ACROLOOP Anyone?

[Al_The_Man]

Hi, I just wondered if there is anyone else out there that is or has done any retrofits using the Acroloop software and what there experience has been, and if they have anything to share.
I have used the Acromill & Acrocut and on the whole have had positive experience. I like the fact it is DOS based, (it does not have the Windows baggage) and has multi-screen paging. I particularly like the fact the software has no licence requirements and has no key or dongle.
Also a big plus is the Acroloop cards have their own PLC built in to the card, together with Opto isolated I/O.
I just wish they had developed a Lathe package, and I am not sure which way they will go, development wise, now they have been bought out by Parker-Hannefin.
Al

[Scott_bob]

I did not think the supplier was ready to support the product, so I recommended another solution...

Please see the Fadal Augusta forum...

[Al_The_Man]

What do Fadal Supply a retrofit package? I have had half decent support from Parker since the take over and they are still plugging the Acroloop product
They also have their WIN ver of the software.
I have found the Acroloop Cards to be a very good product so far.
Al

[Scott_bob]

Al,

No, Fadal does not offer a retrofit. What I meant by "supporting" is they were not ready IMO to install a retrofit control complete, then be there for maintence, PM or repairs...

The process I went through justifying a control retrofit is not based around us doing all that work, we don't have time...
We partnered with a company who gaurantees the installation and in fact the results, if is doesn't work, they come back and put the Fadal control back on...

[ohallock]

Al The Man,
I again have lazy inquiry about AcroLoop Dos version. My guess is custom M codes somehow, but too spaced out to think anything but greedy. I think about automatically programing vaccum zones on and off on a two zone router table from within an NC program, and also getting the computer to make an auditory signal that the event is happening, so that the operator can be doing something else and be alerted to come over and unload one half of the vaccum table and reload it, while the other half of the table is being cut, I suspect that this would not be a great problem with the windows version, but with the dos version, I can only think custom M code, which is probably out of my league to write? Any ideas, or simple solutions? Thanks ohallock

[Al_The_Man]

Actually M codes with the DOS version is easy, you just write any routine you want to have happen and put it in a file on the HD and the file is read and executed when it occurs in the part program. I can pull further info on it tomorrow.
Al.

[Al_The_Man]

If a custom M code is required in Acromill or Acrocut, all one needs to do is put the required PLC code in a file that is named M000.8k to M999.8k
If a file is called M065.8k then the program will call it up when a M65 is programmed.
Say you want to turn on a relay (#63 output) that operates an alarm, the file would have
SET 63
DWL 1
CLR 63
This would sound an alarm for 1 sec, (the longest dwell you can have in an Mcode).
There are M codes that will wait until operation is complete or others that will just operate and the main program will continue, just like any common CNC system does.
The M code can contain simple commands as above, or parametric programing for more complicated routines.
Al.