Author Topic: Storebro Combi-Mill CNC. (Read 24736 times)

NeoTech · « **on:** March 11, 2016, 08:19:41 AM »

So i have went out of my way to get my dirty hands on a CNC machine. This piece of kit ended up outside my house today. It's a 1991 , Storebro Combi-Mill, that is running Siemens Sinumerik 810M GA2 - its not the newest system, and i will need to find me someone that can help me get going. I was first thinking of converting this to LinuxCNC, but this control system is new enough so i think it can handle some intricate 2.5D at least.

It can do 3 axis interpolation and have ridgid tapping built in.. so its promising. I fi would wanna go 4 axis tho, i would need to change it out to a LinuxCNC - this mean tho my gear for the polymerconcrete machine is still intact. and this will help me build the parts for that bigger machine. (yeah i like machines).

I anyone have experience with this control system or know how to dripfeed it from a PC.. please post here or send me a message. =)

RotarySMP · « **Reply #1 on:** March 11, 2016, 01:21:32 PM »

Nice sized Machine NeoTech
Mark

hanermo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 11, 2016, 04:00:51 PM »

Cool base machine.
Storebro is well regarded.

RobWilson · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2016, 02:00:21 AM »

Pile of scrap mate ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,send it to me for disposal

Aciera up for sale now ?

Rob

NeoTech · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2016, 02:15:31 AM »

Yeah the Aciera will be up for sale. There is alot of stuff to it tho. And the biggest hassle will be getting it out with a 1500kg cnc in the way

I shall get back with photos of my shop that has become a bit.. crowded.. just a bit...

I got it started yesterday as welll tho, and i'm a bit confused now. The machines saids -91, the manual says one system, the screen saids a system from a -95-98 machine (GA3 version) and some damned overheating circuit is kicking in directly when it starts.. so something is up..

NeoTech · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2016, 01:57:57 PM »

So i found the.. ehm.. battery holder..
I don't think the battery has been changed in.. well say 8 years.. holy hell..

So well that took care of the overheating error.. but well. the buttons still don't work as intended.. all the settings for the machine is gone.. And well the manual is not the correct one for the machine. The manufacturer has gone under so many times it's just stupid. No documentation can be found basicly..

Well.. and buttons don't do what they are supposed too..

So.. ripping the sinumerik out of it and do a linuxcnc ??

awemawson · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2016, 02:24:22 PM »

Intense googling should show up other users of similar machines from whom you could source the lost parameters. Incidentally diligently search every bit of the machine - it's not unknown for parameter lists to be stuck in odd places. Originally there would have been a copy in a pocket in the machine cabinet - probably on the rear door.

There is a chap in this thread who has one:

http://www.elektronikforumet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=45172

philf · « **Reply #7 on:** March 14, 2016, 02:45:45 PM »

NeoTech,

Have you seen the manual for SINUMERIK 810, GA2

https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/attachments/21899834/341_810_GA2_Installation_Lists.pdf

Phil.

NeoTech · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2016, 03:36:57 PM »

Ah yeah i'm a avid user and member of elektronikforumet. There is several of us having combi mills. thats why i choose it.

But some history. The Combi Mill is actually a manual mill that was bought in bulk from a small company that made CNC machines out of them from readily available control systems for the market at the time they were ordered. So every machine that rolled out is numbered. Because every machine is different. And i have had contact with the elder gentleman that originally made my machine back in -95. And he have told me that without the original manual (that i dont have, i have a manual from a different machine). There would be no way to reproduce the settings for my specific machine.
The company that made the base machine has gone belly up like 6 times over the last 40 years and so has the cnc converter business. =)

Because everything needs to be entered, down to the parameters for the servo drives and motors. And they differ from machine to machine.

I'm actually considering stripping the machine from this control system and sell the parts off. And get something else or just the easiest route would be LinuxCNC. =)

awemawson · « **Reply #9 on:** March 14, 2016, 04:21:23 PM »

You give in too easily man - a bit of grit and determination and if you have the will you will succeed

If it was originally commissioned by a human being and didn't just arrive fully working from outer space, it can AGAIN be commissioned - persistence tracking down data from the components it's assembled from - I fought a similar battle getting my Traub up and running

Presumably it's got 3 servo systems with associated drivers and encoders, fed by a controller that is well documented. It obviously is basically 'together' as you have sensible displays on the screen. Given the reference that Phil posted, start by putting in 'standard values' and see what happens.

NeoTech · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2016, 05:42:12 PM »

Well if you see my video clip, there you will see that the MPG panel isnt working properly. Buttons isnt conjuring up what it should. So step 1, find and replace the MPG module so it doesnt change ascii output on every reboot. So one could actually enter something into it. =)

awemawson · « **Reply #11 on:** March 14, 2016, 05:46:41 PM »

We CAN'T watch your video as it says watching has been blocked by the video owner - which is presumably YOU

philf · « **Reply #12 on:** March 14, 2016, 06:00:47 PM »

Quote from: awemawson on March 14, 2016, 05:46:41 PM

We CAN'T watch your video as it says watching has been blocked by the video owner - which is presumably YOU

Andrew,

Just click on YouTube at the bottom and it will open the video in a YouTube window.

