Poorly N sick Fadal 15 VMC Will live again!

[m_c]

You got me curious about these rails Jonathan so been to work today and wound Y-axis to the limits. The carriages stay within the casting limits and don't ride onto the overhanging rails at all so not quite sure why they would waste so much rail.? The only thing I can think to explain is that they do an XT version with longer travels and can not imagine the XT uses a different frame casting only longer rails and ballscrews so maybe it's got the longer rails on it.? That said the X rails only hangover 50mm each end so not sure about X.?
Put a longer ballscrew on Y-axis and could easily get another 200mm travel.

I've not watched the video, but could it be for supporting/mounting the way covers on?

[JAZZCNC]

I've not watched the video, but could it be for supporting/mounting the way covers on?

No Moray the Fadal doesn't have conventional way cover on the Y-axis ie: telescopic covers. It's a one-piece cover that goes through the saddle Quite neat setup actually.

[JAZZCNC]

Ok quick update.
I'm still in the process of trying to decide which controller I'm going with. I'm narrowing it down slowly and I think I'm nearly there.?
These are the candidates that are still in the running.?

Linux CNC with Mesa Cards 7i76e + 7i85 which I've already purchased and are currently being played with by Clive (Clive S) testing with AC incremental servo's and closing the loop back to Linux CNC.

Next up are two Chinese industrial controllers both using 2Kw Bus type Absolute Servos. Newker 1000-18i-Mi and Gunt - 350iMa both with C type Subpanel with MPG.
These are interesting to me because I like the idea of an industrial controller without a PC. I also like the idea of Bus type Absolute servos because of the ease of use wiring/setup and servo's always knowing their exact location even after power down so not having to install limit or home switches.
My reservations are both of them are Chinese and I'll be dealing with Chinglish manuals which won't help when it comes to writing ATC macro's and using PLC.
However, I'm used to Chinglish and dealing with Chinese company's and the price is very very good.!
Only downside is I won't be able to use my 4th Axis so I'll probably sell that if take this route.

I was looking at Adtech controllers/servos but I've seen some negative comments from users about lag on 3D toolpaths or on toolpaths like adaptive with high data rates due to slow DNC feeding the code from external cards etc. Also after carefully checking out specs and manuals etc, they are quite limiting in speed at 10mtr/min when really this machine would run closer to 20mtr/min rapids with 2Kw AC motors.

http://newker-cnc.com/index.php?m=co...=165&l=3&id=90

Lastly and new to the running and one that I'm seriously considering using is Puruvesi ET10 controller using UmyCNC software.

This is a company I've only discovered in recent months through helping another member of the forum and after doing a lot of research and reading the manual cover to cover I've become very impressed with it.
The Ethernet controller is very well made and provides both Analog and Step N Dir closed-loop system with more than enough I/O for my needs. It also allows me to mix Step n Dir with Analog so I could keep the 4th axis with an encoder change.

The UmyCNC software is very nice indeed, not so much because of how it looks but for what it allows you to do and the S curve planner it uses. It pretty much allows you to build a system exactly as you'd like it using a mixture of G-code and C++ Macros and PLC. S-curve planners give very nice smooth toolpaths.
The GUI is fully customizable so you can build custom front end if required and it's very Touch screen friendly. (I'm not keen on the profiles provided so I probably will be doing this.!) It's also very flexible regards what computer and OS it will run on, Linux, Windows even Raspberry py's. I'll probably run it on Linux as it's a very stable OS.

The only downside with this setup is that I will have to use Incremental encoders as it doesn't support absolute encoders.

Another BIG plus is the backup and fact hardware and software are both in house. I've already been in touch with Ivan at Puruvesi who has been super helpful with quick replies answering technical questions and offering experienced advice. The support and backup is a big Plus.

I'm also seriously considering switching to there lower ET6 and ET7 models controllers on the routers I build. They have everything I need from a controller, like slaved motors and gantry squaring/homing, probing, built-in camera vision system and tangental knife friendly which is great for some of the plotter type machines I build. Again the S curve planner is also interesting and exciting because they really shine on routers and improve performance massively on 3D toolpaths.
They will also be more than good enough for the Mills I convert and the future plans I have for super-strong Mini Mill I intend building. They are also very plasma orientated which is a bonus and an area I will be looking into more also.

However, as always I'll be thrashing them to death first on a test machine to within an inch of its life before I commit to switching. But to be honest I haven't been this impressed by the Spec of a controller/software for a long long time and after communications, with Ivan, I'm very optimistic it will be a good experience. You can rest assured if it's not you'll hear about that as well.!

