Gerber system 48

[great-dragon]

Well I finally got back to the guys shop and removed the rectifier. Ended up going to the next big town and stop at a supply house and picked up two of them for 16$, $8ea. so not to bad. Now all I got to do is get back there tomorrow and resolder them in and replace a couple of the wires and connectors that are corroded.

Then cross my fingers and hope that's all it needed.

Thanks again Martin! I'll let y'all know sometime around noon what if anything happens. Hoping for those other LEDs to light up.

Here's a better shot of the blown rectifier.

[martin54]

Best of luck with it Greg, remember to take your test metre with you this time lol, if it fires up all you need to do then is get your head round the software which shouldn't be to difficult as your only dealing with one program. As I said before gerber used their own version of gcode but as far as I am aware using gerber advantage you will be able to design something to machine, create the code & then cut it all from the same program.
I say as far as I am aware because that is what I was told, I've never actually used the software myself because the machine wasn't working when I got it & as it's now been upgraded it won't be able to run it as it did before. I would also have had to sort out an older computer because the guy said that version 6 which is what I got with it wouldn't run on anything latter than windows 98.

[great-dragon]

Thank You Martin! and Everyone else!
LOL! Yeah the meter is in my truck. LOL! Not going to forget it again.

Just want to say I wasn't trying to highjack your thread. I was just looking for as much help as I could get. I'll be following your work regardless and may, more likely then not looking for more advice from you and everyone. Just wish I had a better net connect, LOL what should only take a minute or two takes me about 30. (Smartphone tether with crappy provider)

I don't see the software being a problem, I taught my self how to run around in AutoCad, thou I'm no expert. Just wish I had a way to throw Gerber's software on my laptop so I could play with it, but the whole Win98 thing kinda throws a wrench in the gears. Now I've got some old rigs but nothing that runs 98. LOL I knew I should have saved one of them.

I'm still interested in what electronics you used in your upgrade/update. I would think in the long run it might be a good idea for the company. Thou I don't work there yet. And I definitely need to know where to get the acrylics cause the aluminum slats need resurfacing.

Anyways Thx All!
Can't wait to see how things turn out for you martin.

Greg

[martin54]

No problem Greg, it was all related to the same make machine so I don't really see it as a hijack & if it's helped you at all then all worth it.
Worth keeping up with the forum anyway Greg if cnc is something your interested in, there are some very knowledgeable people on the forum who will help with just about anything.
My design computer runs on an AMD phenon x6 (blackbox) with 16 gig DDR3 & it runs windows 7, XP pro & windows 98 & all have been very stable. I use something called vmware player which creates virtual machines. People in the know say it is better than any of the microsoft virtual machines although I have never tried them myself.
Reason for that is down to software that I run. Inspire pro won't run above windows 98, adobe cs1 won't run above xp & I can't get drivers for my printer beyond xp.
Inspire has a parallel dongle which is recognised by the program when using the 98 virtual machine so gerber advantage may well work the same.

As for acrylic well they are a sign company so they will know where to get it or may already have it. What I used for my table was an old take away menu that came from a shop I did the signs for. The old menu was a board on the wall with external lighting, the new owners wanted a lightbox instead so the old board couldn't be reused in the shop.

[great-dragon]

Well good news, I replaced one of the rectifiers and low an behold the 2 24vdc LEDs lit up but not the mill on one. But I still can't control the X,Y with the control panel. Also I'm probably doing something wrong when I try to push a design to the machine even thou the panel says start ready. But there is some bad news as well there are a couple semiconductors with cracks, would it be worth trying to replace them? Pics below.






Is there a way to test the contactor?

Also I figured out what the unconnected wires went to, went to a plug on the side rail under the machine. I'm guessing to plug the power supply in for the control panel. Thou the plug isn't a standard US AC outlet.
Martin Just out of curiosity what do you plan on doing with all the left over (original) parts? Other then the motors.

Greg

[Swarfing]

Apply 24v to the coil and see if it slams shut? Contactors are not that expensive these days so maybe worth swapping out anyway. Being the way this thing seems to have popped all over the place, check for any leaking caps.

[martin54]

Ok just guessing here but the mill light might be for the router itself which will be either a porter cable or a perske spindle. These are 115v supplied so although you have now sorted the 24v transformer you will need to see if you have a 115v supply.
Pretty sure the operators manual doesn't cover stuff like this & I was unable to get anything from spandex in the UK but you might have more luck across the pond. Spandex sold & maintained these machines.
To be honest I haven't really spent any time looking at the operating manual other than look to see if it had any technical info, will see what it says about operating. To be honest I hadn't thought to much about what came out of it although I did put it away rather than throwing it out as I knew there were still a lot of these machines being used.
If it's the side the control box is mounted to then yes there was a gland plug on my machine, can't remember what ran through it but sure as well as something to the control box there were wires to the emergency stop/power on switch.

[great-dragon]

Apply 24v to the coil and see if it slams shut? Contactors are not that expensive these days so maybe worth swapping out anyway. Being the way this thing seems to have popped all over the place, check for any leaking caps.

I'm not sure on your definition is for inexpensive,but I just checked Allied Elec. and they want $119, which may not be that much but it's been replaced once already. That was a pic of the old one setting off to the side. So now I just need 24v to test it. Thou when I was tracing the wires, the routers power ties into it and well the router should be 115v ac.
I'll be there tomorrow so I'll retrace the wires.
Also I should be able to test the power going to the motors right, the A+,A- etc.

[great-dragon]

Apply 24v to the coil and see if it slams shut? Contactors are not that expensive these days so maybe worth swapping out anyway. Being the way this thing seems to have popped all over the place, check for any leaking caps.

I'm not sure on your definition is for inexpensive, cause I have no idea what they would normally cost, but I just checked Allied Elec. and they want $119, which may not be that much but it's been replaced once already. That was a pic of the old one setting off to the side. So now I just need 24v to test it. Thou when I was tracing the wires, the routers power ties into it and well the router should be 115v ac.
I'll be there tomorrow so I'll retrace the wires.
Also I should be able to test the power going to the motors right, the A+,A- etc.

[irving2008]

well the TIP transistors are only a few pence so its only time n effort to swap them out. however that's a pretty catastrophic failure so cant help wondering what else has died... law of diminishing returns applies...