Need advice on a Hurco SM1 servo to stepper conversion.

[eztrack]

I picked up a Hurco SM1 that has basically had all the servo drives stripped out.
Still have the servo motors but I am thinking of going with stepper motors .
Mainly since I know nothing about these servos and I would hate to buy servo drives only to find out the motors are shot. So I am leaning toward steppers.

Will stepper motors be a straightforward bolt on replacement or will I have to do some mods to make them fit?
What size steppers would you recommend to drive this mill?
What about limit switches will I have to replace the ones on the mill with something else?
Any other suggestions from someone who has retrofitted a SM1 in the past?

Thanks in advance

[DonnieET]

Stay with the servos! Steppers that would equal the servos on torque will not be easy to find and there no stepper that could match the speed. I have a SM1 that I updated the controls as my controller was bad my drives and motors were good. I would never put steppers on that size machine.

Depending on your budget and time you have seveal options if you think you may have a bad motor get one drive and test all three motor as they are the same motors. If one is bad replace it with a new AC servo drive and motor. oterh wise then buy the other two drives. I know a guy that used the Viper 200 drives.

Donnie

[skullworks]

If the servos are still mounted it would be a total waste not to use them.

Some Pico Systems amps with some Mesa hardware would put you back in business.

Note: The Hurco open Knee mills used under voltage power supplies to limit the rapids to 250 IPM - at full voltage those servos will do about 400 IPM.

However should you decide to gut the machine and switch to steppers - I might be interested in the servos as spares for my Hurco.

PM me if you decide to sell them.