1000EE-Monarch
Aluminum
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2010
- Location
- CA Bay Area
Been lurking for a bit, reading the various threads about Makino KE-55 and RMC-55... Finally got one, an RMC55 from 1990 and thought I'd start this thread as a place to share notes on these machines, and for me to log my adventures with the RMC55.
I was really hoping to get a newer KE55, as I'm not a huge fan of the older control. But oh well, gotta start somewhere.
Got the machine a week ago, fixed some broken stuff, replaced batteries and have her mostly running. Took the sheet metal off for cleaning and inspection. Looks pretty neat without sheet metal, these things are ridiculously overbuilt!
I've scraped a fair amount of dried up gunk off the ways, and stoned them. No wear at all, just dirty. Looks like all the ways are getting oil, but the ballscrews have grease fittings. Also, the Y and Z axes have grease fittings that are a bit hard to get to. Thinking of pumping a fair amount of grease into these to purge out the old stuff.
Checked backlash, flatness, squareness and head tram. Looks pretty good (tenth to two tenths) with two exceptions. The X axis has a bit of "rocking" on direction reversal, as if tho one gib is too tight and the thrust from the screw causes the saddle to rock. A few tenths, so not shocking but I'd rather get to it now while it's all apart. The other one is head tram. There appears to be a .001" shim between the head and ram, and the tram is out by half a thou over 12". It appears the shim if over-compensating a bit, but removing it will probably make it out a thou the other way. Still thinking on strategy for that, but tempted to take the head off and clean/stone the surfaces, bolt back together and see what happens.
Other things on my mind:
New membranes for the keypads. Easy stuff there...
An LCD display retrofit, and possibly switch out to the larger alphanumeric keypad that has letters and numbers separate. Will probably wait till later for that stuff.
Planning on putting a Moxa NPort wired ethernet to rs-232 box on it for now. Might go with a wireless Moxa box or Nexas Networks OPI later.
Getting all the sheet metal I took off powder coated. Color choice is frustrating me.... The machine is off-white and orange. All the parts involved are off-white now. I could just try to match the original color and run with it, but that's no fun, and the match won't be exact. For some reason I want to go a lighter flavor of machine tool grey (like a 60's or newer Monarch 10EE or Hardinge HLV kinda grey, maybe a touch lighter), but not sure how that will contrast with the off-white and orange. The electrical cabinets are a darker grey... My buddy says I'll make it into a "clown machine" getting goofy with the color scheme.. Really looking forward to input on color choice, would like the send the parts off to the powedercoater soon.
The Z axis waycovers are super fragile and thin. Will need a lot of straightening and massaging... Wondering what else to do. New from Makino does not sound practical, and re-making (and possibly redesigning them thicker)is tempting but also probably not worth it.
The X axis waycovers will need some attention. There's missing and loose fasteners in them. Also they appear to have been galvanized, and some of that has worn through, allowing the steel underneath to rust. Not very appealing looking.. tempted to take them all apart and have the local plating shop have at them. Maybe nickel plating? Whathca all think?
There are a lot of little button head screws holding sheet metal and way cover parts together. Those all will get replaced.
Obviously parameters will get backed up. I can make that stuff available to anyone that needs it... Thinking about things like enabling the rigid tapping. Oh and turning on the PMC ladder display, that's not showing up right now.
I'd like to complete the manual library. I have:
RMC-55 3I Circuit Diagram
RMC-55 3I Machine Diagnostic Manual (not very exciting, basically an I/O table)
RMC-55 Parts Manual
recent looking parameter printout with some hand written changes
the Fanuc Build Sheet with Option parameters (complete with white out and hand written changes) and part numbers of Fanuc components
a very hard to read 14 page Fax from 1991 titled "Conversational Programming" (which the machine has) explaining the process to field upgrade a machine to Conversational Programming, and (a very brief) tutorial on how to use it
I should scan all this stuff and put it online... Are there any other books that I should get? The yellow Fanuc manuals are easy, that's mostly online and I have most of them downloaded, altho still trying to figure out differences in the 0 control over the 1988 to ~1995 time period. This has a Fanuc Series 0-Mate MF
Sorry about the long rant haha, I will keep adding to this as the project comes along...
