Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Proma THC success , question about resetting zero

« on: November 30, 2017, 06:21:30 AM »

Hi, Have Mach 3 running a plasma cutter via Smoothstepper Ethernet card and Proma THC.

Everything is working well.     except... this is happening..

If I am doing multiple cuts in a program , cutting out the letters of a word for example.

the Torchhead is crashing into heat buckled sheet , as it moves between cut sequences.

my procedure is -

manually set z-axis Zero.

run program , plasma starts, z axis moves to pierce height , thc adjusts height during first cut as material warps with heat.

program commands plasma off.

Head raises to safe travel height , moves to next pierce point.

Machine then attempts to drive down to the originally set pierce height when the sheet was flat.

As the material has warped (higher of course) this is now the incorrect height.

Z-axis either stalls out or plasma fails to fire because it is in contact with the workpiece.

Is there a way of automatically re-zeroing after each cut by the amount of the THC adjustment ?

Or am I missing something obvious ?

help....

cheers

Art

2

General Mach Discussion / New Computer port address issue

« on: November 08, 2017, 06:00:49 AM »

Hi all,
Just upgraded to a new computer since a hard drive fail. hence no old XML or custom screen files.
Running Mach 3 on a 3 axis plasma table. Windows XP.
New computer didn't have a parallel port so running a card.
I didn't install the previous system so I am slowly learning what is required to make it work again.
I have managed to get the table running but the x axis is now outputting through the z channel and there is no z axis output anywhere.
I read the port address via the device manager.
E stop and plasma trigger relay output seem to be working.
All cabling and motors are working (I swapped them to a channel that was operating and they responded correctly)

Can anyone guide me where to look next ?
cheers
Art

3

SmoothStepper USB / Smooth Stepper does NOT support THC for Plasma

« on: November 26, 2013, 10:35:04 PM »

After a lot of messing around I have discovered through the SS forum that THC is NOT supported with the USB-parallel port card.

The THC board I am using is getting the signal all the way back to MAch3 OK but there is no connection between the Up and Down indication on screen and the signal to the Z-axis to raise and lower.

Can anyone think of a macro or subroutine that could "read" the signal that the on screen indicator is reading and link it somehow to a hotkey or similar to allow mach3 to raise/lower the Z axis on the run ? I am no expert in this area

I already have a hotkey set up on the pendant that can drive the z-axis on the run.

thanks

Art

4

General Mach Discussion / Accidentally discovered a good Mach3 feature for Plasma cutting

« on: June 19, 2011, 07:38:53 AM »

If you set the pause time after the pierce to 60 seconds (i did this by mistake).
then as soon as the plasma stream is established if  you press Cycle start again(Alt S) then the sequence will continue to the next line of code and carry on.

I've found this handy if you are having problems establishing a cut start in heavier materials and dont want the cutting to continue untill a healthy pierced hole is established.

down side is you have to do it for each start point and pay attention....
cheers
Art