Difference between revisions of "MAXNC"
(→e-stop box) |
|||
| Line 98: | Line 98: | ||
:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeYuIWGqquE | :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeYuIWGqquE | ||
| − | = | + | =Other Notes= |
the lead screw lead is 0.05in | the lead screw lead is 0.05in | ||
| Line 124: | Line 124: | ||
: replace the control components | : replace the control components | ||
| − | =Wiring a | + | =Wiring a Stepper Cable= |
Before I got the original control system working with Mach3 Bradley wanted to replace it with a Geckodrive. | Before I got the original control system working with Mach3 Bradley wanted to replace it with a Geckodrive. | ||
:https://www.geckodrive.com/g540-4-axis-digital-stepper-drive.html | :https://www.geckodrive.com/g540-4-axis-digital-stepper-drive.html | ||
| Line 136: | Line 136: | ||
:http://www.portalnaukowy.edu.pl/allegro/powermax22.pdf | :http://www.portalnaukowy.edu.pl/allegro/powermax22.pdf | ||
| − | + | :Motor Pins | |
| − | Motor Pins | + | |
Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | ||
internal connect 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 (The pins that had connectivity) | internal connect 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 (The pins that had connectivity) | ||
| Line 166: | Line 165: | ||
3 orange | +B | 7 purple | 3 orange | +B | 7 purple | ||
8 yellow | -B | 6 orange | 8 yellow | -B | 6 orange | ||
| − | + | ||
Apparently the Serial pins 1-5 gets a resistor put between them. Or at least that what it looks like from the Geckodrive documentation. | Apparently the Serial pins 1-5 gets a resistor put between them. Or at least that what it looks like from the Geckodrive documentation. | ||
| Line 201: | Line 200: | ||
:https://www.youtube.com/@quickebay1 | :https://www.youtube.com/@quickebay1 | ||
| − | =CAM Software= | + | =CAM Software Thoughts= |
prioties in order: | prioties in order: | ||
# cheap | # cheap | ||
Revision as of 01:11, 24 November 2022
Makers Local 256 (https://256.makerslocal.org/) owns at some point got two MAXNC mills. One was a MAXNC15 with a closed Loop control system and the other had an open Loop control system. They came with a 4th axis and a lathe chuck. The the company MAXNC is now defunct. The main problem with running these machines was that they used an unusual control system compared to typical stepper driven desktop CNC machines. Apparently it used a quadrature system. I have no idea what that means or how it is different. They use normal stepper motors.
Contents
[hide]Status
Its working. For those that know what they are doing. You don't know how? Git gud scrub!
Running the Machine with Mach3
For minimum cost I want to get it running with the MACNC controller. This means using either the MAXNC software, or using Mach3 which has two special modes for compatibility with MaxNC control systems. I couldn't find the original MAXNC software that would have shipped with the machines. And I am familiar with Mach3, so it was an easy decision.
The main thing I did to make it work was switch from the open loop system to the closed one.
this link has a configuration file: https://www.cnczone.com/forums/benchtop-machines/254426-cnc.html
Wat Do?
Fixturing
- buy
- vise & parrallels
- (with vice hold-down thigamagics)
- https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3763&category=
- t-slots for rotary table
- rotary table chuck adapter
- (check rotary table threads first)
- nuts
- all thread
- vise & parrallels
- make / buy
- t slots
- Hold-down Clamps
- 1/4-20 all thread
- 1/4-20 wing nuts
- laser cut some wood holding clamps
- cnc some aluminum ones
- https://discuss.inventables.com/t/clamp-and-work-hold-down-options/8608/18
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKYgI4bcCl4
- http://diyprojects.eu/online-g-code-generator-for-simple-cnc-hold-down-clamp/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXIPJDy8d-s
- another thin 1in wrench - 1.006-1.015 opening(1.0105)
- rotary table to lathe chuck adapter
- tools for lathe
wiring box
- 3x home switches wire to be NC
- 2x probes
- reverse from NO to NC
- combine them with a NC relay?
- reverse from NO to NC
- box for electronics
- look into adding limit switches
- laser cut a box
make enclosure make air blower (to block hips. mount to head) make enclosure for the mill Wire the 4th axis
- 6 pin
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0015917060/3157045
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0015913054/2001994
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0014600064/3121758
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0014562062/313698
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0050579405/115035?s=N4IgTCBcDaIOwAYEDZkFoEEY4E4AEAsgPIAyAogBogC6AvkA
- https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/molex/0050579406/115038?s=N4IgTCBcDaIOwAYEDZkFoEEYAcCAEAsgPIAyAogBogC6AvkA
Collet
The MAxNC uses a spindle from Taig. It has the same collet. Its a small closed system.
Instead I used an adapter : https://taigtools.com/product/er-16-adapter-for-3-4-16-spindle/ http://cartertools.blogspot.com/2009/07/taig-1045er-er16-to-taig-spindle.html
https://taigtools.com/product/1041-collet-set/ https://taigtools.com/product/collet-nut-for-collets/ https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=2317
So I could use ER-16 collete instead
Probing
Using a height probe allows you to precisely tell the machine where the top of your part is. This is important for not crashing and breaking off your tool bits. This is a pretty descriptive video
I bought a basic pair of probes off ebay. They are nominally 0.75in in height.
Edge Finding
Here is the code for probing (put code here)
E-Stop Button
An emergency button is important for safty. The software has an estop via the mouse interface and the keyboard. But I forgot what ket it is. The hand control will have an estop button on it. But I want a big button that's easy to see. Like this one:
The button should cut power to the mill entirely. Also it would be great if it also sent an e-stop signal to the computer. Other wise it would just keep going. Traditionaly you would sind the signal via a pin in the parallel port. But without a break out board we can't. Instead we can make the e-stop switch also trigger a simulated key press to the computer, like what is done in these projects for keyboard macros via Arcade button.
