Tsudakoma 4th Axis - Controller required?

[Antarctica]

I see a lot of these older Tsudakoma 4th axis rotaries on eBay, almost never with a controller. My understanding is that they require a controller to communicate with an older machine.

In this case it would be going on an old Matsuura 510V. This machine had a Haas 4th axis rotary on it before I bought it, and used the little haas indexer control box.

Am I missing something on the Tsudakoma? Is an index controller always needed? Can I use an index controller other than a Tsudakoma?

I saw one pop up near me cheap, but no controller (that I can tell). Jut wondering if its worth picking up, or if I'm going to have to spend another 5 grand to make it useful.

 

[MwTech Inc]

I can only add what i have learned recently

My mill has a Fanuc controller and has an additional axis card installed on the motherboard to drive the rotary
Then various parameters have to be set for it to function.

Call Tsudsakoma talk to Bill in service.
He has been very helpful working with my koma..

forgot the servo drive, servo drive transformer, hydraulic solenoid or pneumatic for the rotary brake and all the various stuff that goes with all that

 

[mhajicek]

Usually the rotary will be controlled directly from the machine control, and it needs to be setup for it, with an additional servo drive etc. The servo drive needs to match the servo in the rotary.

 

[GENERALDISARRAY]

Tsudakoma did/does sell a "indexer" that has a box like a Haas rotary can have. Old ones had a green motor box. I dont know about newer ones. The indexer had a small Yaskawa servo inside
The advantage of the stand alone control is they are very easy to integrate onto most any machine. And quickly.
The stand alone controls I know of yuasa tsudakoma haas. Are not interchangable. They also have generational nonconformity.

"Jut wondering if its worth picking up, or if I'm going to have to spend another 5 grand to make it useful."

If it has the correct motor on it already, 5k would probably get it going.

Is that a Yasnac on your mill?

 

[Antarctica]

Is that a Yasnac on your mill?

Yes - MX3. Thanks for the info/response.