Electrical engineer

[gavztheouch]

This would be easy to do but I think most people including myself would be scared of changing anything on a machine like this for fear of being liable. To do it right you are redesigning the control system something that prob took the manufacturer months to implement

as a hobby project I would use an Arduino microprocessor board or similar so you could still use the distance setting part of the machine. The Arduino could control the relays and read the encoder on the distance slide. Best part is they are only £5 or so.

 

[f0ster]

a siemens logosoft plc might be the way to go depending on how many inputs/outputs you need. it uses ladder logic as the programming language but it also uses language called symbols that is very easy to get your head around, with the Siemens soft ware you can write a program and test it before you load it to the plc. some of them also have analogue inputs if you need them.