Dears, Sorry for my bad english, I am an dutch (flemish)speaking belgian, so I try an explanation. At our school we have an older small cnc lathe - Boxford 160 TCL- but the manuals are missing and the PC 386 is blown up.
Using an A4 piece of paper draw an accurate diagram of a Boxford Duet. Label and describe the most important parts. List and explain some of the difficulties you had when manufacturing a product using a CNC machine. CLICK HERE FOR CNC INDEX PAGE.
Last is to replace, but: We want to reuse it with the DOS software wich we have still on 2 DD discs- the cold start key disc is not to copy, if crash=total out. (It is the IBM version 1.06) Who can help? The machine is bought ca. '91 in Belgium, but the inporter do not exist anymore and the factory give no support anymore.
Update cost 3270Eng. Pounds.;EEEK, no way.
Other schools, in dutch speaking Belgium, who have also such a lathe, are not known. So we searche elsware copy of technical manuals from hard- and software. Or, how can we modernise the lathe with a minimun on costs? Software, firmware? After the lathe we start to modernise our Denford Triac as wel, so that is the next.
Thaks for the help. Andre, you are faced with a tough task. The machine has a set of eproms for the firmware which need to be kept in step with the pc software. Its going to be very difficult to do any upgrading without going back to Boxford.
The machine I have access to has just been upgraded to W2000, but it was upgraded from a package that I think was later than yours. Unfortunately Boxford keep the eproms so there is not anything that I can help you with there. It seems to me your best bet would be to try and find an old machine and replicate the original software. I'll have a look at what I have when I'm in school next and see what I can do. Presumably it still works as a stand alone machine?
Hello, Peter, Thank you for answering, The machine wil be used as a stand allone,but therefore i need the manuals. The software we have runs on a IBM Porteble PII 400,but on the moment it asks by the prog.
To swich' manual of' setting, it gives no reaction anymore! I think that the RS 232 cable needs to have 2x25 pins and not a 9/25 as we have used. Explanation in manual?? I found the compay who constructed the main motor and his controller (fa. Fridy they promised me to mail me the description and schemas. The stepper motors, used in the machine has no names, but are i think: 2/2.5A bipolar ones, due to the motor drive modules on the controlerboard in the machine.modules fom 'ST.
SGS Thomson' found discription on internet- So reuse of the motors can be possible if i find some electronics to put in between. This seems not to be so simple-see mesage from member Mr Andrew Mawson, a few places befor mine- So if i can find the manuals of the TCL 160 in hisDOS '91 version, than i think i am something further. Here in Belgiom i can not find them, i have put a inquary in an educ. Magazine we all tachers get in Flanders, got no responce at all. Best regards, andre.van.namen @ pandora.be.
Andre, If it is any consolation, today I have got my Denford TRIAC up and running on all three axis, though there is a lot of tidying up to do to make things look nice, and be reliable. I have ended up removing the entire original electronics, got three Gecko 210 microstep drivers, and found a Compaq PC that is small enough to slip inside the original base unit space. Items are being generated in TurboCad 8.2 (Standard edition), exported to VisualmillFree as WRL files, saved as G code toolpaths, and imported into TurboCNC to drive the Geckos.
Still need to arrange speed control of the spindle, but I'm actually making good progress now. Regards, Andrew Mawson. Hi Peter, PC is no problem, old 486, pentiumII 266 or pent II 400 laptop.
But the Archimedes is from Accorn I guess? As the BBC computer is. A lot of BBC's are used in the UK educ.
We used for the BoxFord TCL 160 an IBM lookalike from Philips. The problem is:the 'coold start disc' as keydisc, is not to copy. If it can copyed on a CD Rom, the biggest problem wil be solved. Or, if a software can be set in place of the original from Boxf., than can we change to it. As long as the firmware in the lathe has not to be changed.
On the discs we have is written: IBM ver.1.06 (csd) and IBM/ Amstrad on the prog disc. So all help is welcome, thank you, Andre.
PDF FILE - In Industry it is not efficient or profitable to make everyday products by hand. On a CNC machine it is possible to make hundreds or even thousands of the same item in a day. First a design is drawn using design software, then it is processed by the computer and manufactured using the CNC machine. The machine featured below is the BOXFORD DUET.
This is a small CNC machine and can be used to machine woods, plastics and aluminium. In industry, CNC machines can be extremely large.
The Duet is one of the smaller CNCs and is ideal for use in schools. Have a look at the photograph on the right. Can you imagine how long it would take a skilled worker to ‘carve’ this shape out of wood or a soft material - it would probably take a full day. We will be going through its manufacture, one step at a time using a CNC machine (next page). How long do you think manufacturing this product with a CNC machine will take? THE CNC MACHINE The VICE: This holds the material to be cut or shaped.
Material must be held securely otherwise it may 'fly' out of the vice when the CNC begins to machine. Normally the vice will be like a clamp that holds the material in the correct position. The GUARD: The guard protects the person using the CNC. When the CNC is machining the material small pieces can be 'shoot' off the material at high speed. This could be dangerous if a piece hit the person operating the machine.
The guard completely encloses the the dangerous areas of the CNC. The CHUCK: This holds the material that is to be shaped. The material must be placed in it very carefully so that when the CNC is working the material is not thrown out at high speed. The MOTOR: The motor is enclosed inside the machine. This is the part that rotates the chuck at high speed. The LATHE BED: The base of the machine.
Usually a CNC is bolted down so that it cannot move through the vibration of the machine when it is working. The CUTTING TOOL: This is usually made from high quality steel and it is the part that actually cuts the material to be shaped.
Draw a small CNC machine and label the most important parts. List the safety factors that people must be aware of before they operate a CNC or similar machine.
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