CHNC turret lift/lower air supply questions...

[nate]

Well, I'm finally taking the plunge and rebuilding my CHNC1 turret to stepper motor indexing.

My plan is to use a belt driven stepper to index to the correct degree, and utilize the original air solenoid for the lift and lock function.

I have taken the machine apart about 6 months ago, and have had it running with just a QCTP, so I never paid much attention to the air system for the turret. When I bought the machine, it was not functional and sans control, so I removed and saved many of the parts.

I have spent several hours trying to recreate and comprehend how the air lift/lock works. I believe that the air supply/solenoid for the lift/lock is at the back of the cross slide. it APPEARS that the same 4 way air valve supplies the lift air and the lock air...

Is this correct? does it do the following?

1. solenoid provides XX psi to the air channel that allows the turrets lift cylinder to lift the turret (and simultaneously purges the air in the lock cylinder)

2. solenoid allows the lift XX psi to be purged as it simultaneously re routes the air to the channel that allows the lock cylinder of the turret to be locked.

do I have this right?

I am VERY new to automation and solenoids. fairly experienced with cnc and machining, but I don’t even know what a 4 way valve even is...

The Clippard minimatic R481- 4 way electronic valve does not specify if it is 12, 24 or 110 Volts. I have looked at clippards catalog, but voltage can be several things, how can I determine what voltage the solenoid is? did Hardinge use 12 or 24 volt? Their are some air solenoids on my machine that run on 110V. I do suspect that this one is 12 or 24 though...

does a 4 way valve supply to 1 while purging 3 and then supply to 2 while purging 4? am I even close?

any help you all can provide me would be great!

[nate]

Home Page

well, I was close on my guess as to how a 4 way valve works....