Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / accuracy ?

« on: February 16, 2024, 03:52:15 PM »

I ran this program in MDI
F1000
G20 G90
M98 P1234 L50
M30
O1234
G1 Y -4
G1 Y0
M99

set DTI to object in vise usually went over teh zero and then jog back by .0001 increment to zero.  run program first time get .0005 beyond zero.  run the program every time there after get the DTI land in same location all teh time.  Does that mean too much backlash comp?  Something else? 

2

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Mach motion customer service

« on: January 20, 2023, 12:37:46 PM »

Purchased their control package back in 2015.  I Happily paid more for the Hardware items through them rather than other suppliers like say buying the motion controller from Hiconn directly etc etc.  I wanted their service.  It was looking good in the beginning.  They did change the service tech on my since 2 years ago.  Before making the purchase I requested that the machine work like it did with Mach 3 when I had CNC 4pc Components.  I had a Brain and macro from hood that took care of the Bridgeport Back gear.  Would see a prox on the backgear off and know I am in back gear and if it was on knew I was in main gear and it would stop the program if I was in the wrong gear for the commanded speed.  Machmotion's tech Aaron said I would need to be upgraded to teh Global messaging enabled mach IV.  This ended up bombing my hard drive with only one out of 30 GB left and maybe also causing issues with low RAM shutdowns.  I am not even running programs yet just jogging back and forth trying to set a consistent and accurate steps per inch on my axis' of motion.  Now a remote session couldn't be secured teh new tech is trying to sell me a computer upgrade.  Reason we tried to remote session was because he says that they have a newer version of Mach IV that doesn't have RAM problems.  No they don't really take care of the hardware they sell.  After 8 years they deemed my controller ( computer) obsolete and want me to upgrade.     

3

HiCON Motion Controller / Have mach motion Hicon don't know the #. Analog VFD output problem.

« on: December 29, 2022, 07:33:20 PM »

I have their Apollo III system.  I don't know which Hicon that is.  Problem is that I set my VFD to give me 15-137 Hz.  OK took spindle tach readings when radn spindle straight from VFD.  recorded those #'s.  Then went into Mach and commanded ridiculously low RPM's with slider all the way down and ridiculously fast rpms with slider all the way up.  RPM's were not the same as when run off the VFD.  Low end rpms were higher and high end rpms were lower, so I was scratching my head.  Then hooked up DMM to 0-10V output and Gnd.  I checked and at slowest RPM get 1.259 VDC and at fastest rpm commanded get 9.83 VDC.  Even if there was a Pot to adjust, WTH?   I guess I would bring it all down by 1.259 VDC so high output would be 8.571 which is ridiculously off and at least low output would be correct.  I also got 21 Milivolts when nothing was commanded.   Suggestions?  Anything I should check for?  Everything else seems fine. Adjusting up my VFD freq is going to be my last option.  I would like to get the PWM output fixed proper, if possible before monkeying around with my min and Max Hz setting on the VFD. Thought I would see what the Vital systems guys have to say before I can get together with the Machmotion folks who are alway helpful.     

4

Mach4 General Discussion / have a machmotion hicon system need a cycle start inhibit

« on: May 04, 2021, 08:46:59 PM »

Ok, I have a mach4 hicon system from back in 2016.  I have a BP ( real deal BP Connecticut casting).  It has a hi lo gear dealie.  There is a prox that inputs when the head is in hi gear.  so when X6 active I am in M41 and when off M40.  Then I have speed range for that and the low is on reverse.  All great.  Problem is I want mach to look ahead during the tool change, right before operator presses cycle start and give message when I need to change gear for the right speed range and also inhibit cycle start press if I am in wrong speed range.   How do I go about that?  tech from machmotion upgraded me to "latest and greatest " version of mach 4 and I can no longer even enable the machine now.  He wanted to be able to take advantage of global messaging to do What I need and now I only have problems.  I suspect that version is dedicated for ethercat and their latest BOB which I don't have.  Back in the day we had brains in Mach 3 now???  I don't know how this works. 

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Screw mapping

« on: April 15, 2021, 05:49:25 PM »

How is the screw mapping feature getting along.  Seems like I paid $5000 for just the controller with embedded windows whatever that means and all I got was hobbyist license.  I thought I had the industrial license.  Anyways I can really use that screw mapping. 

6

Mach3 under Vista / skipping blocks, random moves, lost communication P4 3.2GHZ Win7, R.066

« on: July 18, 2014, 04:23:36 PM »

Ok I have plenty of random issues running my machine now.  In the past I made 100's of parts on the machine and say a 4% hiccup rate.

Hiccup= skipping blocks, random moves, no making commanded move, freezing or even all out losing communication.  It almost never occurs at the same place.  

The system I have is an ESS w/ the latest driver R.066 Mach3 P4 3.2Ghz 1GB Ram w/ windows 7.  I have almost deleted everything like Google chrome e mail program etc etc.  I tried deleting anti virus but no luck.  This is a totally isolated computer except for the USB stick for transferring G code.    

How do I optimize my system.  At this point I am thinking about upgrading and leaving Mach 3 completely because now the rate of hiccups I am getting is every cycle start something else goes bad and I can't afford that.  

