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Hot Rodding a TM-2

snowshooze

Hot Rolled
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Location
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Hi guys;
I love my 2009 TM-2, but because of it's speed limitations I haven't really put it into production...
Odd jobs and prototyping. Just too slow for production and fine finish work.
I started digging. Here's the stuff I have done to make it go, and it's made such a difference that I just have to share it.

The first thing I had to fix is it is just too dark, and always working under the head.
So I found this square panel LED on ebay about 8" square, doubly sticky taped it up under the head with a 3/4" angle frame and sika flex sealed it there.
That helped a lot, though it is tired now and I have to replace, I bought a box of the things, that one has to be 5 years old.

The next problem was coolant.
I tried using spray misters but you just cannot beat flood coolant. I looked at the Haas P-cool, but I just couldn't choke down the price. To do it over, I might, but I am pleased with mine.
Just a regular basement sump pump, wired an outlet and switch cable into the cabinet.
A plastic tote, into a 10" 5 micron filter, split into either a wash-down line or the spray head and valve out the spray to pressure up the wash down.

The switching I ran through a three position switch, on, of, or switched by the roller switch riding the plastic cam rail where it comes on about a foot off the table. Also a valve for the "alaways on" side I use in long tooling... and just valve it.

I had a nice little spray head there throwing a verticle fan... works good.

I guess the next thing I went after was the tool changing. I couldn't dredge up a 20 tool changer or even a 10 to hang on here, and I am just not ambitious enough to build one.
So, I made a caddy style changer, several others have done it too.
Then you just locate the holes and program tool changes .
I can access 8 or 9 positioned as shown, and with small parts, the table sacrifice is definately workable. I do suffer sticky holders when doing heavier roughing so I sometimes have to babysit it.

The next thing I did I guess was put a radio on this thing so I could broadcast programs to it without the floppy. You can see the little antenna there on the cabinet. I like it, and I have 3 machines on that Shoplink system.

The next thing was a whopper... I put the Haas wireless probe and tool-setter on there. That must have been 7 grand. But, I don't screw up my tool lengths or fixture offsets anymore, and it just saves so much time it is hard to believe. That comes with translation, rotation and scaling as I recall.
The OTS I put on a chunk of 1/2" x 2 1/2" angle and bolted it to the back right edge as far as I could reach, so it's off the table.
They are always in the way.

Oh, I also added Rigid tap. I don't know if that is a sub-part in Translation, Rotation and Scaling... but the Rigid tap option is wonderful.
And I set that tap retract to double or triple speed...
It just zooms.

Oh yes, the calculator glued to the pendant...always playing with numbers.

So... all that. Still slow. Painfully slow.

----Warning----
You have to be realistic. You can kill your machine if you aren't thoughtful in applying elevated feeds and speeds.

Now, here from an older thread is the spindle speed stuff. Go into settin 7, unlock it. e-stop the machine..
and here's the parameters:

Quote Originally Posted by Hdpg View Post
Here you are copied from another forum:

There are two parameters that you will need to change to increase your spindle speed:

131-MAX SPINDLE RPM

183-Sp MAX FREQ

(PAR 183= MAX SPINDLE SPEED / 3 * 10)

So for 6000 RPM:

131 = 6000
183 = 20000

And that does the spindle. you can quit right there and go back to setting 7 and lock it.. or continue.

In my case, I doubled my max RPM to 8,000 RPM.
6,000 proven good and fine. 8,000 requires care.

I don't expect to use it much, but there it is if I want it. Small chamfers, itty bitty mills and drills..
You won't have any torque.

Haas rates this spindle for 8,000 RPM, BUT NOTHING ELSE IS. It doesn't have the proper backing for this loading.

So, my Haas guy warned me, if you do, step up to 8,000 RPM in bites:
S4000 M03 P2000
s6000 P2000
s8000
Or you are going to be hammering things. It can eat your regen too when dumping off, so it might pay to step down as well.
But 6,000 is pretty much fair game. So, be aware.

And the last straw... the feeds and rapids.
Here is the bit on that
Your speed parameters will be x,8 y,22 znd z, 36 :

Prototyper ( Member )

I upped my spindle to 6K and rapids to 400 ipm about 3 years ago, and it works perfectly. As far as how, a very helpful gentlemen took the time to email me the step by step. Here is the text from that email:

First off, you really need to do both mods. Rapids are fabulous, but you
need the ability to turn carbide faster when necessary. These machines
don't make a lot of torque at high rpms, but they are great up to .5" cutter
diameter, so be prepared to learn to carve rather than hog. I do run at
6000 occasionally, but I frequently run between 4500 and 5500 with up to .5"
cutter on soft alloys and plastics. For the rpm mod, follow this
recipe...and remember to slowly let the machine ramp up over half a day or
so...bumping it up occasionally, before you run at higher rpms so that you
properly break in the bearings at that speed. The tm1-p is the same spindle
and runs at 6k, but there is the same break in process when it lands on your
floor. I usually start by hitting mdi, typing in 1000 and hitting spindle
cw button. Then every once in a while, increase spindle rpm by 10%.
Anyway, I have been running at these speeds for a few years with no problem,
so don't be afraid. Also, every day that you intend to let your spindle run
in the upper rpm's, remember to let the machine warm up properly and watch
your spindle load. Recipe for rpm is :

