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The Free CNC Lathe - Marathon SL320

alskdjfhg

Diamond
Joined
Feb 20, 2013
Location
Houston TX
Responded to a craigslist ad for 24x120 Pacemaker sitting out in the weeds and ended up in a deal getting literal truck loads of surplus machine and misc stuff.

This Marathon SL320 was part of that deal. I was told that it was running when taken off the line, but the management decided that a newer Hass should replace it.

I got the machine for free. I was originally planning on just taking it straight to scrap. But when I saw the machine in person, it had a chuck, material in the chuck, tools in the turret and didn't look like it had been crashed.

The foreman told me that the machine had recently been serviced and despite being very ugly was a good machine. I didn't really believe him.

The machine had sat outside unprotected for about two months before I got ahold of it. Then I had to store it outside under a tarp on timbers until I had a building to put it in.

Finally ran power to it this last weekend, hooked it up, not expecting much. But the darn thing seemed to have some life and would do some stuff.

I'm powering it with a 100 amps from a 40hp RPC. Could not see any indications if it needed 440 or 220, I only have 220 and seemed to work on that.

Was low on hydraulic and way oil. It's very slow to add hydraulic oil for some reason, I think a screen is plugged up or something, so it's still low, but in the safe range.

I wasn't really doing much to the machine, know next to nothing about CNCs, the guy helping me was pushing the buttons. The most we could do was get the turret to spin, and some error codes would come up.

The batteries still have voltage, we could pull up what I think were the machine parameters and even part of a program.

So my questions are;

If this thing needs air, here would the hook up typicality be? Looked all over the machine and could not find anything.

And do ya'll have any ideas on these error codes? I'm not bad with computers and electrical stuff, but inexperienced.

It kept saying "not ready" at the bottom left of the screen in red letters. Could that be related to low oil and no air.

If this thing needs air, about much for a lathe this size?

Here are the pictures from last weekend. What are ya'll opinions?4
Marathon SL32 by mebunting | Photobucket

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I see them now.
I would start with no oil pressure. Most likely thats the reason machine is in "NOT READY" state, after you get that fixed and hydraulic are on you should be able to home X and Z axis.
 
I see them now.
I would start with no oil pressure. Most likely thats the reason machine is in "NOT READY" state, after you get that fixed and hydraulic are on you should be able to home X and Z axis.

That seemed to go away once I added hydrualic oil.

The last set of error codes that came up where these.

Start machine up, press turret button. Turret would index and then these would show up.

Tried homing the machine and would do nothing.

acbacfdbe423654871870f17996f1fbd.jpg
 
Those last two alarms 414 & 424 could be nothing more than a loose, dirty or corroded connection. Remove and clean the connections to the x & z motor encoders and the opposite end where they plug into the drive boards with contact cleaner and blow dry them well.
 
Matt, check the wiring on the main motor. Hopefully there is a high/low diagram and you can see how it is wired now. A 480 machine will power up with 220 but won't run right. Often there will be transformers to reduce voltage to the controls and maybe to other motors as well. I found this out with my stuff, they ran but not right. Easy check. Looking good out there!
 
Wire broken to the servos, water in the motors shorting them maybe?
It was under the elements for awhile you said. Better check the connections and motors, that would be my first move.

Marko
 
If you have hydraulic pressure you got the phase rotation correct.

The machine will have internal control and servo transformers and may or may not have a large external transformer. Before doing much with the machine you must measure incoming voltage and make sure everything is tapped correctly and if, say, you have 240+ volts and the machine only has internal transformers with 200/220 taps you need to add an external transformer to step down the voltage. You will fry expensive bits if you don't.

Check the servo drives for error lights. If there are any red lights on in the cabinets those will give you a clue.

I would pull some way covers back and make sure the ways aren't rusty and turn the ballscrews by hand to verify things aren't stuck first. If it turns free and you have oil film on the ways then your problem isn't there.

The cracked connector/cover on the Z servo could be a source of problems if water or dirt got in there. Expensive bits live in there.

