Hi Nick,
I think you will be very lucky to find a wiring diagram. I think the control voltage will be 220 volts DC as the two cylindrical things on the top right are probably electrolytic capacitors. Their voltage rating will give a clue to the control voltage. I agree with your assumption that 4 of the stud mounted diodes form a bridge. (I do not know what the 5th one does.) I think the pins on the right hand pair of diodes is the negative of the DC output and the studs of the left hand pair are linked together and are the positive DC. I think the studs of the right hand two diodes will go to either side of the transformer that provides about 200 volts AC. One may go to the transformer via the burnt out resistor. Are these components mounted on a sub panel above the main panel and can this panel be unscrewed and lifted away to see the back of it ? I assume that as you give your location as Cheshire that the machine is also in the Cheshire. If so which area of Cheshire ?

Les.

The failed resistor could be a series resistor to a bridge rectifier which would limit the switch on peak current. If one of the diodes has shorted or a contactor coil has gone low resistance then a series resistor could overheat and then go open. Compairing the contactor coil resistances would show a low resistance coil. The seperate diodes can also be checked with an ohmmeter.

Any half decent electronics engineer should be quickly able to sort out what has happened without a diagram once you can see the back of the board and look at all of the components closely. It is also possible that the resistor has died of old age and slight overdissipation over 40 years on our high mains voltage.

Billy.

Regarding the wire wound resistor, it may be possible to connect the two broken ends together then measure the resistance with an ohmmeter to establish some idea of its original value, then obtain a replacement from RS or Farnell. As stated, it maybe some sort of soft start resistor in series with the transformer input to limit the initial inrush current to the diodes. The two large capacitors would initially, for a brief moment in time, take very large charging current. That inrush current could blow the rectifier diodes unless limited, it does happen.. Also have you contact the manufacturer or even the Polish commercial section of their Embassy in UK. I once did (not Polish Embassy) and was pleasantly surprised by the reply, very helpful. Ted

Although £85 seems a lot for a manual if it is the correct one then, from a commercial perspective, its worth it to make fixing a simple read value, purchase and solder in job. Unless the half decent, or even whole decent, electronics / electrical engineer hired to do the job has reasonable degree of familiarity with the circuits likely to be used fair rate labor and call out charges could easily burn up rather more than £85 and that's only the one thing fixed. On a machine of that age other issues must be expected in due course so having the manual "should" make for relatively economical repairs as compared to starting from scratch again.

In my experience all but the most basic machine tool electrical set-ups have their own idiosyncrasies, which probably seemed a good idea at the time to the design team, but are guaranteed to reduce the uninitiated to inelegant commentary until the penny drops.

Clive

Hi Nick,
As you can see from my profile I am only about 20 – 25 miles away so If you have no success yourself I could come to give you a hand. I agree with John that the diodes should be tested as they tend to fail short circuit. If our combined guess is correct that the resistor is between the transformer and the diode bridge then a short circuit diode is a possible cause. Another cause could be one of the capacitors going very leaky or short circuit. I agree with Clive that the manual might be a good investment but I don't agree with just buying a new resistor and replacing it without finding out what the real cause of the fault is. If I am correct that these components are mounted an a panel above the main panel then tracing the wiring on this board would be the first step to see if my assumptions about the way the diodes and the resistor are wired are correct. (You did not say if this is a sub board.) Can you see if you can read the voltage rating of the capacitors and also their value. (The value is less important.) If the diodes and capacitors seem OK then my approach would be to power the control circuit from an external 24 – 50 volt DC supply so that the machine can be isolated from the mains for testing. The contactors would not pull in on this voltage but it could still be confirmed that the control circuit was working without drawing excessive current.

Les.

Hi Nick,
Have you made any progress with the problem on the Mill ? Let me know if you would like any help with it.

Les.