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Topics - baldysm

Pages: 1
1
General Mach Discussion / Off the shelf servo controller for Mach3
« on: July 27, 2010, 02:54:17 AM »
I unfortunately have the Imserv Servo setup for Sherline machines. I very strongly recommend against anyone getting it if you have any desire for a stable machine that just works.

I have had servo faults with this system forever. Sometimes are better than others. It is getting worse. I have the servo's set for 20 IPM and 1.5 acceleration. They have worked at 40 and 4.5 and the servo fault rate seems to be about the same.

I have a huge amount of parts that I need to get finished by Friday. With this screwball Imserv crap, I'll never get them done, much less by Friday.

Does anyone know of a off the shelf controller system that:

a. works decently
b. works with Mach 3
c. does 4 axis
d. preferably will connect to the existing servos from Imserv. (NEMA-23 mounts)
e. If D is not practical, I'll take stepper motors, new servos, whatever I need to do.

I don't need to do anything fancy. The only movement commands I use are G01 and G00. No spindle control, no coolant, just the 4 axis is what I need controlled.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

2
General Mach Discussion / not stopping in correct position
« on: April 10, 2009, 09:41:10 PM »
Hi guys. I'm running into a ongoing problem with R2.0.060.

In MDI mode, and also at the end of programs, Mach stops the machine at the wrong position. I don't know if it's happening within programs, it doesn't seem like it, but my stuff is small enough that it might not be noticed.

For example, the last move in a program might be G00 Z1. The machine will move to Z.978 (or whatever number) and stop, according to the display, and the position is pretty accurate on the machine itself. It doesn't happen with every program, but if it does happen with a program, it's very consistent. It happens everytime, and it always stops at .978.

In MDI mode, I'll be at x5.0 or something, and enter G00 X0, and Mach will stop at X.492 (or something). Enter the command again, and it doesn't move. Jog the machine in X, enter the command G00 X0 again, and it moves to X0 like it should.

It doesn't happen all the time, but certainly enough to be frustrating.

Any ideas?

Thanks!


3
General Mach Discussion / external estop requested problems
« on: December 04, 2008, 02:56:24 PM »
I'm having a problem with Mach 3 at the moment.

Seemingly randomly, Mach3 will stop and need me to click the reset button. I get the message that an external e-stop was requested. I click reset, and cycle start and it starts going again. It doesn't loose position, but the next few lines of gcode are screwy, and I almost always violate and scrap out the part.

I have a 5 hour long 4 axis program that I am cutting on a Sherline mill the IMServices's controller and servos. I have run the program before with no problems, and Mach 3 doesn't stop at a consistent point in the program. So the problem is not the program.

I had this same problem a couple months ago, and it went away. Now it's back. Nothing changed that I am aware of. Same PC, controller, version of Mach, servos, etc.

Any suggestions on how to fix this? Is it possible to tell mach to ignore external estops entirely?

Thanks!
Scott

4
General Mach Discussion / problem with getting detail
« on: August 29, 2008, 10:51:42 AM »
I'm having real problems with my CNC setup right now. Not sure where the problem lies, or how to determine what it is.

I'm using mach3, have a sherline 4 axis mill, and the IMService's servo system (converted for use with Mach).

The attached simulation image is what the program should be cutting, as seen in Rhino3d with RhinoCam. The other image is what I am getting when I cut the wax.

All the detail in the feathers and such is gone. It's pretty flat. I cut 1 piece, looked great but decided I needed to reduce the stepover to reduce the size of the steps, and try changing cutting direction from across the X axis to along it.  I reprogramed the part and cut it. Next run was good, but I didn't go quite deep enough and it wasn't cleaning up the workpiece. Dropped my Z .02" and restarted. Ever since, I have not been able to get any detail.

I've rebooted the PC, reduced the velocity and acceleration on the Z axis by about 1/2, went back to a XML file that worked flawlessly (a copy is attached, the accel/velocity changes not included though), tried reprogramming again, reduced my feed to 3 IPM  (first piece was cut at 8 IPM), and nothing has changed the problem. I'm still getting almost no detail.

What's really wierd is that if you look at the simulation image and the wax, it looks like the step up from the flat cylinder to the wing is ok, but it cuts off almost all the feathers. The step up to the wing doesn't look to be as much as it should be, but it's consistently making that step and not making the step over the feathers.

