Emco PC Turn 155 Post Processor

[geidnert]

Hi, i got an Emco PC Turn 155 with driven tools and are looking for a working mill/turn post processor for Fusion 360.

I can run it in either Siemens Sinumerik 840D or Fanuc Series 21.

Have anyone successfully done this before? I have tried the Siemens mill/turn post processors on Autodesk but didn't seem to work. Stopped at the first row "N10 WORKPIECE(..........." something.

Hope someone can help me with some hints or tips where to find or do about this.

/Andreas

[spumco]

Replying to your post as I'm looking for just about the same thing - I have a Emco 325-II with the Fanuc 21TB control and also need a PP.

I received a helpful response regarding using Visual Studio to edit the generic Fanuc PP, but my initial review indicates it's going to be a serious challenge for a novice to add the live tool functions.  I'm going to start trying to 'de-feature' the more complicated Mill-turn Fanuc PP's available in the library.

If you get anywhere with this please post up any success or failures.  Editing some of the M-codes has been easy(ish), but the C-axis function on the Emco's is a different animal (M52/M53 for C-axis mode).  I'm getting lost in all the dependencies.

-Ralph

[geidnert]

Hi, yes i will add something here on the forum if i get anywhere with a post in some way. At the moment i haven't got signifiant progress and i am scared about the C axis stuff as well. 🙂 

[Anonymous]

I can help with a post. PM me please.

[thomasrotten]

did you ever get a working post processor for the lathe?

[CNC_Lee]

@geidnert @thomasrotten @spumco 

If the generic posts do not provide the required output, I offer post processor development services and happy to work out a solution for your machine! Please message me if further assistance is needed.

[spumco]

@thomasrotten:

Yes - I wound up paying someone to develop a post for the Fanuc 21 control.

[thomasrotten]

Care to share who you used for that?

[CNC_Lee]

@thomasrotten 

I’d be happy to assist with this. I’ve previously created a post for an Emco Maxxturn 65 with the same Fanuc controller, so I’m pretty familiar with the requirements.

[thomasrotten]

My machine is with siemens operate

[CNC_Lee]

@thomasrotten 

Not a problem! I've also developed post processors for Siemens controls. Feel free to reach out if I can be of any assistance.

[spumco]

@thomasrotten 

@CNC_Lee 

A word of caution for you both (and anyone else following this thread):

Emco's early PC-based control system is NOT standard Fanuc or Siemens.  It is an Emco-written CNC control system which has a user interface that mimics the Fanuc or Siemens control systems.  It is actually based on a real-time version of Linux and uses a separate Windows-based PC to communicate with the RTLinux computer. 

The interchangable user interfaces are, to simplify, 'skins' which interact with the RT computer.

The point of this post is that Emco has not documented all of the features - or missing features/functions - that they included in the control software.

Most G & M-code functions listed in the manuals work as documented.  However, there are some things which don't work, and Emco (Austria) cannot, or will not, provide any explanation.  I suspect that there is nobody left at Emco who was involved in writing the software.

I don't have an exhaustive list of bugs or missing functions, but one example is rigid tapping.  The Emco Fanuc manual lists rigid tapping as available, but it simply doesn't work because the control de-synchronizes the spindle from the tool at the end of the Z- move.  The tap is synch'ed to the spindle during entry, at the bottom of the hole the tap stops moving (as expected), but the spindle then coasts to a stop (breaking the tap).

I've confirmed this behavior on 3 different machines located worldwide.  And yet the same hardware operating with the Siemens 840 or Operate control can rigid tap as expected.

In my experience, the Fanuc 21 documentation and implementation is less well convered than the Siemens flavors.

To get to the point, anyone developing a post for the Emco machines can start with a 'standard' Fanuc or Siemens post, but plan on extensive testing of ALL G-codes and M-codes available before 'signing-off' on a post as safe to use.  This includes all the live-tool functions, as well as testing 'admin' type behavior (parameter update delays) for use with bar feeders or bar pullers.

Good luck.

[spumco]

The post author hasn't responded to emails, nor updated any social media sites since mid-2020, sorry I can't help further.

[thomasrotten]

Hi Thanks for the info.

Yes I know that it is not a "Real" siemens controller. But there is a big difference in if the machine is the old version with the AC95 controller and win98 computer that  

runs the old version of winnc. That controller has a lot of weird bugs and funny settings.

My machines has the upgraded controller (The ACC controller) and a new win10 computer that is connected via ethernet instead of the old ones with ISA card and RS485. So instead of the old Siemens 840D emulation it is running the newer Siemens SL (Operate) witch works much better

I have started with the siemens turn/mill post and have managed to get normal operations running. 

It is small things that the controller is erroring about.

One small example was that siemens pp puts a "%" in the end of the G-code.

Operations working right now.

Rough turn

Finish turn

Thinks needer to be sorted out (List so far)

Parting

Threading

Drill with C-axis

Milling with C-Axis

Parts catcher open/Close

I have all the needed dokumentation from Emco regarding how the G-code should be like. Like working sample programs from the education dokumentation. Then I manual type in these examples it works.

[spumco]

@thomasrotten 

That's very good news, glad things are working out for you.

If you don't mind, how did you get a Win10 computer to work with the ACC machine?  When my OEM PC died I tried to install the WinNC software on a Win10 PC, but the control panel USB drivers refused to work reliably.  I have an ACC machine (2007 325-II).

I eventually discovered that a WinXP or Win7 32-bit computer was required for the drivers to work properly - so I now have an old Dell ThinClient inside the PC enclosure running the machine.  And two spare computers pre-loaded with all the software in case it dies.

Other question - Siemens Operate?  I was under the impression that the front button panels were no longer available.  Even if Emco will sell an Operate license key, without the panels it's pointless.  I'm not in love with the Fanuc control and would love to install the Operate control... but I can't find panels anywhere.

[thomasrotten]

That was no problem. I just installed wince and followed the instruction. I can't remember but there is a few options regarding the control panel you can choose from in the winconfig program. I have also upgraded my 2 pcmill 125 to win 10 computer but here the control interface is rs232. Here I had some trouble finding a usb-rs232 adaptor that worked. Solutions was to buy a used Lenovo tiny with integrated rs232 port. That worked. 

Regarding the pcturn 155. I bought it 1 year ago very cheap. It was with the siemens 840D and ac95 controller and win98 computer. As a non machinist I did not like the old 840D controller. So difficult to set work offsets and tools.

Before I bought them I reached out to my local Emco dealer for the possibility to upgrade the machine to Acc controller and Siemens Operate. It was not cheap but the upgrade has made this machine so easy to use with the integrated shopturn.

So now I just need to make the post processor finished to make the machine 100% fantastic.

Regarding the button panel I got them from Emco. But I have also heard that they are running out of stock. But maybe  there is a possibility to get sumeric one. This is just a big touchscreen. Right now there are investigating in this for my mcmill 155 that is under acc upgrade as well. The acc controller to this upgrade is from a pcmill 125 doner machine that bought for spareparts.