Messages

81

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis setup

« on: April 28, 2012, 05:25:55 PM »

OK I'll leave it with you Terry. 

Greolt

82

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis setup

« on: April 28, 2012, 06:18:52 AM »

Standing in front of the machine the Top of A axis should move towards the BACK of the machine or  Y+ direction With a pos move(A+).

I believe that description is wrong.   But that is the difficulty of such descriptions.  They can be easily misunderstood.

Hence the Right Hand Rule.   Here is another type of visual representation of the Right Hand Rule.

Greolt

83

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis setup

« on: April 27, 2012, 09:00:52 PM »

I Try to fix it..... , but how??

Make your rotary axis turn in the direction as indicated in the Right Hand Rule as shown above.

If that is done, then Mach3 will be correct and the rotary axis will be correct.

That just leaves the Post Processor that you are using in RhinoCam.

I am not familiar with RhinoCam but there should be a setting for the rotary axis output.

Greolt

84

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th axis setup

« on: April 26, 2012, 09:33:35 PM »

Rudi

Mach will only display rotary axis toolpath if it is designated "A" (not B or C)

And will only display it correctly if the rotary direction is per convention.    Some users like to have a rotary axis turn in the opposite direction to convention.  Don't know why.

Conventional direction is as described in the Right Hand Rule.  See Pic.

Greolt

85

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 and 4th Axis

« on: April 04, 2012, 05:34:01 AM »

  1.8 deg/step; 200 step/rev; 16 Pulse/step; 3200 Pulse/rev; 1 Multiplier; 5.08 threads/in;  1 thread start; .19685 in/rev; Calculation = 16256 Steps/inch. 
............ I have a timing belt from the stepper gear to the chuck drive with a 72 ratio.

I am sorry.  What you have said makes no sense to me.  You talk about threads per inch, and then a belt drive with a ratio of 72.

Any way it matters little.
 

I played around with numbers of 40 - 55 steps and the chuck moved very close when I MDI G0 A180

Around 40 to 55 was close.  Just adjust this until you get it right.

Greolt

86

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 and 4th Axis

« on: April 03, 2012, 11:52:29 PM »

You need to calibrate the steps per unit for the A axis.   This should be the number of steps that Mach must output for one degree of axis travel.

There is no black magic about it.  When gcode calls a movement for the A axis of ten units, then Mach puts out the steps needed to move ten units.  Whatever you have set in "steps per unit"

Check "A-axis is Angular" in  General Config.   Despite popular opinion, this does only one thing.  When changing from G20 to G21 or vice versa, the axis output will remain unchanged.  That's all it does.

Under "Toolpath Config" you can check "Use Radius for Feedrate" if you wish to use the rotary axis feedrate compensation.  I find it works well.

Check "A-Rotations Enabled" if you want the toolpath display to show the rotary toolpath.  That is all this setting effects.  Only toolpath display.  And set which axis the rotary is aligned with, to make the toolpath display correctly.

Greolt

87

General Mach Discussion / Re: vcarve pro doesn't see mach 3

« on: March 12, 2012, 04:46:07 PM »

To load code directly, Vcarve Pro utilises some registry entries that are made at the time of Mach3 installation.

At some stage of Mach development, these registry entries were no longer made.

I remember that Vectric notified Brian of this but don't know if anything was done about it.

It can be fixed with some registry editing.

Greolt

88

General Mach Discussion / Re: Rotary engraving

« on: February 17, 2012, 09:27:58 PM »

What is often called Wrapping is pretty much exactly what you have described. 

There are lots of variations on this theme.  Scale original artwork, use axis scaling in Mach, alter steps per unit, among many others.

CNCWrapper is a very handy little app that will do all the calculations for you.

http://www.cncwrapper.com/

Greolt

89

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: February 13, 2012, 07:04:40 PM »

Thanks Tweakie

Two options then;

1.  Follow the M10P1 with a move command so that the laser turns off.

2.  Follow the M10P1 with an M30 so that the laser turns off. (if it is set in config to do so)

The second option is not so good, as there is a delay before the laser turns off.  So the first option may be the only one.

Thanks for clearing that up,

Greolt

90

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: February 13, 2012, 05:59:02 AM »

OK it sounds like you feel I am off track . 

If I use code as follows,

M11P1  'turn laser on
G1 X25 F1000
M10P1  'turn laser off
M30
%

After running this code the laser does not turn off, it remains on.

I guess knowing that should be sufficient. 

I must remember to place a movement command after the M10 so as the laser will turn off.  Such as,

M11P1 'turn laser on
G1 X25 F1000
M10P1  'turn laser off
X0
M30
%

If I am correct in this, and that is certainly not guaranteed, I might call it acceptable, but not perfect.

Greolt