Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: I would pay to have fixed

« on: October 22, 2013, 08:56:11 AM »

On it...thanks for the guidance. I will let you know how it goes.

Jeff

2

General Mach Discussion / I would pay to have fixed

« on: October 21, 2013, 06:15:02 PM »

I want so bad to be able to do cnc machining, but maybe it is just too complex for me. SO I started with a 6040 Chinese machine just to see if this hobby was for me. I LOVE IT, BUT, I am having issues. Since day one, on SOME things I want to cut, the machine stalls. It just starts to make a grinding / binding noise, then starts to move properly again however, it is way off course. I have tinkered with motor tuning, feeds and speeds of my VECTRIC software and I can't fix it. Sometimes I will cut an entire project with NO issues, and other times I cant get thru one piece. Not sure how many know of the VECTRIC free project called the "BLING BOX". I cut the sides and bottom out PERFECTLY. Now I am trying to cut the top. After 3 failed attempts, I set my speed in my VECTRIC software tool path to 2200 mm per minute and plunge to 700 per minute. I ran the entire tool path in thin air with NO WOOD, and it ran the whole thing perfect. I put a piece of pine on the machine, and it stalled on line 336. NEVER stalls on the same point. There seems to be NO consistency to when it will do it.

ANY IDEAS? I would pay someone to fly to Arizona and fix this problem. I want to buy a new 48x96 machine, but if I cant get the little one to work why spend 20K on a big one right??

Anyway, below are my specs, and I have also attached my .xml file. This is ALL the info I know, so if you start asking me about screws, pitches, frequencies etc, I will be lost. One thing I will tell you is the MFG told me to set the machine in mach 3 up like this:

Steps: 640
Velocity: 2500 XY 800 Z
Accel: 200 XY 150 Z

When I set Steps to 640 everything is doubled. I run the step calculator in Mach 3 and it says to set steps to 320 so I did.

SPECS:
Dell Computer running windows XP
ETHERNET SMOOTH STEPPER
Chinese 6040z + S65J
VFD SPindle usually run at 300khz or 18000 rpm

.XML attached

Any help and patience would be appreciated, and if the help is I am over my head, so be it. I just gotta know cause it has been driving me nuts for 6 months now.

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Jog Pad issue...TIME TO UPGRADE

« on: June 08, 2013, 08:02:36 PM »

I have attached my XML just in case.

Jeff

4

General Mach Discussion / Jog Pad issue...TIME TO UPGRADE

« on: June 08, 2013, 07:58:52 PM »

Milling a project, out of no where, machine looses step or something and goes off course. OK, maybe motor tuning not right although have done many projects today with no issue. Closed and rebooted everything, NOW when I hit tab to open JOG PAD within MAch3, buttons do not respond. Up Down arrows and side to side arrows as well as Page Up and Page down ON KEYBOARD work fine, but JOG PAD within Mach NOT working.

And then I guess I just don't understand how the projects can be going great and then all of a sudden she goes off path. Motor Tuning? But the three projects I did before this one went without an issue, and they were even bigger.

Any ideas? Or should I just upgrade to GREENBULL CNC from BuildYourCNC.com?

I use an ESS Smooth Stepper from Warp9 and the version of Mach is R3.043.058 as suggested by smooth stepper.

Would appreciate any guidance.

Jeff

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: My settings are GONE

« on: May 30, 2013, 09:29:59 PM »

Sorry Everyone, freaked out....found an old post from Hood that explained how to restore the back up and all is good now. Thanks again Hood. You help in sooo many ways.

6

General Mach Discussion / My settings are GONE

« on: May 30, 2013, 09:24:08 PM »

Used Mach3 ALL day yesterday, shut it down as I always do, came to shop tonight loaded MY profile that I always use (6040_CNC), and everything had reset to a "new" profile. ALL settings back to default.

Any ideas? Can I load the .xml backup from last night somehow?

Jeff

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: And on line 32427 it all went haywire

« on: May 28, 2013, 08:21:22 AM »

Ok, adjusted the acceleration as directed and it worked. Wow, one day maybe I will understand this, for now, just grateful for the forum.

Funny thing happened though after I changed my acceleration settings. I closed Mach 3 and reopened, and when I did, the Mach screen took up my entire monitor visibility area. Before, mach would run kind of on the left upper corner and covered 2/3 of my viewing area. This way, when I pressed tab to see my jogging controls, they didn't cover up any of the mach screen. It's almost like when you change resolution from windows, or your monitor how things get bigger and smaller if that makes sense. However, I checked both the monitor settings in windows, and the monitor itself, and both are as they have always been.

And finally not to be a pest, ya know when you first open mach there is that little square window that pops up with some graphics on it  and tells you the version ? Mine is different EVERYTIME I return and reopen mach 3. I mine it switches between 2 or 3 different variations, but clearly different, and I use the same profile everytime...I call it 6040CNC.

Those two things have had nothing to do with performance, and as I am a stickler for performance and consistency, I thought they would be worth mentioning just in case I am missing something.

Thanks again for the acceleration tip. I see your name on lots of forum answers on various topics. You sure know your stuff.

Regards,

Jeff

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General Mach Discussion / Re: And on line 32427 it all went haywire

« on: May 27, 2013, 02:00:29 PM »

Wow, ok great. Thanks for the quick response I will do as you suggest and report back. Man, you guys on this forum are great.

Jeff

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: And on line 32427 it all went haywire

« on: May 27, 2013, 09:25:06 AM »

.xml attached (I think) The machine is a 6040 4 axis CNC, and below is what I know about the machine. I appreciate you extending your courtesy and viewing my file.

 X,Y,Z Working Area: 580×400×75mm

Max. Feeding height: ≤100mm

Outside dimension: 880×670×530mm

Table size: 745×480mm

Lathe structure: 6061/6063 Aluminium alloy

Stepping motor: two-phase 57/3A

Drive unit: 1605 ball Screw

Sliding unit: Chromeplate shaft

Maximum speed: 0-4000mm/min

Engraving speed: 300-3500mm/min

Repeat positioning Accuracy: 0.05mm

Spindle motor: 800W VFD spindle motor

Spindle speed: 24000RPM/MIN

Cutting tool-holder: ER11/3.175mm

Interface: Parallel port

Software Compatability: Mach3/Emc2,(Type3,Wentai, ArtCAM)

Command code: G code/.nc/.ncc/.tab/.txt

Machine weight: 54kg

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General Mach Discussion / Re: And on line 32427 it all went haywire

« on: May 26, 2013, 08:53:57 PM »

I should also add that I use an ESS Smooth Stepper.