You first have to unlock the Parameters to do this.
1) Press Emergency stop
2) Press the SETNG/GRAPH key
3) Type 7 the push the down arrow
4) Use the Left or Right Arrow to change to off.
5) When off is shown press Write/Enter


Then follow these steps

1) Press Param/Dgnos
2) Enter 131
3) Press down Arrow
4) Change parameter 131 from 4000 to 6000 and press Writr/Enter
5) Enter 183
6) Press down arrow
7) Change parameter 183 from what it is to 20000, mine was 13333, and press
Write/Enter



Now that you know how to unlock and find parameters, this is the rapid mod :


Turn the parameter lock off and change the max speed for all three axis by
TWICE its current setting. The parameters are listed under 'X PARAM A', 'Y
PARAM A' and 'Z PARAM A'. The factory setting for each axis was 462394 which
equals 5.1 meters/minute. Change them to 924788 and that will equal 10.2
meters/minute. 10.2 meters times 39.37 inches/meter equals 401.574 inches
per minute. Piter also changed the acceleration two fold, and while that
might make the machine a little faster, my thoughts were that it would be an
unnecessary amount of extra force on the thrust bearings that wouldn't be
worth the extra second or two it saved per cycle. I left the acceleration at
3000000. This mod was extremely simple and to me just as important as the
max rpm mod. Just remember to back the rapid down when testing a new
program.....I generally use 25% when trying out a new one. You will LOVE
your new tool change speed. Feel free to ask anything else.

This was the killing blow.
I didn't double my feeds, I tripled them.
I haven't played with accelleration yet.
600 IPM.. and it works it's way to the rapids. No other parameters to play with.

The machine home in 15 seconds at startup, too.
My Haas guy had no problems with this setting..
UNLESS YOU LOAD THE TABLE.
In that case, go to your 25% rapid setting and you will be just fine.

A better way is to start with a better machine, right?
Well, I bought the thing for a song and resurrected it, and couldn't afford a bigger maching at the time.
And I still love the thing.
But now.. it is just so much better.

I used all the pictures I could.
If you want to see the others.. I'll send them.

And Guys, you all have helped me so many times, I hope this helps someone out.
Mark
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if you have a tool changer, look at the delay settings!!
it sits there beeping for 5 seconds then moves, NO WAY! drop that to zero and it moves right away, I left mine at 5ms and it still beeps, but while it is moving
I doubled the rapid Z and acceleration Z. way faster tool change and drill pecking.
on heavy z action jobs the servo stays nice and cool, no issues after 4 years.

400ipm and 6000rpm is a must, why would anyone not do this!
 
if you have a tool changer, look at the delay settings!!
it sits there beeping for 5 seconds then moves, NO WAY! drop that to zero and it moves right away, I left mine at 5ms and it still beeps, but while it is moving
I doubled the rapid Z and acceleration Z. way faster tool change and drill pecking.
on heavy z action jobs the servo stays nice and cool, no issues after 4 years.

400ipm and 6000rpm is a must, why would anyone not do this!

Yep, and I tried 400 ipm, and went on to 600.
It's fast enough to be realistic, but still safe with an open machine.
Thanks for your contributions!
But tell me, do you see much difference due to acceleration?
I left mine thinking the slow ramp may be just fine for elevated rapids.
 
Yep, and I tried 400 ipm, and went on to 600.
It's fast enough to be realistic, but still safe with an open machine.
Thanks for your contributions!
But tell me, do you see much difference due to acceleration?
I left mine thinking the slow ramp may be just fine for elevated rapids.

the acceleration made a huge diff.
I only did it on the Z axis. its weight never fluctuates. with x/y I never know what's gonna get bolted to the table, so I only did rapids

peck drilling will never be the same once you change it!

I also made a wooden enclosure. plywood and some super industrial epoxy paint. has not leaked a drop in 2.5 years and only needed 6 holes in the lower splash guard lip. this machine was terrible without the enclosure.

oh, and i flipped the cooling fan on the top of the z axis. it drew air from near the spindle over all of the wires/motor to cool it, and coolant mist was deposited all over the motor/cables. flipping it keeps it nice and clean :)

Oh, and a usb drive replaced the floppy.

ive had so much fun with this machine, im actually a little sad, its gonna be up for sale right away as I got a vf2 now (what a bitch getting that in a garage)

im a big fan of the TM mills and would never hesitate to jump on another one if the price was right (and my space was bigger)
 
(PAR 183= MAX SPINDLE SPEED / 3 * 10)

Hi, where did you find or how did you figure out this "formula"?: (PAR 183= MAX SPINDLE SPEED / 3 * 10)??
Long story short, I have an old VF3 with lost parameters, after "restore" parameters most of the issues with the machine got fixed but there is something not quite right with the spindle motor as it make some weird noises.

With the new parameters I had PAR 183= 20,000 , but the commanded speed vs the actual speed was always 33%lower (ei. S1500 was actually 1125). So I changed PAR 183= 26,667 , issue solved commanded speed now meets actual speed +-2rpms. But still weird noises.

Now, my concern is that the machine is rated 10k RPMs, and following your "formula" PAR183 should be 33,333. But if I change it, the actual speed vs commanded speed is 25% greater (ei. S1500 is actually 1875).

What Im trying to figure out is that maybe I still have another spindle parameter that needs to be adjusted in order to works properly
 








 
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