Topics

11

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 and Setting up a plasma system, help.

« on: April 06, 2018, 01:43:16 PM »

Ok so I went a different route. Didn't add to my cnc router, but built an entirely new CNC machine for plasma. I don't see a lot of info so I'm trying to figure out the specific things I need for plasma. I understand most of what I need, but then there's the little things.

1. I'm using a Promo THC and I understand I wire that to my Pokeys57CNC and set the pin assignments in Mach 3 and Plugins. Does the Promo THC unit, with it's two wires going to my Hypertherm, actually fire the torch or do I do that in Mach 3 and a relay like anything else?
2. The floating head system I built uses a limit switch, I've just based my design off what I've seen and understand the mechanical aspect. That limit switch is above the floating head. Do I wire that limit switch to Z Home? Then I jog manually, once, with mach finding the actual distance from hitting limit switch to the floating head being completely down, so when the program tells it to find the top of the work piece, it can go down > hit the work piece > touch the limit switch > and move the Z axis up to the correct offset distance? And that offset is the number I put in Z Home?
3. Does all that sequence, finding the work top with floating head, happen in the CAM I'm using, namely SheetCam? Or is there a macro I need to install?

Thanks.

12

Mach4 General Discussion / Lathe Problems with Mach Motion Wizards, Is this Gcode Good?

« on: April 05, 2018, 11:06:51 PM »

So I made a different post months ago about all the errors I get when posting from Mach Motion Wizards. I think one of the creators tried to help, but wasn't getting the same errors as I was. Not sure if it's a software or computer hardware problem. I'm running all the latest Mach 4 and associated drivers. Anywho, I was making some parts the other day and noticed when i was threading the lathe carriage was jerking when it was going back to home position, move violently than normal. Then when I changed out parts and ran the same program for threading the tool was now off, by maybe 1/16", in the X axis. So I tried lots of things, re-tuned the servos for slower speed in Mach Config. That didn't work. So then i thought maybe I'm losing steps, but it' servos and if it loses position I imagine it would fault and give me an error. So I ran the program without the threading cycle and everything was dead nuts perfect. Then I ran the threading and that's where the position was off.

Here is my Gcode, does anyone see anything wrong with it?

What I ended up doing was run the threading cycle, rehome the machine, put a new part in and thread, rehome, etc... that worked, but everytime it finished a threading cycle it was off.

N0000 (Machine type - MachMotion Lathe Canned Cycles)
N0005 (Filename: C:\Mach4Hobby\GcodeFiles\Temporary - Copy.tap)
N0010 (Generated on 04/05/18 at 19:57:00)

N0015 %
N0020 G00 G40 G18 G54 G64 G80 G90.1 G99 G20 (Safe Start Block)
N0025 %

N0030 (Starting Gcode for Threading Cycle: ThreadingCycle-0)
N0035 G50 S4100 (Spindle Speed Cap)

N0040 %
N0045 G00 G40 G18 G54 G64 G80 G90.1 G99 G20 (Safe Start Block)
N0050 %

N0055 T0808 (Tool Change)
N0060 G99 (Feed per Revolution)
N0065 G97 S400 (Constant Speed)
N0070 M04 (Spindle Reverse)
N0075 M08 (Flood)
N0080 G00 X0.5750 Z0.1600  (Rapid move to Clearance Height)
N0085 G76 P040060 Q0.01 R0.005 K0
N0090 G76 X0.2965 Z-0.5 R0 P0.0785 Q0.01 F0.0625
N0095 G80
N0100 G00 X0.5750 Z0.1600  (Rapid move to Clearance Height)
N0105 (End Gcode for Threading Cycle: ThreadingCycle-0)

N0110 %
N0115 (Custom Footer Block)
N0120 G00G53X-0.25Z-0.25
N0125 %

N0130 %
N0135 M09
N0140 M05
N0145 M30
N0150 %
N0155 (End Gcode file)
N0160 %

13

General Mach Discussion / CNC Router Convert to Plasma Questions

« on: March 12, 2018, 09:57:00 PM »

Ok so I've got a CNC router I built decades ago, recently rebuilt it with a Pokerys57CNC and Mach 4 to bring it up to modern times. I need to plasma cut some parts and figured I'd slide a water table onto it and cut away!!!

I know nothing about CNC plasma cutting or very little. So questions...

1. Any advise about using a nice cnc router with a plasma cutter so I don't screw anything up? I plan on using a slide on water table to capture all the bad stuff.
2. Do I need to modify anything or can I use it as is? I assume I'd only need a THC if I were cutting all the time on it and/or warped or multi level parts.
3. I assume Mach 4 Plasma works like Mach Mill and just runs the machine with coordinates and all the other stuff like torch cut width compensation and so forth is all adjusted in the CAM program.
4. Normally I use RhinoCAD and RhinoCAM to generate my GCode. What do I use for plasma, cause I assume it has special settings for width of the plasma stream (don't cross the streams), etc... I know people use sheetcam, but is there anything I can do in my current CAD/CAM?
5. If I'm not using A THC is there a specific height I use for all materials that the torch should be from the workpiece?
6. I assume I can just turn on my plasma torch with it's existing CNC port and a relay hooked up to my Pokeys57CNC? Do I need to do anything to protect the electronics from the plasma system?
7. Last question! I hope. Feeds and Speeds for plasma, is there a chart then just tweak from there?

Thanks in advance. I can guess and research most of this, but I like the opinions of you people as you know best.

14

Mach4 General Discussion / API Function Codes Help

« on: January 28, 2018, 01:28:25 AM »

I looked through all of Mach 4 Core API for the function codes, but can't seem to find them.

