FANUC OM Thoughts & Experience vs. Yasnak MX2

[stang623]

Looking at an older machine with a fanuc OM control on it. Looks like it is a 1991 machine. Currently we have a yasnak mx2 from 1987 and I'm very unimpressed by the control, if you feed at high rates like 108 IPM it seems to beat the ballscrews up pretty bad, very jerky motion. I try not to but it seems very easy to overload the control with moves and it will pause in the middle of a cut for just second while it waits on the next line or waits to process the next line.

Is this something I would have to worry about with an OM control? It looks like fanuc used the same basic OM control for a long time so I'm hoping that its a fairly nice control.

Also, how hard are parts to come by for a controller this old. Yasnak took a crap on me thats why I'm looking to upgrade machine/control.

Thanks,
AJ

[underthetire]

Om parts no problem. Not the most sophisticated control though.

[memoryman]

judging by the date, the 0m is probably a 0m-c; limited to 128k (320m) of memory. Fanuc built > 200,000 of them and they are a good control. Parts are very available.

[stang623]

Keep em coming guys, would love to hear from somebody who runs one currently as well. Can I feed at 100 IPM without much jerkiness or is that just a part of the older controllers?

Looks like the parts are readily available so that is great news.

AJ

[memoryman]

If you are considering retrofitting the Yasnac you will have to replace the drives and motors too. Probably too expensive given the age of the machine.
The 100 ipm limitation can be the control, tuning, physical constraint or a combination of these factors.

[John_B]

It might also be an 0m-B series being a 1991, but could be a C. Yes, not the most advanced control, but definitely beats Yasnac controls of that era hands down.

The 0m-c has a few nice upgrades from the B series and works well for most machining, it just doesn't compare to the 16 or 18 controls of that time, nor any of the current "i" series at all. I have a small 30 taper machine that was once a full 5 axis (4 simultaneous) with the 0m-c control that I like alot due to its simplicity - it runs and runs on light weight 4th axis engraving all day long (several days long from time to time using drip feed).

[stang623]

Maybe I should have clarified, I am not looking to retrofit just trying to compare. I have a 15M (1997) machine that is worlds better than my MX2 machine(1987). I would like to go with a vertical with a 15M or newer but cannot afford the price right now. I also dont want to keep dumping money into the MX2, seems like it breaks more and more often. I've also learned a lot about macro b programming from the 15m and love it. My biggest problem with the MX2 is that if you program with some of these high speed toolpaths where it doesnt retract the tool and changes feedrate while cutting air, the MX2 will pause when you add the feedrate change and overall just jerky with little arcs and such used in these toolpaths.

John B, how does that machine do with engraving and little arcs or little straight lines? Do you have to limit feedrate to avoid stuttering and/or jerkiness?

Thanks,
AJ

[John_B]

It does fine, I'm engraving tool steels alot so my spindle speed is actually limiting my feedrate - that and the drip feed rate. I don't get any jerking, but then I doubt it ever really reaches the feedrate programmed due to ramp up/down. I think the fastest I've programmed it to cut is about 165 IPM when using tiny ball endmills.