MACHINEMATE INC

Low-Cost High-Performance PC-Based CNC Products

A complete CNC package is now available from MACHINEMATE INC for as little at $5900 (list price).  This is a high-performance CNC at the price of an industrial PC.

There are two product models based on Windows 2000: L2 and eCNC. These models provide an operator interface that is web browser based (i.e., written in html scripts with java or C applets), enabling a viewing of the displays over a modem or network while also defining the (standard) technology for display customization.

Both the L2 and eCNC packages are available in two standard interface versions: either SERCOS (digital fiber optic cable to the drives) or analog (+/-10V analog to drives; 5V encoder feedback). Both models interface to separate operator front panels. All these packages include the industrial PC (IPC), front panel and cables, an interface to the drives and I/O, a set of I/O modules (integrated and/or external) and all the software required to complete the control integration (i.e., Windows 2000, CNC software, integrated soft PLC, CNC utilities).

The 19” rack-mount front panel comes with a 12.1” color TFT display and an adjacent complete operator keypad, including the full set of alphabet and numeric keys, with several CNC mode keys. The 12.1” display can accommodate an optional touch screen add-on. The front panel is only about 2” deep. An L2 package is shown at right with the 19” rack-mount operator panel (shown also with an optional I/O module box for expansion for more axes and/or more I/O).

The 2-piece front panel (11.4” wide; pictured above top) includes the 10.4” color TFT display on one half and the complete operator keypad on the other half. Both halves are the same size (8.7” high) and only about 2” deep.

The L2 IPC for analog drives (shown at left) has integrated I/O (48 inputs, 32 outputs; on the top) and an integrated interface to 4 analog drives (in the middle). The L2 IPC for SERCOS drives has less integrated I/O (24 inputs, 16 outputs) and an integrated interface to 8 SERCOS drives (a single fiber-optic ring). This lower cost hardware platform uses a high-speed Intel Celeron processor capable of handling most applications.

 

 

The eCNC IPC (analog or SERCOS) has a high-speed Pentium 4 processor for those industrial applications that demand higher CNC performance (such as high speed, high accuracy machining for mold and die work) or for high end CNC features such as many drives (up to 64 total; SERCOS limit is 32, analog limit is 64) or multiple simultaneous part programs for several machines or heads, as on a dial index machine or transfer line (up to 8 stations). The eCNC IPC (shown below) also comes with an external USB modem.

This package hardware includes:

·        Industrial control in CE stainless steel shell

·        IP65 front panel in one of two versions: 19” rack-mount single piece or 11.4” wide two piece

·        Flat TFT screen: 10.4” color display in two-piece front panel; 12.1” in 19” rack-mount

·        Complete operator key pad, with all alphanumeric keys and several CNC mode keys

·        Floppy disk drive (3.5” HDD) integrated in the IPC

·        Interface to either analog or SERCOS drives (4 servos for analog; 8 for SERCOS)

·        Enough 24VDC input and output points for many applications (48i/32o – L2 analog model; 24i/16o – L2 SERCOS model or both eCNC models, analog or SERCOS)

·        2-meter cable to the I/O module box if required (I/O is not integrated)

·        Standard PC power cord

·        Standard PC peripheral connections (keyboard, PS/2 mouse, COM1, LPT1, two USB, external VGA) and several spare PCI slots in the motherboard

This package software includes:

·        Windows 2000 preinstalled on the PC

·        MACHINEMATE software preinstalled (that includes several utilities)

·        Integrated soft PLC preinstalled (with both Structured Text and Ladder Diagram IEC-1131 languages)

·        Documentation on CD

Each L2 and eCNC model of the CNC offers an optional increased level of CNC performance (doubling the blocks/second performance capacity with the upgrade). These levels are stated in terms of the Windows NT models. The standard L2 or eCNC has the CNC performance of about 250 blocks/second (about that of the MM3, see below).

The package hardware options include:

·        Motherboard memory capacity upgrade

·        Touch screen overlay for the rack-mount 12.1” display

·        19” rack-mount panel is available with 15” color TFT display with touch screen (no operator keypad; a virtual keyboard is used instead)

·        11.4” display panel is available with a 9” monochrome CRT

·        Operator push buttons and rotary switches mounted on the IP65 front panel (10 holes are predrilled; the cycle start/stop, jog plus/minus, feed override and spindle speed override)

·        Special teach panel (with its own small display and full keyboard) (this panel is shown below in the Accessories section)

·        Ethernet network PCI card

·        Fieldbus I/O interface PCI card (either CAN bus, DeviceNet, Interbus-S or Profibus-DP)

