Bought a couple CNC knee Mills and now thought I'd ask for advice. 😄

[Well That Ain't Good]

Mill #1 - DynaPath with Delta 20-MU Controls. Not sure if there's a model or serial number for the mill itself somewhere. Supposedly has a bad servo motor. Seems to be in good shape otherwise.

Mill #2 - Lagun FTV-2
Anilam Crusader Series M
Seems to have had much more use and abuse but I'm not sure how to tell how much it's worn. There's not much play in the ballscrews. Supposedly has a bad servo motor.



I bought these mills pretty cheap, one was supposed to be for my son. Now I'm trying to figure out what the best way to get them in operation is. What is everyone's opinion? I'm guessing I should just update the controls and servo motors if necessary. I'd like to use them manually between now and then if I can get the spindle to turn on and readout to work. What is this taper? The toolholder doesn't go through the nut from the spindle.

 

[SteveEx30]

Before you do anything, power them up and confirm for yourself what each one needs to get running.

Then see if parts and/or support is available.

Good luck!

 

[13engines]

The Delta 20 should be fully capable on a knee mill. Fair amount of parts around.BTW, Delta 20 is the control model not the machine.
That might be an Erickson Quick Change spindle nose on the Delta machine. Not 100% on that but just something you can think about.

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

I have powered it up with a VFD. I was hoping the spindle would turn on but no such luck. It seems to get switched through the Delta 20 which has too much disconnected right now. Tool holders say Beaver Tool and Engineering on them. Clare, Michigan

 

[Nmbmxer]

I have powered it up with a VFD.

Can you elaborate what you mean by powered up with a VFD?

If you’re trying to do what I think you’re trying to do it isn’t going to work, you need to either convert the control to single phase then run just the spindle on a VFD or get a real phase converter (rotary or a Phase Perfect.)

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

Can you elaborate what you mean by powered up with a VFD?

If you’re trying to do what I think you’re trying to do it isn’t going to work, you need to either convert the control to single phase then run just the spindle on a VFD or get a real phase converter (rotary or a Phase Perfect

Can you elaborate what you mean by powered up with a VFD?

If you’re trying to do what I think you’re trying to do it isn’t going to work, you need to either convert the control to single phase then run just the spindle on a VFD or get a real phase converter (rotary or a Phase Perfect.)

VFD = Variable Frequency Drive
The controls are single phase so I just hooked up the VFD to the 3 phase input to the machine and let the transformer convert the single phase. I should probably check to see what it's actually getting. I only powered it up for a little bit

 

[Garwood]

Can you elaborate what you mean by powered up with a VFD?

If you’re trying to do what I think you’re trying to do it isn’t going to work, you need to either convert the control to single phase then run just the spindle on a VFD or get a real phase converter (rotary or a Phase Perfect.)

Yes, vfd's do not put out power a cnc drive thinks is good.

Bad idea.

 

[Rob F.]

VFD = Variable Frequency Drive
The controls are single phase so I just hooked up the VFD to the 3 phase input to the machine and let the transformer convert the single phase. I should probably check to see what it's actually getting. I only powered it up for a little bit

Thats not going to work, or if it does now it wont for very long. Get or make a RPC (rotary phase converter)
Is that where your name came from, things like this?

 

[Billy Zhao]

If there is no problem with the spindle and screw, it should be the motor problem. Let's see what I can do for you. www.fathertrust.com

 

[Freedommachine]

If the Anilam control works, take a video of it under power and moving each axis... then immediately part it out.

Each drive amplifier is worth $250. Power supply is $350. If the console is in VG condition it'll bring $500. The individual boards in the card rack go $50-$250 each depending on condition and how badly someone needs them.

That control is a 40 year old computer. There are a fair number of folks trying to keep them alive and a rapidly shrinking supply of good used parts.

The dynapath delta 20 is a more common control. It's old, but it was still more advanced than the Anilam. Dynapath still provides support for the delta 20 to some extent.

In the pic showing the tool holders; the one in your hand with the black nut is a quick change adapter. Is there anything stamped on it?

 

[Garwood]

Mill #1 - DynaPath with Delta 20-MU Controls. Not sure if there's a model or serial number for the mill itself somewhere. Supposedly has a bad servo motor. Seems to be in good shape otherwise.

Mill #2 - Lagun FTV-2
Anilam Crusader Series M
Seems to have had much more use and abuse but I'm not sure how to tell how much it's worn. There's not much play in the ballscrews. Supposedly has a bad servo motor.



I bought these mills pretty cheap, one was supposed to be for my son. Now I'm trying to figure out what the best way to get them in operation is. What is everyone's opinion? I'm guessing I should just update the controls and servo motors if necessary. I'd like to use them manually between now and then if I can get the spindle to turn on and readout to work. What is this taper? The toolholder doesn't go through the nut from the spindle.

