Mid Semester Presentation of B.Tech.

Final Year
Project

Retrofitting of Denford TRIAC CNC Milling Machine

Group: M 28
Members:
Harshvardhan Sharma ( 20163047 )
Divyansh Yadav ( 20163090 )
Under the guidance of: Dr. V.R. Komma
Mechanical Engineering Department
Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad

Date: 23/10/2019
Introduction:
Features of Denford TRIAC CNC Milling Machine:

• The three axes motor drives(X, Y and Z) makes this CNC Milling Machine capable of
producing different types of part geometries.

• This machine has a control resolution of 0.01 mm and thus, can maintain close
tolerances in dimension of the part being produced.

• It has an Automatic Tool Changer(ATC), which significantly reduces tool changeover time
by automating the process. Therefore, total machining time is also reduced.

• It has Pneumatic Tool Holding and Work Holding mechanism which make gripping of
tool and workpiece easier.
Current State of Denford TRIAC CNC Milling Machine:
• The inbuilt microcontroller is not functioning. It is not sending the command
signals to operate the Axes Drives and Spindle.
• The inbuilt microcontroller is an outdated type.
• The Pneumatic Systems of Spindle and ATC are not working.
• Pneumatic work holding devices are not setup.

Image: Denford Triac CNC Milling Image: Close view of ATC Image: Close view of Spindle
Machine Drive
Objectives:

1. Study of Mach3 Software and setting it up on PC.

2. To restore the axes drives.
3. To restore the spindle drive.
4. Interfacing of axes drives and spindle with PC.
5. To repair the pneumatic tool holding mechanism and ATC.
6. Setup of pneumatic work holding devices.

Color Index:

Completed Objectives
Remaining Objectives
Steps followed:
1. Studied the maintenance manual of machine to understand the electronic components
and their working.

  Mains Input
(220 V 50Hz AC) To Stepper Motors

(Step & Direction

Signal)
Main Contactor Drive Transformer

(Safe to operate
command)

Triac Main PCB X, Y and Z axes

Driver Cards

Fig. Line diagram showing how the axes drives work.

Steps followed(continued):
2. Mach3 software was studied to understand it’s functions and was setup on PC.

 • Mach3 is a software package that runs on a PC and turns it into a versatile Machine
Controller.

• It runs best on Windows XP (alternatively, on a compatible OS with 32 bit system). It can

be integrated with a parallel port driver to communicate with the machine hardware.

• Mach3 generates step pulses and direction signals to perform the steps defined by a G
code part program and sends them to the port(s) or motion controller board.

• To set up the Triac Milling Machine to use Mach3, the software was installed on a PC and
the motor drives were connected properly with a Break-out Board.
What Mach3 can do?
• Mach3 can control all the three axes drives (x, y and z) of the Triac Milling
Machine.
• It sends the step and direction signals needed by the Stepper Motors to move the
table (x and y motion) and the tool head (z motion).
• It can control the limit switches and prevent table overtravel or overcutting.
• It can provide an emergency stop in case of any fault by operating the Emergency
Stop Button.
• It also controls the spindle drive and the Automatic Tool Changer(ATC).
• It can also control additional functions like lubricant flow, spindle speed and
direction of rotation, etc.
Defining Input and Output Signals using
Mach3 and Break-out Board:
• In the settings panel, we enable and disable
required ports and pins of the break- out board.

• We also have to specify the respective pin

number which will be used for a specific purpose
(For example: Pin number 2 for X axis Step
Signal).

• In our case, we enabled six pins ( two each for

Image: Configuration Settings Window of Mach3
the step and direction signals of the three
independent axes x, y and z.)
 Steps followed(continued):

3. The X- and Y- axis drives were tested for problems and it was found that their mechanical
systems are in working condition.

4. It was found that command signals for Step and Direction couldn’t be obtained from the
inbuilt microcontroller.

5. Break-out Board was used to bypass the inbuilt microcontroller.

6. Axes drives were interfaced with PC to receive commands from Mach3 software. They
can now be used with the restored setup.

 
The Break-out Board:
• Break-out board is designed for a flexible
interface between CNC machine and computer
system.
• It is fully compatible with the Mach3 software.

Functions:
• It translates signal between CNC machines and PC
signals.
• It isolates the PC motherboard from electrical
faults.
Image: Tiny Controls
• It gives step and direction outputs to stepper Parallel Port Break-out
motors for the motion of the three axes drives (x, Board
y and z).
• It can also be used to control the spindle drive.
Wiring Diagram:
• The break-out board is connected to the PC
and receives input from the Mach3 software.

• The Emergency Stop(E-Stop) switch and limit

switches of each axes drive are also connected
to the break-out board.

• The output from each of the break-out board

pins is sent to the Driver Cards with a MOSFET
in between them.
Need of a MOSFET:
• Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor(MOSFET) is an electronic
device which is used for switching and amplifying electronic signals like voltage
and current.

• We used the MOSFET between the Break-out Board and the Driver Cards.

• It serves the purpose of converting 12V output from the Break-out Board into 5V
signals going to the Driver Cards.

• This is done to ensure that the Triac PCB does not blow off.

Image:
IRF 520 MOSFET module
Input and Output Signals rerouted through the
Break-out Board:
Machine VDU and User’s PC Break-out Board
In-built Controller
Keyboard

Axes Driver Cards Main PCB Axes Driver Cards MOSFET

To Stepper Motors To Stepper Motors

Fig. Command Signal Flow Chart Fig. Command Signal Flow Chart
(Previous) (New)
Input and Output Signals rerouted through the
Break-out Board:

(I) (II) (III)

I. Connection between PC, break-out board and the MOSFETs.

II. Connection between Break-out Board pins and the Axes Driver Cards.
III. Overall Setup.
 Input and Output Signals rerouted through the Break-
out Board:
To PC

Break
out
board

To DB25 D-
sub Female
Connector

IRF 520 (DB25 D-sub

MOSFET 16w Ribbon Female
(To Axes Driver connector)
Cards)
From DB25 D-sub
(DB25 D-sub Male
Male connector
connector)
Input and Output Signals used through the
Break-out Board:
• The connections as mentioned in the Maintenance Manual of the machine were
implemented through the use of a Break-out Board.
• The following table summarizes the Pin Number and Function relationship on the
TRIAC PCB:
Pin Function Pin Number on Break-out Board
Number
(on 16w
ribbon)
6 X Step 2
7 X Direction 3
15 Y Step 4
14 Y Direction 5
16 Z Step 6
5 Z Direction 7
 Target for this semester:
7th Semester 8th Semester

Reworking of subsystems
29/7 – 29/8 One Month 22 days

Analysis of Problem
Study of
Machine Working on Motors and Spindle Pneumatic System Restoration
Manual Pairing with PC 90 Days
and 45 days REPORT
Electronic MAKING
1/04 – 15/05
Circuits STAGE 1
STAGE 2 STAGE 3
COMPLETE COMPLETE COMPLETE
1/12/2019 30/04/2020
1/2/2020

2019 JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY 2020

29.07.2019
Project Start 15/5/2020
Project End
Target for this semester:
• To repair the Z-axis drive which is not functioning due to rusting in the guideways.

• To restore the Spindle drive.

Target for next semester:

• To repair the pneumatic system of the machine.

• Enable pneumatic tool holding and ATC.

• Setup of pneumatic work holding devices.

Thank You