Messages

81

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: Lagun KneeMill Mach4 Pokeys Retrofit

« on: April 15, 2016, 06:38:00 PM »

I can't comment on DC servo drives, but I'd be inclined to replicate whatever the original setup was.

Most DIN rail supplies only need fused on the input, as if they're switched mode supplies, the outputs will have inbuilt protection. Usually the manuals will give you suggested fusing.

82

General Mach Discussion / Re: G53 & G28

« on: April 10, 2016, 03:55:03 PM »

Mach will move to the nearest step it's capable of, and that is what will be displayed in the DRO.
For example, say you have a step resolution that works out at 0.3mm (very crude, but it's only an example), and you command a move of 1mm, the nearest position Mach can command is 0.9mm. Although you command 1mm, Mach is intelligent enough to know it can't command that exact position, so it rounds to the nearest position it's capable of.

As for your Z problem, if your DRO is showing the axis moving in the correct direction and the machine is physically not, you have either a Mach configuration issue, or an electrical/mechanical fault. If the DRO isn't showing the move in the correct direction, then there is an issue with your g-code. As Rich said, the controller i.e. Mach, only does what you tell it to.

83

General Mach Discussion / Re: Gcode mishaps

« on: April 09, 2016, 06:17:15 PM »

As you're new to CNC, I'd suggest spending some time learning about the various G codes, and how they affect each other.
Here's your NC file with comments added to describe what the codes are doing.

N01 G20 G40 G49 G91.1 G20 tells machine code is in imperial, G40 and G49 cancel tool cutter and length compensation respectively, G91.1 puts the machine in Incremental mode)
N02 G53 Z0.Move to machine Z zero
(Machine Setup - 1  Facing)
(FACING)
N03 T1 M6Load Tool 1
N04S32M03Spindle on CW at 32RPM
N05G00G90G54X0.Y0. G00 sets rapid mode, G90 puts the machine back in Absolute mode, and select G54 work offsets
N06 G43H1Z1.G43H1 causes the tool offset for tool 1 in the tool table to be applied, then the Z1 causes a move to 1
N07M10Just googles and M10 would appear to be a clamp/vacuum on command?
N08Z0.2
N09Z0.1
N10G01Z-0.001F10. G01 sets Feed
N11Y63.F30.
N12X1.125
N13Y0.
N14X2.25
N15Y63.
N16X3.375
N17Y0.
N18X4.5
N19Y63.
N20X5.625
N21Y0.
N22X6.75
N23Y63.
N24X7.875
N25Y0.
N26X9.
N27Y63.
N28X10.125
N29Y0.
N30X11.25
N31Y63.
N32X12.375
N33Y0.
N34X13.5
N35Y63.
N36X14.625
N37Y0.
N38X15.75
N39Y63.
N40X16.875
N41Y0.
N42X18.
N43Y63.
N44X19.125
N45Y0.
N46X20.25
N47Y63.
N48X21.375
N49Y0.
N50X22.5
N51Y63.
N52X23.625
N53Y0.
N54X24.75
N55Y63.
N56X25.875
N57Y0.
N58X27.
N59Y63.
N60G00Z0.2 Back in Rapid mode
N61Z1.
N62M05 Stop Spindle
N63G53Z0. Move to machine Z zero
N64G53Y0. Move to machine Y zero

(END OF PROGRAM)

N65M02M02 signifies end of program
%


Going by that code, and what you're describing, it sounds like either your axis aren't homed correctly and/or your tool table offsets are wrong.

84

General Mach Discussion / Re: G53 & G28

« on: April 09, 2016, 05:07:26 PM »

Have a read of http://www.mmsonline.com/columns/g28-versus-g53

85

General Mach Discussion / Re: about the dual lathe spindle

« on: March 27, 2016, 03:36:57 PM »

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,31419.0.html

Mach3 doesn't support G14, however it can be done via some custom M-codes and macros.

The basic handover process would be-
Activate/synchronise both spindles
Move secondary spindle to chucking position
Clamp secondary spindle
Un-clamp primary spindle
Move secondary spindle to required parting position
Clamp primary spindle
Part-off
Turn of primary spindle (optional)
Move secondary spindle back to machining position

86

General Mach Discussion / Re: about the dual lathe spindle

« on: March 26, 2016, 02:26:08 PM »

It could be done without a PLC, and I don't see the importance of CAM. The only added complexity of programming a dual spindle lathe, is turning it on/off, and the part swapping.  The actual turning/machining is just like a normal lathe, except the spindle is on the opposite side, so provided you're proficient in programming a standard CNC lathe, you'd just need to consider the part handover and machining from the opposite direction.

If you're happy to have the secondary spindle slaved from the primary (i.e. as I mentioned previously), then all you need is some method to ensure the secondary spindle is synchronised to the primary, and some method of activating the secondary spindle.

Depending on what spindle motors/drive systems you use, you could probably get away without perfect synchronisation.
If you use servos with toothed belts, then it would have to be near perfect synchronisation. I could think of a couple ways to do this, but my personal preference would be a KFlop, as you could program it to do the synchronisation, and activate/deactivate the secondary spindle via some custom M codes/Macros within Mach.

However, if you were to use DC motors, or even two VFD driven AC motors with the VFDs set via Modbus (so you can set the exact frequency on both) connected to the spindles via a non-timed belt (i.e. V or multi-V), then you should get enough 'slip' in the drive system to handle both spindles being mechanically linked during the handover period. All you'd need to do is have a M-code/Macro to connect/disconnect the secondary spindle, which would be as simple as an extra output switching a relay or two.
Off course, that method would mean you wouldn't get repeatable synchronisation, but depending on what you want to achieve, that may be perfectly acceptable. It would certainly work for the parts in those video.

87

General Mach Discussion / Re: about the dual lathe spindle

« on: March 26, 2016, 07:20:16 AM »

If you look at that posters other videos, and some of the titles/comments, I'd guess he's using some form of external controller to slave the secondary spindle to the first, and the secondary spindle linear movement is treated as a B-axis.

Using that technique it is doable using any lathe controller, however you're not getting independent spindle control. You always have to have the primary spindle running when you have the secondary spindle running. It will work for most things, although it will use more energy having the primary spindle always running.
And you'd need added complexity if you want to offset the spindle alignment, like in that Hass manual with the example so jaw chucks can interlock/overlap.

88

General Mach Discussion / Re: Threading reboot

« on: March 25, 2016, 07:43:02 PM »

Are you using a parallel port, or an external motion controller?

89

General Mach Discussion / Re: about the dual lathe spindle

« on: March 24, 2016, 01:20:11 PM »

I'm certainly not the best to talk about this, but I'd say it's not going to work well with Mach3. Mach 3 only supports one spindle, so without some form of logic external to mach, be that a more mechanical/electronic or processor form, along with various macros to control things, it won't work.

I'm sure Mach 4 could manage it, although probably not the Hobby version, however it would be best to post over on the Mach Yahoo Group, as Brian is more likely to respond over there than on here.

Regardless, I'd say you're going to have to do a reasonably amount of custom configuration/programming to implement all the typical dual spindle functions.

90

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 and rigid tapping and Encoder threading (;-)

« on: February 27, 2016, 05:12:40 PM »

I'm intrigued.

However the KFlop has always been able to handle both of those features, although it is USB only.

Mach 3 Rigid Tapping with a KFlop
Threading on a KFlop requires a spindle encoder (a single slot won't work), and doesn't involve any extra coding like rigid tapping, although it still suffers from the issue of slow pull out in later Mach versions :-/