complete conversion kit for AMA25LV

[JAZZCNC]

The breakout board does not have to be fancy, it can only be there to protect the expensive motion controller and computer or if you want a bit more it can also incorporate relays, switches etc.

Sorry you have this very wrong.!! . . . The Breakout board(BOB) is everything and THE biggest bottle neck and cause of trouble to any machine.
All the signals from your Expensive motion controller go thru the BOB so if it's a cheap device with slow opto's then no point having a motion controller that's capable of 4Mhz if the BOB opto's are restricted to 100khz causing a bottle neck.!!

Like wise no point having those nice clean pulses coming from the motion controller if the poor quality BOB is going to distort and mess with them.!!

Bells and whistle's like Relays yes you can do without but not when it comes to quality of Motor Output signals and for this you need a quality BOB to match your motion controller.
Personally I wouldn't use any BOB with a Smooth stepper other than the PMDX 126. The C25 or any of the Cnc4Pc boards can't hold a Candle to PMDX products. I've got several Cnc4Pc boards here in my scrap/replaced Bin but you won't find any PMDX boards in there.!!

Now Jon if you want the BEST motion controller you want Cslabs Csmio products. They are not the cheapest but they are certainly the best by a long way in this price range.
I've used most motion controllers now and Non come close in performance, reliabilty and quailty. They DONT require a break out board like others with all input/outputs going directly to motion controller via supplied Terminal blocks to avoid exactly the Bottle neck problems mentioned above.
They use 24V Differential I/O so are very noise immune. Again far better than any other motion controller I've ever used. So much so that I can use my machine while welding with high frequency Tig welder right next to the CNC machine running on the same Ring main circuit. (Try that with a EtherNet smooth stepper and see what happens.!!)

Then we have the Software side, Warp9 or should say Greg the maker of the Smooth stepper are disgrace when it comes to Software upgrades or resolving issues. The software plug-ins are poor and Buggy and rarely updated unless half the world jumps up and down at same time. If you have a problem specific to your setup getting Greg to listen or acknowledge is like trying to get an audience with the Queen.

Cslabs on the other hand don't have many issues with Software to start with and the Plug-ins just work perfectly. If they do find bugs they are often very minor and release updates straight away. They also are constantly improving software and releasing updates.
If you do have a Specific issue to your system they will reply in resonable amount of time and often come up with an answer to the problem. (Often it's you not them to Blame.!!. . . .Don't ask how I know that.!! . .Lol)

Again you really do get what you pay for and no point having best of anything unless all the system is matched and balanced. Any machine is only as good as the weakest link and all too often that weak link is the BOB.!!

[Fatoftheland]

Thank you.
Thats a lot of info I have to look at and understand. When ordering ballscrews do I just measure the old ones or is a preferred way of mounting and fixing them
Cheers
Jon

[JAZZCNC]

Thank you.
Thats a lot of info I have to look at and understand. When ordering ballscrews do I just measure the old ones or is a preferred way of mounting and fixing them
Cheers
Jon

Please don't take this wrong way jon but the fact you are asking these questions suggests you haven't done enough research and maybe you should take a step back before purchasing anything and checkout exactly what's involved with converting a manual mill to CNC.

Like I said further down in post #15 no one except those who have converted the exact same machine can answer your questions. Converting a manual mill all too often means you'll have to adapt and access your individual machine as there will be very few off the shelf parts which bolt straight on.
Often you'll need bespoke end mounts to allow for clearence or at best adaptions to off the shelf units. Often you'll need adaptions to the table or frame to make room for the ballnut which is often larger than lead screw nut or mounted completely differently to how Lead nut fits.!

I would start by being honest with your self and asking if your capable of converting.??. . If answer is Yes then take a good hard look at your machine to see whats involved. Take measurements of clearences etc and then look at whats available or can be adapted.

Personally i'd start by doing much more research and checking what others have had to do to convert there mills to CNC.

[Fatoftheland]

Thanks Jazzcnc

I am definitely doing my homework on this, I haven't even bought the mill yet! I intend to convert the mill myself and at the very best quality I can afford. I will spend the next few months researching as much as possible and will bugging the life out of you guys on this forum. I am an electrical /mechanical engineer by trade so hopefully can pull it off! Its' just the terminology and sifting through the information that's proving difficult at the moment.

[JAZZCNC]

Thanks Jazzcnc

I am definitely doing my homework on this, I haven't even bought the mill yet! I intend to convert the mill myself and at the very best quality I can afford.

Ah well when a I said don't buy anything yet that doesn't include the Mill.!!. . . . You'll need that bugger. Lol

[Tom J]

Is there anybody who sell hardware to convert that mill - LongVersion?

Looking for ballscrews, mounting plates for: ballscrew, nuts and motors.
Ideally if handle can remain so can be used as conventional mill.

[komatias]

Is there anybody who sell hardware to convert that mill - LongVersion?

Looking for ballscrews, mounting plates for: ballscrew, nuts and motors.
Ideally if handle can remain so can be used as conventional mill.

I am working on that right now. Two versions in the pipeline, servo and expensive ballscrews, steppers and cheap ballscrews. Both with handles.

ATV the moment I am designing based on my EMV-25VBB but also have the parts that will allow use on the ama series.

The trick is not to have to machine the casting and that is what you can expect from my kit