Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / machine drags when backlash compensation turned on.

« on: February 07, 2010, 04:51:40 PM »

I just installed a new version of mach3 mill and my mill drags every time it reverses direction. I tried imputing different percentages of full speed but
didn't see much difference. Anyone have a solution for this.
Thanks
Wawatobi

2

General Mach Discussion / transfer old setup parameters to newer version of Mach

« on: January 10, 2010, 05:42:11 PM »

I just installed a newer version of Mach 3 to a new computer. How do I transfer my old setup parameters to the new version?

3

General Mach Discussion / Program stops when backlash compensation is enabled.

« on: December 06, 2009, 05:43:25 PM »

I posted this problem quite some time ago and could not find a solution. My machine stops quite often when I use backlash compensation. Then I have to re-index and start the job over again. I run my Taig mill without backlash compensation and get by but there are a lot of jobs I cannot do without backlash compensation. Anybody know if the latest versions have addresses this problem? My version is at least three years old.
R. H.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program E-Stop in middle of jobs

« on: August 07, 2008, 04:51:33 PM »

I posted this thread a couple of years ago. In the end I just turned off the backlash compensation. That pretty much ended the e-stop problem. I usually run at 40% of max and seldom have a problem. When I'm doing two sided milling, I move the quill by the amount of the backlash.
cheers, Wawatobir

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Click jog and mill doesn't stop

« on: October 30, 2006, 05:15:42 PM »

Sorry, but what is the xml file and how do I back it up?

Wawatobi

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Click jog and mill doesn't stop

« on: October 30, 2006, 11:18:02 AM »

Thanks, that will save me a bit or two.
Wawatobi

7

General Mach Discussion / Click jog and mill doesn't stop

« on: October 28, 2006, 04:50:42 PM »

I've been using Mach3 for a month and a half now and I think it is a great improvement over my last milling software but it has been
a rough transition. One recurring problem I have been having is that when I'm jogging sometimes the mill continues on when I take my
finger off the mouse button. I'v ruined a couple of expensive bits because of this. Also bored  a nice hole in my machine.  I thought it might be a defect
with my mouse but I bought another mouse and have the same problem. It only happens once in a while, perhaps once or twice a week. Anybody out there
have this problem?  I thought at first that I might have pressed two buttons on the mouse at the same time or something like that but I'm quite careful now
and I still have the problem.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program E-Stop in middle of jobs

« on: October 27, 2006, 06:03:39 PM »

I used my old Dos based Microproto stepper system for four and a half years without any backlash compensation problems. The new servo system has been
working for roughly 32 hours now without problem since I made the changes mentioned below. I don't have a problem with the cutter pulling into the work
because I'm only cutting wax. If I didn't have backlash compensation I would have major problems doing two sided milling. I always use meander as a cutting strategy because to cut conventional or climbing wastes too much time as the cutter picks up at the end of a run and goes all the way back to the beginning of the next line to start the next
cut. Imight be able to avoid backlash compensation for two sided milling by cutting in one direction  for the top and the opposite for the bottom. I might try this after Christmas to see what happens. I believe it would take too long though.
Cheers
Wawatobi

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program E-Stop in middle of jobs

« on: October 26, 2006, 10:47:01 PM »

I'm sorry I can't answer any technical questions about this problem. I'm just a goldsmith trying to make a living the easiest way I can. The
manufacturer of my hardware says there is a software glitch in the way Mach 3 deals with backlash compensation. I've run my mill another
twelve hours today following his advice and haven't had any unwanted e-stops. I won't be satisfied until I've gone a week or so without
problems but so far his advice has panned out.
If my problem is noise , or a ground loop then why was I able to run my new system without a problem for several weeks before I started having
problems? I haven't changed anything except the software. Two weeks ago I realised that I had entered the backlash compensation corrections
but had't checked the box which enables it. When I realised this I entered 20% for the backlash compensation % of max. When I talked to
kurt Daley of microproto Systems about the problem he said that I either had to turn off the backlash compensation or use a % value of 200. 
When I followed his advice I was back in business. Kurt said that Artsoft was working on the problem. That's all I know about this.
Cheers,
Wawatobi

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Program E-Stop in middle of jobs

« on: October 25, 2006, 05:52:06 PM »

The saga continues. After cleaning and adjusting the mill I had a couple of hours of no E-stops. Then.... It started again. I'm losing a Thousand
dollars a week with the problems I'm having so If I've sounded a little screwed up, you're not imagining it.
     I decided to call Kurt Daley of Microproto Systems. He called me right back. He claims that there is a problem with the way Mach 3 handles
backlash compensation. He said that if I turned off the backlash compensation, the e-stops would probably cease. He also suggested that if I had to
use backlash compensation then I should set the "backlash speed % of Max" to 200. I bit the bullet and tighened the nuts to reduce the backlash
to 0.001 on both the x and Y axes then milled for three hours without the backlash compensation on. No estops!!!. Today I recalculated the Backlash and turned the
backlash compensation on. I ran the mill for 10 hours today. I had an estop on the first job but I was running 60% of Max which is too fast for the job I was
doing anyway. I reduced to 35% of max which is what I usually run at when using the 4th axis and had no problem the rest of the day. Too early to say
if I'm back in business but I'll repost in a week or so if I have no problems.    Baby, when this servo system works, my backlog gets eaten up in a hurry!!!

Wawatobi