepper motors.

You might want to scrap the controller anyway and go with MACH3 CNC which is a software controller that is very current with many options and it only costs $175 for a license.

I live on the North side of Columbus Ohio just over two hours North of you. You can probably disconnect the Z axis and test the zero using the drive and a pulse source. Have you ever worked on a CNC machine?

Russ
CNCMAN

[jdkaeser]

Russ,

Thanks for the reply. To answer your question, I have not worked on CNCs before. I've been running this machine for 14 years with only one mechanical failure, (a broken motor coupler) which I repaired. I'm very mechanical but complex electrical like what is in the controller is above my comfort zone. Especially since it has phase 3 power and just touching the wrong thing could blast my butt into the stone ages. This Mach3 Software Controller sounds very interesting but how do you connect the computer running it to the router table? Do you have to create a custom cable. Right now I connect a very old Apple computer running ScanVec software to the actual controller. If the controller is out of the picture I would have to believe fabricating cables ends would be necessary to attach my spindle control unit and the wiring from the motors. Also, what if one of my capacitors or one of the other large electrical looking objects in my controller box with the motherboard is just bad. I could end up replacing the controller and it could be one of the other electrical dohickies.

Columbus you say, would you be interested in coming down to Cincy to take a look at it. My company would pay you. I'm flexible as well. Could be on a Saturday or Sunday if you wish. Let me know and we could work something out.

We use the machine sporadically but see a need to use it again in about a month or so.

I'll be on vacation from this afternoon on through next week, but just let me know.

Thanks again,

John

[BobF]

Mach3 would be become the computer part of the controller. You would want a drive system compatible with Mach3. That might be your old drive, or you may need to change it to something to work with Mach3.
Mach3 connects from your computers parrallel printer port to the drives with a BOB or break out board. Your drives could be Geckos for example and they would attach to the motors.
Here are some basics.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76865.#3
Here is a link to Gecko
http://www.geckodrive.com/
1. What kind of motors steppers or servos?
2. What drives are in place now?
3. Can you connect whats there to a BOB and use Mach3.
4. If not, replace drives with Gecko (now #1 is important).
5. BOB to run Geckos
6. Mach3 and a PC to control it all.

If Russ can come help you, he can probably answer all of this plus whatever I haven't thought of.