Re: 5-axis machine controller

[Jon Elson <jmelson-at-artsci.wustl.edu>]

john s finnila wrote:

> Do any of  the emc users have sufficient productiion experience with the
> emc
> controller to give an opinion on the reliability  of the emc controller
> in an industrial
> production environment?  How would the emc controller compare to the
> performance of  a GE-FANUC controller  or other similiar commercial
> machine
> tool control?  I am very interested in your input .

It depends on the physical environment, and the way the PC is set up.
You could buy an industrial PC and sealed enclosure if the environment
is really nasty.

I have not had a lot of experience with commercial CNCs, just running one
Allen-Bradley 7320 for about 9 months.  I can say that EMC on a standard
Intel ATX motherboard is VASTLY more reliable than the AB control,
as I had 3 major breakdowns on the AB that would have required a service
call if I wasn't able to fix it myself.  I have been using the same PC,
Linux
OS and mostly the same EMC version for almost 2 years, and have had very
few problems, all of them quite small.  There are a few software quirks that

you have to get used to in the older EMC versions.  These are strange
movements when switching back and forth between manual, auto and
MDI modes a whole bunch of times.  This is supposed to be fixed in the
newer versions.  I have had a bad connection on an encoder cable, but
that was easy to diagnose.  I have had power failures long enough that I was

looking for where a flashlight was as the lighting faded to black, and the
CNC system kept on cutting right through it!  (I don't have any sort of
UPS on it, either!)

So, other than large temperature extremes and very dirty air (dust or
oil mist) I don't think you'd have any problems with EMC and a PC.
And, the temp. and air quality issues can be addressed with proper
cabinets, etc.

Jon