I want to add some physical buttons to my pendant and need the codes so I can add them to the lua script.

1. Ref All Axis.
2. Zero Fixture Z

Any help would be appreciated.

15

General Mach Discussion / Getting More Inputs, How do you?

« on: January 28, 2018, 01:23:37 AM »

I'm using a Pokeys57CNC and love it. How do I get more inputs if I run out on my motion control board? I mean I wouldn't add another motion control board, right? Seems like there should be a cheaper solution?

16

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach Motion Lathe Wizards Bug? Help.

« on: January 17, 2018, 06:35:08 PM »

So when generating a threading procedure in Mach Motion Wizards I get an error when running the program.

I get a K0 in my code that Mach doesn't recognize. When I remove the K0 the program works just fine.

So my question is what is the K0 supposed to be doing? Is there a way to correct this so I don't have to edit the Gcode every-time I generate a new threading procedure?


I also had a problem with the depth of the threads. I was cutting 1/2-13 threads. I set the Xi at .5" and it starts the threading procedure at .6" so it's .1" off so I can't input the correct thread depth or else it's too shallow of a cut.

I have a feeling that it's cutting .1 too high because the Clearances of Xc are set to .1. If that is correct then what does the clearance number actually do. If I set Xc to 0 will that not retract the tool away from the work piece?

Here is the code I was using.

N0000 (Machine type - MachMotion Lathe Canned Cycles)
N0005 (Filename: C:\Mach4Hobby\GcodeFiles\Temporary.tap)
N0010 (Generated on 01/17/18 at 12:39:40)

N0015 %
N0020 G00 G40 G18 G54 G64 G80 G90.1 G99 G20 (Safe Start Block)
N0025 %

N0030 (Starting Gcode for Threading Cycle: ThreadingCycle-0)
N0035 G50 S4100 (Spindle Speed Cap)

N0040 %
N0045 G00 G40 G18 G54 G64 G80 G90.1 G99 G20 (Safe Start Block)
N0050 %

N0055 T0808 (Tool Change)
N0060 G99 (Feed per Revolution)
N0065 G97 S500 (Constant Speed)
N0070 M04 (Spindle Reverse)
N0075 M08 (Flood)
N0080 G00 X0.6950 Z0.1000  (Rapid move to Clearance Height)
N0085 G76 P030060 Q0.02 R0.005 K0
N0090 G76 X0.36 Z-0.75 R0 P0.135 Q0.02 F0.0769
N0095 G80
N0100 G00 X0.6950 Z0.1000  (Rapid move to Clearance Height)
N0105 (End Gcode for Threading Cycle: ThreadingCycle-0)

N0110 %
N0115 (Custom Footer Block)
N0120 G00G53X0Z0
N0125 %

N0130 %
N0135 M09
N0140 M05
N0145 M30
N0150 %
N0155 (End Gcode file)
N0160 %

17

Mach4 General Discussion / GCedit Not opening Help

« on: January 17, 2018, 12:14:49 AM »

Using the latest release. When I click edit g-code in a lathe profile I get an error where it can't find the file. It thinks it's on D drive, which I don't have. On my office computer where I have the same version Mach it opens just fine. I looked all over, edit scree, lua scrips, etc... Can't find where in the code it points to address of the program.

18

Mach4 General Discussion / Lathe Tool Table Setting Tools Help

« on: January 11, 2018, 09:39:17 PM »

Couple of questions:

I used to have this whole procedure for setting new tools in my lathe. All by the book, I suppose. Now I think I've streamlined it. So my question is, is there anything wrong with doing it this way?

Here's what I do. Put in a new tool in my Tool Changer > Set T0101 for instance > Face Cut > Set Zero Fixture Z > Cut the OD of some stock > measure OD of stock just cut > Open Tool Table and adjust X numbers until DRO reads my Mic reading.

For tools other than 1 > Set T0202 bring tool to face until it touches but isn't removing material > open tool table and adjust Z numbers until DRO reads zero > cut OD > measure OD > adjust tool table X until DRO reads Mic reading.


Anything wrong with this procedure. I find it the easiest for me.


Another question, for the life of me I can't find any explanation of the Tip Dir in the tool table. I assume it means Tip Direction? Well what do the numbers represent.

Last question, I have a free spot on my tool changer Position 8. Well I plan on using multiple tools in that slot. How do I program for it? I assume that's what the Offset number in the tool code is for?

So would I put a tool in position 8 and set it's exact position as I outlined above and set it as T0808 > then setup another tool in position 8 as stated above then set it as T0809? And so on? would that work? I need to keep the same tool number as they physically correspond to my tool changer position.

19

Mach4 General Discussion / RhinoCAM Lathe Post Processor

« on: January 10, 2018, 01:15:59 AM »

I read a tutorial on Pokeys lathe threading and it said Mach 4 uses Fanuc OT for GCode. Just wanted to check if that's the post processor I should use if I'm using RhinoCAM.

I usually use the built in wizards in Mach for lathe projects and have only had one project that I designed in VisualCAM. That's when I was making Steadycam gimbals and they were complex. I'm so not used to using that program and haven't done so in like a decade. So I thought I'd check out the Lathe function of RhinoCAM as I use Rhino for everything.

20

Mach4 General Discussion / Latest Version of Mach 4 will it Copy over all the settings?

« on: January 09, 2018, 05:30:07 PM »

I have Mach 4 and want to upgrade to the latest version of Mach 4. Will all my settings and screen changes cover over? I know probably a sill question.