EDIT: forgot to add since you are running on an RPC you got to isolate the generated leg from the control. The Fanuc brains in there run on DC power created from just 2 legs of the incoming power. You absolutely do not want the fake 3 phase leg supplying power to the control's DC power supply. On most CNC's you can look at where the power comes in and it will be labeled R,S,T or U,V,W. Most of the time you can find a big junction block after the on/off switch/breaker where all the AC power splits and feeds different stuff. A careful look at that junction block will usually show that one of the terminals will have one less wire attached then the other two. THAT is the leg you want to feed your RPC's wild leg into.
 
Matt, check the wiring on the main motor. Hopefully there is a high/low diagram and you can see how it is wired now. A 480 machine will power up with 220 but won't run right. Often there will be transformers to reduce voltage to the controls and maybe to other motors as well. I found this out with my stuff, they ran but not right. Easy check. Looking good out there!

Do not do this. It absolutely does not work like this. There are no high/low wires inside a Fanuc spindle motor.
 
Do not do this. It absolutely does not work like this. There are no high/low wires inside a Fanuc spindle motor.

That and also he is getting x & z axis related alarms, nothing to do with a "main motor." I have an OT on a turret lathe so I know more than most here.
 
You didn't get the chip conveyor?

I have what is probably an identical machine. I really like it.

There is no air needed.

On my machine,

1.I press the power ON
on button and let it sit while the control boots up. Gives not ready error. Then, and this seems to be important, wait until I hear a click from the turret. This is the turret motor brake activating.

2. Press ON button again. Hydraulics come on and get "not homed" error message.

3. Select JOG button, Jog X down a couple of inches Z left if needed.

4, Select HOME button, hold jog X UP^ button until slide stops moving. Then hold jog Z RIGHT---> button until slide stops moving. Error messages will go away.

Serial number of machine is stamped on the tail stock end of the bed just below the upper way. Easily seen when the door is opened.

I have just about every piece of information about the machine published by Marathon and Csepel, the Hungarian manufacturer. Also all the relevant
Fanuc manuals.

Hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Just tried to access their web site and the link seems to be dead. Looked at their Facebook page and there is nothing newer than July, 2016.

I could be very easily induced to take the machine off your hands.
 
Those last two alarms 414 & 424 could be nothing more than a loose, dirty or corroded connection. Remove and clean the connections to the x & z motor encoders and the opposite end where they plug into the drive boards with contact cleaner and blow dry them well.

Ok that's a good place to start. I am hesitant to start unplugging stuff when I know zip.

Looking good out there!

Thanks, I'm pretty amazed the machine even did this much. Had I not gotten anything I'd probably be parting it out, but thinking the issues it's got now could be fixable.

Wire broken to the servos, water in the motors shorting them maybe?
It was under the elements for awhile you said. Better check the connections and motors, that would be my first move.

Marko

Also a good place to start. I'm worried about the crazked "Z servo".

If you have hydraulic pressure you got the phase rotation correct.

The machine will have internal control and servo transformers and may or may not have a large external transformer. Before doing much with the machine you must measure incoming voltage and make sure everything is tapped correctly and if, say, you have 240+ volts and the machine only has internal transformers with 200/220 taps you need to add an external transformer to step down the voltage. You will fry expensive bits if you don't.

Check the servo drives for error lights. If there are any red lights on in the cabinets those will give you a clue.

I would pull some way covers back and make sure the ways aren't rusty and turn the ballscrews by hand to verify things aren't stuck first. If it turns free and you have oil film on the ways then your problem isn't there.

The cracked connector/cover on the Z servo could be a source of problems if water or dirt got in there. Expensive bits live in there.

EDIT: forgot to add since you are running on an RPC you got to isolate the generated leg from the control. The Fanuc brains in there run on DC power created from just 2 legs of the incoming power. You absolutely do not want the fake 3 phase leg supplying power to the control's DC power supply. On most CNC's you can look at where the power comes in and it will be labeled R,S,T or U,V,W. Most of the time you can find a big junction block after the on/off switch/breaker where all the AC power splits and feeds different stuff. A careful look at that junction block will usually show that one of the terminals will have one less wire attached then the other two. THAT is the leg you want to feed your RPC's wild leg into.

Thanks a bunch. Lots of good info. If it's wired up right now and the wild leg is going into the control, I'll have to change the wild leg at the converter right? In order to keep the same legs going into the machine.

