Retrofitting a 1986 Maho MH400E

Thanks J,Sorry, I have been using analysis paralysis to (so far successfully) procrastinate on that task.

Life got in the way for the last month, so I haven't been working on the MAHO, other than a couple of minor tasks like drilling the face sheet for mounting the button plates. Not sure what grade of stainless that face sheet it, but it was a real bitch to drill. Slightly too slow ->> instant work hardening, followed by broken drill, slightly too fast -->nasty break through, accompanied by broken drill.

I undercoated all the control panel parts last, weekend, so they should be dry enough in the cold basement for some more paint this weekend.

I really need to get a moving dolly designed and made up to move the whole thig from the garage through in the machine shop, as then I will also pull off the main control cabinet and cross slide, to get through the door, which will also expose the Z glass scale encoder, which hasn't given any signs of life.

Mark

Been reading your thread from #1-#32 again as it's cold here too. An I am a wimp. Was wondering what a "432/10 manual"is? Is
this one of those does not exist for the public Phillips manuals or is it a MAHO manual? Also, what other manuals and or documentation are you looking/wishing for? All I have is limited stuff for the MH600E & E2. The E2 uses brush-less servo motors,even on the spindle motor.
As to future using a VFD on spindle drive,is there any consideration being given for the earlier DC motor drive ? I have seen
earlier MAHOs with the DC spindle motors and side mounted blower motor. I have never been able to look at what their DC
control amounts too. Just wondering what a compare-contrast-cost of a used DC drive system veers 380volt VFD system might be?
I wrote 380volt as us heathens are only permitted to have 220volt single phase.
Noticed on my spare Heidenhain LS403 scale it has a zero pulse label at each end. I don't know but wonder if those scales could
or would work with a later model read head. The prices of used scales for a MAHO seem very high to me.
Drimaropoylos noted his MAHO vertical spindle quill being stuck. I had to remove the (vertical head left side) quill lock device
and poured a rust freeing liquid in there and also replaced the spindle drive tangs with a steel bar to finally get the quill to
free up. The quill uses a Hecker Werke rod scraper ABR1 series for a seal. Parts list also notes a Brusk O-ring used with the seal.
As to the workshop door--- my vote is for jack hammering the wall out for a double door . One never knows if a Fehlmann a
Hermle or some other desperate machine might be looking for a nice safe home. Summertime the good behavior machines can be walked out to bask in the sunshine-- smell the roses ! Are you glad I am not your neighbour---

Thanks. 432/10 is the version of the Phillips controller. A Phillips 432 version 10 (Version 9 had a much simpler keyboard). Since I couldn't get any docs for it, I pulled the Phillips, and am no longer looking for it.

My X and Y LS-403's only have index pulses at one end. Havn't had any sign of live from the Z scale yet.

I hadn't heard of MAHO E models with DC main spindle drives. I thought the "E" model MAHO's use three phase spindle drives. The basic "E" with relays to switch the motor, and the 18 speed gearbox for RPM control, an the E2's with fewer gearbox ratios and a VFD.

Mind has the 380VAC three phase spindle motor, with relays to reduce it's starting inrush by starting in Star, and then switching to delta.

I was surprised to find out that the MAHO is a 110VAC machine, except of the spindle drive. Strange for a European manufacturer. At my house I have Two 380 three phase services in from the pillar box at the property boundary, with one splitting to two residual current CS's and then 16A normal CB's. So my basement is on a different circuit to the kitch en oven. Over here even apartments have a three phase supply, for the oven.

Last spring I ripped out and replaced the basement stairwell ( about 5 ton of reinforced concrete), because it was so badly done it was dangerous. No two steps the same run and rise. Worst being 6 inch run 10,5 inch rise. At that time I did consider reinforcing the garage to machine shop doorway with an I beam and widening it, but decided against it. The Boley lathe and Do-all band saw are already in through that door, and half disassembling the Maho should be be way easier than attacking that 14' thick concrete/ cinder block wall.

I get a few weird looks from the neighbors when I crank up the furnace to do castings in the back yard, but luckily the closest neighbors are a retired shop teacher, and another guy who constantly makes furniture in his back yard (he makes more noise than me). They are pretty tolerant.

Last week I was skiing with the kids, but was in the basement this week fixing one of my guitar effects, and think I really need to put on a thicker pullover and get back into the MAHO.
Mark

I finally pulled the Y axis glass scale encoder (Heidenhain LS-403) and cleaned it today. Thanks to J Green for the instructions .


I used digital camera sensor cleaners to clean the scales and the sensor head.


Pretty cool how MAHO built the LS-403 with a temperature compensating mount system.




The only rigid mount, perpendicular to the axis travel is the front block. The two at each end of the glass scale are flextures, which are soft in that direction, so the glass scale will detect Y axis (gearbox housing) growth, and the control will compensate.

Tomorrow I need to realign the scale, and sensing head.


Mark

"432/10 is the version of the Phillips controller." Ok,the 10 series used a later computer processor and I think that MAHO could
then offer more graphic features plus a probe plus greater amount of canned cycles for some of their machine options. I would be
very surprised if a Linux conversion could not do as well as or better then that 10 series controller did. To me it would be very
useful to see a real compare an contrast of testing machine performance using the series 10 or 9 control veers a LinuxCNC control.
Of particular interest would be the current LinuxCNC look ahead / trajectory planner affect veers what ever the series 10 or 9
equivalent is/ was. Think the 8080 was -9 version an the 386 was used in -10 version . But what do I know.

"My X and Y LS-403's only have index pulses at one end." Thanks for jogging my memory. The scales mounted on my machines also only have one end label ( RM ) and it is the spare scale that has a ( zero pulse label ) at both ends. Have read somewhere people
commenting about their scale having the index mark painted over on the glass at one end. When the paint was removed the scale then had two index marks. My thinking was two index marks could help prevent axis over travel train wrecks at both axis ends .
Thus not counting on just the micro-switch at one end of axis travel. Hope your Z scale problem is only a poor solder connection.
But if you do scale surgery, please take lots of photo's. If the read head is removed, might consider powering it to see if the
( I think they are bulbs not LEDs ) light source is OK.

The DC main spindle drives-- The Maho ??400? machine that I saw might have been the model that was between the manual only and their early CNC machines. I do remember it"s spindle motor having a very large air blower on one end. Have seen I-net MHAO photos with various model machines having a large blower arrangement at one end of their spindle motors.
Mark ,thank you for documenting your conversion. It is very useful for present and future gear shift machine conversions.

Just in case someone is looking for more information. That's what the DC-drive on a MH300C looks like.
It is controlled by an Indramat TRK 6-4U.
I have the manual if needed. I also have Maho programming manuals for 432/9 and 432/10. It is a bit weird, Maho speaks of Software 6053/302 and version 600/700 respectively, the latter one showing the more complex keyboard known from the 432/10. Anyhow mine only has the the smaller keyboard.