Messages

51

General Mach Discussion / Mach 3 Syncing Dual Y Motors, Help.

« on: April 10, 2018, 10:51:09 AM »

I'm sure this is on here somewhere, but I can't seem to find it. Might be calling it the wrong thing. I'm using Mach 3 for my Plasma Table I just built and I'm using Master and Slave Y Axis Motors. Lots of people do it so I'm sure it's just some setting somewhere.

How do I home Motor 2 and Motor 4 together, but when one reaches it's own limit switch it's stops and the other motor continues on until it reaches it's own limit switch? That way the system will self align the Y axis from racking.

Thanks.

52

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

« on: April 09, 2018, 12:12:15 PM »

Rhuttle, I've done that per the other thread suggestion, but selecting a type of feed works except for the first one. I've selected others and gone back to the first one and it doesn't come out at K1, just K0. I appreciate the help though.

@Cbyrdtopper, I'll try that, G32.

I wonder why this code would change the X axis offset, I mean I don't see anything in there that does, but it sure does and like I said above I assume that the servos would fault out if they were losing position.

I'm building a new CNC Plasma and have to go back to Mach 3 and just now learned i can use Mach 3 on Win 10 with a Pokeys57CNC. I mean I'm not sure if I could have used my PLC for my tool changer with Mach 3, but if I could I wouldn't have switched. OK I probably would have, but would have changed back. I've been using Mach 3 for like 15 years. NEVER had one problem. Seriously, running a CNC Bridgeport, CNC Router I built and a cnc Lathe I built.

53

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

« on: April 07, 2018, 02:44:01 PM »

Cool thanks. I bought the combo package with a machine torch.

54

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

« on: April 06, 2018, 06:25:29 PM »

Ok I read another post where you contributed. I'll set it up as Probe. Thanks.

I'm assuming that on the hypertherm 85 there are two wires that need to be shorted to start the torch?

55

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

« on: April 06, 2018, 06:17:27 PM »

Ok thanks, about sheetcam.

Some of the other posts mention using Z Home. I guess if I look at sheet CAM post it should tell me, I guess. I have a sheetcam trial and haven't installed it yet.

56

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.

57

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

« on: April 06, 2018, 11:47:31 AM »

Ah sorry I generated this from a saved file, so I have to manually go in and change it to K1 normally.

58

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 %

59

General Mach Discussion / Re: CNC Router Convert to Plasma Questions

« on: March 16, 2018, 12:26:50 AM »

Another question, all the designs i'm looking at have a 'touch n' go' system where the torch is hooked up to a floating slide attached to the Z axis. I understand how to build this and how it works, but I don't understand the execution.

I understand it lowers the torch until it hits something and the floating Z keeps it from damaging anything then it backs off until it hits a limit switch. So electronically what's happening? I mean does it use the tip of the plasma torch as it would an electronic touch sensor? And it always backs up to the limit switch, the switch doesn't change based on thickness of material. Kind of confused on how the electronics know all the distances, distance of the torch to the material and why it's hitting a limit switch?

60

General Mach Discussion / Re: CNC Router Convert to Plasma Questions

« on: March 15, 2018, 08:27:27 PM »

Rich, thanks, that's helpful. It made me ask some questions.

What does a CAM software or Post Processor do for plasma? I figure it creates a lead in and lead out and offsets the cut for the width of the plasma stream as well. Anything else?