Retrofitting a Beaver NC5

[IN-WondeR]

I have gotten myself a Beaver NC5, but the old NC controls and all is gone, So I'm going to fit it with new motors, CNC Controls, driver powersupply's and all that..
But I'm a little out of ideas to how big the motors should be for it, I have an option to buy a complete kit with 3 motors and 3 drivers and power supply's and all. But is 3Nm enough for such a big machine.???

Or should I go higher..???

[IN-WondeR]

Is there no-one who has an old big milling machine who can tell me what they have used of motors... How much torque have you put on your milling machines...

[Karl_T]

What you're happy with depends a huge amount on how hard you want to push the machine.

I have a similar mill with 2400 oz/in steppers and 12 amp stepper power supplies. Many are happy with steppers 1/2 that size and gecko supplies also with about 1/2 the power.

I'm planning on upgrading my machine to servos with a slightly larger torque rating. But servos don't lose torque at higher rpm so I should be able to get higher rapid move speeds. I can only rapid at 50 ipm right now to be sure I never lose a step.

Karl

[IN-WondeR]

rapid move speeds, you mean jogging speed.???

I'm not planning on running the machine harder than needed to make the parts that it's going to make.. I have the 3 original motors that it came with though, but I'm not sure what they are, if they are servoes or steppers, and if there's encoders built in or what...

In about 4 weeks I will recieve the machine then I will know much more at that time... Until then I'm a little in the dark...

[Adobe Machine]

Jeez, I have an English Beaver from the '40s or 50's that I put a WEBB mill head on in the 70's..still works as a nice drill press and the X axis has a built in axis motor..

I run my Tree converted Mill (Circa 1978, 10"x52") with 670lbs/inch servos at a 5 to 1 belt reduction..rapids =140-150 IPM, cutting speeds vary with material, but I do not think I have ever been over 45-50IPM cutting speed comfortably, with .0005-.0007 accuracy..Is this a Hobby or pure production machine ?..Faster does not =better.

Adobe (old as ddirt)

[IN-WondeR]

As said, i'm not going to goe faster than any material allows me, but off course I don't want to go 1 inch a minute, but the jogging speed should be high so I don't have to wait 5 minutes for it to return to zero point...

I'm gonna go with a set of 8.5Nm steppers, cheapest for me contra servo motors... And somewhat easier for me to get a hold of...

For now the machine will only be hobby, but in time, who knows what will happen along the way... I'm currently trying to get a good machine shop together..