Topics

1

Post Processors / mastercam x4 mach post processor

« on: December 27, 2010, 07:36:18 PM »

Hi guys does anyone know if there is a post flying about that will work with mastercam x4 currently mpfan.pst or the fanuc posts works fine for 3 axis work but for 4th axis things start to get messed up, firstly the only post that seems to output is mpfan.pst ( for 4 axis work ) and works fine till it gets to the rotational moves after that point its all over the place, I did try the mastercam post available on the downloads page but cant seem to get it to update ( not quite sure how to run the updatepost.dll  , failing a post being available if there is anyone out there that can create a custom one please send me a message.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

2

SmoothStepper USB / An update to my previous thread with a new question

« on: August 29, 2010, 05:32:14 PM »

Hi Guys just an update, so the machine was checked over and it appears the problem is the bearings down by the hand-wheels that connect on to the balls screws like rcaffin suggested, the machine will be sent back to germany ( to confirm this ) and a replacement shipped out.

On a side note Wabeco sell a more expensive machine ( F1410LFHS )that uses linear slides for all 3 axis and a counter weight for the Z instead of Gibbs and i was thinking of paying the extra for this option this time round as it may help the overall cnc process in the long run?, I will post a couple of links to the machines if anyone has any suggestions on which unit they think would be better to go for that would be much appreciated.

https://www.wabeco-remscheid.de/index.php?cat=c16010_F1410-LF---F1410-LF-hs.html&subpage=basics&picture=2

The above is the one Im thinking of getting ( with SK30 spindle and ball screws )


https://www.wabeco-remscheid.de/index.php?cat=c14010_F1210---F1210-hs.html&subpage=basics&picture=1

This is the unit I have now ( which will be going back )with the 180mm Y extension and the SK30 spindle and ball screws

The negatives on the linear slides i can see are as follows

Im thinking I may get more chatter with the linear slides on deep cuts but then again most of my work is in aluminium so this may not be an issue

With ball screws if I decide to use the machine in manual mode it may not hold its position so well as Gibbs ( no friction but I could lock off the the axis if need be )

Possibly less rigidity with linear slides but I have no experience with then so im not to sure

The positives with this machine I can see are

200mm in the Y as oppose to 180mm

Smoother overall operation

More weight

Counter balanced Z axis

Once again any thoughts please post

Thanks

3

SmoothStepper USB / I hate this machine

« on: August 04, 2010, 02:22:00 PM »

Guys sorry to be posting again but I'm going crazy here,

OK here is the issue, I set up perfectly round bar verticly on my table and got the centre with a co-ax indicator I then moved above the workpiece and did a few G0 moves and jogged about a bit I then pressed go to home assuming it would return perfectly to the center I then lowered the Z axis with the preset co-ax and tested it, the y axis was  .01 out of the first reading but the x axis was .1 out I then got the center again and repeated again this time i got .05 out in the y and .11 in the x , I have tried a few more times and it seems to change around within these parameters

I have set my steps via a 1-2-3 block ( and gauge ) and got them to within .01

I have also dropped the acceleration by half but this did not help

I'm kinda thinking backlash but whats throwing me off is that it constantly changes and considering i spend £1000 on ballscresw I cant see how it would be this much

I have made sure the tension on the pulleys and belts is good

The nema steppers are new ( everything is new )

If anyone has any suggestions that would be great

Failing this im going to strap my head to the table and do a Z move right threw my brain

Cheers

4

SmoothStepper USB / Mach seems to be cutting on the wrong side??? Any ideas?

« on: July 15, 2010, 05:24:04 PM »

Hi All,

Cant seem to see what Im doing wrong on this one Ill try and explain the problem,

Ok so I drew up my part and created the G-code file (I did the demo run in mastercam and everything seemed good), I then imported it into mach 3 and set up my stock, the display picture of my part in mach 3 seemed identical in layout and placement to mastercam, This is where it gets a bit strange.... when cutting, everything in the display looks good but the cut is completely in revers and upside down ( altho the picture looks correct the machine seems to be cutting a part that is turned 180 degrees to the left and flipped 180 degrees ) ?? I decided to finish the part as the shape would come out fine except the pockets were in reverse ( and on the wrong side ), Its kind of hard to describe , I have tried reversing the motors but this just seems to throw up more problems,


( I think if my mill head was flipped 180 and the work piece stayed where it was everything would come out correctly As an Example lol )

( Just a side note,, All the depths of cuts are fine )

If anyone has any ideas or would like to seem my profile or g-code file I can send it ( as its probably the only way to know what the hell I'm talking about ) ( its a bit to large to post )

Sorry if its not completely clear Its kind if hard to explain

Many Thanks
  

5

SmoothStepper USB / Z Axis wont stop ???

« on: June 17, 2010, 03:44:33 PM »

Hi all,   

Got a small problem

OK here goes, firstly my cnc has no home switches here's the problem I get ... at the end of a cut cycle I tell the Z axis to go 50mm above the surface of the work piece and stop and I tell the X&Y to go to zero, the X&Y do exactly what there told but the Z goes to 50mm pauses then keeps going in the + direction and never stops until it stalls the stepper or I press stop?

