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Found a Fadal VMC15


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Fadal seems to be a dirty word around here, but we came across a spotless '95 vmc15 with a 4th axis. This thing was in a school, and looks like it was used for maybe a week total. Stored inside, the thing is spotless and cheap.

 

What am I getting myself in to?

 

ALSO has anyone ever put a trunion on one of these... is there a trunion that fits on the smaller than usual table and can the 15 be updated in 2012 to run the 4th and 5th?

 

Jim

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What am I getting myself in to?

I believe it is getting increasingly difficult to find spare parts for Fadal's.

 

When I went to Westec a couple of weeks ago, there was a booth for a company

 

that specializes in finding and or building Fadal parts...

 

You could find your machine down for weeks over an unobtainable $10 widget

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So far I haven't found anyone that has fit a 4th and 5th to one of these, something about clearance and table size. I've called a half dozen places.

 

Thanks for the input :)

 

I worked at a place in Michigan that had a floor full of Fadal's and they loved them. Man how times change.

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Yes, the 15 does not have enough Z travel for the 5-axis. The Fadal 5axis unit is not good for true multiaxis work anyway, more of a positioner.

The Fadal control is really user friendly. It comes with great programming and operating manuals. Someone with no previous experience could learn to use the machine just by reading the manual.

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Fadal seems to be a dirty word around here, but we came across a spotless '95 vmc15 with a 4th axis. This thing was in a school, and looks like it was used for maybe a week total. Stored inside, the thing is spotless and cheap.

 

What am I getting myself in to?

 

ALSO has anyone ever put a trunion on one of these... is there a trunion that fits on the smaller than usual table and can the 15 be updated in 2012 to run the 4th and 5th?

 

Jim

Are you selling it ? If so how much and how about some pictures !. :thumbsup:

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We might end up selling it if I can't find a 4th and 5th that will fit. It does have a 10,000 rpm spindle and rigid tapping. I have only seen pictures and it is looks NICE but we'll see when it hits the shop floor.

Jones Machinery in Cincy,Oh was the dealer around here I believe and I just talked to Mike a month ago and I brought up the Fadal thing and I thought He said parts are available but I would call them.

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If you want a decent machine in the same era look at a used Hitachi-Seiki.

 

No experience with Fadal's.

I think they are out of the machine tool Business also?? Lots of Hit-Seiki turning centers around here and good ones but I would be worried about parts also without checking first. One shop in Cincy had over 40 of them.

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The way I understood it the CS position was tied in with the soft limits and if it was off by a few turns it might reach the hard stop before it knows to stop?

 

I've worked in 2 shops with multiple Fadals but never actually ran one myself, a little paranoid I guess.

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OK found the CS position in Y, there is no mark on the table you just line it up with the edge of it. Checked the soft limits and they are fine.

 

A little upset that the clock can be manually reset, I was told it had 300 hours on it but the clocks all say zero except for the time I have been jogging it.

 

So it seems in good shape but I can't tell the hours now.

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You're right Jamman. That's why you can just eyeball it and then slowly jog till it reaches the soft limits. If you get an overtravel alarm then you know you need to move home further away. As far as I know there is no way to check actual hours on the machine. At "Enter Next Command" you can type DI to get into Diagnostic mode, but I don't remember clocks being in there.

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I know about those clocks. But like you already found out they can be zeroed. I meant I don't know of a way to check actual hours.

There is a CMOS battery, but that isn't necessarily the reason the time is off. Perhaps someone just never set it.

"Enter Next Command" > UT > 2 (Set Time)

 

And I should clarify, when you are checking your limits watch the screen for the following error/axis load to see if you are pushing against the physical limits.

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Guest CNC Apps Guy 1

If you want a decent machine in the same era look at a used Hitachi-Seiki.

 

No experience with Fadal's.

:o

Hitachi??? It's even harder to find parts for those. I would not touch a use HItachi with a 100 foot pole.

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Guest CNC Apps Guy 1

I have a friend that has a bunch of them, loves them.

 

 

Everybody that has them loves them. The problem is that it is a dead machine tool builder with little to no parts availability, QUICKLY evaporating support base, etc... Control parts are the biggest problem. Nobody makes those boards anymore and if you need one, you're getting someone elses refurbed bad board.

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Hehehe do I know you? You hijacked my thread!!!! Think FADAL......

 

Anyhow I instantly miss my numbered turret. The whole tool loading thing seems like it lends room to errors. Length offset is going to be weird being on the HAAS we just bring the tool over, hit a button and if you have the right row highlighted it just enters the offset.

 

I came in for free today just to play with this thing. So far it seams like a tank but a very old tank that has not been used very much.

 

Calmotion is being a big help with the 5 ax attachment dream, is anyone else dealing with them?

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