Messages

1661

General Mach Discussion / Re: Formula use in Mach 3 secret

« on: March 17, 2008, 05:43:11 PM »

OK,  so why not lay the indexer on its back and work in X&Y ?

The formula functions can be as simple as x*2 so then if you go to MDI and type G00 G91 X1. the DRO will move 2.

The formula would double all X moves in a program.

Graham.

1662

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Resize a DXFfile

« on: March 17, 2008, 03:50:19 PM »

If you press regen screen the path is scaled not the code, when you cut the path it will be scaled then.

Graham.

1663

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G-Code scaling program, mm to Inches and back

« on: March 17, 2008, 03:48:04 PM »

Sorry, no idea, have you tried it on another computer, it seems to work for most people.

Graham.

1664

General Mach Discussion / Re: Formula use in Mach 3 secret

« on: March 17, 2008, 03:30:56 PM »

Yes it could be done, but for what reason, you would just be making the job harder than it needs to be, or are you trying to do something else? 

Graham.

1665

General Mach Discussion / Re: Formula use in Mach 3 secret

« on: March 17, 2008, 01:22:15 PM »

If you want to mill a circle in the end face you need to tell mach that arcs are on the YZ plane, this is done by G19.

You can then mill a circle with G02/03 commands just like you would in XY plane.

(Mill a 20mm dia circle on YZ plane)

G21 G40 G00 G90 (standard start up lines)
G19                     (set to YZ plane)
G00 X-1. Y0 Z0     (rapid to start point)
G01 X.25 F100.     (feed into job)
G03 K-10.             (do a full 20mm dia circle)
G00 X0                (rapid clear)
G17                     (back to XY plane)
M30                     (end program)

Graham.

1666

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Resize a DXFfile

« on: March 17, 2008, 05:55:37 AM »

Mach has scaling built in, you can set the scale on the main page top centre.

Graham.

1667

General Mach Discussion / Re: Formula use in Mach 3 secret

« on: March 17, 2008, 05:47:45 AM »

Not sure what you mean, this code would move the A and Z axis to form a 4 pitch scroll on the end of a bar with the indexer horizontal and a right angled head.

G00 X0 Y0 A0 Z25.
G01 Z0 A1440. F500.

As for formulas :-

You can do things like this :-

#1=500
#2=10
#3=SIN[#1]
#4=COS[#2]
G00 X[#3] Y[#4]

Graham.

1668

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: March 16, 2008, 04:33:46 PM »

Thanks for the reply, I look forward to the results of your labour, its going to be great.

Graham.

1669

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: March 16, 2008, 03:31:24 PM »

Hi Art,

the way to do grooves is to use 2 offsets, for example if we use tool 7 we would use say offset 7 and offset 17, offset 7 would have a X and a Z offset for the diameter and the front edge of the tool, offset 17 would have the same X offset as offset 7 but the Z offset would be for the back edge of the tip.

E.G

Our tool tip is 1.5mm wide, we set our diameter datum as normal, we touch the front edge of the tip on the front of the job and set our Z offset, e.g. -100  The offset for the back of the tip would be entered into offset 17 as Z-101.5, that will put the back edge of the tip at the end of the job if we entered in MDI 'G00 Z0 T0717'

Man that's a lot of offsets 

The following code is what I would use to produce the drawing below.

N7 T0707 M8 (GROOVE 11.5*2)
(CENTRE TIP 1.5)
G00 X13.5 Z-4.75 G97 S750 M3
G01 X11.5 F.1 (CENTRE OF GROOVE)
G00 X13.5
Z-5.2 (USE TIP - FRONT EDGE)
G01 X12.5 F1.
G02 X12.1 Z-5. R.2 F.05
G01 X11.5 F.1
G00 X13.5
Z-2.8 T0717 (USE TIP BACK EDGE)
G01 X12.5 F1.
G03 X12.1 Z-3. R.2 F.05
G01 X11.5 F.1
G00 X13.5
X120. Z120. T0700
M1

Most grooving tools have a radius to stop them snipping the edge, the idea of the 2 offsets is to compensate for wear and maintain position. 

Graham.

1670

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: March 16, 2008, 06:07:07 AM »

Try putting the 3 files into the Mach3 folder NOT the lazyturn sub-folder.

Works for me that way.

Liking the new tools Art, can't make any sense of the button tools though.

On the grooving tools can we have a front and back edge offset, that way position and width can be compensated for.

Graham.