Now without a G-code file loaded I'm sure it has something to do with the machine coordinates because every time I press ref all home in the dro screen or ref all coord's screen the X&Y don't move or change but the Z axis will start moving in the + direction until I press stop, I also get the following error message  "Safe Z turned off Ignoring safe _Z move"

Any ideas or help would be great,

Thanks

6

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Mastercam x4 Problems

« on: June 16, 2010, 07:39:41 AM »

Hi all,
Hopefully someone out there can show me where I'm going wrong, The problem is the G-code .NC file that Mastercam x4 produces seems to get messed up in mach 3, I have tried every post processor in the post folder using the default milling machine ( under machine type ) in MCX4 and the the MC post from the artsoft downloads page but to no avail the closest working post I can get seems to be the Fanuc one but instead of doing a 30mm circular pocket that simulates perfectly in MCX4 it comes out looking like a diamond ( please see the G-code below ) if i try to cut the outer contour of the circle it shows up various problems depending which post I use, I have tried the same setting in a friends copy of Mastercam x and all seems good using the default machine type and using the Fanuc post so I'm a little confused.

I'm using the a smoothstepper if that makes a difference?

This is the warning message I get when I try to use the artsoft post

This post was created for an earlier version of Mastercam, Please use the UpdatePost utility to update it to the current version.
UpdatePost is installed as a C-Hook in your C-Hook folder, run it like any C-Hook, To learn more, Start UpdatePost and click the help button.

This is the G-code for a 30 mm circular pocket ,


Any help would be greatly appreciated 

%
O0000(TEST POCKET 1)
(DATE=DD-MM-YY - 16-06-10 TIME=HH:MM - 12:28)
(MCX FILE - C:\MCAMX\MCX\T.MCX)
(NC FILE - C:\MCAMX\MILL\NC\TEST POCKET 1.NC)
(MATERIAL - ALUMINUM MM - 2024)
( T219 |    10. FLAT ENDMILL | H0 )
N100 G21
N101 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
( POCKET CUT )
N102 T219 M6
N103 G0 G90 G54 X.938 Y0. C0. S3500 M3
N104 G43 H0 Z20.
N105 Z2.
N106 G1 Z-1.667 F20.
N107 G3 X-1.875 Y2.813 I-2.813 J0. F150.
N108 X-4.688 Y0. I0. J-2.813
N109 X1.875 Y-6.563 I6.563 J0.
N110 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J6.563
N111 X7.5 Y0. I-4.453 J6.035
N112 X0. Y7.5 I-7.5 J0.
N113 X-7.5 Y0. I0. J-7.5
N114 X0. Y-7.5 I7.5 J0.
N115 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J7.5
N116 G0 Z.333
N117 Z2.
N118 X10. Y0.
N119 G1 Z-1.667 F20.
N120 G3 X0. Y10. I-10. J0. F150.
N121 X-10. Y0. I0. J-10.
N122 X0. Y-10. I10. J0.
N123 X10. Y0. I0. J10.
N124 G0 Z.333
N125 X.938
N126 G1 Z-3.333 F20.
N127 G3 X-1.875 Y2.813 I-2.813 J0. F150.
N128 X-4.688 Y0. I0. J-2.813
N129 X1.875 Y-6.563 I6.563 J0.
N130 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J6.563
N131 X7.5 Y0. I-4.453 J6.035
N132 X0. Y7.5 I-7.5 J0.
N133 X-7.5 Y0. I0. J-7.5
N134 X0. Y-7.5 I7.5 J0.
N135 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J7.5
N136 G0 Z-1.333
N137 Z.333
N138 X10. Y0.
N139 G1 Z-3.333 F20.
N140 G3 X0. Y10. I-10. J0. F150.
N141 X-10. Y0. I0. J-10.
N142 X0. Y-10. I10. J0.
N143 X10. Y0. I0. J10.
N144 G0 Z-1.333
N145 X.938
N146 G1 Z-5. F20.
N147 G3 X-1.875 Y2.813 I-2.813 J0. F150.
N148 X-4.688 Y0. I0. J-2.813
N149 X1.875 Y-6.563 I6.563 J0.
N150 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J6.563
N151 X7.5 Y0. I-4.453 J6.035
N152 X0. Y7.5 I-7.5 J0.
N153 X-7.5 Y0. I0. J-7.5
N154 X0. Y-7.5 I7.5 J0.
N155 X4.453 Y-6.035 I0. J7.5
N156 G0 Z-3.
N157 Z-1.333
N158 X10. Y0.
N159 G1 Z-5. F20.
N160 G3 X0. Y10. I-10. J0. F150.
N161 X-10. Y0. I0. J-10.
N162 X0. Y-10. I10. J0.
N163 X10. Y0. I0. J10.
N164 G0 Z20.
N165 M5
N166 G91 G28 Z0.
N167 G28 X0. Y0. C0.
N168 M30
%

7

SmoothStepper USB / DRO Issue Experts Needed ???

« on: June 08, 2010, 05:51:00 PM »

Hi all so I have set up my system ( smooth stepper on Wabaco f1210 mill ) and all seems to be working good except I seem to be having issues with the DRO, heres what happens,
When I zero my axis and perform my required job move I then press the "move to zero" button to repeat the procedure but about 8/10 times one of the axis usually ends up at 0.0012-0.0016 this also happens if I enter g-code, say for instance if i enter g0x100 it sometimes ( not always ) ends up at 99.988 on the DRO or something of the sort, again I watched today as I used the pocket cut wizard on Mach it should have performed 1.2mm deep cuts per pass but ended up showing 1.1988 on the DRO, this happens weather the motors are attached or not ( the control unit is from MDA precision )

Any trouble shooting tips would be great .

Many Thanks