Messages

101

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Alibre CAM/Mach3 compatability?

« on: July 06, 2011, 09:53:41 PM »

Hi,

So far everything I have done has run fine except the hole drilling.  I am sure it is in my post processor but I believe there are several different Mach 3 post processors that you can choose.  I haven't had a chance to try the other ones yet to see if it fixes my issue.  Hope this helps.  By the way I am running Alibre Cam Expert.

102

General Mach Discussion / G-Code Help!!!

« on: June 27, 2011, 09:33:12 PM »

Let me start off by saying that I am by no means what I would consider  a programmer.  I am a conventional tool maker by trade going on twenty years.  A few years back I started doing 3d modeling and then shortly after I was thrust into cnc programming working off part geometry in models.  I use Alibre Cad/Cam and it was pretty much there it is heres the machine and let us know if you need anything else.  Of course as painful as it can be sometimes the hard way isn't all ways the bad way.  Memory retentions seems to improve with hard lessons.  Last year I decided to build my own cnc wood router.  I done all of the design work, build, and wiring. Alot of help was provided by other users posts, as most of the problems I ran into had already been answered here.  Machine is running good, finished my first gun stock this past weekend.  The 3d contouring worked great and everything was up to par.  The only problem I had is that I can't drill holes.  I know sounds stupid can cut a 3d contour but can't drill a simple hole.  That's what I thought!!!  It would travel to all the points where the holes should have been but then set there momentarily then move on the the next one.  No movement in the Z axis.  I remember in the set up of my stepper motors that it said something about setting them up as a Sherline.  That being said when I picked my post processor I choose Mach3-Sherline.  Not to say that I am right in doing so by any means, just hoping someone could possibly point me in the right direction if I am incorrect.  Everything else on the machine is working great.  I am attaching a simple drill program(break chip) that I wrote for an example.  I have looked I can see where you can edit your post processor, but being fairly new to Mach 3 I don't exactly know what I might need  to change.  I am hoping that some of you guys that wrote g-code before cam packages were available could look at the sample program and point me in the right direction.  Thanks for all of the help, this forum rocks!!!


N1 G00 G49 G40.1 G17 G80 G50 G90
N2 G20
N3 (Breakchip Drill )
N4 M6 T5
N5 M03 S8000
N6 G00 G43 H1 Z1
N7 G01 X0.8750 Y-0.7500 Z0.2870 F3000.0
N8 M8
N9 G00
N10 G73 X0.8750 Y-0.7500 Z-1.108 R0.1 L0.0 Q0.1
N11G80
N12 G00 Z0.2870
N13 G73 X3.1250 Y-0.7500 Z-1.108 R0.1 L0.0 Q0.1
N14G80
N15 G00 Z0.2870
N16 G73 X3.1250 Y-3.2500 Z-1.108 R0.1 L0.0 Q0.1
N17G80
N18 G00 Z0.2870
N19 G73 X0.8750 Y-3.2500 Z-1.108 R0.1 L0.0 Q0.1
N20G80
N21 G00 Z0.2870
N22 G00 Z1
N23 M5 M9
N24 M30

103

General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttering 3d Contour!!!!

« on: June 19, 2011, 11:21:31 AM »

Okay I will give it a look.  I checked all of my settings this morning, constant velocity and exact stop.  I was running in constant velocity.  I loaded the program that was giving me fits yesterday and wa la transition was smooth and there was no shuttering.  Only thing that changed was I rebooted.  Program time was cut in half on the simulation.  The only thing that I can think of is yesterday when I was having problems drilling holes and gave the spindle an on command and was going to manually drill the holes.  The spindle came on but then turned itself back off.  Not sure what the deal is there either.  Basically I am using commands that I use at work to turn the spindle on for edge finding and location.  I am sure that it is just me and something stupid that I am doing.  I will keep working and trying to figure some of this out.  I am going to do some voltage checks today to see if that could be causing some problems.  Thanks for all of the input and if anyone can think of anything else I would appreciate it.

