Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 23, 2010, 05:32:55 PM »

Well I do kind of in secret Acoustic sets that would fit your Les Paul. Contact me through my website and I'll send you pictures.

As to the rotary motion, perhaps you missed it but there is a kind of round-about solution by inserting after every 180 degree rotation of the stepper in linear motion the line GO920 that sets the counter to zero thus the next time one uses GOA180 it will turn again clockwise.

As to the video, I will post one someday, but right now I have spent way too much time developing this I got to get back into production a.s.a.p.

Best
Jorg

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 23, 2010, 03:57:14 PM »

Dear Simpson,

I have converted the Tormach CNC Mill into a Vertical Lathe to produce fully automatic the small turning parts I use for my Guitar Tuning Machines. www.graftuners.com.

I have replaced the draw bar with a pressurized tube and installed a pneumatic opening/closing mechanism for the collet. This allows me to advance my stock while the spindle is running. One of my parts requires very close tolerances for the ID and run-out. I cannot achieve those tolerances if I where to move the table. Thus I need a stop that moves in and out and a cut-off tool that also moves in and out. Lastly I have a waste/part collection system where a vacuum cleaner collects the waste and just as the part is being cut-off switches over to collect the part in a basket.

To control all this I installed a 4th axis stepper motor and use this stepper to rotate 4 cams that operate pneumatic valves which in turn activate the various pneumatic cylinders that move the slides and activators.

For this reason I need to be able to continually move the axis clockwise (not back and fort) by 360 degrees in two 180 degree steps for each part made.

Best
Jorg

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 23, 2010, 12:50:16 PM »

Dear Simpson,

Thanks for your suggestion, but this is way beyond my capabilities.

Best
Jorg

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 21, 2010, 09:03:50 AM »

Thanks for these suggestions.

I think I will stick with the kind of round-about way I outlined earlier. It works and a simple line of code is not too much trouble.

Of course it would be nice to know how to do it in a proper way for future projects.

Best
Jorg

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 20, 2010, 08:19:50 PM »

Thanks everyone for the support,

As to the linear versus circular motion in Mach 3; the full version has under the setting tab a choice to select either circular or linear motion. The Tormach version does not provide this option; they basically disabled the whole "settings" options to assure that everything is set up properly to match their machine.

To get around the problem one can use after every g-code line GOA 1.8 that tells the stepper to rotate for 180 degrees an additional line G92A0 that sets the counter back to zero thus allowing a repeated clockwise move by 180 degrees.

Best
Jorg

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 17, 2010, 06:52:00 AM »

Thanks everyone,

Yes, now that I have seen the screen shot it's clear that the Tormach version does not provide that option at the config tab.

I'll see on Monday what Tormach has to offer.

Best
Jorg

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 16, 2010, 05:37:34 PM »

Thanks Jay,

Trouble is, I can't locate the CONFIG tab.
I just downloaded from the Tormach site the version 3 Rel. 1.9 U EXE

There I have on the top row a Configuration tab but the pull-down menu give me only "Fixtures" "Tool Table" and "Config Plug in".

In the bottom row I have a tab "Settings" (no cofigurations) and it shows in the upper left corner the A axis but no option to change from linerar to rotary motion?

So where do I find the CONFIG tab you are mentioning?

Thanks
Jorg

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 16, 2010, 02:09:15 PM »

Thanks a million,

However, I had that info from searching this forum and can't find the general configuration tab. Where is it?

Thanks
Jorg

9

General Mach Discussion / A Axis Setting rotary motion

« on: April 16, 2010, 01:57:11 PM »

Hi,

I just installed a 4th axis on my Tormach and it appears that the setting for the A axis is presently for linear motion. I understand it can be changed to rotary motion in the configuration. However, I can't find where to do this.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Please be specific with step by step instructions.

Thanks
Jorg