Bridgeport EZtrack

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

OK..

Looking at Bridgeport eztrack… quick look …pc mother board based ccontrol. ..but no hard disk. .thusly no eztrack software.

Is it even available?

Could I ever recover parameters to configure a fresh install?.

Anyone got a parts manifest to at least identify any other missing cards?

Failing that " convert" to manual. ..fine by me bbut how did the nc unit interract with spindle control.

Regards Jason

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

what to do if pc bit dead?

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Looks like you need to contact American companies for this. I think there is some sort of protection involved so you can't just download a generic copy and have it work. Possibly protection has been abandoned now the machine is so old.

H&W Machine Repair & Reconditioning **LINK** have the software listed for sale at about $150.

Electro mechanical Integrators **LINK** were said to have the licence from Hardinge/Bridgeport to distribute the original software so may ahve something for you even though nothing is currently listed on the website.

Ought to be a ball screw feed machine so convert to manual may not be a simple and cost effective option as the feed screws will need changing to standard acme. Maybe if its a stepper or other simply interfaced drive you could bolt on a DRO and uses a pendant to drive the axes electronically. Mach 3 is supposed to be able to do that.

My view is that its pretty much a boat anchor unless its in sufficiently good condition to be worth doing a refit to some sort of modern control. I imagine a Mach 3 conversion is quite possible once you have identified the motors. Or go to someone like Adtech for a turnkey package eg **LINK** which is £3,000. Lotta money but it should just bolt on and go. If it doesn't there is someone to talk to. Home brew Mach 3 or similar conversion ought to be lots cheaper but all too often turns into lots of work for not that much cheaper and you are never sure if its really sorted. Three jobs rule applies to this sort of "pretty complicated to the uninitiated thing" as in after you have done three you know how to do it properly and easily.

Clive.

 

Edited By Clive Foster on 31/05/2017 15:06:03

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

as the feed screws will need changing to standard acme.

Why ?

Ballscrews are quite useable manually with handwheels – some ballscrew companies (Hiwin for one) did conversion kits to bolt-on to manual Bridgeports to replace the acmes.

Nigel B

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Ball screws have very little back drive resistance compared to acme so you need to lock the unused axes every time or they will wander. Yup I know thats best practice even with acme but, like most folk I don't bother with light / short cuts. Which covers most of my work

Secondly the ends of the existing screws on a factory made machine will be arranged to fit the drive motors and probably will not go straight into a hand wheel and dial assembly. OK adapters can be made but its another (not so) little thing that needs to be done.

All these "little" jobs and things add up. Pretty much invariably they are all a lot less little in practice than they appeared at first sight too.

Clive

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Why not junk the controller and replace with one of the self-contained controllers that have been discussed here? You may need to buy servo drivers (though the originals may be usable).

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Thanks for the input.

As to convert to manual..see no stress there..hand wheels still fitted..machine moves smoothly and ( to me) light enough…
But from the rest of the comments it looks like resurrection of the control is a non starter there are gaps in the signal path…cable leaves pc mother board. ..leads to space
..other cable leads from space to motor drive.
So as I say some thing unknown is missing..
My guess is find how to enable spindle ( its going to be a relay in series with spindle motor contractors coil. .) And using the spindle control gear, use as a manual mill adding DRO when needed…)

Edited By jason udall on 31/05/2017 19:35:19

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