I'll keep you posted.

[Voicecoil]

Cheers for the heads-up on the Puruvesi gear, looks interesting & powerful, I await your test results with interest. It might be a minor point but I do like their use of the plug-in connectors; with some of the mating options that people like Phoenix contact offer, there's the possibility of doing some nifty and time-saving stuff.

[JAZZCNC]

Cheers for the heads-up on the Puruvesi gear, looks interesting & powerful, I await your test results with interest. It might be a minor point but I do like their use of the plug-in connectors; with some of the mating options that people like Phoenix contact offer, there's the possibility of doing some nifty and time-saving stuff.

Yes, it's got a lot of potentials and it's proven in another Fadal machine so I'm very tempted to give it a try. However, I do like the Absolute Servo option so I'm leaning more towards this route.
Also to be fair I've got to compare it with Linux CNC in some ways because Mesa cards are very good quality and very well supported. And while I've never used either of them both are a learning curve in both hardware and software. Software support will be a little quicker but I'm in no rush so that's not too important for this Job. Costs, on the other hand, have to be considered and Linux CNC is quite a lot cheaper and offers much the same functionality.

Regards the Phoenix contact they look nice but expensive. Not too impressed with the web site, don't see the point in having a shop if you don't show prices.! Usually, a sign they are too expensive.!

[Voicecoil]

Phoenix seem to sell pretty well all their stuff through distribution, which might explain the lack of pricing. They are more expensive than the Oriental clones, but they also do some useful and time saving variants I've not seen from China such as IDC & spring clamp plugs and "reversed" PCB mounting plugs that enable you to piggyback a PCB onto the header - greater for sorting out signals and transferring them to a more useful connector. Forgive the suggestions but having just spent too long wiring up my control box it occurred to me that if you were making a number of machines with more or less similar control systems there had to be a slightly better way than point to point wiring with screw terminals.

[JAZZCNC]

Forgive the suggestions but having just spent too long wiring up my control box it occurred to me that if you were making a number of machines with more or less similar control systems there had to be a slightly better way than point to point wiring with screw terminals.

Don't be daft I love knowing about other products so always welcome suggestions or seeing different ways people wire etc. I believe never too old to learn new tricks or experienced enough that you know it all. Thanks

[m_c]

Phoenix are one of the big connector suppliers, in the same market as Molex and Amp, who sell most things through distributors, although I don't think they target the big OEM market in the way that Molex and Amp do.

Dynomotion use Phoenix pluggable screw connectors on their add-on boards, as they're a reasonably common connector that can handle the currents needed for most connections. They also use a dual connection connector, that can be fitted so the wiring is either parallel, or perpendicular to the board. It's a useful feature when space is tight.

However, it's also an additional point of failure. If you put too much pressure on the terminals, it can cause the contacts to open up. I had an intermittent issue with a bank of inputs on a Konnect IO expansion board, and it turned out I'd put to much pressure on the common wire during installation, which had caused the contacts to open up and be intermittent.

Direct screw terminals vs pluggable connectors is a perennial debate, but there are pros and cons to both.

[JAZZCNC]

However, it's also an additional point of failure. If you put too much pressure on the terminals, it can cause the contacts to open up. I had an intermittent issue with a bank of inputs on a Konnect IO expansion board, and it turned out I'd put to much pressure on the common wire during installation, which had caused the contacts to open up and be intermittent.

Direct screw terminals vs pluggable connectors is a perennial debate, but there are pros and cons to both.

I had the same thing happen to me. Took me 3 days to find the fault.! 10 x 5 router was built and finished and on test, it had been cutting air for 5 hours then it E-stoped. Happened at the same point in code every time.? Turned out to be a connection on the gantry that opened up due to wire pressure and because the Cslabs controller is so sensitive it picked up the loose connection at that exact resonant frequency. Pulled my last follicle of hair out and Virtually re-wired the whole machine.!!

I only use Direct screw terminals now.!

[JAZZCNC]

Ok well, it's decided I'm going with the Newker New18Mi Bus type Controller with 2Kw absolute Motors and drives.


It's a bit of an unknown using this controller and the Bus type controller but I've read the manual cover to cover a good few times and Newker has been helpful answering my questions quickly with good explanations of few things I wasn't sure about. So decided to give them a shot and the price is excellent, which I won't disclose as I promised them I wouldn't because they have done me a bit of a deal so please don't ask.

If it performs as I hope then it should make for a very nice addition to the machine increasing performance and reliability.

Watch this space.!