Messages

1721

LazyTurn / Re: LazyTurn

« on: February 24, 2008, 07:01:18 AM »

Hi Art,

before you get too deep into the structure of Lazyturn can I drop in a few ideas :-

1. Can we have the option of front or rear turret, better still a mixture of both. I have external tools on the front and internal tools on the rear.

2. Can we have centre line drilling and tapping with graphics, user to enter drill/tap dia and length etc.

3. Could we have a scaled plan view, backdrop of our lathe layout, that way collisions could be spotted (users could draw the plan view as a dxf)

4. Would user defined tools be possible, tool and turret could then be drawn for above.

5. Could you make it so that grooving/parting tools can have 2 offsets, one on the front edge and one on the back edge of the tip.  This is great for sizing grooves and maintaining position.

6. Is it possible to do X axis threading, e.g. lathe chuck scrolls. 

Some wish list I know, but if you don't ask, you never get. 

Graham.

1722

Promote and discuss your product / Re: Emco Comp. 5 cnc Tool chabger

« on: February 20, 2008, 04:19:03 PM »

If you look up the bearing numbers on the net, you can get some sort of idea of scale 

Its not very big, the body is about 75mm / 3"

Graham.

1723

General Mach Discussion / Re: PWM or PW setable

« on: February 20, 2008, 08:48:38 AM »

Mach3 can output a PWM signal.

Graham.

1724

Tangent Corner / Re: Materials suggestion......

« on: February 19, 2008, 12:19:20 PM »

Clay

Graham.

1725

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Polar Mode in Mach3 Mill

« on: February 19, 2008, 12:10:25 PM »

OK, try it this way.

Graham.

%

#1=8 (number of holes)
#2=0
G21 G40 G00 G90
G00 Z10.
M98 P0002 L#1
G15
G90
M30

O0002
G16
X25. Y[[360/[#1]]*#2]
G15
G81 Z-10. R1. F100. (drill hole)
G80
#2=[#2+1]
G00 Z10.
M99

%

1726

General Mach Discussion / Re: How do I zero Machine Coords for "A-axis"?

« on: February 19, 2008, 03:54:20 AM »

Have you tried G92 A0 ?

Graham.

1727

General Mach Discussion / Re: calling Shaun Wainford .......

« on: February 19, 2008, 03:44:44 AM »

Is this what you are looking for?

Graham.

1728

General Mach Discussion / Re: controlling lathe tool turret

« on: February 19, 2008, 03:27:09 AM »

Here is one I did using the M6Start.m1s macro.

Graham.


' (C) Graham Waterworth Mach forum.
' rough draft for a push forward and lock back type tool changer
' this has not been tried on any tool changer
' use/modify it as you wish, I take no responsability
' for any damage to you or your equipment.

If IsLoading() Then
  ' do now't, program loading
Else

' dim some vars

  Dim next_tool As Integer
  Dim current_tool As Integer
  Dim steps_per_tool As Integer
  Dim max_tools As Integer
  Dim holdingDRO As Integer
  Dim rotateCW As Integer
  Dim moves As Integer
  Dim fast_feed As Integer
  Dim axis As String
  Dim zero As Integer
  Dim push_turret as Integer

' set up some vars

  zero = 0
  axis = "A" ' change to what ever axis you use for tool changer
  rotateCW = 0 ' set to 1 for CCW and 0 for CW rotation
  max_tools = 6 ' number of tools on turret
  steps_per_tool = 100 ' set to what ever it needs to be
  holdingDRO = 1050 ' or what ever you have set screen dro to
  next_tool = GetSelectedTool()
  current_tool = GetUserDRO(holdingDRO)
  fast_feed = 2500 ' set to safe rapid rotation speed
  push_turret = OUTPUT1 ' set to required output

' do some tool changing

  If next_tool > max_tools Then
    Message "Tool number too high, program stopped."
    Code "M30"
    End
  End If
  If next_tool<1 Then
    Message "Tool number too low, program stopped."
    Code "M30"
    End
  End If
  If next_tool=current_tool Then
    ' do nowt, we got it already
  Else
  ' lets do some changing
    If next_tool>current_tool Then moves=next_tool-current_tool 
    If next_tool<current_tool Then moves=max_tools-current_tool+next_tool
    ActivateSignal(push_turret)
    rapid_move = moves * steps_per_tool
    If rotateCW =1 Then
      rapid_move = zero - rapid_move
    End If
    Code "G92 " & axis & "0"
    Code "G91 G94 G61"
    Code "G01 " & axis & rapid_move & "F" & fast_feed
    Code "G04 P250"
    While IsMoving()
    Wend
    DeactivateSignal(push_turret)
    SetCurrentTool next_tool
    SetUserDRO holdingDRO, next_tool
    Code "G90" ' back to absolute movement
  End If
End If

' end of tool change   

1729

General Mach Discussion / Re: My next retrofit

« on: February 18, 2008, 03:14:55 AM »

MHP was absorbed by Hurco around 1991 and I am having a hard time finding much of anything on the machine.

Ok, it must be a different MHP to the one's here in the UK, Geo Kingsbury do MHP in the UK, but that sounds like useless information.

Graham.

1730

General Mach Discussion / Re: gcode preprocess

« on: February 17, 2008, 04:42:24 AM »

Hi Ian,

that method is ok as long as the macro is not safety critical, if the macro is shared with others or some clown turns the option off it could be dangerous. I prefer the hard coded option.

Graham.