Thanks,
Alex.
I was really hoping to get a newer KE55, as I'm not a huge fan of the older control. But oh well, gotta start somewhere.
Got the machine a week ago, fixed some broken stuff, replaced batteries and have her mostly running. Took the sheet metal off for cleaning and inspection. Looks pretty neat without sheet metal, these things are ridiculously overbuilt!
I've scraped a fair amount of dried up gunk off the ways, and stoned them. No wear at all, just dirty. Looks like all the ways are getting oil, but the ballscrews have grease fittings. Also, the Y and Z axes have grease fittings that are a bit hard to get to. Thinking of pumping a fair amount of grease into these to purge out the old stuff.
Checked backlash, flatness, squareness and head tram. Looks pretty good (tenth to two tenths) with two exceptions. The X axis has a bit of "rocking" on direction reversal, as if tho one gib is too tight and the thrust from the screw causes the saddle to rock. A few tenths, so not shocking but I'd rather get to it now while it's all apart. The other one is head tram. There appears to be a .001" shim between the head and ram, and the tram is out by half a thou over 12". It appears the shim if over-compensating a bit, but removing it will probably make it out a thou the other way. Still thinking on strategy for that, but tempted to take the head off and clean/stone the surfaces, bolt back together and see what happens.
Other things on my mind:
New membranes for the keypads. Easy stuff there...
An LCD display retrofit, and possibly switch out to the larger alphanumeric keypad that has letters and numbers separate. Will probably wait till later for that stuff.
Planning on putting a Moxa NPort wired ethernet to rs-232 box on it for now. Might go with a wireless Moxa box or Nexas Networks OPI later.
Getting all the sheet metal I took off powder coated. Color choice is frustrating me.... The machine is off-white and orange. All the parts involved are off-white now. I could just try to match the original color and run with it, but that's no fun, and the match won't be exact. For some reason I want to go a lighter flavor of machine tool grey (like a 60's or newer Monarch 10EE or Hardinge HLV kinda grey, maybe a touch lighter), but not sure how that will contrast with the off-white and orange. The electrical cabinets are a darker grey... My buddy says I'll make it into a "clown machine" getting goofy with the color scheme.. Really looking forward to input on color choice, would like the send the parts off to the powedercoater soon.
The Z axis waycovers are super fragile and thin. Will need a lot of straightening and massaging... Wondering what else to do. New from Makino does not sound practical, and re-making (and possibly redesigning them thicker)is tempting but also probably not worth it.
The X axis waycovers will need some attention. There's missing and loose fasteners in them. Also they appear to have been galvanized, and some of that has worn through, allowing the steel underneath to rust. Not very appealing looking.. tempted to take them all apart and have the local plating shop have at them. Maybe nickel plating? Whathca all think?
There are a lot of little button head screws holding sheet metal and way cover parts together. Those all will get replaced.
Obviously parameters will get backed up. I can make that stuff available to anyone that needs it... Thinking about things like enabling the rigid tapping. Oh and turning on the PMC ladder display, that's not showing up right now.
I'd like to complete the manual library. I have:
RMC-55 3I Circuit Diagram
RMC-55 3I Machine Diagnostic Manual (not very exciting, basically an I/O table)
RMC-55 Parts Manual
recent looking parameter printout with some hand written changes
the Fanuc Build Sheet with Option parameters (complete with white out and hand written changes) and part numbers of Fanuc components
a very hard to read 14 page Fax from 1991 titled "Conversational Programming" (which the machine has) explaining the process to field upgrade a machine to Conversational Programming, and (a very brief) tutorial on how to use it
I should scan all this stuff and put it online... Are there any other books that I should get? The yellow Fanuc manuals are easy, that's mostly online and I have most of them downloaded, altho still trying to figure out differences in the 0 control over the 1988 to ~1995 time period. This has a Fanuc Series 0-Mate MF
Sorry about the long rant haha, I will keep adding to this as the project comes along...
Thanks,
Alex.
