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Tinine
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Joined: 30/03/2016
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Posted: 07:10pm 11 Jul 2019

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CNC TUBE BENDER

Just got it cycling so it's running without material right now.

Grogster

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Posted: 10:32pm 11 Jul 2019

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That's a hell of a first project!

Nice work!

If you get time, show us more about how you interfaced the E100 to the controller for the CNC machine.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Geoffg

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Posted: 02:07am 12 Jul 2019

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It looks like an awesome project but tell us more about the Micromite's role in it.

It is great to see projects like this where the Micromite is put to work to solve a real life problem. It helps to inspire us all.

Geoff

Geoff Graham - http://geoffg.net

Tinine
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Posted: 06:34am 12 Jul 2019

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Grogster said

If you get time, show us more about how you interfaced the E100 to the controller for the CNC machine.

...That's just it... The E100 just became the CNC controller.

Of course, can't handle the deterministic stuff like closing the PID loops, reading encoders, etc., so I have a single 8-bit PIC handling each axis for this. These PICs are coordinated by the E100 over a full duplex 422/485 bus. I have address space for up to 255 axes but a standard 422/485 is only good for 32 devices.

More info to follow.

Tinine
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Posted: 10:22am 12 Jul 2019

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Prototype ALERT!

Board images

ALL boards are on my neodymium magnetic standoffs...so if they are skewed, they can easily be adjusted, come tidy-up time

There are 3 of the white Perma-Proto boards, featuring:

LTC491 transceiver(s) for the RS422/485

PIC Microcontroller with hardware QEI (quadrature encoder interface) to handle motion

MC3486; RS422 receiver: These industrial encoders feature line-driver outputs for noise immunity (A,-A,B,-B,I,-I). The outputs of the MC3486, feed the ChA,ChB and Index inputs of the PIC.

The AC servo-drives require a +/-10v motor command and so the LM358 op-amp filters the anti-phase PWM to generate this analogue signal (50% duty cycle = 0v).

The IRT(Swiss) brand servo drives were configured in "velocity mode" which means that the analogue signal represents a speed command...I converted them to "torque mode" which means that the analogue signal now becomes a current command. This means that the full PID is handled by my PIC device and I have way more control over the axes.

Performance is rock-solid and MM BASIC is a dream-solution for machine control. Developing and debugging with this interpreted language is absolute child's play.

The machine sequence looks pretty straight forward but there is a lot going on to prevent/predict collisions. Operator-safety is paramount, also; the machine shuts down,immediately, should any personnel get too close and, unlike the original controller, this one fully recovers from a shut-down, without losing a valuable workpiece.

Admittedly, I was intially concerned about MM BASIC's execution speed but, heck, even with constantly writing/reading the serial comms (230KBAUD)and looping through my (ON GOSUB) state-machine logic, I am under 10ms. Axis safety is handled by the slave PICs @ 512us which is the PID servo-loop rate.

The E100 is the master controller but it receives part-shape data from an Android app, via Bluetooth.Edited by Tinine 2019-07-13

KeepIS

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Posted: 12:25am 13 Jul 2019

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Quote Tinine Performance is rock-solid and MM BASIC is a dream-solution for machine control. Developing and debugging with this interpreted language is absolute child's play.

Really great prototyping layout and project work, design and implementation. I could not agree more about the ease of interface control and quick programming afforded when using MM BASIC. BTW Great photos and video.

NANO Inverter: Full download - Only Hex Ver 8.1Ks

Grogster

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Posted: 06:44am 13 Jul 2019

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Tinine said ALL boards are on my neodymium magnetic standoffs...so if they are skewed, they can easily be adjusted, come tidy-up time[/Quote]

Yes, that is a fine idea, and I will have to perhaps start using that myself as it makes systems easy to pull apart, yet still be very solid when stuck to the plate.

[Quote=Tinine]Performance is rock-solid and MM BASIC is a dream-solution for machine control. Developing and debugging with this interpreted language is absolute child's play.[/Quote]

I'm sure that Geoff and Peter will be pleased to read that.

As indeed, am I. The MM is my go-to controller for pretty much anything embedded these days.

Very nice photos, and neat prototype board layouts. "Nice one, my son!"

