Hello to all:
My organization has a used KR-30/2 robot and an accompanying KRC-1 control cabinet. I am very interested in adding a seventh axis to act as a rotary table for carving. Can someone suggest a used Kuka motor and the accompanying Kuka servo drive I should buy for this purpose? I would think it doesn't need to be a big motor, the axial load of a small square plywood surface with a foam block spinning at a very slow speed shouldn't be that taxing.
Thanks in advance for any replies! 
(I hope this post isn't repeating itself) 
I know there a few knowledgeable SprutCAM-with-Kuka people here, so here goes:
I am trying to carve on several sides of a square block. The first roughing toolpath on top, no problem. Then I need the bit to turn 90 degrees and carve away on one of the vertical sides. If I don't change the Approach/Return fields, I get collisions. Ok, so I try and modify the Approach/Return fields, and this is where I start having MAJOR problems. I drag the axes to the position I want, then record that position, so the arm swings out of the way of the block and then comes in at a different angle....the big hang-up is that by doing this, the code starts telling one or more axes to move at ridiculous speeds that are not physically possible. It's very clear to see in the simulations, the axes rotate a good distance in the literal blink of an eye.
Also, I want the arm to return to the home position after each operation, but the program insists on trying to jump from the end of one operation to the next without any retraction back to home, no matter what I set for the Approach/Return fields....unless I set hard values, but then I run straight into the first problem I mentioned. AAAAAAARGH!!! 
I have asked at a SprutCAM forum about this, but they flat-out don't know (???) Thanks for any help/advice before I grind my teeth out! 
I am using a KR30/2 with a KRC-1 cabinet/pendant. The screen on the pendant has suddenly gone dark. Thanks to some research at this forum, I tried the flashlight-on-the-surface trick, and yes, I can see the screen is still showing what it's supposed to, so that must mean the bulb has burned out. All the deadman switches still function, commands on the front-side buttons still work, etc.
Has anyone gone through a bulb replacement and have any helpful advice/comments? Thanks in advance 
Thanks vvelikov, I will explore that route this weekend.
I have had some success using a Kuka KR30/2 as a CNC cutting machine. Now I went from SprutCAM 8 to 9, and it's acting REALLY sh*tty!!!!! I KNOW I have my tool/base calibrations right, as I can load a program I generated in V8 and it runs fine. I load a V9 program, with the EXACT same calibrations/tool and base definitions, and the toolhead orientation immediately swings around in a horrible configuration. WHYYYY???
I tried a 2.2 kW Chinese eBay spindle, worked great for about 7 seconds, then black magic smoke came out the front. I'll probably buy another one from Ugra CNC since they're here in the USA.
I have SprutCAM pretty well licked for carving foam with my Kuka KR30/2; it may be an older 'bot, but I'm very happy with the results so far...but now I have to figure out what kind of spindle to use if I want to use a ballnose bit that is 8" long and 1/2" in diameter. I tried using it on my Hitachi woodworking router, but after only 20 minutes the motor felt very, very, VERY hot, so I have to find a better, heavier-duty solution.
My robot has a 30 kg payload limit. What kind of spindles are other people out there using for this type of work?i'd really like to get to an ER32 collet size so I can use 3/4 diameter bits.....but at this point I could live with a limit of ER20 (1/2")
Thanks for any replies!
No problem, I figured that it was one missing character. Thanks! 
Add this to your program's INI section, under the BAS(INITMOV, 100)
BAS(VEL_PTP, xx)Replace xx with the value (1-100) that represents the % of maximum speed you want the robot to move in PTP motion. All of your cut paths are LIN motions, which are controlled by VEL.CP, so this won't have any negative effects there.
Umm...are you sure about all the syntax? My KRC1 says "Compilation error" when I try loading it
I'm getting ready to mill a statue for the first time, and I am concerned about the alarming speed that my KR30/2 uses to return to home position once the program concludes.
Could someone please look at the attached program and tell me where to adjust this speed? Our robot is old and I don't want to stress it anymore than necessary. BTW the code was generated in SprutCAM, and I cannot find where to adjust that, so if anyone has advice on that, all the better. Thanks in advance!
