Messages

21

General Mach Discussion / Re: New Cutter Comp code and Examples

« on: December 22, 2008, 12:27:16 PM »

Is there any way that cutter comp can be used on the X/Z plane (G18). I want to use the equivilent of a ball end mill to cut a sort of semi circular path with the X/Z axis using comp with re ground tools. Alternatively could I use the scaling facility by working out how much under nominal size my cutter is then scaling the program to compensate.

22

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool information not displayed.

« on: December 21, 2008, 09:51:00 AM »

Hi Hood, I have looked and only the macro folder seems to be there and that will not open. I have decided to delete mach3 completely and start again to see if that works.

23

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool information not displayed.

« on: December 21, 2008, 07:30:40 AM »

Hood I do not know what this XML is you speak of and cannot open the macro folder in Mach3.exe. Just do not know what to try next as I have run program with and without tool changes and with TI as tool in spindle via auto tool change mode. May have to remove and re instal Mach as I am running out of ideas.

24

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool information not displayed.

« on: December 21, 2008, 05:41:12 AM »

Hi again Hood.
                    The program I am trying to test is copied below. It also seems that the DRO does not recocnise that either tool lengths or cutter comp is being used because the read outs are exactly as programed. I would have expected the Z read outs to be the programed position plus tool length and the X/Z to be greater by the amount of cutter comp.


M0
G80G40G21G90G00G17
(HILLBILLY SHADY SHALLOW BODY)
(7 DIA BALSA 21MM OUT OF COLLET DRILL/PUNCH 1.5 DIA)

T0M6
(GRIND END FLAT)
N10
G54G90G00X30.Y0
G43Z20.H1
G00Z1.5
G01X20.F200.
G00Z20.

(DIMPLE PUNCH)
N20
G00X50.Y0
G43Z10.H2
G81Z-5.R2.F1500.
G80
G00Z20.

(PUNCH BODY)
N30
G00X-50.Y0
G43Z10.H3
G81Z-26.5R2.F1500.
G80
G00Z20.

(SHAPE BODY)
N40T4
G00X20.Y0
G43Z60.H1
G00X10.Z10.
G01G40D1X0Z3.F1000.
G01Z0F50.
G18G03X0Z-16.R10.F300.
G00X20.
G01G40X22.Z-18.F1000.
G00Z250.
M30

25

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool information not displayed.

« on: December 21, 2008, 05:29:17 AM »

Hello Hood, it is Mill I am trying to use. I have licensed it and my name displays in the license box so I think I have done that right. What is this XML that you wish me to copy ?? Oh yes it is the standard screenset I am using.

26

General Mach Discussion / Tool information not displayed.

« on: December 21, 2008, 04:46:28 AM »

Can anyone suggest a reason why I cannot get the tool information panel to display the tool number and offset value. Should this panal be pink in colour with a licensed version of Mach3.

27

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool numbers and lengths

« on: December 20, 2008, 08:57:46 AM »

Tried again but the control does not seem to recognize that there is a tool length or cutter compensation and goes to the programed positions on the DRO's. For instance if I program the tool to go to Z20. and the tool is say 50mm long I would expect the machine to go to Z70. on the DRO. I have checked that my name is in the license box but nothing seems any different from before I licensed it.

28

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool numbers and lengths

« on: December 20, 2008, 04:34:17 AM »

The plan is to make balsa wood bodies for fishing floats. There is going to be a small Peatol lathe "pool cue" headstock mounted on the bed of the router which will hold and rotate the balsa dowel from which the bodies are shaped. The three tool spindles are to be mounted in a row under the normal Z axis pointing towards the end of the dowel. This will then make the Y axis the Z and the Z becomes the Y. In one spindle is mounted a 25mm diameter x 3mm wide grinding wheel which will have a 1.5mm radius on its diameter. The other two spindles will house a short starter drill and a longer half round D bit type drill to put th hole through the body using the "deep hole drilling" principle of having both the workpiece and drill rotating in oposite directions. I need to drill a range of hole sizes through the various bodies and want to use setting collars on the drills so that the short are all the same length and the long ones are all the same length. This will enable me to change drill sizes without having to touch the tool lengths. The grinding wheel path will be programed from the centre point of its 1.5 radius and then cutter comp of 1.5mm introduced in order to get the required shape of body. All programs will be taken from a datum point of the centre line (x/y) and end face of the collet chuck (z) which holds the balsa dowel. This way if I ever lose position I only have to re set once and all programs will run again.

29

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool numbers and lengths

« on: December 19, 2008, 06:22:56 PM »

My thanks to you both I will try these ideas tomorrow and report back.

30

General Mach Discussion / Tool numbers and lengths

« on: December 19, 2008, 12:29:45 PM »

Hi all,
       I am building a machine that will have three cutting spindles mounted in order to use three tools in sequence without a tool changer. However even though I have got a Mach3 license I cannot seem to get the control to recognise that it is anything other than tool 0 it is using. When I click on help it says there is no help available and this is the same on help for work offsets. Is this something I am doing wrong or has my license failed to activate. I am programing as below -

T1
G54G90G00X30.Y0Z50.(FIRST SPINDLE)
G43Z20.H1
 
G00Z50.

T2
G00X50.Y0Z50.(SECOND SPINDLE)
G43Z10.H2

G00Z50.

T3
G00X-50.Y0Z50.(THIRD SPINDLE)
G43Z10.H3

G00Z100.
M30