That looks very inventive on IBC's part. I would have to agree with Jon, however, in gutting the electronics because it looks like a linear actuator might take the place of the solenoid. The type like a hollow stepper motor with a moving leadscrew (http://www.haydonkerk.com) could be your new Z-axis with one more Geckodrive. Just a thought. jim
-----Original Message----- From: Dale Grover [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 1:42 PM To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) Subject: Re: [Emc-users] PCB engraver, spindle solenoid Here's a picture of the front: http://www.redcedar.com/misc/IBC_BM2222.jpg The brass cylindrical object is the solenoid; it pushes down right where that green button is. To the right is the spindle motor. Just to the right of the cutter is the foot with a wear button on the bottom; this depth is adjusted via the knurled nut. The cutter is secured in the collet with a set screw (1/8" dia cutters). The spindle motor, foot, and cutter all move up and down on two 1/2" or so steel rods with linear bearings. In this photo, the top surface of the machine has been removed, so you can see the 5/8" ball screw below. --dg At 12:23 PM -0500 9/21/10, James Louis wrote: >Dale, > >Do you have any pictures of the solenoid available? I'm curious >about how this can be used for a Z-axis. It sounds interesting. > >Jim > >-----Original Message----- >From: Dale Grover [mailto:[email protected]] >Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 10:58 AM >To: EMC User List >Subject: [Emc-users] PCB engraver, spindle solenoid > >I'm fixing up an IBC BoardMaker 2222, a 22" x 22" PCB engraver. So >far I've replaced the Y axis with a McMaster-Carr 5/8" ball screw & >nut, which had been a proprietary-threaded rod with self-adjusting >anti-backlash (plastic) nut that self-destructed, and replaced the >stepper drivers with Gecko G251's. > >The machine uses a solenoid to move the spindle down until a >wear-button hits the PCB, thus establishing the cutter height. >Spring return. > >My question is about the solenoid drive. There are two identical >circuits--both are logic-level in (from a db-25 parallel port) >driving a relay that supplies +45V to the solenoid (i.e., they are in >parallel), though one has a 5W 40 ohm resistor in series. (The >solenoid is not identified, but has 70 ohm resistance.) > >This sounds to me like a way of driving the solenoid hard to move the >spindle down, then holding it with reduced current. This is often >done with a (big) cap across the current-limiting resistor. The >solenoid doesn't move all the way down with just the "hold" current. > >I don't have the original control software, so don't know what the >original software control signals look like. (IBC seems long gone, >but may have had connections in the past with LPKF.) > >Does anyone have specific knowledge about what they intended as drive >signals? I was tempted to replace the two circuits with just one, >with an adjustable one-shot to drive the solenoid full, then a gated >PWM to provide the holding current. (And replace those relays with a >MOSFET.) But then I wondered if drilling or milling required a >different set of timing than straight engraving? (In particular, I >was imagining breaking a lot of 0.020" drill bits by driving full >speed into the board.) Any ideas? > >Thanks. > >--Dale > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances >and start using them to simplify application deployment and >accelerate your shift to cloud computing. >http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev >_______________________________________________ >Emc-users mailing list >[email protected] >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > >This communication is for the use of the intended recipient only. It >may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If you >are not the intended recipient of this communication, the >disclosure, copying, distribution or use hereof is prohibited. If >you have received this communication in error, please advise me by >return e-mail or by telephone and then delete it immediately. > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances >and start using them to simplify application deployment and >accelerate your shift to cloud computing. >http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev >_______________________________________________ >Emc-users mailing list >[email protected] >https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances and start using them to simplify application deployment and accelerate your shift to cloud computing. http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users This communication is for the use of the intended recipient only. 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