My groups has a Kuka kr30/2 controlled by a a KRC1 cabinet. When i set the whole system up I built a special enclosure for the arm to keep the cabinet away from wood dust/foam shavings. Now the powers-in-charge maybe want me to move the cabinet inside the machining enclosure. Is that a safe idea? Thanks in advance for any advice! More than one opinion is certainly welcome, speak your minds!
Open this PDF and start reading at Page 40. That's the best help I can give you at this moment...
I had the EXACT same problem last winter! Give me 24 hours and I can post some screenshots when I'm at my shop tomorrow, I am also using SprutCAM, now very successfully! 
It turned out I wasn't doing all the required calibration steps at the cabinet, and I got the exact same thing that you are talking about, ellipses instead of circles and rectangles instead of squares. You have calibrated your "base", right? Sounds like you haven't calibrated your "tool."
Anyone else back me up on that? Like I said, I'll get some screenshots up by this time tomorrow.
My group has a Kr 30-2 w/KRC-1. I've been investigating how to add a rotary table mechanisim, and yeah, I understand that the easiest way to do it is with Kuka motors/drives.
Since this will be powering a rotary table, it doesn't need to be a ginormous motor. I'm finding most motors start at $1500, but I've found what looks like a smaller one for less than $500, and a "PS30/125 servo drive" for less than $100. Pardon such an open-ended question, but how interchangeable are the motors with the drives, and with the cabinets...what specific specs should I be looking for to assure interoperability?
I have generated code w/SprutCAM, so I have the software side covered, just need the hardware. Thanks for any replies!
absolutely SprutCAM is AWESOME 
I can get back to you in a few days....I have SprutCAM running PERFECTLY with my KR 30/2 + KRC1. Send me a PM.....
Yeah...so I'm not completely sure of what's going on here at the moment. Like I said previously, my friend made a plug that I "thought" only ran in T1/T2 mode....so I re-installed that very same plug just now, switched to Auto mode...and the drives turn on, I run one step to establish BCO....and my programs RUN!! W/O deadman switches!!!! 
I coulda swore that I tried his plug previously and got the "gate open" and "operator safety error" messages in Auto mode, so why it's working at this moment is something I don't personally have an exact answer for. At least I know I don't seem to have the dreaded "VW curse" of no Auto mode.
...for the moment though....it's time to PARRRRRTAY!! 
the rest of my pics:
OK...here we go. I'm posting a bunch of pics (across 2 separate posts) that illustrate what we have and will elaborate more on current conditions....as a reminder, my present goal is to run programs automatically w/o holding down deadman switches.
I did discover that according to the labeling on the outside, we have a VKRC-1 cabinet...no VW pendant though, that I'm sure of. I have posted some of the schematic dwgs that came inside our cabinet. I have temporarily jumpered the following pins on x-11: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, and 25-26. This erases any and all "Operator Safety, Gate Open" etc errors, BUT....
When the controller reaches the end of the startup sequence and arrives at the main control screen, the second line says "EMERGENCY STOP." Coincidentally, at this juncture I cannot use the E-stop button on the pendant, it does absolutely nothing, even with Ack'ing or Ack All. (maybe this is most directly related to why I can't turn on the drives in Auto mode? Even switching back to T1/T2 does nothing, I have no pendand E-Stop functionality.
I posted pics of the AUTO/EXTERN monitoring screen, both inputs and outputs, that show the current values.
The internal label on the flange of the interior PC cage says this particular cabinet has (or "had?") "Remote I/O.
I also included a pic of our enclosure; no one will accidentally enter the robot's path while I'm working on/testing safety circuitry, that door is HEAVY and requires a good, concerted effort to open, even though it's on wheels
If I remove the temporary jumpering and re-install the earlier plug my friend made last summer, full operation is once again possible with deadman switches in T1 and T2, everything works fine, programs run, etc...This leads me to believe that there is some kind of jumpering issue, either on the X-11 plug or on the ESC board. Thanks for any continued help!
yes i will post related images soon, gotta scan them in first.