I think I'd put these on craigslist for $1000 each and move on. Looks like more work to fix them than you could ever get back out of them.

 

[SeymourDumore]

Strongly agree with the part it out or sell it as-is crowd.
The Anilam is a fairly nice control to use as a toolroom type machine, not much else though.
But, the individual pieces of the control are valuable as there is absolutely no support for it and the boards are quickly becoming unobtanium in the wild.

To boot, from what I can see neither machine is all that easy to convert into manual mode.

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

Thats not going to work, or if it does now it wont for very long. Get or make a RPC (rotary phase converter)
Is that where your name came from, things like this?

I'm normally who other people go to for fixit help. lol
It's normally what I say when I see what they want fixed.
I just have no fear and this is outside my expertise even though I understand electronics fairly well. Unfortunately I'm getting rusty so I thought I'd ask for help to minimize problems. Apparently I misunderstood the capabilities of a VFD.
I do have a rotary phase converter just the right size...buried under a barn hit by a tornado last year.

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

If the Anilam control works, take a video of it under power and moving each axis... then immediately part it out.

Each drive amplifier is worth $250. Power supply is $350. If the console is in VG condition it'll bring $500. The individual boards in the card rack go $50-$250 each depending on condition and how badly someone needs them.

That control is a 40 year old computer. There are a fair number of folks trying to keep them alive and a rapidly shrinking supply of good used parts.

The dynapath delta 20 is a more common control. It's old, but it was still more advanced than the Anilam. Dynapath still provides support for the delta 20 to some extent.

In the pic showing the tool holders; the one in your hand with the black nut is a quick change adapter. Is there anything stamped on it?

That's kinda what I was thinking...update the controls, sell the parts.
Tool Holders - Mfg. by Beaver Tool and Engineering Corp. Clare, Michigan. Also says "Beaver End Mill Holder" and a number designating the size. "1" or "5" etc.

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

Yes, vfd's do not put out power a cnc drive thinks is good.

Bad idea.

Thank You, I believe you are correct

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

Strongly agree with the part it out or sell it as-is crowd.
The Anilam is a fairly nice control to use as a toolroom type machine, not much else though.
But, the individual pieces of the control are valuable as there is absolutely no support for it and the boards are quickly becoming unobtanium in the wild.

To boot, from what I can see neither machine is all that easy to convert into manual mode.

Both machines have hand cranks but no markings

 

[SeymourDumore]

Both machines have hand cranks but no markings

If the Anilam boots up, then there is no need for markings as it reads the scale just fine.
I was more concerned with the quill or lack thereof.
At least on the Anilam machine, the head looks gutted.

 

[Well That Ain't Good]

If the Anilam boots up, then there is no need for markings as it reads the scale just fine.
I was more concerned with the quill or lack thereof.
At least on the Anilam machine, the head looks gutted.

Both machines seem to have all the parts and a set of tool holders. The Lagun machine has the Anilam controls, the DynaPath has the Delta 20 controls. The covers are off most of the controls and servo motors (and the quill cover). It appears someone was trying to fix one of the axis servo motors on both machines and that is also what I was told second hand. The Dynapath is the only machine I have tried to power and the controls for the most part were disconnected and did not power up. I will try to contact DynaPath tomorrow to get schematics and ? information then try to power with the controls on and most likely with a rotary phase converter.

 

[Rob F.]

Just a reminder to not connect the generated leg to "sensitive" electronics.

 

[13engines]

If I'm not mistaken, Dynapath is a control Manufacturer. The Delta 20 is there 2nd generation control after the 10M. They switched to CMOS type chips with the 20. I can't remember the significance of that other then I think they're more reliable, yet care needs to be taken handling them as static can blow them out.

So far you haven't been able to find another name on the machine?

The picture you showed of the tool holders is odd. The one looks like it has the nut of an Erickson Quick Change spindle attached to it, yet the nut typically never leaves the machine, only the tool does. That assembly should come apart, and maybe what you have there is a spare nut.The other does not look like an Erickson, and with the gurr marks I can see on it, perhaps someone tried to install it in the spindle and needed gurr mark producing measures to get it out. My experience with the Erickson was on a 2 axis CNC Tree knee mill. They were of a 40 NMTB type connection and not the one in your picture that looks like it would take a pull stud. The thing with the Erickson Quick Change is that the tool holders are made with a set distance or "Qualified" distance from the tapers' Gage Line to the lower face of the flange. That "Qualified" distance allows for the tool holders to lockup properly within the confines of the nut. No draw bar, threaded or otherwise, is needed. When you go looking for tool holders you would look for "Erickson Quick Change Qualified" holders. I swear I was also using 40 NMTB holders. Perhaps with a threaded draw bar and no nut. Was so long ago the details fail me.