I'm sending it 220, multi meter said 218v at the machine.

I also have red lights on some boards. But without any wiring diagrams or manuals, I'm kinda lost.

I think I need to find a tech to look at this ting. Not apposed to spending some money on it, I got it for free after all.

I'm just afraid of making a bigger mess than what I've got.

At-least having someone that knows what they are doing take a look at it and get their opinion.

You didn't get the chip conveyor?

I have what is probably an identical machine. I really like it.

There is no air needed.

On my machine,

1.I press the power ON
on button and let it sit while the control boots up. Gives not ready error. Then, and this seems to be important, wait until I hear a click from the turret. This is the turret motor brake activating.

2. Press ON button again. Hydraulics come on and get "not homed" error message.

3. Select JOG button, Jog X down a couple of inches Z left if needed.

4, Select HOME button, hold jog X UP^ button until slide stops moving. Then hold jog Z RIGHT---> button until slide stops moving. Error messages will go away.

Serial number of machine is stamped on the tail stock end of the bed just below the upper way. Easily seen when the door is opened.

I have just about every piece of information about the machine published by Marathon and Csepel, the Hungarian manufacturer. Also all the relevant
Fanuc manuals.

Hhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Just tried to access their web site and the link seems to be dead. Looked at their Facebook page and there is nothing newer than July, 2016.

I could be very easily induced to take the machine off your hands.

I think we've spoken about this machine in the past.

And thanks a bunch of the start up steps that you use, once I double that the wild leg isn't going into the machine, I'll try to do that.

Yeah I have the chip conveyor, but it may or may not still be sitting out in the field....:sulk:

If I can get this thing to run I think I might have some work for it. But if I can't do anything with it, or if it's junk I'll be sure to give you first shot at the machine or parts.
 
Also a good place to start. I'm worried about the crazked "Z servo".

Not necessarily a problem. It's been a long time since I had one apart, but IIRC the red plastic cap is just for protection; the actual encoder is sealed by a secondary cap. I would put some tape over it and call it a day for now.
 
I think we've spoken about this machine in the past.

And thanks a bunch of the start up steps that you use, once I double that the wild leg isn't going into the machine, I'll try to do that.

Yeah I have the chip conveyor, but it may or may not still be sitting out in the field....:sulk:

If I can get this thing to run I think I might have some work for it. But if I can't do anything with it, or if it's junk I'll be sure to give you first shot at the machine or parts.

Yes, we have talked about this machine, before you picked it up.
 
Yes, we have talked about this machine, before you picked it up.
How did you go about getting the literature for you machine? They just come with it?

Id be a lot less scared of this if i had at least a wiring diagram and mabey a manual with what the codes mean.
 
Thanks a bunch. Lots of good info. If it's wired up right now and the wild leg is going into the control, I'll have to change the wild leg at the converter right? In order to keep the same legs going into the machine.

I'm sending it 220, multi meter said 218v at the machine.

I also have red lights on some boards. But without any wiring diagrams or manuals, I'm kinda lost.

218V is excellent.

Get a grasp of what your RPC is doing here- The 220V AC power you have coming is is two conductors with 120V to ground with sine waves that are 180 degrees apart. Make sense? You measure between those legs and the difference is 218V.

Your RPC is making a third leg of power that has a sine wave timed to nestle right between the other two.

That's all your RPC is doing. The other power isn't going through it to get to your machines.

So the generated leg. the leg that is dead when your RPC is off, needs to go into the machine, but never, ever make it into the power supply for the control.

I think instead of paying a tech to come out you would benefit from snapping pictures of the guts inside the machine cabinets and having people here explain what parts are what so you can relate what we're talking about here.

Inside those cabinets you have a computer (main board) with some input/output stuff, video and memory stuff, several power supplies, spindle drive, 2 servo drives and a bunch of contactors and relays.

It's not much more complex than a briggs and stratton when you break it down.

In Fanucese all the parts are identified by numbers on the boards. the numbers will look something like- "A06B-080-0004" or some such. If, say, you google the number on the top board of your spindle drive you will wade through a bunch of ads for people that fix that stuff, but eventually, if your google-fu is good, you will find links to PDF's of the manuals for that drive and probably figure out what fanuc model number it is.