Phil.

awemawson · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2016, 06:02:51 PM »

Have you found this:

https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/259/21906259/att_54362/v1/356_810_820_GA2_PLC_Programming.pdf

and this:

https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/533/21904533/att_26836/v1/347_810_GA2_Interface_Part_1_Signals.pdf

and this:

http://www2.i-logic.com/manuals/SINUMERIK_810M_Oper_and_Program.pdf

The web seems awash with information, and shortage of information is always the biggest hurdle with these things

NeoTech · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2016, 03:56:46 AM »

Quote from: awemawson on March 14, 2016, 05:46:41 PM

We CAN'T watch your video as it says watching has been blocked by the video owner - which is presumably YOU

Oh sorry its by default no embedding on my profile. *clicked* so fixed. =)

NeoTech · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2016, 03:58:08 AM »

Quote from: awemawson on March 14, 2016, 06:02:51 PM

Have you found this:

https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/259/21906259/att_54362/v1/356_810_820_GA2_PLC_Programming.pdf

and this:

https://cache.industry.siemens.com/dl/files/533/21904533/att_26836/v1/347_810_GA2_Interface_Part_1_Signals.pdf

and this:

http://www2.i-logic.com/manuals/SINUMERIK_810M_Oper_and_Program.pdf

The web seems awash with information, and shortage of information is always the biggest hurdle with these things

Yeah i have found, and printed most of those. The biggest issue is to get hold of the DC motor driver and servo parameters. And being able to punch the data back into the system atm. If i can get around that the panel has gone awol - it should be fixable. =)

awemawson · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2016, 04:17:02 AM »

Before you changed the batteries it was saying it had an over heat issue. This went away when you changed them.

Did you leave the power ON as you changed the batteries? They are retaining RAM memory, and even if down to a few hundred millivolts probably were just clinging on. Usually the batteries have a diode between them and the power rail that they are backing up, so if flat shouldn't affect what is happening. Always change such batteries with the power on.

Obviously the cpu in the controller (80186 I think?) is running, as it goes through a test sequence and is displaying sensible text. There is probably some form of boot loader to allow you to re-enter basic parameters, but it may need switches setting on the CPU card

NeoTech · « **Reply #17 on:** March 16, 2016, 01:46:27 PM »

yeah they went away after swapping batteries, and yes i let it run while i swapped em out.. but they looked, horrible and grimey.. they were long long dead. =)

NeoTech · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2016, 05:16:31 PM »

Iiiits alive.. well i found the original builder of the machine and he has the backups of every machine he ever built.. Because its aretrofit, the "standard" settings for a 820M system will not work.

But well he went bonkers on it and flashed it back to original, and unlocked extra buffer space, so now i have 128kb internal memory where 10kb is dedicated to dripfeed. Now i just need to find a post processor for 810/820M that works with hsmworks (whats included in Fusion 360).

And make me a communication cable.. And i still have the option to run it on LinuxCNC if it comes down to it, but im gonna give the origianl stuff a go at least.

awemawson · « **Reply #19 on:** March 19, 2016, 05:36:00 PM »

Good news

Persistence usually pays off.

millwright · « **Reply #20 on:** March 19, 2016, 05:43:38 PM »

Well done, Perseverence pays off in the end, And Andrew seems to be the master of perseverence, surely it had to work with him urging you on

John

philf · « **Reply #21 on:** March 19, 2016, 05:51:58 PM »

Great news NeoTech.

Have you got an image (& instructions) so you could restore it again - just in case?

Phil.

NeoTech · « **Reply #22 on:** March 20, 2016, 08:35:30 AM »

No at the moment i haven't even got a proper serial cable or computer that can talk to it.. So need to get me some USB "UART" emulator. i tried with one of those RS232 in a cable thingys.. But they dont have RTS/CTS - so it will not work with the flow control in the machine.. bummer.. So at it again looking for a FL232RL based FTDI chipset. I found something on sparkfun that will maybe work, but not sure yet. Gonna need to source it from sweden so i can return if its a dud. *cheapskate*

Anyway; image of my now continiously shrinking workshop can be found here. http://www.roughedge.se/blogg/2016/03/20/making-space-getting-the-mill-in-place/

awemawson · « **Reply #23 on:** March 20, 2016, 10:06:38 AM »

That's not too bad, there's quite a bit of floor still visible

Would an old Panasonic Toughbook be any use to you? It has RS232. I retired one a while back - I used to use it to drip feed the CNC machines but now I have all the cables hard wired back to the workshop desk top. It's the rugged variety used by the various utiites for testing and field logging. I think it's running Vista

Yours for the postage.

NeoTech · « **Reply #24 on:** March 20, 2016, 02:11:32 PM »

That could actually work pretty well. Running vista means it can run something newer as well.

I will PM you an adress, and you could check shipping? =)

News:

Author Topic: Storebro Combi-Mill CNC. (Read 24736 times)

RobWilson