Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: ironarbor on December 18, 2009, 02:56:05 PM

Title: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: ironarbor on December 18, 2009, 02:56:05 PM

Help

I am cutting text (letters) on a plasma cutter and I cannot seem to get the letters to run smooth expecially the the rounded letters like S.  the machine shakes. the letters have an extreme amount of points.  I have tried corel draw, illustrator, importing them in auto cad, rhino, sheet cam, then to Mach to cut.  I have tried using the letters plain, making them into outlines first.  Nothing that I have tried seems to work all of the time. 

Title: Re: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: Hood on December 18, 2009, 03:29:03 PM

Making sure you are in G64 (Constant Velocity mode) may help but really it sounds like your CAD/CAM is the problem. Afraid I have never used any of the CAD programmes you mention so cant be a help there :(
Hood

Title: Re: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: JHChoppers on December 22, 2009, 10:26:17 AM

Is it the plazma cutter or Mach3/Machine ? 

It might be something as simple as the feed rate, are you seeing lots of dross ?

JH

Title: Re: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: ironarbor on December 22, 2009, 10:44:12 AM

How do I tell if Im in g64? is it under general configuration?

Title: Re: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: Hood on December 22, 2009, 10:56:28 AM

Yes its on General config but can also be changed by the code, so if your code had G61 in it it would just change it back to exact stop (G61)
Best thing is to have a G64 at the start of your code and make sure there are no G61's in your code.
Hood

Title: Re: help...cutting text (letter) on plasma cutter
Post by: stirling on December 22, 2009, 11:14:36 AM

I'm thinking Hood's right on the button re: CV being the issue but with regards to

Quote from: ironarbor on December 18, 2009, 02:56:05 PM

the letters have an extreme amount of points.

if you're using RhinoCAM on your Rhino there's an option under preferences/machining preferences to switch arc gen between line segments and true arcs.

Cheers

Ian