Drip Feeding to Yasnac MX1

I've recently picked up an old CNC machine for my garage shop. It was old, cheap and really well cared for so even though it's the infamous Acroloc so far it seems better than the reputation. After searching reading and experimenting I finally got drip feeding to work without this damn overrun issue I was having the last several days. I think the final fix was disabling the FIFO buffers on the comm port.

Anyway now I have a 17k program that I can just barely fit in memory or I can drip feed it in Tape mode. From memory it runs smooth as butter, Drip feeding it acts like there's a few milisecond Dwell between every move. I've been trying to figure out what settings may cause this, but so far I can't find the right tuning parameters to make it smooth. Any ideas what I might look at?

I didn't know Acrolocs were "infamous." I worked at a couple places that had boat loads of them. I didn't work on them as I was a lathe guy only back in the day.

I guess people don't like the proprietary tool holder and relatively light weight spindle compared to the rest of the machine. I'm happy 'cause I got a hobby machine that's 10x the size/capability of a Tormach yet 10% of the price. Well except for memory and spindle speed.

TD-4242 said:

I guess people don't like the proprietary tool holder and relatively light weight spindle compared to the rest of the machine. I'm happy 'cause I got a hobby machine that's 10x the size/capability of a Tormach yet 10% of the price. Well except for memory and spindle speed.

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we drip feeded ours like 80% of the time it worked just fine once you get a feel for it. slow your feed down it will take out the jerky stuff if your doing any surfacing.
dont know if you got a series 10 100 or 1000 series 10 has a 3in something spindle dia 100 and 1000 have a 5+ spindle. we had 8k rpm and 6k rpm and 3500 rpm machines.
the tool holder issue was a pain make sure there clean with new parts cause when they drop at 6000+ rpms they spin like a top on the table.
alwasy cut with the head closest to the part. try not to exted that spindle beyond 3 inchs or they get really chattery.
if your spindle is loose get it hard chromed and ground then hone the spindle bore. your major wear on the spindle with be front to back.
also you will get what we always called the acroloc finsh. theres a way to fix it with a anti backlash ball spline (think thats what its called)when we changed ours over to them we were able to get between almost a 63 finish.
also the smaller series 10 doesnt work well with carbide its best for hs and cobalt tools especially on alum as Carbide with bounce. you need to load up the hs and cobalt tools to keep even pressure on them for a smooth cut.

made alot of money on those machines back in the day. the biggest failure was the tool holders they were expensive had a million parts in them and way to heavy.
arcoloc made a few bigger machines also helped my buddy who repair them do a retrofit on one from boeing that had a 8 foot X axis and twin spindles and heads.

one thing I miss about them is I could crank the head way the hell up there to do Long parts almost 30+ inches on a standard machine.

Delw said:

we drip feeded ours like 80% ...

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Mine's the 10 series and it's just a learning/hobby machine. Much cheaper than a tormach although a lot harder to move. I do seem to have drip feeding working pretty well. As you say slow it down. Where I was having issues was on some engraving paths that had lots of little xyz movements in the corners which is where the jerkyness would get really bad.

I can't seem to run the spindle motor reliably more than 2500 RPMs. I have a 30HP home build phase converter running it and I see one leg drop as low as 180v every once in a while when running balls out.

I haven't been able to find any Acroloc manuals so I'm guessing at things like the oiler (way oil?) or alignment of the tool changer, I'm getting an odd thing where if I change to the same tool I'm on that it kicks forward two tools and settles on that one. Pretty dangerous depending on what's in that slot. I go through the G-code and insure it never selects the same tool twice in a row.

Anyway it's running a drip feed program of almost a Meg right now and doing really well. Better keep a closer eye and stop posting here

TD-4242 said:

Mine's the 10 series and it's just a learning/hobby machine. Much cheaper than a tormach although a lot harder to move. I do seem to have drip feeding working pretty well. As you say slow it down. Where I was having issues was on some engraving paths that had lots of little xyz movements in the corners which is where the jerkyness would get really bad.

I can't seem to run the spindle motor reliably more than 2500 RPMs. I have a 30HP home build phase converter running it and I see one leg drop as low as 180v every once in a while when running balls out.

I haven't been able to find any Acroloc manuals so I'm guessing at things like the oiler (way oil?) or alignment of the tool changer, I'm getting an odd thing where if I change to the same tool I'm on that it kicks forward two tools and settles on that one. Pretty dangerous depending on what's in that slot. I go through the G-code and insure it never selects the same tool twice in a row.

Anyway it's running a drip feed program of almost a Meg right now and doing really well. Better keep a closer eye and stop posting here

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the clunking could be backlash gibbs loose also. The switching to the same tool but moving 2 tools sounds like a board or parm issue. Trying to remember how all that works now. there was a small board on the back of the machine that would go out once in a while and cause weird crap. it was a ACroloc part for the logic if I recall.

Timing is critical on those machines as well as all the old micro and other mechanical switches they run the timeing on your spindle. Make sure there not loose or out of adjustment.

should have a normal oiler on it for way oil. some had spindle oilers as well

you need to call D&L and have them tune it up, probably has manuals as well. it would be well worth the time and cost. he's the only one that works on them in the valley anymore let alone the US except Mc Kinna.
These machines are just as easy to work on as Fadal getting parts though is a pain now adays D&L and Mckenna are the only games left I believe. I used to make a ton of parts for the acrolock after acroloc went out of business for D&L who sold parts to Mckenna.
I know for a fact larry still has thousands of parts for it he doesnt toss anything and still sells them. he's my neighbor and I have known him for 30 years hes a really good guy. he even has a few 4th axis for them.

I think theres still some running in the valley lots were coverted to cutting wood. At A place I worked at in the 80's we cut inco waspoly tit hastoly mars haynes and all the so called supper alloys. I believe they still have 2 of the series 1000's in production for silly stuff now. Larry retofited them over to fagor controls way back when.

for small alum plastic and brass the series 10(like you have )will out produce a fadal when running more than 3 tools. just because the tool changer is so fast and the short stroke. I know because we used to run them side by side. that thing always beat my old 92 fadal on production parts time. the series 100 and 1000 blew the fadal away production wise in equal size parts.