Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 24, 2008, 04:56:57 PM »

This modification to the M6 End macro seems to work fine for me. If no moves were made during the tool change stop, the macro does nothing. If a move WAS made, the macro runs as originally intended.

REM The default script here moves the tool back To m6start If Any movement has occured during the tool change..
REM Changes made by Ted G. to stop this from running if no moves were made by user during tool change stop..

x = GetToolChangeStart( 0 )
y = GetToolChangeStart( 1 )
z = GetToolChangeStart( 2 )
a = GetToolChangeStart( 3 )
b = GetToolChangeStart( 4 )
c = GetToolChangeStart( 5 )
CurX = GetDro(0)
CurY = GetDro(1)
CurZ = GetDro(2)
CurA = GetDro(3)
CurB = GetDro(4)
CurC = GetDro(5)

Moved = 0
if CurX <> x then Moved = 1
if CurY <> y then Moved = 1
if CurZ <> z then Moved = 1
if CurA <> a then Moved = 1
if CurB <> b then Moved = 1
if CurC <> c then Moved = 1

if Moved = 1 then
   if(IsSafeZ() = 1) Then
   SafeZ = GetSafeZ()
   if  SafeZ  > z then StraightTraverse x, y,SafeZ, a, b, c
       StraightFeed  x, y,  z  , a, b, c
   else
       Code"G00 X" & x & "Y" & y
       end if
end if


     

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 24, 2008, 11:40:02 AM »

I think a better solution (for my situation anyway) would be to see if any moves were made durin the tool change stop.

If no moves were made, then don't do anything. No need to move to safe z.

As I have a lot of production jobs that use a single tool, the first run of the day requires me to verify tool and alignment. After that, I just want to run. The tool change stop just means that I have to hit start twice and walk away after loading the jig. As x,y, and z are not touched between runs, there is no need to move to safe z.

I don't have time now to write the M6end macro changes but basically another IF statement at the top to test if the Start X,Y,Z a,b,c are equal to the current X,Y,Z,a,b,c. If they are not equal then run the rest of the macro. If they are equal then no need to do anything so just exit.

I'll work out the code when I get some time. It's been a crazy week here.

Ted

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 23, 2008, 10:07:32 PM »

I think I'll stick to modifying the post in Sheetcam to set the initial feed rate to something I can live with instead of the F1 Les has provided.

I don't mind the extra moves I just can't wait forever at F1 speed.

This way I don't have to worry about Mach upgrades.

Thanks for your help.

Ted

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 23, 2008, 08:10:01 PM »

Ha, I lied.

M6 end has the following code:

REM The default script here moves the tool back to m6start if any movement has occured during the tool change..

x = GetToolChangeStart( 0 )
y = GetToolChangeStart( 1 )
z = GetToolChangeStart( 2 )
a = GetToolChangeStart( 3 )
b = GetToolChangeStart( 4 )
c = GetToolChangeStart( 5 )
if(IsSafeZ() = 1) Then
   SafeZ = GetSafeZ()
   if  SafeZ  > z then StraightTraverse x, y,SafeZ, a, b, c
      StraightFeed  x, y,  z  , a, b, c
else
Code"G00 X" & x & "Y" & y
end if

If I'm reading this correctly, If Safe Z higher then the current Z then will do a rapid move to Safe Z. Then we will do a feed move to the original position.

If Safe Z is not higher (already above or higher then Safe Z) we will do a rapid move to the original x,y.

This explains what I'm seeing.

I must have looked at an old profile's macros when I saw the empty M6 end. Sorry about that.

Thanks for your help. I'll pass this info to Les.

Ted

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 23, 2008, 07:07:18 PM »

Yup, that's exactly it.

I'm not always worried about the exact height as long as I'm no lower then the surface height. I'm mainly cutting through a 0.060" surface on most of my jobs. I setup most of the jobs to cut 0.200" deep so I have plenty of leeway. On jobs where z precision is required, I touch off a gauge block connected to the probe input. I have a little macro that does that for me.


I guess if the Mach behavior is normal by design I'll let Les at Sheetcam know about it.

Thanks,

Ted

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 23, 2008, 03:44:27 PM »

Hood,

The M6(start) macro has this in it:

  tool = GetSelectedTool()

  SetCurrentTool( tool )

The M6(end) macro is empty.

I'm assuming that the M6(start) macro does no movement and just updates the screen.

I did some more playing around with this and found that the tool offset has something to do with it. I don't do much with tools settings in mach in fact, the tool table is all zeros. By playing with safe height and tool offset I see now what is happening. Upon hitting the M6, Mach updates the screen as per the macro and waits for a continue. Upon hitting start the z rises to safe height rapid speed and then immediately moves to the tool height as set in the tool table at feed rate. It then continues on as expected.

If this is normal behavior by design then so be it. I can live with it. I just don't understand why. In my situation with no tool changer I have to manually fit tools and zero them. Once fitted and zeroed I am happy to see the move to safe height for protection. The move to the offset height is a wasted move.

Ted

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 23, 2008, 08:29:00 AM »

I guess I'm the one that does not understand.

Why is the move to safe height move at rapid speed and the move back down at the feed rate of F1. There is no gcode moves in there.

Why does the Z move down at all in fact? If the z moves to safe height after a tool change that's fine. Shouldn't it wait for an move instruction at safe height? The next instruction in my code after the tool change is the spindle on. There are no moves yet the Z moves down on it's own.

If the current operation is by design then that is fine with me and I'll just have to change the Mach Post in Sheetcam to set a higher initial feed rate that I can deal with.

This whole question came about from Les of Sheetcam. Sheetcam jams the F1 in there. When I told Les I had to change the F1 to a higher rate, he said it was not necessary which led to the thinking that Mach was doing something weird.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 22, 2008, 08:57:31 PM »

OK, today was a crazy day.Sorry I did not get this done sooner.

Attached is an xml file and the test.tap file that will duplicate this problem for me.

I stripped the job code down to all you need to duplicate it. On both my mill system AND another system system I loaded the latest dev version on to play with, the code runs to the tool change and stops. Upon continue, the Z moves at rapid speed to safe Z, and then moves down at F1 speed prior to turning on the Spindle.

The only thing different here from my original explanation is I rasied the safe height to 5.000 as opposed to 3.000. My actual job code moves the Z to 3.00 at the end of a run thus, I was not seeing the rapid rise to Safe height as it was already there.

To duplicate, just load it up, zero x, y, and z, hit start. Hit start after the tool change stop. The Z will rise to safe height of 5 at rapid speed and then go down at F1.

Also note, I have not changed the M6 macros in any way. They are original as delivered.

Thanks for looking at it.

Ted

 

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 20, 2008, 08:23:41 AM »

Dave,
Version does not matter.. It has always done this. I was running 2.63 as of Wednesday when Les (of Sheetcam)  brought this up. I loaded the latest Dev version on Thursday and it still does it.

Hood,
I won't be back at the shop till Monday so I can't get to the code. Maybe Kristin has access to her code.


Ted

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed rate after tool change problem

« on: September 19, 2008, 08:30:38 PM »

Yes, it only affects the first move after the tool change. Runs correct feed rate after that.

I had a problem with Sheetcam TNG and this issue came up. I changed the SC Mach post to jam an F50 in there instead of the F1. Les is the one who brought up the question as to why I was doing this.

It's an easy workaround for me but it did bring up the point that Mach may have a bug.

Ted