I emc'ed a small benchtop mill back when it was pre-emc2. That machine has worked great, but I would like something bigger and stiffer. I recently redid my config, upgraded to EMC2, and it's even better than the old EMC. The HAL is sweet.
I would be doing very small niche production (20-50 parts per year, 5 at a time, small parts, 2x2x4 ) and hobby stuff.... Everyone points to the VMC's and says that's the only way to go, but I can't spend 15k on a machine I run very part time, and don't have the space for. I found a bridgeport boss 5 series 1 locally that actually still runs. I'm debating making a low offer (He's asking $2500, with some tool holders), it has a QC30 spindle and power drawbar, then gutting and parting out the electronics, and converting to either new NAM34 steppers with encoders or servos. I've inspected the mill, and it's tight and been well cared for. (I'd rather find a Boss that had a blown control after a few hours sitting in a corner somwhere...) Should I be looking for another mill instead? The vertical mills seem like they would strike a good balance between size and capability, although they lack a lot of the speed and automation. If I go with steppers and encoders, is the picosystems card the way to go? Other suggestions for the hardware with the 'best integration' in EMC2? Last time around, I built a lot of stuff. This time, I'm more interested in getting a solid setup running and making chips, so I'd be buying breakout cards, interface boards, drivers, etc. Thanks in advance... murph ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What You Don't Know About Data Connectivity CAN Hurt You This paper provides an overview of data connectivity, details its effect on application quality, and explores various alternative solutions. http://p.sf.net/sfu/progress-d2d _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
