Messages

21

Feature Requests / 3D Solid real time Verification

« on: September 07, 2008, 12:44:37 PM »

Something like what is on the new Mazak's or Okuma's.
It would be even better if it was like Vericut and displayed the stock being cut by the tool.
I know this is a bit over the top but we never get anywhere without at least looking there once in a while. 

22

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: cutter comp question

« on: September 06, 2008, 01:23:20 PM »

If you're not using the latest version, you might want to try it, as there have been a few cutter comp fixes in the past. If you are using the latest version, there is still apparently a bug in comp, although I haven't seen it myself yet.. It's slated to be fixed in the near future, after a few more important bug fixes.

This is on the 2.63 lock down.
Do you mean the Development version?
I will download the development version and give that a shot.

23

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: cutter comp question

« on: September 05, 2008, 06:12:06 PM »

OK I have messed around with this thing all day today! This is what I have figured out. I was correct on how the cutter compensation works.
First thing this morning I started cutting a sheet and got to the forth part on the sheet and it did the same strange skipping of the I and J arc. So I took the code to a PC and printed it out. I then triged out all the G code to make sure the arcs matched up and all was fine. I then started looking at it running in mach on a bigger screen than what is on the machine. I noticed that it was actually following the wrong arc. Instead of following the larger clockwise arc "which is the part" it followed the lead out arc "a small counterclockwise arc"? So now I felt a little better as now I could take a work around for the time being and just use a strait lead out.
The strange thing is that without the cutter comp on it works flawless. I would have to believe it is something to do with the way Mach calculates the actual "offset" geometry. And it sounds like it may be something to do with picking the correct arc if two arcs start on the same point. As in it can select the wrong arc to process first. I would love to actually see the Mach code.     

24

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 pausing during move

« on: September 05, 2008, 05:46:29 PM »

Well I also took the advice from HillBilly and made sure no unnecessary processes where running. I would suggest if you are having the same intermittent problem to do the same and to reduce your acceleration and velocity a tad in Mach.
    I have Copley "Acellus" drives and they have a nice little software tool to fine tune and monitor the drive parameters. You can setup the software scope to monitor the commanded position on one channel and then setup another channel as the actual position count "encoder count". Then I set Mach to run back and forth the entire length of the table at rapid speed. On the scope I could easily see the difference of the commanded and the actual position. It was basically out running the drive like was said before. So I adjusted the acceleration and velocity in Mach to match the drive and the jerk went away. At this point it was well below what I had hoped or calculated as a top speed. So I then decided to fine tune all the drive loops to get the maximum rpm at an acceptable velocity. After fine tuning the drives I bumped up Mach till I started to see the commanded and actual position start to deviate. I then backed it off a tad and called it good at about 50 ipm faster than when I had originally started. On this mill 200 IPM was the goal and now I have it without the jerk.
One thing I also noted was when Mach was out running the drive on a linear move it will decelerate quicker than it accelerates from a rapid. I think this is do to the drive trying to "catch up" to the commanded position and then drops off suddenly when the commanded position stops. I suppose if there was a feed back to the commanded system like a full closed loop system this could be taken care of dynamically. But would I now have such finely tuned drives?     

25

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 pausing during move

« on: September 04, 2008, 08:35:14 PM »

Thanks jimpinder

I can read the commanded and actual position counts in a software scope tool that came with my drives. It was easy to see that the commanded counts where in fact out running the actual position over time. After retuning all my drives I have it running nearly perfect and a lot faster.       

26

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / cutter comp question

« on: September 04, 2008, 08:25:53 PM »

I have finished retro fitting an old Aronson Oxy fuel table with a PC and Mach3. After fighting with noise from all the solenoids it has on it I have it cutting better than it ever has before. Now that I have it up and running I would like to be able to adjust the cut width using the cutter comp. I figured I could use a “Tool” in the Tool table for each plate thicknesses / nozzle size. I just don’t know what I am doing wrong.
As I understand it G41 would be cutter comp on and left and G42 right and G40 off?
I am aware of making a preparatory linear move to initiate the compensation.
After the G41 or G42 code do I need to specify the tool number as a D value?
I had read in a post that stated that a D followed by the tool number would use the tool offset specified in the corresponding tool table entry. Or a P and the actual tool size #.

Example: using the P and tool size

M06T02
M03
G64
G90G00X114.749Y9.3884
M98P3111
G41P0.0625G01X114.6622Y10.3806
G03X113.8497Y11.0624R0.75
G02I-0.5447J6.2262
G03X113.6225Y10.7915R0.25
G01G40
M98P3491

Example: using the D and tool number

M06T02
M03
G64
G90G00X114.749Y9.3884
M98P3111
G41D02G01X114.6622Y10.3806
G03X113.8497Y11.0624R0.75
G02I-0.5447J6.2262
G03X113.6225Y10.7915R0.25
G01G40
M98P3491

My problem is that some times it will not work.
It will start the cut normally up to the G02 and then make what looks like a very tiny circle and then jump to the next M98 call?
The two subs in the code are “Pierce” and “Off and up”.

What in the world am I doing wrong?      

27

General Mach Discussion / Mach3 pausing during move

« on: June 29, 2008, 01:04:03 PM »

When Mach3 is running it will some times pause for a second. It is more noticeable during a rapid move as it will some times trip the over current protection in my servo drives as they try to come to a dead stop at 200 IPM and then resume acceleration within a split second. I have watched the Mach3 read out while it does this and it seems to stop for a split second then start. So i am pretty sure Mach or the Pc is the culprit. Any ideas?