Warco VMC electrics

[Terry McCabeParticipant @terrymccabe]

I want to connect the power feed of my Warco VMC so that it cuts out both the feed and the spindle motors to avoid an expensive crunch. The machine is the newer type with four buttons. Warco are unable to help and I am unable to find anything on the web. Can anybody shed light in this problem, I dont want to have to dismantle the control panel (my hands are too big)

[Terry McCabeParticipant @terrymccabe]

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Don’t know your machine but would a mechanical solution work ( think big button that presses both stopbuttons at once)…at its simplest if geometry permits glue bar / pad across both stop buttons

[Terry McCabeParticipant @terrymccabe]

What I have in mind is to connect the supply to the power drive unit so that the emergency stop button is pressed everything stops.There is no control for the power feed on the switch panel it is an Align motor unit supplied by a transformer. The buttons on the panel from top to bottom are :- forward, reverse,stop and emergency stop. This layout seems to have been introduced a little over a year ago. I have no problems with this just that I can forget to stop the travel seperately when under pressure

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

I guess you need a dol or sometimes called contactor..wired between supply and machines original wiring..thus giving you a master stop when you need one.
This will kill all in one button..is that what you are after one down side would be if you have dro..you might loose postion..
This would comprise an E stop..it might not be graceful but would prevent smack up.
If you don’t need power feed with spindle off you could power the traverse transformee from the spindle contactor. .it really depends on what you need and how your machine is currently wired..I would favour the E stop philosophy since it needs no mods to existing machine. .

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Ahh you already have E stop implemented…assuming a simple spindle motor running on mains voltage then reconnect the input of your transformer for the feed motor to the same place your spindle goes..stop spindle stop traverse.. hope this helps

[Roger MountainParticipant @rogermountain33705]

Hi Terry,

It looks as if the simplest method is to interupt the mains feed to the milI. I have done this on my mill by by inserting a 40A microswitch in the live feed to the mill. This is operated by a strip of wood hinged to the mill base in easy reach. When operated this knocks out everything and resets the no volts switch. Please see attached photos.

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

That would work..muchlike the case of the DOL rig mentioned above..
One thing . Does the traverse have a contactor or switch because if it has a switch this wont reset and you may have the machine “move unexpected” when you restart the spindle

[Roger MountainParticipant @rogermountain33705]

Hi Jason,

Yes that is right the auto traverse will move when the microswitch is reset if you do not switch the auto traverse off first.The only way to solve this problem would be to power the auto traverse from the other side of of the no volts switch but this would mean getting into the internal wiring of the machine.

Regards, Roger

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Indeed

[Terry McCabeParticipant @terrymccabe]

Thank you for the advice it is much appreciated, my hope was to find a circuit diagram which would enable me to design a circuit incorporating relays that would be controlled by the existing emergency stop button. I may yet have to examine the board but I would rather avoid having to do that.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Copy the circuit used on UK market Bridgeports. Not the simplest way but its professional, effective and just plain right. Bit of googling should find you a manual or PM me and I'll send a PDF version.

Basically the contactor controlling the motor is the master and feeds the contactors for the power feed, coolant pump et al. On the Bridgeport there are mechanically operated microswitches to select feed direction. Also a separate forward / off / reverse switch for the motor so the other drives can be run with motor stopped for test purposes or whatever.

Simplified control systems are a false economy. Takes nearly as long to install as teh full fat version and, in my experience, the simplified bit always ends up biting me on the tail. So I have to do it over, properly.

Clive

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