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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!
« on: May 25, 2008, 12:18:47 PM »
Hi Folks
I’m new here and am hoping that you might be able to point me in the right direction. I have built a 4 axis machine controlled by Mach 3, the machine is called a concrete or mortar printer. It’s a bit like 3D plotter with a tangent controlled trowel. The machine is very simple in that it pumps premixed mortar from a hopper to the print nozzle, the pump is started and stopped like the pen on a plotter going up and down.
To create a concrete structure one starts printing layers from the ground up. Each layer of mortar is about 5/8” deep and 1” wide. I know this sounds like a wacky project but it’s for an artist (need I say more).
Please could any of you answer the following:-
Why when using tangent control do I need to brake an arc down into less than 180 degrees? From my experimentation, if an arc is grater than 180 then the software (Mach3) will calculate the tangent for the opposite shorter path while the XY path remains on course, at least that’s the way it appears, it seems like the tangent dose not see cw/ccw direction over/above 180 degrees.
At present I am having to construct each 3d model by generating the tool paths by hand using 2D layered DXF files and then using Lazy Cam to separate each layer by entering it’s height above ground. Is there a method of automatic layering by say entering a relative incremental height? I’m talking about entering around 500 layers by hand.
Is it possible to command the spindle (in this case the mortar pump) to stop before the end of a run by (n) seconds?
I am sure there is already a software solution for creating vectored tool path layers of a 3D model (slices), I know there are CAM packages for milling machines. But I am not sure if it works for a positive layering machine, and if it kicks out G-code can it be custom post proceed. Can anyone suggest a suitable package please?
If any of you can help with any of this then thank-you and much appreciated. I am very impressed with the features and adaptability of Mach it has made possible a project that would have required many years of custom programming. I look forward to seeing your replies.
Thanks,
Dwight
I’m new here and am hoping that you might be able to point me in the right direction. I have built a 4 axis machine controlled by Mach 3, the machine is called a concrete or mortar printer. It’s a bit like 3D plotter with a tangent controlled trowel. The machine is very simple in that it pumps premixed mortar from a hopper to the print nozzle, the pump is started and stopped like the pen on a plotter going up and down.
To create a concrete structure one starts printing layers from the ground up. Each layer of mortar is about 5/8” deep and 1” wide. I know this sounds like a wacky project but it’s for an artist (need I say more).
Please could any of you answer the following:-
Why when using tangent control do I need to brake an arc down into less than 180 degrees? From my experimentation, if an arc is grater than 180 then the software (Mach3) will calculate the tangent for the opposite shorter path while the XY path remains on course, at least that’s the way it appears, it seems like the tangent dose not see cw/ccw direction over/above 180 degrees.
At present I am having to construct each 3d model by generating the tool paths by hand using 2D layered DXF files and then using Lazy Cam to separate each layer by entering it’s height above ground. Is there a method of automatic layering by say entering a relative incremental height? I’m talking about entering around 500 layers by hand.
Is it possible to command the spindle (in this case the mortar pump) to stop before the end of a run by (n) seconds?
I am sure there is already a software solution for creating vectored tool path layers of a 3D model (slices), I know there are CAM packages for milling machines. But I am not sure if it works for a positive layering machine, and if it kicks out G-code can it be custom post proceed. Can anyone suggest a suitable package please?
If any of you can help with any of this then thank-you and much appreciated. I am very impressed with the features and adaptability of Mach it has made possible a project that would have required many years of custom programming. I look forward to seeing your replies.
Thanks,
Dwight