Anilam Dro Id Help, Troubleshooting.

GarageGuy

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I have a Bridgeport with a 1981 vintage Anilam DRO with Accu-Rite scales. I Googled the model # (102-8) and came up with very little except eBay. When I go to the Accu-Rite web site, they have manuals listed for Anilam products, but nothing even similar to 102-8. They are all Anilam 2000, 3000, 4000, etc.

Anyway, the X scale works perfectly, but the Y does not work at all. I switched cable to the head unit, and the X scale works plugged into the X or Y port, so the problem does not lie in the head unit. If there is a problem with the scale or cable, where should I begin? Here are photos:

20160724_194815.jpg 20160724_194854.jpg 20160724_194923.jpg 20160724_194937.jpg

Is there anything I should watch out for when disassembling the scale? I'm hoping there is just a broken wire or it is too far out of adjustment, but not sure where to start.

Thanks!

GG
 
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What you have there has been obsolete for many years, so you have nothing to lose by tinkering with it. I had a unit that was a few years newer that yours, that developed a problem of running numbers on the X axis. One day one of my regular salesman came in with a sale offer from Alilam. They would allow a $400.00 trade in on a new Accurite wizard 550. The trade in allowance was for any Alilam DRO...working or not. I accepted the offer and they even installed the new unit for a total of $1199.00.
Since then, Anilam has been sold to Heidenheim controls, and the whole business has changed somewhat in regards to what is compatible. They retained the Accurite trademark, but done away with the Alilam name.
You might get lucky and find some older take off parts, as a lot of outfits removed these DRO units when they converted to CNC....that's how I acquired my original unit.
 
I spent last night tearing the Internet apart looking for answers. Yes, it is definitely obsolete. The machine is a 1973, and the DRO is a 1981. The scales are Accu-Rite AR-5, I think. They connect to the head unit with DIN connectors. There are adapters available to connect newer style scales to the older style head units, but I haven't found details about that yet.

I will take it apart to see if it is just out of adjustment or not. In the photo, the Y reader head looks like it is cocked to one side. If the scale itself is not damaged, it might be able to be adjusted. Like you say, there is nothing to lose. There are some older parts available on eBay, so that is a possibility, too.

Thanks for your help!

GG
 
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