Messages

6341

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using Mach as a camshaft measuring device

« on: October 20, 2010, 02:47:49 PM »

I can tell you how I do it, but it is NOT the best way it can be done. MACH does NOT have good recording capability. It was NOT designed to record data but to create machine movement.

I set up the cam in the 4th axis as A. Next take a hi resolution probe with a flat faced tip the same diameter as the lifter face. Next rotate the axis in steps and do a probe routine and gether both the A axis rotational and Z axis linear height of the lobe. THe end results is a high resoluton porofile of the lobe based on points which in turn can be translated into lines and arcs through additional software steps. Crude but it does work.

IT really is NOT the preferred method to profile a cam.  Best is to use a single rotary encoder for the rotational axis AND a linear encoder for the linear axis then record both into a data base and then process the data from there.

NOW you could bring in the linear encoder thru the encoder inputs and then you would have a continous value stream from the A axis DRO and the Z axis encoder BUT no easy way to do the actuall recording in a precise manner. VB is not that precise in syncing with mach to have a smooth controlled recording stream.


Hope that helps, (;-) TP

6342

General Mach Discussion / Re: Need info: Mach3 line count

« on: October 19, 2010, 10:17:52 PM »

I worked on something like this a while back for the same purpose. It might be better to only write to  the file about every 5 minutes or so. IF you continuously write to the hard drive it may TIE up a lot of CPU time trying to write 10 times per sec.  Mach can process a lot of lines in a minutes time.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

6343

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Macro wont load

« on: October 19, 2010, 07:16:38 PM »

By the way GOOD JOB on your coding, nice to see the old ways are not dead yet(;-)

(;-) TP

6344

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is this possible?

« on: October 18, 2010, 07:16:46 PM »

Put in into a brain and mach will never know it is there(;-)

6345

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Macro wont load

« on: October 18, 2010, 06:11:37 PM »

That should make it work. Don't forget to cancel the tool height offset(G49)


(Hex Macro #1=a/f Size. #4=Z depth)
#1=38.0
#4=3
#1=[#1/2]
#2=[#1*TAN[30]]
#3=[#1/COS[30]]
G0 G21 G49 G40 G17 G80 G50 G90
M6 T2
G64
M03 S3500
G00 G43 H2 Z3.0
G42
G00 X#1 Y[[#2+10]*-1]
G01 Z[#4*-1] F200.0
G01 Y#2 F60.0
G01 X0 Y#3
G01 X[#1*-1] Y#2
G01 Y[#2*-1]
G01 X0 Y[#3*-1]
G01 X#1 Y[#2*-1]
G91
G1 X1.0 Y2.0
G90
G00 Z10.0
G40

M5
M30
%

6346

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Macro wont load

« on: October 18, 2010, 05:51:32 PM »

OK first this is not a macro(;-) it is a parametric gcode file.

this line  "  G00 X#1 Y-[#2+10] " is an error AS Mach does not recognize the - after the Y as a directional indicator(yea I know it should) You will need  to invert the value sign from inside the brackets to convert it to a negative number.

Try this  G00 X#1 Y[[#2+10]*-1]

I also see some more numbers that need converting as well.

I'll try your code later.

(;-) TP

6347

General Mach Discussion / Re: Probing Software

« on: October 18, 2010, 03:59:24 PM »

So far there is NOT a generic software package to do the job.

There are MANY macros and  no wizards that I am aware of, and SOME screensets that do certain probing functions BUT not a total generic package that is used with Mach.

Sorry, Probing has not gotten that far in Mach yet. 

 (;-) TP

6348

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is this possible?

« on: October 18, 2010, 03:54:51 PM »

OK you have my curiousity up. WHY would you need 2 probes so close together as they would get confused as to which one tripped???

(;-) TP

6349

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool Turret for Lathe

« on: October 18, 2010, 12:20:00 PM »

IF the turret is functional I would just use a 3phase step up transformer to boost the voltage.  Obviously the original logic worked ok .  program up a PLC and you should be good to go.

Just a thought, (;-) TP

6350

General Mach Discussion / Re: Is this possible?

« on: October 18, 2010, 11:15:04 AM »

2 ways to do what you need.

1. wire ALL probes in series on one set of pins. Then which ever one trips the input THAT is the active probe. Very simple logic.

2. Use a mach output signal to drive a flip flop relay to reverse the probe input between 2 probes. Call it from VB monitor the flip flop to see which is     active.  More complicated logic.