Messages

3991

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: I need help with Shapes Wizard

« on: December 18, 2010, 08:47:27 AM »

Fred,
Can you post a screen shot of the shape screen and also the material screen with your inputs.
Then someone may give it a try and see if they can help you.

RICH

3992

General Mach Discussion / Re: peck drilling lazycam

« on: December 18, 2010, 07:41:49 AM »

Steve,
In the manual, page 42, I have noted that "G83 and G73 canned cycles are not functional" ....i am meaning they don't post and you get a G81 by default........ and I then go on to explain what to do to about it.
Since the whole manual was written based on experimentation, that truely may not be the case, but feel free to hack at it and see if there is something that would trigger it. I am done hacking......LC is the way it is.
RICH

3993

LazyTurn / Re: Inscribed circle, what am I missing?

« on: December 18, 2010, 07:16:23 AM »

Thanks Dave,
Wasn't sure when the article would hit the street.
I am wondering if there will be an increase in the number of LT users and posters.
Guess we'll have to waite to waite and see.
RICH

3994

LazyTurn / Re: Inscribed circle, what am I missing?

« on: December 17, 2010, 07:08:24 AM »

No need to worry about me since there is a big difference on my end as to how something is taken. I am glad if a user finds something is incorrect, recommends a refinement, or questions something for understanding.
There will be more to come.  Now what happens after the comment is a different story. The base stays firm until impact is reviewed, put into perspective, and confirmed. Imeadiate reaction on my part is to go back and look at all the info.......some things are easy......but in this particular case, conflict was found in the info. Yep, 300 pages of info was reviewed and the question becomes ....why is all working when machining something, so what's really wrong and need an answer to the why part. Call that putting it into perspective.

So when saying "I heard ya"  it includes putting it into perspective and that sometimes is not as easy as one would think,
RICH
 

3995

General Mach Discussion / Re: Running mach + other apps = errors...

« on: December 16, 2010, 08:03:33 PM »

Suggest you dedicate the machine strickly to running Mach and don't be fooling around with other stuff on the PC when controlling a machine with it.
RICH

3996

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Need Help - Lead Ins with Circles? (.dxf included)

« on: December 15, 2010, 09:31:03 PM »

The only thing i can say is that the manual covers lead-ins to some extent in Tutorial #7 and that was using the Mill Module.
Can't comment at all about anything in the Plasma Module so if there are bugs then your on your owne.
Hopefully what Gerry posted will help.
RICH

3997

LazyTurn / Re: Inscribed circle, what am I missing?

« on: December 15, 2010, 09:17:30 PM »

Dear Jim,
I heard you, but required a look and see by Art as to how the programing was done to confirm it. Additionaly a user found a display problem.
Happy that you have read the manual, since i can only write and can't read........
RICH

3998

General Mach Discussion / Re: losing steps

« on: December 15, 2010, 08:47:30 PM »

So not knowing how the loop actualy works ,then the only thing one can do is adjust the machine to get it as good as possible, and then find the appropriate velocity and acceleration settings  that
provide for reliability.

It's tough to adjust to get "good as possible" unless you measure. If you have a torque indicator you can adjust the gibs, bearing preload, etc. and see the affect of the adjustments.
ie; tight may mean it takes say 60 in oz to rotate the screw as compared to loose which may mean 20 in oz required. Now when running fast and your at the upper end of the stepper speed
there is not much torque left , so say you only have 60 available and if tight, you have nothing left for machining, and the stepper is likely to skip no matter what control is used.

Just making the point that, without an adjusted machine , software settings or controls are not true to their intended use.

RICH

3999

LazyTurn / Re: Inscribed circle, what am I missing?

« on: December 15, 2010, 07:56:47 PM »

Thanks for the clarification Art,
So noted in my manual ........page 16

RICH

4000

General Mach Discussion / Re: losing steps

« on: December 15, 2010, 06:57:36 PM »

David,
Usually if you miss a step you know it/ can hear it and the result can vary from a minor position loss to the table just going off with a mind of it's owne.
I will echo what has already been posted.
I don't know what size steppers you are using, but as a rough guide :
- See where the axis will just start skippping on a rapid move, and reduce the velocity to 50%. ( 90 ipm goes to 45 ipm)
- Now do rapid moves for a short distance of say .2" start to finish and see if you lose position, if so reduce the acceleration ( at 45 ipm try accel of 5 )
- If all is well at 40 ipm, then just cut some material at varing depths in increments of say .050" in Al and see what happens.
   BTW, IPM (Feed Rate) = # end mill flutes x chip load x rpm
            ie:                 26=4 x 0.001 x 6500    and chip load becomes important with smaller HP equipment  

RICH