Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: stevehuck on September 02, 2023, 12:07:28 PM

Title: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 02, 2023, 12:07:28 PM: What is the correct procedure for doing a proper manual tool change?

Program stopped for a tool chamge at Z=2.5
I swapped the tool manually
Lowered the tool and touched off
manually reset the Z DRO to .471.
hit cycle start.
Z was supposed to go to .335 but went to -1.468 and obliterated the tool and the entire setup.
Nowhere in the program is there a negitive Z number

Is there something else that needs to be done on a manual tool change? Some setting somewhere that needs to be checked?

Again what is the correct procedure for doing a proper manual tool change?
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: Graham Waterworth on September 02, 2023, 06:53:00 PM: Check you don't have a height offset in that tools offset
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 02, 2023, 08:47:22 PM: Yes I checked all that. After a little more digging I found that I'm not the only one it's happened to and I could not find a fix for the proble.. I guess the only way is to write or edit my M6 macro. I have absolutely no Dea how to do that. If I did I would write one so it worked just like mach3. Touch off somewhere, set z, and hit cycle start and off we go. I'll have to find a work around for now. I have parts to make that can't wait. Not sure why it's not already built into mach4. It works on every machine.
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: Graham Waterworth on September 02, 2023, 09:00:26 PM: It could also be that you need to have a G54 command at the start of the new tool to update the absolute position.
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 03, 2023, 06:12:53 AM: Thank you I will check into that.
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 03, 2023, 07:56:04 AM: The G54 had no effect on the situation. I think I need to learn Lua so I can modify my M6 macro. Something Like This....

Call G6
Get x, y, z machine coordinates stored in variables
move the machine so I can touch off a known height
manually change Z height in DRO
manually move Z to a safe height
Click cycle start
change Machine coordinates to match current position
end G6

Does that sound like Mach3?
Thats what I have done for years when I had Mach3.

Is there a list of core variables somewhere so I can start experimanting with Lua?
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 04, 2023, 09:00:19 PM: Ok I just noticed today that a newer version of mach4 was available. Installed it and it appears that the problem is fixed. I'm going to fun all day Wednesday so we shall see.
Title: Re: Proper Manual Tool Change
Post by: stevehuck on September 07, 2023, 05:44:36 PM: Just wanted to come back and say thanks. Mill ran a dozen parts and was flawless. Acted exactly as I wanted it to. Thank you for all your help.