Hello All,
things are slowly getting serious. I have reduced the size of the machine’s rear panel, repainted it, and mounted it again. I also cleaned up the wiring and repaired a few things, including the rotary window and the external fan of the spindle servo. In addition, I have started building the control cabinet and some parts are already wired.
Current hardware setup: a Beckhoff AX5125 for the spindle servo. I am still struggling a bit with TwinCAT and the parameterization. Beckhoff EL1100 via EtherCAT, various I O modules. some encoder modules, and the drives for X and Y are still missing. Some of the I O is already working and I am starting to like EtherCAT a lot. :)For the gearbox shifting with ratios 4:1 and 1:1 and for lubrication I have already found some very good examples and I think I can handle that.
With other topics I am still a bit unsure and would appreciate some advice. Any links to documentation or things to read and learn would be very helpful.
First, spindle and C axis. What is currently the best way to approach this? I have already found a lot of information on the topic, but the solutions are sometimes very different and often seem not fully resolved. Are there any proven approaches or experiences you can share?
Second, the machine has a Multifix tool holder at the front, meaning a standard front tool setup with manual tool changes. I plan to install a tool turret at the rear, meaning a back tool automatic tool changer, which should be relatively easy to integrate using a carousel. Is mixed operation even possible? From a purely mechanical point of view there is nothing preventing this. For example, doing some operations with tools from the turret and others with the Multifix. Can LinuxCNC handle this so that some tool changes are automatic and machining continues, while for others it moves to a manual tool change position and prompts the user to insert the correct holder? Visualization is also an issue. As far as I can tell, it is not possible to switch between front and back tools or use both at the same time in the display.
To make things more complex, I am planning to mount the turret on a kind of quick change plate so that it can be parked very quickly in the rear right area of the machine. This is necessary to machine large workpieces with a steady rest using only the Multifix. I would like to disconnect the turret using a Harting connector. Is it possible to tell the machine via an input pin that no turret is installed so that the machine operates in front tool mode and does not attempt to use the ATC ? I would find it a shame if I had to treat this as two separate machines and could only use one type of tooling at a time.
Thank you very much for your feedback.
Greetings
Tom
