Bridgeport Textron 1MDI milling machine

Hello all,

new member and first time post. I am trying to help my Father get to grips with his Bridgeport Textron 1MDI milling machine.

He bought it from a factory sale.
When he got it to his home workshop he discovered the batteries were dead, after replacing them he has power at the display and can use it manually but it seems to have lost its programming.

Doe anyone know how to re-program this machine?

Thanks for the help.

Sounds like what's missing is the parameters.

If you could identify the model # more closely, serial number, control, and post pix someone here might have a list for it, or something close.

The Heidenhain control [TNC131?]I believe is in this is a non interpolating control, I don't know how useful it is. I have not seen any parameter lists around. Did any documentation come with it?

You may get lucky and Electro Mechanical Integrators in Philadelphia may be able to help.

Thanks so much for the replies, I very much appreciate your time.

The only other detail I have for the machine is 879 100C (I'm not sure if this helps).

I will check with my Father again to see if he received any paperwork or documentations with it...I'm doubtful but I'll check.

I will also try and get a picture of it.
Could someone explain what the parameters mean? (I am a total newbie to this and am trying to help out my Dad).
Thanks again.

Google shows Boss controls on that model #, but wernwilk's dad may get lucky with a Heidenhain.

Each machine model is unique. Controls were made to be somewhat universal, fitting a variety of machines, and parameters are the individual settings that the control (brain) uses to control the machine. Travel limits for each axis, safety settings, what to do when this/that switch/button is activated, how to communicate with external computers, etc, etc. Usually a couple hundred parameters, but the more complicated the machine, the longer the parameter list.

Parameters can also be changed by the user, for a variety of good reasons, so each machine becomes customized over time. In the Heidenhain, parameters are maintained by AA batteries. Batteries get low, a warning pops up on the screen if the control is turned on. If the batteries get too low, parameters are lost and the machine becomes listless.

A handwritten/printed list is usually included in the documentation. If your dad got any documentation with the machine, the parameters list may be in there or may be on the inside of the electrics box (not the control). The manual will show how to reenter them, usually there's a passcode to get in.

Probably someone here has the starting parameters list for that machine. The machine model, control make and model are necessary, though.

These machines were often found barely used normally with its friend the interact next to it which everyone would prefer at the time.They would be left unused stuck in a corner most of the time with the tables without a mark on them a lot of them had the boss controls on them.The program could be imputed but would not show up on screen so it was a kind of blind programing the zip type coder often came with the old beast where you could type the program transfer into the m/c print a copy them amend.Each line of program would come up as it was executed APITA thats why they were rarely used

onecut said:

These machines were often found barely used normally with its friend the interact next to it which everyone would prefer at the time.They would be left unused stuck in a corner most of the time with the tables without a mark on them a lot of them had the boss controls on them.The program could be imputed but would not show up on screen so it was a kind of blind programing the zip type coder often came with the old beast where you could type the program transfer into the m/c print a copy them amend.Each line of program would come up as it was executed APITA thats why they were rarely used

Click to expand...

That is how I found my V2xT Bridgeport, Boss control had an aneurism, it was shoved in a corner, iron and ball screws in as new condition. I screwed around with the boss control and kept it running for a few years. The control was so unreliable that I put a Centroid on it and never looked back, since 2008, no problems.