Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: 72Zorad on May 28, 2013, 02:23:53 PM

Title: Tool Information Diameter
Post by: 72Zorad on May 28, 2013, 02:23:53 PM
I'm making a fixture plate that will have some ground precision .25" locating pins installed.  I drilled them to a rough size smaller than the final size and am then using a CW drill MOP with a .1875 end mill to cut it to finish size.  My CAM program has tool offsets so I can just enter the tool diameter and it creates the path.  I'd like to 'sneak up' on the final hole size so I get a nice fit, not too loose, not too tight.  To do this I've been going back to my CAM program and modifying the roughing clearance, starting with .003 and moving down a thou each time.  This is a bit laborious as I have to generate the tool path and then the code each time.  This is compounded by the fact that I intentionally don't use my Mach3 machine for anything else and it's not on my network so I'm 'thumb driving' the files back and forth.  I'm guessing there is a more intelligent solution.
I noticed Mach3 has a tool diameter.  Could it be as simple as putting in a tool diameter entry in Mach3 such as .1878 and then run it to get a .006 undersized hole, then enter .1877 and rerun the same program to clean it to .004 undersized....and continue decreasing the tool size until I get the fit I'm after?  Is Mach3 smart enough to see that I coded a .1875 tool in the G code but have a .1878 in the tool info and it will then do the math?

Thanks,

Mark
Title: Re: Tool Information Diameter
Post by: BR549 on May 28, 2013, 02:43:05 PM
HIYA Mark Tool Comp in mach3 will only work IF your CAM wrote the G code for it to work. It is NOT an auto function in ANY CNC controller but relies on the proper Gcode to support the function.

NOW IF your Cam can write tool comp code then give it a try. You will have to fill in the tool comp data in MACH3's tool table to match what your CAM uses.

You may give a Wizard a try that uses TOOL COMP in its code.

Just a thought, (;-) TP