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Bridgeport Interact 1 Heidehain Controls

I know starting a new project should wait until I finish the current projects, so when I went out to look at a huge machine with tool changers and a table the size of a small country yesterday I decided, "NO!" Heck, its peak current consumption would cause me to have to shut down everything else in my shop and office. LOL. Its actually a good project for the price, but all the controls are gone. Given the time its taken me to get the Hurco going with everything to look at as I retrofit, I suspect the Bayer machine would take me several years to get going. I actually considered picking it up as a salvage project instead. There are a small fortune in tool holders that come with it. Strip the saleable parts, and then scrap it.

Now on to the topic.

So... the guy then proceeded to try and sell me a Birdgeport Interact

1 with Heidenhain controls. At first I wasn't much impressed with it. Nothing wrong with it and its no bigger than the Hurco I am working on. Its actually a bit smaller. What got me is that it seems to be 100% functional. We powered it up and ran it through some basic manual operations. The guy who has it doesn't know how to run it really other than making it do a few things on the joystick and the keypad. In fact he had to call somebody to get it started up. My son was telling him basic commands to start and stop the spindle etc. (Yeah Rob! LOL.)

Anyway, its kind of nagging me if I want the machine or not. It appears that I could just run it with no work other than to properly clean and lube the machine, and the price tag does not seem particularly onerous. The joysticks work for manual control, as does the jog wheel. It takes basic commands, but we didn't actually run any code, and I am not sure how you would transfer code to it. Maybe with some form of "drip" feed. There is a DB25 connector on one side of the monitor head.

It also uses a less common tool holder. An Emerson 30? He has a few of these but has an idea that the tool holders have some individual piece value, so I'ld probably have to negotiate with him on a per holder price. I guess ultimately it will probably boil down to, "I don't really need another machine in this size range."

Reply to
Bob La Londe
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machines with obsolete controls aren't that hard to find. I'd suggest you pass and wait for one with the same toold holder as your hurco.

I have a manual and a CNC mill that both use the same taper 40 holder. Man is that handy.

karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

If you intend to use the control, make sure it has the G-code option, otherwise it only has Heidenhain's proprietary language.

It should have enough memory to hold a modest program without drip feeding.

If considering it for retrofit, it may have analog scales or encoders. You can convert these to logic signals but it takes a bit of hand wiring a converter chip to do that. It may be better to replace the encoders with modern, higher-res units.

And, certainly consult with Igor Chudov ("ignoramus" he is NOT!) who has one of these and is happy with his conversion.

If you really want to make parts with it, I'd strongly recommend a retrofit for two reasons. My experience with old controls (as in over 20 years of age) is they are a lot of trouble, with several breakdowns per year. And, the newer controls offer a bunch of advanced features and better performance.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

I have a Interact 2 that formerly had a Heidenhain. It is a kick ass machine as far as build and power go.

I cannot comment on the control itself, as mine was non-functional and I ripped it out and sold it.

I consider that control an equipalent of an old IBM PC XT.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus22161

I am also happy with Jon's PPMC control unit and Jon's support of it post-sale.

It is like using an IBM PC XT in this day and age.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus22161

That's kinda where I was with it. Since it seems to be functional he wants what is a "fair" price for a functional CNC mill, but its more than I want to pay for another retrofit project.

I had not considered the convenience of getting another machine (when it comes around) with the same Kwik Switch 200 spindle. I do like the way tools snap in so easily with it. I have looked at a couple other Hurco mills, but have held off until I finish this one. Its getting close. Maybe by the end of the year.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

I do not see why you need more than one machine.

I can soon sell you a Lagunmatic 10x54 CNC milling machine.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus22161

Actually, I don't really need another higher power low spindle speed machine. I could use a couple better quality high spindle speed machines though.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

It's quite handy to have two machines to go between for different setups, or to have a machine to use for quick work while there is a longer project setup on the other.

Reply to
Pete C.

Watching a CNC run is like watching grass grow. I don't feel like its really going in the shop till three machines are running at the same time. I go for four if the CNC lathe is running with a barfeed.

Karl

Reply to
Karl Townsend

I prefer to load all 8 pallets and then head home for the evening; code M52 kills the mains switch....

Reply to
PrecisionmachinisT

I agree with Jon.

Gunner, professional machine tool fixer

"The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination." --Voltaire

Reply to
Gunner

There are many many "kwik Switch" spindle adapters out there.

Most machines use an adapter, rather than having a spindle nose dedicated to kwik switch tooling

A lot of folks dont realize that their spindle really is a 30 or 40 taper..with an adapter stuck in it.

Gunner

"The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination." --Voltaire

Reply to
Gunner

btw...I may have a decent enough OmniTurn retrofit available if anyone needs it. A decent machine I built for a customer about 8 yrs ago and was never used for hogging, but for making small lots of mold pins. Rather low time actualy.

I can probably get it for $4k or so if anyone wants it. Mounted on Hardinge HC (chucker) lathe.

It does NOT have spindle speed retrofit..but that can be done either by buying the kit from OmniTurn, or building one yourself for about

1/5th the money and 10 hours on the workbench

Gunner

"The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination." --Voltaire

Reply to
Gunner

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