1982 Matsuura MC-500v Retrofit

Hey @chopper79 thanks for the info, I am currently converting my Acromax MX16 which appears to be just a 4 axis Matsuura 500v, save a couple differences. 

Did you happen to post your config somewhere? I would love to see the tool change logic. 

Did you end up digging into the spindle resolver at all? I am toying with making an interface for it to spit out quadrature steps to my mesa board, but I’m open to simpler suggestions.

Last two I can’t confirm from the machine I’m ripping apart-
​​​​​​— is the spindle fan supposed to be on full whenever spindle is turning, or do you vary the speed of yours?
— is the way oiler supposed to be engaged / running whenever the machine is on, or do you periodically engage it?

thanks!

-Jack

Oh, one more- is there a switch or hall sensor or something to tell when the spindle lock pin has found it’s spot and the spindle has stopped, or do you just open the spindle lock pin valve and tell the vfd to rotate slowly until it stalls?

I am using a Huanyang vfd fwiw, primarily because the rs485 modbus impl in linuxcnc works so well, but open to suggestions for a “proper” vector drive. 7.5kw induction spindle up to 200hz.  

I have read what I could find about this conversion and could’t find anything but the last few lines in how you got the spindle motor to run?
l have a Matsuura, had it since 2007 and haven’t touched it much since, but I will get round to it one day! One if the things I tried was getting the spindle working, I tried a few VFD and they all errored just getting it rotating. Someone who worked for Matsuura suggested I stick the original drive back on or a different motor and a VFD, he had tried replacing the original yaskawa drives and hadn’t got a spindle to work.

I got overcurrent errors on mine trying to get it to spin till I went up to a 7.5kw vfd that can sustain 30+ amps until it’s up to speed.

Other than that there is nothing special about the spindle motor, just a regular boring three phase “squirrel cage” ac motor. Note that the voltage - speed relationship is nonlinear, so above 60hz you should ask your vfd to adjust the V output. See label on motor.