I have cut quite a few 4 axis things before, without a problem. This is my first wax cutting job.

Any suggestions? I'm desperate to get this part out. Been playing with this for a week and am at my wits end.

Thanks

5
General Mach Discussion / A axis 'stuck' in angular mode
« on: April 21, 2008, 03:03:49 PM »
I am having struggles with my Mach3 controller running a Sherline mill with a rotary table.

My .xml file got corrupted and I went back to a back up file. Everything seems to be working ok except for the A axis.

I'm stuck in angular mode with the A axis. I almost always use linear mode on the A axis, and scale things at the design stage so that a Y in the design is equal to 1 revolution in A on the machine. I just change the Y's in the output file to A's and I'm good to go.

I have the A axis unchecked in "axis is angular"  in general config, so it should be linear. I can't find anything else that seems to apply.

Current XML is attached.

Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks!

6
General Mach Discussion / Z and A axis problems
« on: April 08, 2008, 01:51:05 PM »
I am having a problem with Mach3, version 2.0.060. Attached is the gcode of the file I am running. Runs with no errors or anything.

The code creates a simple diamond with a line in it, around a shaft.

What happens is that is as A is turning into position, Z is descending. It should get into X,A position over a diamond point, and then plunge down to Z-.005. What is happening is that A is not in the right position yet before Z starts to plunge down. It is so bad sometimes that Z is at -.005 and X has started to move before A gets to where it needs to be, so there is a big gouge approaching the diamond.

I attached a photo of the problem. The diamonds on the left are correct, and the diamonds on the right show the problem.

The problem seems to get worse as the program goes on. The last few diamonds in the program are the worst, although the code is the same. Nowhere in the gcode is there any line with A and Z on the same line, but there are times that both are moving concurrently.

Any suggestions/ideas? I have used this machine/controller with no problems before, just recently it started having these problems.  I didn't make any config changes (that I recall anyway).

Thanks
Scott


7
General Mach Discussion / Z not working well
« on: April 01, 2008, 10:17:18 AM »
I'm having a problem with a Z axis not working right. 100% a software/program issue. I'm using version R2.0.060

Below is 1 example of a program that I'm having a problem with. I have not tried every program, but I think it's occuring with all my programs.

The problem is that the last move in the program is Z1.5, but movement stops at Z.8573, consistently. Thats where the software stops and the display says .8573.

Any ideas?

G00 G49 G40.1 G17 G80 G50 G90
G21
(end_mill_.03)
M6 T1
M03 S0
G01Z0.500
G00X0.051Y0.038
Z0.016
G01Z0.000 F0
X0.055Y0.037Z-0.001 F2
X0.072Y0.029Z-0.004
X0.086Y0.020Z-0.007

(movement code deleted)

X0.148Y-0.010
X0.138Y0.005
X0.125Y0.020
X0.115Y0.029
G00Z1.5
M5 M9
M30

8
General Mach Discussion / 4 axis problems
« on: August 01, 2007, 05:37:07 PM »
I'm having a problem with a 4th axis on my mill.

In the past, I would set everything up, and switch the cabling around on my Y and A axis and everything would work great. That worked since steps and ratios worked out were the same.

I upgraded to a precision lead screw on the Y axis, which has a different pitch on the threads.

The problem is that I can't move the A axis in a program. I can go into jog mode, and use the insert/delete keys and the A axis spins just like it is supposed to. So I know it's not a wiring problem or something, it's a configuration problem someplace. In jog mode, the displayed position of the A axis changes as well.

I went into my G-code program, did a find/replace and changed all the Y's to A's. Program runs, just the rotary table never moves.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

9
General Mach Discussion / multi lead threading
« on: April 13, 2007, 12:13:29 PM »
I tried going through the wizard in Mach 3 lathe, and could not find an option for multiple leads.

What is the best/easiest way to program 2,3, or 4 lead threads?

Can I use the wizard and give it a different starting Z? If I'm doing a 2 lead thread that gauges at 36 TPI, but is cut with 18 TPI, would I start 1 lead at Z0, and the next at Z .0277 for example, and just cut/paste the parts of the program I need together?

There is also a G-code that will make 1 threading cut, but seems really tedious, especially with 3-4 lead threads. I forget the exact G-code, but is that my only option for multi-lead threads?

Any ideas?

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