What machine is it ?
Hello,
I've get an old Colchester lathe, with FANUC servo motors and spindle.
The machine has been gut, no motor drive or spindle drive left in the electrical cabinet.
I want to revitalize the machine, with Centroid or Mach3 controller.
My problems are the followings?
1. There are no labels on the servo motors, I can't figure it out, what kind of motor drive I could buy, to be able to control the motors with Centroid or Mach3.
2. The label on the spindle is washed out completely, only the date, the serial and a "200" is visible what are stamped. I don't know what type is it, what power it has. I looked at the internet and after its size, I can guess it is about 15 or 18,5 kw.
2.a Could I buy a VFD which is about the same power (18.5 kw) and use it to control the spindle with Centroid or Mach3? I found this Siemens VFD: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1PS-Used-Si....c100005.m1851
2.b Can I test the spindle without VFD, to check if it is working, before I buy a VFD for it?
3. Just for fun, I have some 16 Nm DC steppers with Centroid Acorn, and I put on those on the axes. The axes move very nice, a test program runs like a charm. Is it possible that my DC motors would be an alternative for AC servos (I know AC servos with encoders are far better, but for non industrial use maybe I can use them?)
4. Can I change the spindle motor with something more smaller, which I can easily use with Centroid or Mach3?
I shared some pictures too.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mNNlb5i6KVnQXibx1
thanks
arnold
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What machine is it ?
Colchester I think CNC 200, but it is not visible. It was with Bosch controller. As you can see on the pictures. There is no plate on the machine with type, serial, ... nothing.
Are they DC servo's ?
Al.
CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert E.
The axis servos look like Red Cap (AC) motors. The spindle motor looks like a Black Cap (early AC) motor. So the spindle motor should run on a VFD. The 7.5KW Red Cap on my lathe is a 200V motor, but yours may be different. It seemed that the spindle drive handled the voltage conversion with no transformer, the drive was wired across the 230V mains. You will have to read the manual for the Siemens VFD to make sure the voltage output can be limited.
Your DC servos should work fine if you want to use them. Trying to control the Fanuc axis motors would be difficult. I just replaced all of mine.
You can power the spindle with any motor that you want as long as it has enough power to do what you want.
Jim Dawson
Sandy, Oregon, USA
Most of these had a 10Hp spindle drive motor, ( they had optional motors to 20Hp also) I don't think your stepper motors will have enough power to take the place of the Red cap Fanuc motors, if you want to just run it, yes you could try other motors to drive the spindle no smaller than 5Hp 7.5 Hp 3 Ph motor would be better plus a VFD Drive
Mactec54
Thanks for the suggestions.
I want to buy a VFD for the Fanuc motor, I only want to make sure that I buy something that is compatible with it. I'm not familiar with details with these motors. As you can see on the pictures the machine had a big transformer, I suppose with a modern VFD I don't need to use it. I couldn't find any wiring diagram either, so I'm a bit lost what kind of VFD I should buy.
Is there a way to test the big motor without a VFD?
I'm not familiar with Fanuc motors at all, what it means Red Cap servo? I suppose there are many types with Red Cap. How could I find out their power, voltage, eventual some wiring diagram? If I know their power I can find a motor drive to buy to control them.
BTW
As you can see on the pictures, the Red Cap motors have 2 cables. I suppose 1 for power and 1 for encoder. But the axes have a separate encoder too. Is this for a higher precision?
If you have access the the 3ph at the rated motor plate voltage, you could test it directly on line.
The Red cap servos are AC variety and have a proprietary encoder tracks for commutation.
There is a way to convert them to BLDC with either a add on card or replace the encoder.
Often the servo loop is closed back to the system with the motor encoder plus an encoder or scale on the final means of motion, ball screw/slide etc.
Al.
CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert E.
What kind of encoder to replace the fanuc's encoder so that we can use the existing fanuc ac servo motor ?There is a way to convert them to BLDC with either a add on card or replace the encoder.