Other Notes
the lead screw lead is 0.05in
at one point while working on the limit switches i was considering bypassing the MAXNC control system to directly access the computer via the parallel port to send input signals. That would require a parallel port break out board like the following. (I decided against it and instead decided I would wire everything to the one input pin available via the MAXNC system and upgrade to a modern control system if I needed more.
Replacement Drive Belt
MaxNc 10 = Gates 3M-212
MaxNC 10CL-B with 1/5hp motor = Gates 3M-218
MaxNc 15 = Gates 3M-265
http://www.royalsupply.com/store/pc/3M-Polyflex-Belts-c1133.htm
http://kscdirect.com/search_results.php?q=Gates%2B3M218
Potential Upgrades and future work
Adding a 5th axis would require a different control system. I'm considering this one. Travis is using it on who of his machines and recommends it.
- rigidising the machine
- y-axis is simple
- z axis is a little more work
- x axis would be just to put a setel plate to its
- replace the control components
Wiring a Stepper Cable
Before I got the original control system working with Mach3 Bradley wanted to replace it with a Geckodrive.
- https://www.geckodrive.com/g540-4-axis-digital-stepper-drive.html
- https://www.geckodrive.com/support/g540-rev-8.html
I'm okay with this option but I would prefer to use something expandable to 5 axis, because I am strongly considering buying a 5th axis. Replacing the control system with something more conventional would require the stepper cables to be rewired. The steppers are 8 wires. Four wire systems are much more common. Most cheap DIY CNC stuff uses 4 wires and so does that Geckodrive in particular. I rewiring a stepper cable to test if the Geckodrive will work with the steppers the machine came with. Bradley has agreed to take the stepper and the new cable to his place of employment to test on a Geckodrive they have there. Bradley swore upon his honor that he would complete this quest. Yet still I wait. The following are my notes I write wile figuring out how to do the wiring.
The steppers the MAXNC came with Powermax 11 Model P22NRXG-LNN-NS-00 steppers
- https://www.kollmorgen.com/en-us/products/motors/stepper/powermax-m-and-p-series/
- https://www.kollmorgen.com/sites/default/files/public_downloads/Nema_P2_Stepper_System_TB.pdf
- http://www.portalnaukowy.edu.pl/allegro/powermax22.pdf
:Motor Pins
Pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 internal connect 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 (The pins that had connectivity) ohm 17.8 17.5 17.7 17.4 Color blue black orange black black red black yellow
Cable motor side (indexing from arrow) pin 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 connected 1 6 2 6 6 3 6 4
Cable driver side (indexing from arrow) 1 2 3 4 5 6 - - - - no connector - blue orange red yellow black
9 pin serial port connection 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 case red yellow blue gray black orange purple brown green White
Here is how to wire it from 8 pin to 4 pin (with serial Connection) Stepper side 2 and 5 get tied together and terminated 4 and 7 get tied together and terminated
Motor Pin | letter | Serial Pin 1 blue | +A | 9 green 6 red | -A | 8 brown 3 orange | +B | 7 purple 8 yellow | -B | 6 orange
Apparently the Serial pins 1-5 gets a resistor put between them. Or at least that what it looks like from the Geckodrive documentation.
But what about the second Mill
I plan to turn that shit to a CNC lathe.
I think we've got one of these chucks https://taigtools.com/product/chuck-4-jaw-3-1-4-dia-3-4-16thd/
Reference Material
Here are some links to where I found information about MAXNC The following are pages from the original company that are available on the internet archive (http://web.archive.org/)
This another page available on the internet archive (http://web.archive.org/)
Here are some other pages
- http://harmoniccycle.com/hc/3d-CNC-MaxNC_FAQ.htm
- https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/MaxNCMill
- https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAECourses/Raisbeck/cnc_equip.htm#maxnc
- https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAECourses/Raisbeck/images/resources/cnc/MAXNCmanual.pdf
- This is not the original manual, but something written as an introductory overview for student at Purdue.
- http://hans-w.com/cnc.htm
I got the parts manual for the mill from this page. Looks a little shady.
YouTuber "Josh AQ" has made many videos about his MaxNC mill
CAM Software Thoughts
prioties in order:
- cheap
- simple to use
- adaptive tool path
- Trochoidal paths areas a "poor mans" adaptive tool path
- lathe option
- multi axis (4th and 5th axis)
- with cleaver use of models and programing your own g-code indexing should be posible bith 3 axis g code generator
- simulation
meshcam (standard and pro)
- $250-500 circa the future year two-thoswand and twenty two
- https://www.grzsoftware.com/
- pro adds
- 3D Toolpath simulation, usefull
- 2D Contour Toolpath odd, thats typically more basic that 3D
- 2D Pocket Toolpath, thats typically more basic that 3D
- Not sure about if it has 4th axis
- no turning
- meshcam for alibre
- half price
- Not sure about if it has 4th axis
deskproto
- https://www.deskproto.com/index.php
- https://www.deskproto.com/support-videos/videos-5axis.php
- $1k for 5th axis. thats a lot less, but I think its jkust indexing
freecad w/ path plugin
- https://www.freecadweb.org/
- https://wiki.freecadweb.org/Path_Workbench
- looks to be verry much in development
estlcam
- http://www.estlcam.de/
- only cheap cam with Trochoidal option that I'm familiar with
- thread milling
360 fusion cam
- Has everything include adaptive milling and 5 axis simultaionious
- subscirption plan
- not itar compliant
- no-one like subscription software
- cheapest is $70 per month
- I may not do that manny 5 axis parts, or parts that reqire adaptive paths, so maybe get it one month make g code then end subscritoion?
- maybe there are education licence the maker space can get
