Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Vcarving to Letter Cutout

« on: December 15, 2015, 10:09:29 AM »

hello,
have you tried exporting your files as
PLT HPGL plotter files ?

have a play,
when the HPGL export dialogue box opens opens
2nd tab 'PEN select pen 1 black
in the 3rd tab 'advanced'
make sure the curve resolution is ZERO
IF you can see the nodes in vectric, have a play with the curve resolution,
 as it will ADD nodes if you do not enter zero!!! and do the jerky jerk

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: laser cutting NOVICE/ROOKIE question

« on: December 07, 2015, 04:13:22 AM »

I THINK I GET IT.
has to be run like a plasma table, on off laser - plus corner looping and lead in and out = I suppose...
 BUT have a means of z axis movement, to cut thicker materials
=don't think it exists.
I.e. a mill will leave the spindle on when doing rapids etc.
a plasma setting won't move the z - axis.
tis probably why none have cut thick acrylic with low powered lasers.

so, corel/illustrator = sheetcam for laser with plasma type laser firing, but with a bed raise between passes, loop corners and lead in.

so a specific g-code generating version for 2d laser with bed raiser
with just the one pair of connections to the breakout board for laser on / off
maybe another to adjust the power setting

It does beg the question then.... IF for example a 10w laser could cut at 2mm,
5 passes............

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: laser cutting NOVICE/ROOKIE question

« on: December 06, 2015, 06:17:30 AM »

thanks
I think it does in fact run nema 17 motors,
I will simply fit a new psu, drivers and bob - usb. 24volt

It also appears that sheetcam can be configured as a laser cutter with a buy on add on.
This way, I get looped corners me thinks and lead ins and the like
 however I don't think it has the option to do multiple passes, -I.E. raise the bed
hmm

4

General Mach Discussion / laser cutting NOVICE/ROOKIE question

« on: December 05, 2015, 09:06:27 AM »

I think I am going to buy an old a2, 420 by 600 or 2' by 1.5' laser cutter.
Its an older model, so wish to do the mach 3 conversion to it.
This particular machine has a moving bed.
it is a RF air cooled machine rather than a glass tube water cooled unit.
The first question is.......
I 'think' its a mere 30w laser, the purpose of its purchase is to cut up to 10mm acrylic,
can I not simply 'using sheetcam tng' set the machine to cut in two or more passes?
I.e. set sheetcam to raise the bed on the second and third pass?
seems too simple..................................................
-simply guessing the power can only cut into the material 3-4mm or 1/4 inch at a time,
does it need to blow the dross out the other side? I think it has air assist.
do they actually vaporize the material?

I gather all the smaller lasers machines use nema 17's? - so I stay 24 volts?

last question is, I don't think I am overly concerned of the machines speed,
so - do I need worry too much about laser on/off - How is this actually controlled

Thanks in advance

5

General Mach Discussion / whats with the mini vfd's currently for sale?

« on: September 21, 2015, 03:58:36 PM »

are they the same internal giblets as the earlier things simply packaged tighter?

I think I am wanting a water cooled .8kw spindle = 65mm 4 bearing
 and mini vfd
vfd's state .75kw and not .8kw

is that correct?

I don't want more than 1hp and that's what it is...
says its 2 amps?

next jump at say 1.5kw is 2 hp and pulls 7 amps

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-0-8KW-ER11-WATER-COOLED-SPINDLE-MOTOR-0-8KW-INVERTER-DRIVE-VFD-FOR-CNC-/271881269449?hash=item3f4d62f0c9

just want to be able to switch it on and it be quieter than my mains fed router.

6

General Mach Discussion / pulse output capabilities ess

« on: August 26, 2015, 03:08:15 PM »

http://warp9td.com/index.php/products

erm the Ethernet version says cw and ccw - the usb version says no

do them servo drive doofers want cw and ccw pulse output signalling

anyplops, I have 'finally' bought some sevo motors that match my drives - Panasonic minas a4 @ 200w
maddt1207 and the matching motors

so am I correct in thinking I am buying an ess for mach 4

just been having a read up, my mach 3 is working on windows 10

does that mean mach 4 and ess will work too.
LASTLY
I buy the ess for mach 4 - what else do I need, does the ess plug into something else and then to the drives
thank you

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: hello, just changed computer to a windows 8.1 machine

« on: March 02, 2015, 04:48:37 PM »

Hello please, I have had it working, I have cut something today.
whats the interrupt all about?

8

General Mach Discussion / hello, just changed computer to a windows 8.1 machine

« on: March 02, 2015, 01:46:40 PM »

anyway, the x axis limit switch used to work, now it does still switch, turns the led on and off on the breakout board - usb leafbox 200 hz xulifeng  thing

but it doesn't bounce back = stays in the emergency stop mode if you like on homing, I then have to switch it all off and pull the axis away from the switch to get going again.

do I adjust the switch mechanically - or is there a setting I can alter

I did have to set the kernel speed to 45000hz to get ot going, as its didn't like 25000 - just wiggled about a bit.

any suggestions? - move the switch forwards?

thanks

9

General Mach Discussion / Hello, where is the 'sticky' with the currently available mach4 motion devices

« on: February 22, 2015, 05:39:42 PM »

might I be so bold as to ask for
1. a picture of said item
2. price of said item
3. spec of said item
4. link to download page of plug-in of said item

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: this new usb -network? break out board set for 24volts

« on: January 19, 2015, 01:05:54 PM »

https://industrial.panasonic.com/ww/i_e/25000/minas_a4_e/minas_a4_e.pdf


ok so page 98............
yokogowa electric?
usb feed from computer at 5v
5v power supply for pulse train  out put - that to me means step and direction?
cw + from plc/breakout boardto pin 4
cw minus to pin 3
ccw plus to pin 6
ccw - to pin 5
- 5v opto isolated from 24 v
------------------------------------
then using a 24 volt power supply, into a 24 volt breakout board go
e stop pin 7
alarm
limit switches

is it that simple?

24 v power supply to breakout board