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Messages - Sweep

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1
General Mach Discussion / Vardex software
« on: February 16, 2013, 07:37:44 AM »
Just found this great free software tool on the Vardex site for thread milling. Does all the usual feeds and speeds but also generates G code!

http://www.vargus.com/vardex/template/default.aspx?pCatId=9

...Sweep

2
General Mach Discussion / Cursed
« on: January 24, 2013, 07:26:04 AM »
I can't believe it ...or possibly I can. After working over the past 12 months to sucessfully integrate my ATC into Mach3, with untold hours of support from various community members, the thing has now packed in  :(
Not sure if there is just one of the solenoids that has stopped working but I suspect it was the original Denford ATC circuit board/processor as the status LED doesn't change when I send either good, or deliberatley bad, code.
Hey ho, looks like I will have to start again and bring all the manual switches back to a I/O card and directly control them from the PC.
Very depressed and disillusioned.

...Sweep

3
General Mach Discussion / Re: Safe use of collets
« on: December 18, 2012, 05:06:48 PM »
Great stuff!
Thanks Hood. I've just heard stories about milling cutters pulling out but I shouldn't have too much to worry about with my conservative v & a settings. I usually have tooth loading set to half that of maximum as well and I'm only cutting aluminium.

...Sweep

4
General Mach Discussion / Safe use of collets
« on: December 18, 2012, 04:14:51 PM »
I happen to have a quantity of 7 brand new Hertel TIN 1/2" side-lock end mills but I don't have a imperial side lock holder in BT35 to suit. All my holders are either metric, ER16, DA180, or Clarkson Autolocks.
I can fit the cutters in the DA180 but I realise that the DA's are really only meant for drilling, or I could load them in the Clarkson's but, obviously, without the screwed section engaged. I only want to do a helical interpolation to open out a pilot drilled hole to 19mm but I wondered if either option was safe and, if so, which would be the safest bet.
All the imperial BT35's seem to be in the USA so shipping them across the World seems extreme.
Does anyone have any advice or experience of doing this kind of thing?

Thanks ...Sweep

5
General Mach Discussion / Re: Home switch as input
« on: December 18, 2012, 04:05:45 PM »
Not sure what the problem was as I've re-run the program a few more times without a problem.
The missed steps occurred when the z was lifting up without any cut so was just lifting the self weight of the z axis. Very strange.
I'll see how things go

Many thanks ...Sweep

6
General Mach Discussion / Re: Home switch as input
« on: December 16, 2012, 03:24:20 PM »
Yep, I guess I'm not going to break any machining speed records with those V & A figures!
As far as the motors are concerned they are the standard figment to my machine when it left the Denford factory. I suppose I should ask whether stepper motors loose their performance (magnetism?) over time as my machine was built in 1994.

I have used the GetOemLed and it works fine  :)

...Sweep


7
General Mach Discussion / Re: Home switch as input
« on: December 16, 2012, 12:22:14 PM »
Thanks Guys.
I will try Hood's suggestion as I was trying not to duplicate Inputs for the sake of it. I tried the duplicated set up yesterday evening and it worked fine but I have a MPG that needs wiring in that will eat up most of my spare inputs. The GetOemLed seems the obvious way to do it, it's just I didn't have the experience to realise it  :-[
I do have two separate over travel switches on each of the 3 axis that are my final defence against mechanical damage
Not sure why I have the missing steps problem but it was obvious when it happened as I heard the motor groan. I don't have a particularly  fast feed rate or rapid acceleration (v=1000mm/min & 20mm/sec^2) set but I suppose I could lower the acceleration further.

Thanks ...Sweep

8
General Mach Discussion / Home switch as input
« on: December 15, 2012, 10:46:35 AM »
I would like to utilise my Z home switch for the additional purpose of ensuring the Z axis is fully retracted during tool changes.
As when I am referencing the Z axis it moves off the switch by a small amount I have set "home off" to -0.25mm which allows the Z axis to move to machine coordinate Z 0.00 and have the switch become active. I am doing this because I have recently lost steps whilst raising the Z axis during toolchange which has damaged my carousel due to i not being correctly aligned. Whilst, I appreciate, this will not solve the problem of missing steps, which could be a whole host of stuff, it is an added safeguard against further damage.

I have already used my spindle Index for a similar purpose with great success, e.g. If IsActive (INDEX) then..., but it won't work using the command If IsActive (M3HOME) then....etc

Any ideas?

Thanks ...Sweep


9
General Mach Discussion / Re: Correct use of M6Start& M6End
« on: November 19, 2012, 02:12:15 AM »
Why do I want to do it?
1. Well I don't have anything to do with my machine when it's completed so my hobby is my machine  :-[
2. Whilst I probably wont use, or change the status of, the method of tool changing, I just want to make sure that if I do change it, possibly by accident, then the result is a safe reaction by the machine; you will recall that we have a spindle run command in the M6Start macro to align the drive dog with the carousel which is something which could be very dangerous if it is initiated during a manual tool change.
3. Due to the small size of my machine there are possible occassions when an ATC cannot be done because of physical limitations e.g. The largest diameter facemill I can use is 63mm as this just misses the Z axis column when the carousel indexes. There is also a problem with long tools as the carousel lowers towards the table to get the tool in the spindle.

...Sweep

10
General Mach Discussion / Correct use of M6Start& M6End
« on: November 18, 2012, 04:06:28 PM »
After a mammouth session of trial, error, development, and ultimate sucess in building a VB macro for my Denford Triac with 6 station ATC carousel, it may seem a little odd if I now ask how to ignore the whole lot for manual changes.

First of all a massive thank-you to TP (BR549) for the assistance given on the VB & Development of Wizards board with his untiring support which finally allowed me to get the ATC macro running perfectly.

OK, the way i see it, and please correct me if i'm wrong, the 'Ignore Tool Changes' button in General Configurations does just that and will charge through any gcode with the tool fitted in the spindle.
The 'Auto Tool Changer' button runs M6Start and then M6End consecutively without pause.
The 'Stop Spindle. Wait for Cycle Start' runs M6Start and then pauses until the cycle start button is pressed to then run M6End.

If that's pretty much correct, here's my questions

1. At the end of M6End what restarts the Gcode as I can't see any prompt to restart the cycle in the stock M6End macro?
2. If I want to do a manual tool change I would need to have the 'Stop Spindle. Wait' button ticked, but this would still run 144 lines of my M6Start macro which defeats the point. My thought is to move most of the 144 lines of code, with the exception of moving clear the Z axis, to the M6End macro and then add a bail-out command to the M6Start e.g.
If GetLED (185) = 1 Then MsgBox ("Change tool and press cycle start") Exit Sub
Does that make sense?

thanks ...Sweep



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