Hi, I need your advice . what the best controller if I want to replace the controller for a large CNC router (12' x 6') with 3-phase power.
Depends on all the other specs of the CNC. We only supply one controller though, see https://docs.openbuilds.com/blackbox-x32 to learn more about it, probably not what you need though
The existing CNC does not have limit switches. When homing, as soon as the X or Y axis touches the end, the stepper motor acts as a switch. Can I use this setup, or do I need to add limit switches
that will depend on the the present stepper motors. What voltage are they running at? What current are the present drivers supplying? The Black box can do 24 volts at 4 amps, max. This means that if the machine has stepper motors that are running at say , 48 volts and 6 amps, then you need a controller that can interface with those drivers, which a Blackbox cannot do. Then you need to look at products like UCCNC, Masso, Mach4.
docs:blackbox-x32:connect-vfd [OpenBuilds Documentation] of course, 0-10v is pretty much an industry standard signal. Not really a major factor in the decision, stepper specs, weights, size of machine more so
For a large, 3-phase CNC router, if you are looking for industrial-grade reliability, Siemens Sinumerik, Heidenhain, and Syntec are excellent choices, though they come at a higher cost.
