Messages

531

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 09, 2014, 02:52:41 PM »

the hypertherm was a revelation and solved a massive amount of grief with HF issues.

You have a Hypertherm? So I've spent my time helping you with a competitors THC. Serves me right for not checking I guess. Personally I blame Hood 

532

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 09, 2014, 11:55:56 AM »

I now have -3 min and 5 max, but i think more would be ok although a warpage of 5 to -3 is a pretty bent plate

Not sure how else to say it really...

What sort of values of hysteresis do others use, I'm not sure of the relationship between a volt or two and distance in the arc.
Currently set for +/- 4v

Rule of thumb? I think it was Hypertherm who told me that in conventional plasma a volt is roughly 0.1mm - never checked it though - it kept melting my ruler.

533

VB and the development of wizards / Re: VB Script for toolchanger

« on: April 09, 2014, 10:55:18 AM »

Let's just check a couple of things.

To use it for real you have to:

1) have the code (and nothing else) in M6Start.m1s (in the correct profile folder)
2) Start Mach
3) Enter 1 into the tool # DRO (to initialize at a known point - we'll deal with this later)
4) Switch to MDI
5) Enter M6 T(any number between 1 and 12)
6) Repeat 5 as you like.

OR - if you want to step through the code and see it working you have to:

1) have absolutely NOTHING in M6Start.m1s (in the correct profile folder)
2) Start Mach
3) Enter 1 into the tool # DRO (to initialize at a known point - we'll deal with this later)
4) Switch to MDI
5) Enter M6 T(any number between 1 and 12)
6) step through the code
7) repeat from 5 as you like.

I've done both here (quite a few times now ) and it works sweet as a nut every time.

Just tried it without my license and it works fine also in demo mode.

534

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 09, 2014, 10:16:27 AM »

Yes but the point I was trying to make is so what?

So it can only go as low as zero. So what if your metal is warped down slightly at (minus) -0.5mm at any particular point and your THC is cutting just fine? You just trashed the point of having THC because you stopped it following down to -0.5.

Alternatively what if your metal is at +0.5mm at any given point because it's warped up and you DO get a dive for some reason? you just crashed BEFORE you got to Zmin so it saved you nothing.

Which is why I asked you for a value you could put in Zmin that would do something useful 

535

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 09, 2014, 08:57:50 AM »

Z can not be driven lower than THC min by THC - i.e. No. However I have to wonder why you ask. Tell me a value for THC minZ that will achieve something useful.

536

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 09, 2014, 07:02:22 AM »

If you DO get torch dive it should ONLY be at the start as it gets up to commanded feed and at the end as it slows to a stop. With good accel you shouldn't even get it then.

There is a caveat to this in that you can get dive on a kerf crossing - Mach's anti-dive won't help you there as it's purely speed dependent.

OEM 123 toggles THC on/off. Curiously labelled "Torch Enable Toggle" in the spreadsheet.

537

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Codes upset corners???

« on: April 08, 2014, 11:35:36 AM »

No idea, as I said Terry and Ian are the guys that can most likely answer your questions regarding Plasma.
Hood

Thanks Hood, I am trying but little or no response, if this were shareware I could live with it but I bought the license

 

I don't need external outputs just a way to switch Anti-dive on and off from g-code without introducing a delay which would cause issues when plasma cutting.

You appear to have the wrong end of the stick regards anti-dive. You turn it on at the beginning and leave it to do it's thing. IT turns THC on and off automatically as required by the %feed setting.

538

VB and the development of wizards / Re: VB Script for toolchanger

« on: April 06, 2014, 05:57:57 AM »

wrote this a bit blind because obviously I don't have such a toolchanger. However I just made a simple simulator to check the code and it works fine here with one caveat. After starting Mach, I have to initialize the current actual tool in the tool number DRO before I call the first M6 - otherwise it doesn't know where it is to start - i.e. it thinks it's on tool 0 which equates to face -1. Don't know how you auto-toolchanger guys do your toolchange init but that will need adding somehow.

539

VB and the development of wizards / Re: VB Script for toolchanger

« on: April 05, 2014, 04:21:51 AM »

sorry about the "thens" on the whiles - that's what happens when you modify someone else's code (you have the while...then in your first code) - I should've spotted that.

So does my code work once you removed the "thens"? - Not sure why you've taken the first while out but it's your choice.

Also you don't need to wrap it in a sub

i.e.

Code: [Select]

selectedTool = getSelectedTool()
currentFace = (getCurrentTool() - 1) mod 4
targetFace = (selectedTool - 1) mod 4

'rotate turret required number of "clicks"
For click = 1 To (targetFace - currentFace + 4) Mod 4 'rotate accounting for rollover

  ActivateSignal(Output2) 'activate momentary command to rotate

  While Not IsActive(Input2) 'wait for turret to move
    Sleep (10)
  Wend

  DeActivateSignal(Output2) 'deactivate momentary command

  While IsActive(Input2) 'wait for turret to stop
    Sleep (10)
  Wend

Next

'not forgetting to update to the new tool
SetCurrentTool selectedTool

540

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need help with spindle relay

« on: April 03, 2014, 03:33:52 AM »

Yes

ignore TTL (Transistor Transistor Logic) - I should have just said "your output".