Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Problem with using mill with 3d print head

« on: November 13, 2014, 09:23:29 PM »

Thanks for the reply. I am going to give slowing the machine down a try tomorrow. It is the easiest thing to try.
The tool path looked good  and it is correct in the toolpath window in Mach3.
Thanks

2

General Mach Discussion / Problem with using mill with 3d print head

« on: November 12, 2014, 11:03:47 PM »

I recently made a print head to attach to my mill so I can make 3d printed items.
The last print I made something strange happened and I am trying to determined what happened.
The print resembles a large box 8x8x9 inches. As the box was printing it started to curve to one side. At first I thought I was loosing steps  but I ruled this out because the dimensions of the box we're correct. The curve was only in the -y direction. The wall on the x axis side was straight.
I have been using Cura as the software to make the gcode for Mach3
The only change I made to my machine recently is I started using a UC100 motion controller.
I never had any problems with this machine and the machine has been working as a 3d printer but this was before the UC100.  Any ideas would help. I would like to trouble shoot this problem before I try to make this print again.
Thanks Paul

3

General Mach Discussion / XHC Mach3 4-axis control card

« on: November 04, 2014, 12:51:07 PM »

Hello,

I have been looking to upgrade from parallel port to using USB port. The XHC 4-axis motion control card looks interesting to me because my mill is set up for 24v controls.
I have been looking around but I have not found much information about the cards. Does any anyone have any experience with these motion controllers?

Following is a link to the controller I have been looking at.

http://www.automationtechnologiesinc.com/products-page/breakout-boards/cnc-mach3-usb-card-xhc-mk6-4-axis-motion-control-card-usb2-0-interface-wshell

Thanks

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach4 question

« on: October 08, 2013, 07:11:39 PM »

What I was missing was the use of an external motion controller to the computer. I have always used the parallel port for my motion control with very good success. This spindle application is the first time I have had an issue. I thought the method of the Mach 3 processing was limiting the step speed not the parallel port. This is why I thought mach 4 could have helped.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will look at the smooth stepper.
Paul

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach4 question

« on: October 07, 2013, 08:47:14 PM »

My problem with mach3 with my application is that the spindle steps per revolution are so high that mach3 could not support the steps at full speed. The drive form my spindle is set up for 2048 steps per revolution and has a top speed of 9000 rpm that is equal to 307200 steps per second. Mach3 has cannot support this pulse speed along with the steps for the axis. My hope is that mach4 will have a greater pulse per second ability.

6

General Mach Discussion / Mach4 question

« on: October 07, 2013, 08:23:07 PM »

Hello
I have a mill where the spindle drive can accept a step and direction signal but the resolution is very high. At full speed the step signal would need to be 104kHz. This is much to fast for Mach3 but would it be possible to control a signal like this with the new version of Mach4. I am trying to decide to attempt to use another method of controlling the spindle speed or wait for mach4.

Thanks,
Paul

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Encoder Problem

« on: March 09, 2012, 02:23:59 PM »

The encoder resolution is 12000/inch the motor is about 5200/inch. The reason I am thinking it is not related to backlash is because the the encoder is directly coupled to the motor and I am comparing the Z-axis dro value to the encoder dro value. Also, When I test moving in the positive and negative direction for the first movement the error is in the second direction.

Will be doing more testing this weekend.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Encoder Problem

« on: March 09, 2012, 12:55:41 PM »

The encoder is connected directly to the back of the motor with a helical beam coupler.
This  setup up is on the Z axis where the spindle motor and assembly (greater than 300 pounds) on the ball screw. When checking with a indicator the Z axis is returning to the same location.

The problem is interesting in that it is not accurate on the second move and is not dependent when moving in the positive or negative direction.

9

General Mach Discussion / Encoder Problem

« on: March 09, 2012, 09:16:22 AM »

Hello,
I have an encoder attached to a stepper my plan is to use it to determine if the stepper loses steps. But I am having a problem. The encoder and stepper DROs match when moving in one direction but when the machine returns back to where it started the DROs do not match. For example Starting from 0 and moving to 1” the DRO will match after the move but when the machine is returned to 0 the DROs will no longer match. This is also true if the move is in the negative direction 0 to -1" and back to 0.

The calibration  per unit is about 12000 for the encoder. Could the encoder be to high of a resolution (but then why would this happen in only the return)?

Any thoughts on the problem.

Thanks,
Paul

10

Brains Development / Re: Z-Axis Safety

« on: January 30, 2012, 01:05:46 PM »

I worked on this a little this weekend and I also reviewed the suggestion for using the encoder  board from romaxxcnc.com. The romaxxcnc board cost $159   more than I wanted to spend at this time and at this time I am only concerned with 1 axis.

The first few steps I have done to get this going was to get an encoder working with Mach3 then couple the encoder to the motor, and finally calibrate the units for the encoder and motor. The next steps will involve having the software compare the data from encoder to the DRO in Mach3. My thoughts for the software is to modify the home sequence of the z-axis to zero the encoder to get the Z machine position equal to the encoder position. Then have the comparison done in Mach3 Brains. But at first I may do the comparison in a Macropump because it may be easier for me at this time.
Is there much of an advantage to using a macropump over doing the comparison in Brains? My original thinking is that Brains run faster.

Thanks,
Paul