Project Details
Fellows 20-8 Hydrostroke with NUM 1060
This machine was originally a mechanical machine with change gears for the indexing and Fellows proprietary controls. We have done a complete recontrol of the machine and conversion to a full 5 axis plus spindle CNC control. All the mechanical systems were removed and the axes drive mechanisms were redesigned to adapt servo motors as close as possible to the driving screws. In addition we installed a entirely new hydraulic system for the machine.
The Recontrol and Recertification Project
This project started out as a stock machine for MTB, however, once Fairfield Mfg. and Graziano Transmissioni of Italy became interested, the project evolved into a serious effort to prepare our first machine for delivery to a foreign country. We put in the extra effort to insure that the machine we delivered would not require installation and training after installation. And this proved to be an excellent decision, since we have not dispatched an engineer to Italy since the machine has arrived. It has been running flawlessly ever since.
At the start of the recontrol project the machine was configured with the original Fellows control system, and hydraulic unit. Both were showing significant signs of age, and had become a chronic maintenance headaches. Replacement parts were no longer available easily, and finding qualified personnel to repair the equipment was equally difficult to achieve. So the decision was made to replace the systems entirely.
As part of the recontrol project Machine Tool Builders designed and manufactured a completely new electrical cabinet and hydraulic unit at our facility. We engineered and manufactured the mechanical adaptations required to convert the machine from a mechanical shaper into a fully numerically controlled machine. All these pre-manufactured items were then assembled at our facility.
New Hydraulic System
The new hydraulic system Machine Tool Builders designed and delivered, contained all new components of the latest design, with full warranties and readily available through local vendors, thus assuring many years of trouble free operation.
New Electrical Cabinet
The original electrical cabinet was removed in it’s entirety and replaced with a totally new one, designed and manufactured at our facility. All of the cabling to and from the machine was replaced in the process.
The new control system was centered around a NUM Power 1040 CNC. We chose Indramat Ecodrive servos coupled with Indramat MHD motors and SSI encoders because of their performance and reliability. This combination of controls was extremely cost efficient, offered short lead times and was very easy to implement, which translated into savings for the customer.
Mechanical Conversion
Since the original machine was mainly mechanical, there was a significant amount of mechanical modification required to complete the CNC conversion. Among the most extensive modifications was the addition of a servo motor, ball screw and automatic clamping system for the stroke length adjustment. Additional mechanical changes included installing servo motors to the stroke elevation, radial axis, stroke drive, table and cutter rotation.
Mechanical Recertification
Both during the recontrol phase and after the machine was under power, the recertification process was also in progress. Our recertification program includes the inspection and repair if necessary all the major components within the machine. The machine alignments are checked against the manufacturers standards, and corrected if required. The hoses, belts, wires and other miscellaneous equipment are checked and replaced if they are worn. The result is very reliable machine, certified to be within the manufacturers new machine tolerance limits.
