How I bought, installed and upgraded my Feeler FV-800 VMC (32 x 18 CNC mill)

[CNC Viking]

Hi all,

I am winding the clock back a bit, to June 2008, when I bought this used 1996 Feeler FV-800 VMC. A Taiwan made quality machine loaded with Mitsubishi Meldas 520AM control and THK linear guides and ball screws.

It is 4-axis ready, with the 4'th axis in the pipeline. 7,5 kW 6 000 rpm spindle, 18 tool ATC. Movements: X=800mm, Y=450mm, Z=510mm.

Despite quite a sad cosmetic state when I bought it, it was in really good shape mechanically and the electrics cabinet was in mint, untouched OEM condition.

It only has 2000 spindle hours so far.

When I bought it, I knew quite a bit about manual tool room machines, but not much about CNC's.

However, while I was going through the usual cleaning, painting and service-ing process, I slowly learned more and more about it and came up with many upgrading ideas.

So let's start with the machines arrival and installation.


This is how she looked at the sellers warehouse when I bought her.












OK, moving in time. The movers used 12mm plywood sheets + 10mm steel sheets to protect my
driveway from the heavy load of machine 5 000 kg + truck 9 000kg.


I was never worried. These guys are pro's.


Tight slip thruogh the gate. I had to remove the Z-axis servo and tilt the cable carrier prior to
the move.


Welcome home!



15mm steel strips under the machine feet (as an attempt to spread the load) was useless.
Too whimsy to level.


Had to place the machine directly on the floor. No problem, 150-200mm armored concrete
is strong.


Had to modify the roof a little for the cable carrier.



Will continue with cleaning, painting, leveling etc... in next post

[Kool Parts]

Nice writeup
People that have not done this have NO idea all of the "little" things that go into a machine install.
When I ordered my Horizontal I had to do a building expansion to accommodate it and all of the equipment that goes with it. I have taken lots of pictures starting with the excavation all the way to start up. I get tired just going though pictures and text...maybe someday I will do a write up also...
Gary

[SquareJ]

That is too awesome. the fact that it takes up 1/3 of the garage shows you have your prorities straight!

Jason

[CNC Viking]

Thanks Gary & Jason,

You bet, there are a LOT of things to think of beside the machine itself.

The garage room itself is 50 m2 and the machine's footprint is just over 5 m2 but with the control box, computer cart, tool cart and whatnot I would say it takes 1/4 of the space. Still, I have enough space on the other side to do some work on a car, should there be a need for it during cold winter days.

I continue my story with further cleaning, painting etc pics. Not fun while I did it, but I am glad for it now!

After having cleaned the machine roughly and degreased the surfaces, I thought I better level it and have that bit over and done with. I used a pair of borrowed precision 0,02mm/m machine levels and leveled the machine within 1/2 of a mark.




Then I looked at the linear guides beneath the X- and Y- axis and got a little worried to see this. the former owner did not clean it to much, if at all, and must have used compressed air a lot inside the enclosure. I found chips and metal fines all over the place. But it was some kind of synthetic coolant that killed all the linear cart's end scrapers and several of the inner seals as well.


So I made a small ball bearing jack screw so I could loosen and slide out one cart at a time. It was very easy to lift even the Y-saddle with the X-table on top of it. Only a lift of 0,1 mm was needed to free the cart.


They were contaminated with a fair amount of chips inside, but most was aluminum and not jammed between the balls and the race. The balls and the races were almost in mint condition and all carts could be reused after changing seals.


I bought new end scrapers and inner seals and rebuilt all 8 carts. It took 2 hours to remove, clean, measure all the balls, reassemble, grease and reinstall 1 cart.


I also dismantled all the metering valves and made sure that they issued oil.
Some of the plastic oil lines were also replaced.


The end result: High quality, high preload grade THK linear guide carts in "as new" condition.


To be continued.....

[307startup]

subscribing, this is good tech!

[CNC Viking]

Thanks 307startup,

A bit more detailed stuff on moving in the machine:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73312

As for linear guides, I have elaborated the procedures a bit more in these threads:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67361

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68570

[CNC Viking]

Time to post som more pics and story.

God, I hate cleaning, sanding, painting. But it all had to be done and I wanted to have it over and done with.

Most of it sanded and ready for primer and paint.






The bed, Saddle and table were all completely repainted with 3 layers.


The column and spindle head were in good shape and were only re-touched.


All set for painting. The Spindle head shroud and glasfiber covers for ATC only needed re-touch.


Paint applied and a big relief, because I hate that stuff and could not wait to get it re-assembled again.
Both interior and exterior were painted with 3 layers.
Some weeks later, when the paint was real hard, I also waxed all painted surfaces, inside and outside.


The ATC was also OK and received only a re-touch, while the carousel needed full coating.


Then it took 2 days to clean and touch up the front sliding doors and the
way covers.

It took 4 months to get to this point.

To be continued....

[SpeedsCustom]

Keep going! Love seeing the pics!


-Jason

[digits]

Looks like you're doing a fantastic job - and thanks for all the pics - it really is fascinating to see a real CNC machine with the covers off.

[multiplex]

nice progress! bookmarking this thread. keep us updated

[CNC Viking]

Waycovers, Y-axis ballscrew cover, side covers, linear covers, you-name-it covers. All are as
new and assembled.




Freshly painted chip bin.


The front roller doors got new 8mm cast acrylic (Plexiglas) windows. New 10mm cast acrylic side
sliding windows. Also installed new aluminum tube handles on all doors and control box.


All components were cleaned, repaired or otherwise brought to as-new condition.


These I think, got even better than OEM. I made all new CAD drawings for the panel layouts
and ordered new engraved laminate panels. Also had to make new 1.5 mm alu backing plates.


The finished panels assembled.






Also made an exact CAD drawing for the FV-800 sticker, but ordered a red one instead of
green to highlight an "upgraded" machine.


It was not much dust inside the control box, but I got it real clean now.


New pressure regulator / oil mist unit, new line connectors and all electro-magnetic valves
were dismantled and checked. At bottom is the one shot oiler for the ways / ballscrews.

[Starleper1]

Its not often you see someone buy a VMC and over hall it back to new condition.

Nice work.