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Messages - jevs

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181
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still lost on tool height setup
« on: April 07, 2015, 12:17:18 AM »
Figured it out I think. Took me long enough!
So, here is what I did. Loaded the longest tool. Set it on a 1" gauge block.
Zero the Z
Set the height of the tool as 0
set the rest of the tools from this same position. So all of the tools are referenced from the zero tools 0 Z position
Ref all axis home
Set the edges of the part with an edge finder
Ran the long tool down to 1" gauge block
Set the gauge block height to -1.000, yes duh -1.000, not 1"! Made sense to me once I did not have the tools at weird numbers.
Then, to make a long story short, cut my part successfully :)

Now, I wrote this all down so I can remember next time. At some point I can see I will need a master tool and will have to assign all my tools to tool numbers and cross that into BobCADCAM somehow, but for now I am just setting the heights each time.....baby steps

182
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still lost on tool height setup
« on: April 06, 2015, 10:27:10 PM »
That g54 did nothing when I changed to a new tool g0z1 still put it above the 1" block instead of on it.

Attached is what I currently have 4 the tool offsets and the Current work offset.

Whatever I am doing, it does not seem to work.

183
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still lost on tool height setup
« on: April 06, 2015, 10:21:55 PM »
Hmm. Something interesting. If I type G54 in the MDI, then hit g0z1 the tool seems to go to the right place.

Do I have to manually type this every time I change tools and want to check the offset to my part?

184
General Mach Discussion / Still lost on tool height setup
« on: April 06, 2015, 10:17:41 PM »
Broke an expensive drill bit tonight thanks to this. It just does not work for me for some reason.

I start by referencing the machine home. Then I make the tool changer go to the longest tool

I make all the settings from a freshly faced block that I plan to machine into my part

I make sure the tool offset is not lit

Then I run it down to my 1" gauge block. Gauge block height is set to 1"

I hit set tool offset. Then I save

I move to the next couple tools and do the same thing.

Then I make it switch to the longest tool which has already been set. I put that down to the 1" gauge block and have the Z gauge block height set to 1".

This is one part that confuses me. I don't know weather to have the tool Offset on/off lit or not when I do this. I would think it should be on since I am using the tool to set it. So, I do this and then it gives me some number like .0812 as the Z offset. This seems to be the actual machine Z minus the tool offset.

Now I go back and do a tool change to each tool and put in a g0z1 and guess what, they do not go where I would expect them. I would think they should all be right on the 1" gauge block, but they are all over the place.

Something is not right and I have been fighting this for a long time. I am not sure how I got two parts made, but I do know they cut deeper or not as deep as they should of in cases. I must have got lucky and they were at least close to the same length on the ones that matter.

One thing I am not sure of is if my  tool change macro should call out some G code that it is not?? There is nothing to do with tool offsets in there. Never thought it needed to since it switches the tool number as it is supposed to.

'Tool change macro for 7 tool turret
Sub Main()
   'Sets variable OldTool to what is currently loaded
   OldTool=GetCurrentTool()
   
   'Sets Variable MaxToolNum to the max number of tools possible
   MaxToolNum=7
   
   'Sets variable Newtool to the one being selected with M6 T#
   NewTool=GetSelectedTool()   
   
   'Get positions before moving to do tool change
   x = GetToolChangeStart( 0 )
   y = GetToolChangeStart( 1 )
   z = GetToolChangeStart( 2 )
   a = GetToolChangeStart( 3 )
   b = GetToolChangeStart( 4 )
   c = GetToolChangeStart( 5 )
   
   'If the current tool loaded is 0 or greater than 7 then tool has been lost
   'so need to ask what tool is currently loaded
   While OldTool=0 Or OldTool>7
   OldTool=Question ("Current tool unknown, enter tool in spindle 1 to " & MaxToolNum)
   Wend
   
   'Sets CurrentTool to Oldtool in case it was lost and entered above
   SetCurrentTool(OldTool)

   'When the tool asked for is invalid then this makes you select a valid tool
   While NewTool > MaxToolNum Or NewTool <1
   NewTool = Question ("Invalid tool chosen, enter tool number 1 to " & MaxToolNum)
   Wend
   
        'If the tool asked for is the same one that is already loaded then exit macro
   If NewTool=OldTool Then
   Message "Tool already loaded or tool not specified with T# (ex:M6 T4)"
      Exit Sub
   End If

'Turn off soft limits if they are on
If GetOEMLED(23) Then
DoOEMButton(119)
End If

'Moves To Z home from where ever it is
code "G53G0Z0"
While IsMoving()
Wend

'Sets ChangeNums to 0 for safety in case it is not at 0
ChangeNums=0

'Makes the magic happen and moves the proper number of times if new tool is higher than old
If NewTool>OldTool Then
   For ChangeNums=1 To NewTool-OldTool
   