7

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Mach 3 G13/12

« on: June 17, 2014, 07:40:08 PM »

Does our G13/12 command work as described in this tutorial? 

http://www.cnc-training.com/tandp/jun04.htm

If so that would be cool being able to spiral into a bore instead of having to take the entire radius in one shot or having to make multiple blocks of G12/G13 if you don't want to snap your end mill.   

8

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Having problem machining a post mostly G3 code

« on: May 09, 2014, 06:28:53 AM »

OK the computer doesn't know that its not machining a pocket so it is giving me a lot of too complex messages and radius smaller than tool. Thats besides teh fact that I am getting weird tool paths

here is the code

(Tool 3/8” 4Fl Carbide)
N10   G20 G17 G90 G90.1 G54 S2800  F13.5 
N20   G0 Z.1 X0 Y0   
N30      X-.66 
N40      Z-.7   M2 (Touch Off and set Side to X-.6165)
N50      Y-.645                       
N60      X0     M2 (Touch Off and set Side to Y-.5145)
N70      Z0
N80      Y0     M2 ( Touch off using knee)       
N90      X-1.1  Y.84 M3 M8     
N100  G41 G1 X0 Y.5394 P.1875
N110     X.1839 Y.467
N120  G3 X0     Y.5019   I0 J0
N130  G1 X.1761 Y.4298 
N140  G3 X0     Y.4644   I0 J0
n150  G1 X.168  Y.3925           
N160  G3 X0     Y.427    I0 J0
N170  G1 X.1596 Y.3553    F11.5
N180  G3 X0     Y.3895   I0 J0
N190  G1 X.1507 Y.3181
N200  G3 X0     Y.352    I0 J0
N210  G1 X.1412 Y.281
N220  G3 X0     Y.3145   I0 J0
N230  G1 X.1311 Y.244
N240  G3 X0     Y.2771   I0 J0
N250  G1 X.1203 Y.2072    F9
N260  G3 X0     Y.2396   I0 J0
N270  G1 X.1085 Y.1706
N280  G3 X0     Y.2022   I0 J0
N290  G1 X.0955 Y.1343
N300  G3 X0     Y.1647   I0 J0
N310  G1 X.0495 Y.1482  F7
N320  G3 X0     Y.1563   I0 J0
N330  G3 X0     Y.1563   I0 J0 F5.75
N340  G1 Z.1            F13 
N350  G40 G0 X-1.1  Y.84 M5 M30

0,0 is at the center of the part.  What I am aiming for is a male post .3125 diameter.  Up to code N80 I am touching off the tool on the part so I can center everything.  I hit F5 start to jog touch off and correct my DRO's.

Help highly appreciated.  I will upload a picture of my desired tool path when I come back from work.  gotta go thnaks 

9

General Mach Discussion / Thinking of getting pendant and need a mode to verify my programs/ fixturing

« on: January 01, 2014, 11:37:54 AM »

I am thinking of getting one of those Vista CNC controllers and I need a mode where my program is set to run and as I turn the encoder, I get two things, the program is running and in a ratio that is dependent on how fast I am turning the encoder.  Turn the encoder fast you get 100% of program speed, turn it slower and the feed slows down.  I need to be bale to set the spindle speed separately in the speed override so I get a happy median for slow feed and programmed feed.    

10

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / M0 and M2 command

« on: December 06, 2013, 06:29:27 AM »

OKay I am not sure what is wrong with thsi program, but what I am trying to do is have the program send teh ball end mill down to zero and I raise teh knee so the workpiece just touches teh cutter and now I have a good z axis zero.  Problem is that when M0 comands a single block move the spindle does not seem to continue running till I hit cycle start for teh proghram to go on.  This is lines N10-N30

Then in lines N30 -N50 I want the cutter to go down into the middle of the part, retract, and then I can measure to verify we are in the middle with my calipers.  then I hit cycle start program carries on from N70 and all is well.

Then there is this message I get.  'Compensation too complex' or something like that.  All I am trying to do is rough out a pocket that is less than .211 X .381 and then clean it all up lines N200 to lines N270 



(Tool 3/16” ball 4Fl Carbide)
(Work piece .495 diam suit blank )
N10   G20 G17 G90 G54 S2000   
N20   G0 Z-.1 X0 Y0    M3
N30   G98 M0
N40   G73 Z-.275 R-.095 Q.030 S6000 M3 F10
N50   G80   
N60   G0 Z0 X0 Y0 M2           
N70      X.089 Z-.1  M3 F34
N80   G1 X-.089 Z-.252
N90      x.089  Z-.403
N100     X-.089 Z-.355
N110     x.089  Z-.406
N120     X.010
n130 G41 x-.182 P.0935         
N140     Y-.097
N150     X.182
N160     Y.097
N170     X-.182
N180     Y0 X-.1905
N190     Y-.117              F15
N200  G3 X-.0968 Y-.1055 R.09375
N210  G1 X.0968
N220  G3 X.1905 Y-.0118 R.09375
N123  G1 Y.0117
N240  G3 X.0968 Y.1055 R.09375
N250  G1 X-.0968
N260  G3 X-.1905 Y.0118 R.09375
N270  G1 Y-.117
N280  G0 Z0
N290    G40 
N300     X0 Y0 M5 M30   



As always thansk for all teh help