Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Retrofit an Acroloc M12

« on: January 31, 2009, 02:59:52 AM »

Hey guys,
I'm kicking around having an Acroloc M12 mill retrofit to run on Mach 3. The machine is working, cut some parts this week, but the controller will have a fit now and then. It would be great to have a little more memory, and a lot less tape reading... Called about a BTR, now thinking a complete retrofit would be better, after hearing some prices from the tape place. Not a fan of the ancient controller with the bad attitude either(gets slapped around a lot to make it act right ). It's acted a little better since wiring to real three faze, but in not trustworthy by any measure.

Thought this would be the best place to ask if someone in the KC area has done this sort of thing. Don't think I will have the spare time needed to get a project like this done in a timely fashion(or the know-how).
If you could direct me to a person/company that have experience in this sort of thing, and can pull it off in a reasonable time frame, it would be great.

Thanks,
Sam Steeb
username @ hotmail.com

2

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: LCam Foam 2D

« on: July 13, 2008, 10:15:07 PM »

I see where you were going with the second pic now.

Thanks for all the help, looks like I have more than enough to make it work for me. Maybe later down the road they can make it a little better too.

Thanks again,
Sam

3

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: LCam Foam 2D

« on: July 13, 2008, 05:09:05 PM »

Sorry it took so long to get back here Chip, guess it's been a good weekend.

I've been messing around some more, looks like what I though I was doing before, but the results are how you show them... Only thing else I would like to know how to do is create a control point in the moves between cuts. On the CMMs at work it would be known as a move point.
Any idea how hard it would be to add a function like this into the program? One that would allow me to select a chain, them hold ctrl+M and click to add a move point along a lead. Sounds easy to me, but I know nothing of how to make something like this happen...

Thanks again Chip, not sure what I was doing wrong before, but this is almost exactly what I was try to do. At least the top pic...

Thanks,
Sam

Edit:
I'm near Kansas City BTW

4

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: LCam Foam 2D

« on: July 11, 2008, 11:48:26 PM »

Hey Chip,
That looks a bit like what I want, but it gets complicated... I did purchase the Lcam pro license though.
What is the gray outline?
What all the gray lines that can be moved around? (Rapids?)
Is there a way to tell the software it is not allowed to break thru any chains with cuts?
Or to connect one cut to the next without going to an edge?

It's just that I cannot have all paths begin and end from and edge, I need to be able to link one path onto the next... And often create a move point in between.
I had planned on just butchering my CAD to have only one chain, basically drawing an entire tool path, starting in the corner and working all the way around and back to that corner. Leaving a few thou between points that would likely melt away anyway. Then going in and editing the code to remove the tool height stuff.
I had reworked a file like this at work today, but Lcam still assigned curves and broke the path into several groups. I am certain I could just use the groove wizard in Featurecam to get the majority of the toolpath, then just edit out the z(tool) moves. I could likely take an axe to the post and get code that would work like this without much editing. But I would like to be able to have my own software at home. The single chain file got left at work, I hope you get the idea.

The example is a file downloaded off the net and then modified to make sure I didn't step on any toes. It is a fairly good rep of the work I need it to do, but I may need to tighten up spaces between parts, and most of my design use fewer and larger parts resulting in less paths between parts for cutting.

Thanks for the help!!!
Sam

5

LazyCam (Beta) / LCam Foam 2D

« on: July 11, 2008, 11:54:18 AM »

I'm having trouble getting the foam section to work as needed. I'm likely doing something wrong, but I've been able to locate much reference material on this.
The project in question is to cut 39x27"6mm thick sheets of foam. The machine will be holding multiple sheets and keep them standing upright and separated.

What I was expecting to do with LCam is load a file containing different shapes and it create a path going from one to the next. I get that much, but it goes *thru* the other cut areas. Turning rapid on and off doesn't help, when posted to Mach it appears that the rapids are still there. I was really hoping to have a home in the center of the table that would allow the wire to park below the work or at least on one side.
Is it possible for LCam to create a path that goes from piece to piece without breaking other chains and enters and exits a part in the same place?

If this is not something LCam is able to do can someone recommend another program that will?

Thanks,
Sam

6

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: reset home with G code

« on: July 07, 2008, 09:36:09 PM »

Okay guys,
Setup for a program at X8.00 Y7.00 Z-1.35 zero all as you would for a work offset. Then crank on your drives to intentionally loose position drastically. Executing the above G28.1 X0Y0Z0 send the machine to zero it's axis but does not reset the offset but corrects it!!! How cool is that!!! Touches off all homes and finishes with X-8.00 Y-7.00 Z1.35, brilliant, it's going into the post processor.

Only issue is the order executed is not Z axis first, but I can easily work with that, maybe as simply as execute a G28.1 Z0 followed by g28.1 x0y0. I'll have more time to play tomorrow. Hey, maybe a G28.1 Z0 Y0 X0... Graham, thanks so much!

Chip and ger21, thank you both as well!!! I will start playing with macros soon as well.

Thanks again to all,
Sam

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: reset home with G code

« on: July 07, 2008, 05:01:43 PM »

Thats awesome!!!

8

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: reset home with G code

« on: July 07, 2008, 01:06:08 PM »

Section 5.6.1.4 right.?. I'm reading...
Reads (to me) that commanding a G28 will return the machine to the G28 location as defined in the "Motor Home/Softlimits" (5.6.1.1 in the manual).

I think Chip is following me now, sorry I cannot explain better.

thanks,
Sam

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: reset home with G code

« on: July 07, 2008, 09:15:11 AM »

Okay now I'm getting confused. I thought G28 would send the machine to the taught home, usually 0,0,0 for me. I would like to teach the machine it's home by touching off the limits with the G/M-code, so that at a tool change or during a long run it can check up on itself, atleast after each run. I'm not at the machine right now, but I thought that is what "ref all home" was doing for me, now I cannot be sure. Am I all messed up here??? Also wondering if it is possible to do this in program or will it freak things out.

Maybe I can free up some time today at work and study up on macros and look at the one you provided. If not I'll get to it tonight.

Thanks again,
Sam

10

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: reset home with G code

« on: July 06, 2008, 10:29:55 PM »

Thanks Chip,
Maybe I wasn't very clear, I am not trying to return to current machine zeros. I would like to have it reset zero, or home the axis. Ahh, let me see, okay, "ref all home" is the button that I would like to be auto pressed by calling a code.
Pretty sure what you suggested is a G28, assuming home position being zeros.

I would like to know if there is a way to reference all homes at the end of a program automatically. If not already in Mach3, is it possible to create a macro thing? I don't know anything about macros, but if needed I'll learn. I can see myself calling on something like this even throughout a program just to keep everything honest.

Thanks again for the help!
Sam