   'Moves Z axis to the top of tool change
   code "G53 G1 F70 Z5.800"
   While IsMoving()
   Wend

   'Moves back to bottom of tool change area
   code "G53 G1 F70 Z3.8"
   While IsMoving()
   Wend
   
   Next
   
'Makes the magic happen and moves the proper number of times if new tool is lower than old   
Else
   For ChangeNums=(OldTool-NewTool) To 6
   
   'Moves Z axis to the top of tool change
   code "G53 G1 F70 Z5.800"
   While IsMoving()
   Wend

   'Moves back to bottom of tool change area
   code "G53 G1 F70 Z3.8"
   While IsMoving()
   Wend
   
   Next
End If

'Move Back to Z Home
code "G53 G1 F70 Z0"
While IsMoving()
Wend
   
'Should be a succesful tool change at this point so this sets the NewTool as the current tool
SetCurrentTool(NewTool)

'Turn back on soft limits
DoOEMButton(119)
End Sub   

185
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 10:18:44 PM »
Using the shortest tool creates a problem with Z travel. IF you are at the top of Z and setting with the shortest tool AND you then switch tools to the longest tool then there MAY not be enough Z UP travel left to do the comp and you will hit the limits.

Using the Longest tool the Z can only comp in the DOWN direction of Z and you CANNOT hit the Z up limits.

IF you are going to use the longest tool THEN it MUST be set as the master with 0.000 offset.


The reason for the Soft tlimits warning IS you are moving BEYOND the range of Z travel that you set in soft limits.

Just a thought, (;-) TP
I actually ended up doing exactly what you said. I made my longest tool 0.000 and then the rest had negative offset. Your statement makes sense, the only thing that was throwing me is this statement:
To use a tool length offset, program G43 H~, where the H number is the desired index in the tool table. It is expected that all entries in this table will be positive. The H number should be, but does not have to be, the same as the slot number of the tool currently in the spindle. It is OK for the H number to be zero; an offset value of zero will be used. Omitting H has the same effect as a zero value.

This is not the case. All my table values are negative as far as offset goes.

Again, I don't know about the Z limit. Nothing in the program goes out of Z when cutting the part except a tool change. This is in a macro and turns off the soft limits. I am not sure what mach is looking at when it gives the Z minus warning since nothing actually trips a soft limit during cutting......unless ignoring it and clicking go anyway is turning off soft limits completely? I didn't look to be honest. My hard limits are not far off from the soft limits though and that will kill my machine. They don't get hit during cutting either.

186
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 09:23:25 PM »
Using the shortest tool makes more sense......

I finally got the part cut. I think the Mach instructions for the G code on the H value being positive, must just mean that the number of the tool table location has to be positive. I still cut and all my offsets are negative (since I used the longest tool).

I finally just hit the button and ignored the Z soft limit message. I think it is somehow looking at my tool change operation, which does have to go beyond the soft limit of Z home. My tool change happens by moving above Z home and my macro for it turns off soft limits temporarily to do the change. The state of the tool offset on/off button and how you do things is still a bit foggy. I just kept messing with it until Z said what I wanted and ran it.

It worked, but my profile is still cutting too deep for some reason, or the part is lifting when the material gets thin....oh well. I may never make this part again. I got two and that is all I need :)

I wish I had more time to devote to learning my machine better, but right now I just need some parts to finish up another project.

Thanks

187
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 07:13:44 PM »
Is there a walkthrough for this!!! This is wasting my whole day. It makes no sense to me. I am not sure how it worked the first time with all negative values. I must have got lucky

188
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 06:35:39 PM »
So everything looks good in the code up until this:
N06 G43 H1 Z1. M08

The G code list in mach says that it expects all the heights in the tool table to be positive. Mine are all negative. So when it calls H1 it is offsetting by my tool one at -10.99

This is making me think the tool offsets are being done incorrectly. Confusing.
 

189
General Mach Discussion / Re: Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 05:05:07 PM »
Could it be that I set the height of my tools wrong?
They are all at a -Z distance from home. Basically what it would take to make them touch the table.
However, some of them cannot reach the table in real life. I used 1-2-3 blocks up to 3" to set the offsets.
The difference of offsets between the tools is right, because I ran a part, but maybe the overall way I am setting it is offsetting them overall in an incorrect way??

190
General Mach Discussion / Still having trouble with Z offset
« on: March 21, 2015, 04:57:11 PM »
No matter what I do my part seems to be high or low and gives Z soft limit warnings.
I loaded all my tools and set the offset from the table previously (and I did run a part successfully).
Now I tool change to my longest tool.
Jog over the center of my stock.
Go down until it just pinches the 1" height of my 1-2-3 block
Have gage block set to +1.000
Hit set Z.

I try this both with the Tool offset on/off button lit and unlit and one throws the part way up out of the work area, and they other just seems to put it about an inch low. Not sure how to do this right!

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