·        Longer I/O interface cable (up to 35 meters)

·        Additional I/O modules (several are pictured below, with several IO boxes connected in a chain):

·        24VDC discrete I/O modules available in 24i/16o increments, up to 792i/528o

·        Analog I/O available in a module with 4 A/D and 4 D/A channels

·        Relay Output module (16 relays, each with one N.O. contact rated at 3A, 24VDC or 110VAC)

·        Additional interface connections to more drives (up to 32 analog or 32 SERCOS)

·        Each analog axis interface module has 4 encoder inputs, 4 D/A channels and 4 A/D channels

The package software options include:

·        Other IEC-1131 languages for the integrated soft PLC programming tool (i.e., Function Block Diagram, Instruction List, or Sequential Flow Chart)

·        CNC options for such special features like 5-axes transformations, an electronic gear box (for applications like gear hobbing), laser power control or additional CNC stations (for multiple independent part program paths as with several machines or heads, up to 8). Note that most of the common CNC features are included in the CNC package.

·        Visualizer product (custom screen overlay package using bit-map pictures and icons; screens are configured using menus and drag-drop; no software programming is required for the screen layout or development)

·        Compile cycles (the customer can write dll(s) to interface with the CNC software at a very low level, enabling the customer to add/change features and/or internal CNC operations)

The list price for an L2 or eCNC package varies based primarily on the operator panel configuration but also the number of axes.

All of these Windows 2000 IPCs have at least two USB ports. The commercial PC market offers a variety of small, low-cost, high-capacity USB flash drives, sometimes called a memory stick or pen disk. These small devices typically provide at least 64MB of storage for less than $50 (often much less), with capacities ranging to 1GB. The prevalence of USB ports in computers as well as the convenience of these inexpensive flash devices have made the floppy disk drive less important, both for relative capacity (e.g., 1.4MB vs. 64MB) and robustness (an encased pen disk vs. a floppy). Just insert the device into a USB port and the capacity of dozens of floppies is immediately available as a removable disk drive.

New! The LW control has just become available, in late January 2004. The LW specification is available for viewing or download (in pdf, 130KB, 20 pages). Like the L2, the LW runs Windows 2000 (so all the software is the same) and the LW can handle the same variety of operator front panels and display sizes. The LW has the same 48 inputs and 32 outputs (all 24VDC) and a built-in interface to 4 analog servos (e.g., 4 axes or 3 axes and a spindle). The LW is expandable to 8 servos and to 255 bytes of IO (with external IO modules); a PCI slot is available for an optional field bus card. The big difference in the LW is its smaller package than the L2. The other difference is no internal floppy disk drive. However, this IPC has two USB ports just like the L2 and eCNC so file transfers among PCs is still easy (see the memory stick comments above). A picture of the new LW is below.

Drives and motors can also be obtained from MACHINEMATE INC but they do not have to be purchased from us.  There is a long list of compatible drive vendors.  The analog interface is straightforward; encoder feedback is required.  The SERCOS interface is accomplished solely via system parameters, not the vendor-dependent parameters, so the compatibility depends on the particular vendor’s support of the SERCOS specification.

 

A number of accessories (like a machine tool builder’s panel or a handheld station with handwheel) are also available.

The two-page brochure (in pdf, 180KB) is available for an eCNC model. The eCNC is based on Microsoft Windows 2000 and provides two front panel configurations to help with the layout of its operator panel/cabinet. The eCNC became readily available to all customers at the end of 2002.

The two-page brochure (in pdf, 280KB) is available for an L2 model. The L2 is similar to the eCNC as it is also based on Microsoft Windows 2000 with the same two front panel configurations. The major differences are the CPU is a Celeron rather than a Pentium 4 and for the analog drive version the IPC has IO points (48in/32out) and the analog drive interface built in (rather than in separate IO modules). These differences result in a lower cost CNC, for applications requiring a total of up to 12 drives (up to 12 analog and up to 8 SERCOS). The L2 became readily available to all customers at the end of 2002.

The two-page brochure (in pdf, 90KB) is available for the Windows 2000 control models (L2 and eCNC). This brochure lists the general features and capabilities of the control. The brochure lists what is included in the basic L2 or eCNC model as well as some of the upgrades or options that are available in each package for this line of controls. The differences among each package within the control family (from L2 to eCNC) include faster processor speeds and high-end CNC features (like the number of multiple simultaneous part programs).

The six-page products brochure is available for an overview of the MACHINEMATE INC products.

For information, please contact us:

 

 

MACHINEMATE INC
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
phone: 920-907-0001
fax: 920-907-0181
email: [email protected]

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