104

General Mach Discussion / Re: Shuttering 3d Contour!!!!

« on: June 19, 2011, 09:21:25 AM »

Thanks for the info.  I will go check it out this morning.  I did have one other issue as well and this one sounds really stupid.  I am running Alibre Cam(Visual Mill 6.0) and when I right a simple drill program it won't run.  It goes through all of the rapid moves and goes to all of the hole positions but never physically drills the material.  I thought that maybe mach wouldn't do a peck drill so I changed it to a regular drill and still hand no luck.  Finally I just circle profiled the holes to get it done but I definitely need to figure this one out as well.

105

General Mach Discussion / Shuttering 3d Contour!!!!

« on: June 18, 2011, 11:22:03 PM »

Guys I hope some of you can help!!!  I noticed this afternoon that my machine was really slowing down and shuttering on the 3d contours.  I don't know if it the acetal nut on the acme shaft heating up as it runs causing drag the motor down.  All axis seem to be waiting on the z axis.  I thought it was my program but I reverted back to settings that I had ran earlier this morning and the seem problem still seemed to exist.  Could be a voltage problem?  I am at a loss.  I am going to run the program in the morning on a fresh start up to see what happens.  The problem seemed to get gradually worse as the machine ran.  I am running a keling 425 oz inch four axis kit with the 36 volt power supply.  Three to one gear reduction on all axis.  1/2 acme screw with acetal nut on the z, dual drive y axis slaved together running on rack and pinion, and the same set up in x as y with one motor.  Don't seem to be loosing any steps and work is coming out slick as a ribbon but the shuttering really is slowing the program down.  Hopefully someone has the answer because it is driving me nuts.  I even noticed this same shutter in my roughing programs as well.  As I said I didn't have any of this when I started running my machine this morning.  I am attaching some pics!!!

106

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis Rotary Table!!!

« on: May 09, 2011, 09:51:58 PM »

Jeff,

Thanks for the additional info.  I probable go ahead and order one from you in the next couple of weeks.  Just trying to do a clean up in my shop before I start another product.

107

General Mach Discussion / Re: 4th Axis Rotary Table!!!

« on: May 05, 2011, 09:23:00 PM »

Jeff,

Thanks for the info.  You have got me studying on it really hard!!!  Does the kit come with a right angle plate to mount it or can I not see from the orientation of the picture?

108

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie Advice on VFD conversion

« on: May 05, 2011, 09:18:51 PM »

There seems to be good and bad reviews of this unit.  I guess that is with everything though.  I was on a tight budget and seeing as how I spent over a grand in raw aluminum stock to build my machine out of its became a matter of well if it don't work I haven't loss that much.  You can literally read for hours on these units in various posts.  I may even have some literature that I found online that I can send you if you need it.

109

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie Advice on VFD conversion

« on: May 05, 2011, 03:30:59 PM »

Michael,

One quick thing that I forgot to add.  A friend of mine is currently using his the way you are speaking.  He actually got a longer cable and mounted the display for his vfd on the outside of his panel for ease of access.  Not for sure what kind of ribbon cable it is as I am no expert on it, but I do know that the display will pop out on mine.

110

General Mach Discussion / Re: Newbie Advice on VFD conversion

« on: May 05, 2011, 03:27:04 PM »

Actually that was the reason I went ahead and upgraded the vfd to one with the communication chip.  I wasn't a big deal but you were actually adjusting the rpms from the frequency menu instead of the rpm menu.  The vfd is actually changing the frequency to give you a different spindle rpm so it all makes since.  I just grew tired of having to adjust for every tool change then having to be there when the machine finished the program to turn the spindle off.  Search around on this forum, there is alot of information pertaining to these units.  I probably would have not been able to get mine up going on my own but fortunately there are some real wizards on this forum and all of my questions had been asked by someone else already.  Good Luck!!!