The important machine specific stuff you don't have are basic wire diagrams for the machine and the parameters list. Luckily, the parameters are still in there.
 
218V is excellent.

Get a grasp of what your RPC is doing here- The 220V AC power you have coming is is two conductors with 120V to ground with sine waves that are 180 degrees apart. Make sense? You measure between those legs and the difference is 218V.

Your RPC is making a third leg of power that has a sine wave timed to nestle right between the other two.

That's all your RPC is doing. The other power isn't going through it to get to your machines.

So the generated leg. the leg that is dead when your RPC is off, needs to go into the machine, but never, ever make it into the power supply for the control.

I think instead of paying a tech to come out you would benefit from snapping pictures of the guts inside the machine cabinets and having people here explain what parts are what so you can relate what we're talking about here.

Inside those cabinets you have a computer (main board) with some input/output stuff, video and memory stuff, several power supplies, spindle drive, 2 servo drives and a bunch of contactors and relays.

It's not much more complex than a briggs and stratton when you break it down.

In Fanucese all the parts are identified by numbers on the boards. the numbers will look something like- "A06B-080-0004" or some such. If, say, you google the number on the top board of your spindle drive you will wade through a bunch of ads for people that fix that stuff, but eventually, if your google-fu is good, you will find links to PDF's of the manuals for that drive and probably figure out what fanuc model number it is.

The important machine specific stuff you don't have are basic wire diagrams for the machine and the parameters list. Luckily, the parameters are still in there.

Great info, helps a bunch.

I'm sure it's all cookie cutter industrial parts, after some experience at work with hydraulics, that dosen't scare me as bad as it used too and I can atleast identify some of those parts.

But the electrical stuff is new to me.

I called the guy I bought the forklift from, he didn't seem very excited to make a service call on it, wanted to troubleshoot it over the phone. So may be SOL on a tech anyway.

Identifying the parts is gonna be the biggest issue, someone seeing this in person would be nice because I wouldn't have to wait a week between asking here, and the next time I get to the farm.

I'm going to do some cleaning to the machine, it's been vacuumed out, but the machine literally stinks and is very dirty. I think a good cleaning would help me not only ID the parts and get a little more familiar with the machine, but it would help me find other problems.

Safe to spray down all the boards with contact cleaner and blow out with an air gun (low pressure)?

For anyone else giving advice, assume I am a complete idiot and need directions to find the simplest of things on this machine. This is the first CNC I've worked on and by far the most complicated electrical system.
 
How did you go about getting the literature for you machine? They just come with it?

Id be a lot less scared of this if i had at least a wiring diagram and mabey a manual with what the codes mean.


I got Schematics, operating/programming manual, parts manual and ladder diagram with the machine when I bought it. Bought parameter, operating, servo, spindle drive, maintenance, etc. manuals from GE/Fanuc. Downloaded complete Baruffaldi turret parts, service, maintenance manuals from Marathon web site.

As mentioned in earlier post, marathon link seems to be dead. More searching reveals that the company has changed ownership and the web site is danobatusa.com but Firefox won't connect me because danobat's security settings are outdated.

Your main power input is in the right hand cabinet on top of the three fuses. I really don't think you have to worry about which is the high leg because the power to the control comes out of the transformer after it has been "conditioned".

Your picture of the hydraulic press gage show a switch which I think is the ID/OD chucking direction switch. The gage is in position 5 which will show pressure for ID clamping. Position 4 is OD clamping. Spindle will not run if chuck is un-clamped.

Transformer connections DSCF0786.jpg

Cabinet fanDSCF0788.jpg Very likely will have to remove and clean the filter. This odd motor is 220v, 1phase.
Spindle drive on left, servo drives on rightDSCF0787.jpg
servo drives, circuit breaker -- black thing bottom left of each boardDSCF0789.jpg When you get axis error, you can flip the breaker for that axis to reset it and not have to shutdown the whole control.

Was gonna do more pics but battery died on my camera.

I think we need to get together.
 
I think we need to get together.

If this guy is close by and willing to help he will be a godsend. A knowledgable person with the exact same machine is better than any tech who services 50 different models and never ran one.
 








 
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