Convert magnetek to vector

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 18, 2017

• #1

Does anyone know what it takes to convert a 96 haas vf2 brushless drive, non vector drive magnetek to a vector drive?

I assume I would need a drive, and the drive cable.

One thing that isn't clear to me though, where does the encoder need to be? My encoder is on the gearbox output and present, so how can that work on a vector drive?

If it needs to be on the motor, do I have to get a haas technician out to calculate the phase offset, or any ideas how that gets accomplished?

 

E

ewlsey

Diamond

Joined

Jul 14, 2009

Location

Peoria, IL

• Mar 18, 2017

• #2

You'd be better off to ditch that POS Magnetek drive. Those things are awful.

Haas sells an upgrade for those machines. In theory, any drive with an orientation card can do what you want.

The real problem is the control. The control is programmed to use the shot pin. You can't really re-program it to use the drive. If you could do the logic inside the drive or in a separate PLC, and fool the inputs on the control, you can get where you want to go.

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 18, 2017

• #3

I don't follow the control problem. Is there more to it than enabling vector drive, putting it on A, etc?

 

E

ewlsey

Diamond

Joined

Jul 14, 2009

Location

Peoria, IL

• Mar 18, 2017

• #4

Your machine has a shot pin. Right now, the control logic is something like this when you program M19 or do a toolchange:

Jog spindle at 50 RPM (or whatever).
Fire the shot pin.
When the shot pin engages, the limit switch is made
Control stops the spindle
If the limit switch is not made within 3 revolutions (or whatever), set an alarm.
When another spindle M code is issued, retract shot pin.
Monitor shot pin retract limit switch.

You can swap out the drive, but all that logic will still exist in the control. You can't change it. Haas can, but I bet they won't. You would have to handle the logic needed to do electronic orientation outside the control and somehow fool the control into seeing the inputs it needs from the shot pin even though you are not using the shot pin.

Or you could use on of the spare M codes and alter the tool change macro.

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 18, 2017

• #5

Ah, I see now, my year doesn't have the enable param 278 bit 11, so C isn't going to show up.

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 19, 2017

• #6

What about the encoder, does does a vector install use a single encoder or how does it get its phase signal?

If it works, I haven't decided I won't upgrade my control at some point.

 

E

ewlsey

Diamond

Joined

Jul 14, 2009

Location

Peoria, IL

• Mar 19, 2017

• #7

The drive uses the index marker on the encoder. The encoder you already have should work. That's how it does "repeat rigid tapping".

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 19, 2017

• #8

Does it operate differently than the servo drives? A 3phase motor has to to be driven in phase somehow, so with a gearbox in the mix I don't understand how that is being accomplished, unless they are blind driving the motor between gear changes, or have a second encoder on the motor.

Also, what is the difference between the 15/20 and the 20 drives? Will they both work work for work for the 7.5 nameplate motors?

 

E

ewlsey

Diamond

Joined

Jul 14, 2009

Location

Peoria, IL

• Mar 19, 2017

• #9

It depends what motor you have. If it's a Yaskawa spindle motor, it had an encoder in the motor and one on the output of the gear box.

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Mar 31, 2017

• #10

Assuming the control software is new enough, or upgraded enough, is there any other reason this won't work? With a begged copy of someone else's parameters for a baseline, couldn't this be fiddled into a working situation?

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Apr 26, 2017

• #11

I have been trying unsuccessfully for weeks to get info and perhaps a service call from haas/hfo on this. What happens if I call haas directly nowadays?

My processor is a 32-3090, a with 4mb bbu ram, and 512k static ram, and I assume 512k flash.

Does anyone know the minimum software version with vector drive?

Does anyone have access to binaries?

I see some 93-1010 processors on ebay, what does it take to add more bbu memory on those?

 

F

friesen

Cast Iron

Joined

Jul 13, 2016

• Apr 26, 2017

• #12

HAAS corporate says vector drive needs >= 9.29 and 1mb fast static.