Posted by MG on December 26, 2006 at 09:29:24:
In Reply to: Updating old CNC machines posted by BillS on December 18, 2006 at 15:35:08:
Very useful article. Couple of points:
1. The conversion can be tricky or more expesive if the machine is conventional without PLC and you opt for CNC.
2. Old software and control units are a pain, to put it mildly, especially when it comes to service and spare parts so Great Lakes seems to circumvent that well.
My question is what about Gleason machines? The reason I ask is that often enough, if controller programs are required, whether for PLC or CNC, hey are the only source and they charge you as much as the machine, if not more! I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has upgraded their Gleason machines to either PLC or CNC.
Good discussion topic, Bill!