What can you tell me about the starmill / triac machines?

[jimbob]

Im looking at getting a Denford either a Starmill or a triac

so....Just like it says on the box, what can you tell me?

I have acces to a cad/cam package and i can write post processors,

what kind of code am i looking at? fanuc? Denfords own?

James

[Triac whizz]

G-code

mostly based around Fanuc I believe. If you find a Triac with a Fanuc controller, then Fanuc obviously!

Get one and see what codes it supports and go from there....

I've never seen a starmill - did they actually make any? Favourite is the Triac - bigger work area. If you pick one up with the old PNC3 controller be prepared to retrofit.

[jimbob]

what would be involved in a retrofit?

James

[Triac whizz]

Mach 3.. a breakout board, apparently there's a bit you can make to use the original steppers so that saves some money. (Somebody on this forum, whose name escapes me). If the mill has spindle control then you'll need a spindle control card, coolant - another card with relays...oh a dedicated computer with XP. Tool change, not done it myself but I reckon it can be done

https://www.campbelldesigns.com/
https://www.cnc4pc.com/
https://www.artofcnc.ca/Vendors.html
https://www.machsupport.com/
https://www.homanndesigns.com/

there's a few to get you started there are of course others...

Sounds complicated but if you're prepared to read and do your PhD in retrofitting very litle comprehension of electronics is required, apart from remembering that they're powered by smoke. Well mine never work after I've let it out

have a read and ask questions later

[davidimurray]

Hi

Earlier Triacs use a slightly non-standard German DIN G-code system. It's pretty similar but some of the G-codes are swapped around. If your using CAM software you will need to adapt a post processor to suit. Another quirk of these earlier machines is that you have a feedrate in x and Y and a seperate feedrate in Z.

You can reuse the old steper drives - see the interface circuit I've posted over on the starturn thread. However I would advise that you check the motor ratings. I'm pretty sure that the motors are rated higher than the original drivers can handle. Fitting new drivers would allow you to further improve the performance of a great machine! Also, you will probably find that the Z axis stepper driver looks identical, but is actually a different one to the x and Y.

Cheers

Dave

[Denford Admin]

I also believe the North East controllers would require arcs to be programmed in single Quadrants (eg, it wont allow a CCW arc from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock as a single move)

I know this because we had to change QuickCAM 2D Design to allow this facility in the post processor.

[davidimurray]

Yup - spot on there Andy - had exactly the same problem when writing a post processor !