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

Tinine
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Posted: 08:25am 13 Jul 2019

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Thanks for the compliments, guys but the proto-boards ain't stayin' ..... They're only to verify feasibility....I will be emailing you, in the near future, Graeme

I forgot to mention the power supply in the bottom-right picture...This is the first time that I have tried this approach. It is one of those "mini ATX"(?) units that take a range of DC input voltages (I'm feeding it 24v DC) and provides everything I need:

5v,3.3v,+12v,-12v

Pretty impressed, thus far

Grogster

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Posted: 08:30am 13 Jul 2019

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...as am I.

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

CaptainBoing

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Posted: 09:30am 13 Jul 2019

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lovely - got any vids of it in action?

Tinine
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Posted: 09:41am 13 Jul 2019

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CaptainBoing said lovely - got any vids of it in action?

The link, in the first post, Cap'n

lizby
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Posted: 11:51am 13 Jul 2019

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Tinine said

CaptainBoing said lovely - got any vids of it in action?

The link, in the first post, Cap'n

The first several times I tried that link, I got only the spinny thing. Just now it worked.

Fabulous work. Congratulations.

PicoMite, Armmite F4, SensorKits, MMBasic Hardware, Games, etc. on fruitoftheshed

Tinine
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Posted: 12:40pm 13 Jul 2019

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lizby said

Tinine said

CaptainBoing said lovely - got any vids of it in action?

The link, in the first post, Cap'n

The first several times I tried that link, I got only the spinny thing. Just now it worked.

Fabulous work. Congratulations.

Many thanks but 100% credit to Geoff, Pete, Jim, Graeme and Phil for making this possible for me. I am merely demonstrating some of the possibilities.

I have many hundreds of CNC Tube Bender controls, throughout the world but I have always used megabuck controllers that are not ideally suited. This is a limitless market for me but I need a simplified hardware solution that my clients can self-install. I am on with my 2nd installation in OZ but have never been there. The client installs the hardware and I then hook-up from the UK, via TeamViewer, to debug and calibrate the servo drives. Never had a problem with Aussie and US sparkies but here in the UK, they don't seem to want to get involved.

So I aim to strip this down to the bare minimum and make it as simple as possible (hence magnetic fasteners) to get more sparkies comfortable with the idea.
HMI is a simple Android app; all that needs to happen is install the app and pair the Bluetooth and we're up and running.

CaptainBoing

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Posted: 06:35pm 13 Jul 2019

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Tinine said

CaptainBoing said lovely - got any vids of it in action?

The link, in the first post, Cap'n

Oh arrrr!... I thought it a collection of stills but I now see the play gadget in the top corner.

That is some stunning work - a real man's project

what is it bending? bespoke Exhausts, furniture frames?Edited by CaptainBoing 2019-07-15

Tinine
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Posted: 07:06pm 13 Jul 2019

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CaptainBoing said
what is it bending? bespoke Exhausts, furniture frames?

I don't know if you noticed that my seat, in front of the small desk...is a freaking oil drum?

This is the client

CaptainBoing

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Posted: 12:19am 14 Jul 2019

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ah, it's always the cobblers children that have no shoes

SimpleSafeName

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Posted: 12:09am 26 Aug 2019

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Ah, that brings back memories. I worked for Goodman and we had these things everywhere for bending the tubes for the condenser and evaporator coils. :)

And they were in desperate need for upgrading (some of them had been in the plant since the 60's and 70's).

I do like your prototype board (although obviously you can't leave it in there). Very neat and tidy. :)

Tinine
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Posted: 04:54pm 26 Aug 2019

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SimpleSafeName said Ah, that brings back memories. I worked for Goodman and we had these things everywhere for bending the tubes for the condenser and evaporator coils. :)

And they were in desperate need for upgrading (some of them had been in the plant since the 60's and 70's).

I do like your prototype board (although obviously you can't leave it in there). Very neat and tidy. :)

Many thanks....
Still trying to finalise my plans for the production boards and hoping one of our esteemed forum members will take care of the designs for me.

The machine is now in full production....I had a good laugh when it came to run-off though. Although the machine is able to produce 3D parts, they only wanted a simple 3-bend, 2D part. To prove the consistency of the bender, they decided to cut a tight tolerance template out of thick plate on their megabuck Trumpf laser machine. This thing is only 3 years old...Industrial Windows front end, talking to a Siemens CNC. OMG, the darned thing kept freezing, during programming and they had to keep resorting to the "Microsoft Reset".
When I expressed my disdain and asked why they don't get Trumpf to fix it, they told me that Trumpf said it was normal...."happens everywhere"!!!!!

Took 4 hours to get my darned template.

My own development was from scratch and the only time I killed power was to stuff the wiring back in the ducting

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