Need Help!- Kitamura Mycenter-1 with Allen Bradley 9/240 controller

[DaveWright]

A Kitamura Mycenter-1 with an Allen Bradly 9/240 CNC controller has just fallen into my lap.

I have it in my garage. It's hooked up to 240 Volts, has air to it.
The system fires up, and runs through its system check just fine. The problem is that it is stuck in a program, and tells me that I need to reformat memory.

I don't have any manuals for it, and I cannot get the system to reformat.
It also keeps asking for a password, which I don't have.

I have tried a search on the internet for the manuals, and have come up blank.

Can anyone help me, or will I use this machine as an anchor.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[DaveWright]

Funny, replying to my own post.

I have manuals. A 9 series operators manual, and a 9 series connection manual. I also have an ODS manual. I can't so far find the ODS software.

Anyone out there have the software?

[Al_The_Man]

My experience with AB CNC is pretty dismall, the were bad at either supporting it, or trying to find anyone at AB that could help.
If no one has what you need, you could try the Allen-Bradley office nearest you, (not a distributor) as a last resort.
Other then that, you may be faced with a retro-fit.
Al.

[DaveWright]

I downloaded the software from the AB site. It is all in pdf format. Now I just have to print them out so I can take them out into a dirty environment. (all 1500 pages.)
The problem with support from AB started when Rockwell Automation took over. I had a friend working for AB who was driven into a break-down within three months of Rockwell taking over.

Personally I like AB. I have used AB PLC's for years. I still have PLC programming software on an old 386 knocking around in my house somewhere.

I started on Fanuc robots in 1984, (oh how I miss the Karel language lol).

Now I have Fanuc CNC. I wonder how long it will take me to train myself on them?

[PhoenixMetal]

Try calling Kitamura direct. I have a Mycenter 1 as well (outstanding machine) but with Yasnac controls which are totally different. I have found that the Kitamura tech support people are excellent - and phone support is free too, even though I bought the machine used. They're the ones to help you through this sort of problem anyhow, as they know how the control software is configured better than the control manufacturer.

What year is your machine anyhow? I didn't know Kitamura used anything other than Yasnac or Fanuc controls.

[DaveWright]

Machine was built 1983. Originally was a Fanuc 0M-A CNC control. Still has Fanuc servos, and a Fanuc spindle motor (150 to 10,000 RPM ). It has Fanuc velocity controls, and Fanuc power supply. The AB 9/ series CNC control was installed in 1992, last firmware revision in 2002.

As I said, I have already downloaded the Operators, and connections manuals from AB in PDF. I still have to print them out, so I can take them out to the machine. (about 1600 pages total). I also have the Fanuc connections, and maintenance manuals for the machine.

Kitamura was wonderful, and were very quick in responding to my inquiries. They wanted to talk to me in person, rather than e-mail, and provided a toll free number, and a single contact person for all future needs.

The AB was an upgrade by the previous owner. Kitamura has absolutely no data on it.

The only thing left that I really want is the Allen-Bradley offline development software. This old pig has an RS232 port. It would really be nice to be able to do my programming in the comfort of my easy chair, and then just plug and play.

The only hitch to my giddy-up is Allen-Bradley. They just don't seem to want to talk to me.

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by DaveWright The AB was an upgrade by the previous owner.

Upgrade?
Al.

[DaveWright]

Yep, some people out there actually like allen bradley. After all they were an american company, they used to have excellent support, and their systems were used my the major automotive so the were many trained operators out there. This would also have been at a time when Fanuc was partnered with Generous Motors, and they were extrememly unwilling to share with anyone else. I had two GMFanuc welders with Karel controllers, and absolutely no support from Fanuc.

DaveWright

[PhoenixMetal]

You shouldn't need any AB-specific offline programming software. Any popular CAM software package (MasterCam, GibbsCam, etc.) should be able to create the code (called G-Code) that your control can run, provided that you can find/make/buy a post-processor (the part of the CAM software that translates the instructions into g-code) that generates code that the AB control understands.

Even though RS232 is considered old in terms of computers, it is the normal (not outdated) way that you would connect with a machine tool control - even with much newer machines. I imagine that something made within the last few years might have an ethernet connection or even a flash drive port, but RS232 should be perfectly sufficient for your needs.