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Messages - RICH

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801
General Mach Discussion / Re: lathe threading problem
« on: October 19, 2016, 06:05:59 AM »
Assume Hood already looked at your xml and found the problem. ;)

Note that a  thin disc  on the end of a shaft with the edges blackened in the spindle provides a surface to check repeatability  
of the indexing during threading.

RICH

802
General Mach Discussion / Re: lathe threading problem
« on: October 18, 2016, 07:11:16 PM »
Post your xml file that you are using.

A few questions:
Are you using steppers?
Are you sure that the spindle index is working / checked it?
How are you generating the threading code?
 - Are you allowing for 3 to 5x pitch movement so the axis can accelerate?
 - If using the wizard did you "calc the number of passes Button " to check if your velocity and accel is appropriate for the thread?
Try just scribing  as a check to see  how well it's following the pitch.

Again post your xml file.

Till Then,

RICH

803
Quote
while i have some experience making screen sets and other simple macros

Why not have some fun..................... automate the setup if your constantly making multiple parts in multiple fixtures.

Consider creating a screen page or set which would have vises along with DRO's for each vise or part in them.
Also have buttons to create the  different Work Offsets.
Simply put, could use the laser dot to locate work / vise or whatever and use the buttons to populate the Work Offset table.
OR
Maybe even refine the above to probe the locations.

Have a look in the Mach Tool box as you can use some wizards as a starting point for the screen and VB.

Something to think about,

RICH

804
Not an answer to your question.........................

Maybe consider setting up differently and use Work Offsets.
ie; Use camera to locate each work piece held in the vice to define work offset for each piece then run the same program code.

RICH

805
Note:

The latest version is v0.30v2

After one downloads the program ( link is the first page of this thread ) open the read me text file for the change log.

RICH

806
General Mach Discussion / Re: Machine Coord's
« on: October 16, 2016, 08:57:37 AM »
Some basics................


The CNC Controller is a software Program called Mach 3 and provides for controlling all the movements and associated commands. The CNC controller (Mach) does not know a "practical" Machine Reference Point to work from, thus, the controllers “0,0,0” is somewhat meaningless and has unlimited movement capability.  When the controller is turned on it monitors axis movement starting from Mach's  “0,0,0” value for each axis and displays the absolute movement using Machine Coordinates.


Machine Zero is a fixed point within the physical machine travel limits and does not normally change. It is typically called Machine Reference point, machine zero, or simply Home Position.  Machine zero can be located / defined anywhere by the user. Usualy it is located to provide for full available machine travel usage.

Part Coordinates are distances from a fixed point( machine zero as defined above ).
The controller needs to know where the part is relative to machine coordinates. The part zero can be located anywhere. The part has coordinates associated with it and normally the same location of the part is the basis for xyz= 0 in a gcode program. The software can’t properly control the machining of the part if it doesn’t know where the part is. Part coordinates can be equal to or even the same as Machine Coordinates. Thus defining the part location is very dependant on how a user sets up a job including how the gcode program was created.  So part coordinates are used to relate or define where the part is relative to the machine coordinates.

In general, only the user can define where the part is located to the controller.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A way to see how the controller keeps track of location /reacts to different button use is to go to the Diagnostics Screen and try different button's and watch the DRO's on the screen. Also change values in the DRO's and see the affect.
- Ref All Home
- Zero All, Ref axis button
- De Ref All Axes ( the button is on the MDI Screen )
- jog a defined step say 0.1"
KISS....only do a small move and one axis only

BTW,
The lathe has some different buttons.
Note that level of configured automation has an affect on intial state of the machine on
start-up.

FWIW,

RICH

807
General Mach Discussion / Re: Machine Coord's
« on: October 16, 2016, 08:00:45 AM »
I haven't used home switches on any of my machines for years. Never had a problem.

One needs to decide on the level of automation they desire or need. Consider the following or combinations of the following
for the controller:

1. Manually define home and part location.
2. No switches but will define in a soft way where home is
3. Use switches to auto home the machine
4. Use switches to home and auto probe to find the part
5. Continue automating using devices and routines to automate the process of
   setting up the work to be done.

Quote
Can you zero the values in the readout for the coord's I tried using the zero buttons and nothing happens.

Now back to that original question ...........
This tells me there is lack of understanding of basics. It's of not much value to just say push some button or whatever
and not know how it will affect things.

RICH

808
General Mach Discussion / Re: Read and write to Z DRO?
« on: October 12, 2016, 06:14:37 PM »
Quote
Do you have a listing of other  undocumented variables?

Working on a list............lots of info available. ;D


RICH

809
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach 3 Lathe questions
« on: October 11, 2016, 10:04:04 PM »
May want to have a look at this thread as a user by the name of Simson36 did a lot of work in developing a fourth axis ( servo driven but did try stepper driven) with the cutter mounted to the mill's spindle.  Not sure if there is some relevant info for you.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,11422.msg72469.html#msg72469

----------------------------------------

It's been a "very long time" since I tried using a stepper as the motor for a lathe spindle. Frankly it leaves a whole lot to be desired.

I was trying to be able to both index or run continuously the lathe spindle.

RICH

810
General Mach Discussion / Re: Read and write to Z DRO?
« on: October 10, 2016, 08:27:42 PM »
stirling,

Do you have a listing of other  undocumented variables?

RICH

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