Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Cycle start switch on Mach turn

« on: December 10, 2012, 03:51:17 PM »

Hi to all,
I have a question, Ive been looking at the control panels some have posted on here and of course I am green with envy! Ive got an Advantech touch screen on my little Orac and 2 MPGs controlling X and Z and of course an Estop but what I would like to do is to fit cycle start button, feed hold etc. How do I do this? bear with me as I am a swarf maker, not a sparky! Also I run the spindle via a Jaguar Cub VFD, manually controlled, need to get Mach to run this as well, I haven't got a clue about PWM etc any one offer advice please? Can the VFD be controlled with M03/M04 and is CSS available on Mach? I have built this machine over the last year or so, none of the original Denford hardware is in use, I even replace the steppers!
Cheers to all and seasons greetings to you!
Wayne

12

General Mach Discussion / Feed rate overide pot

« on: September 28, 2012, 05:02:17 PM »

Hi All,
My Orac Mach 3 conversion is doing fine and been up and running for a good few months now, thanks to Hood for his advice on spindle position sensor, threading is superb (do need a bit more power on spindle motor though) what I would like to do is fit a manual feedrate and rapid override pot (like on FANUC systems) rather than try to use the icon on my screen. Anyone else fitted one and what was your course of action? I need this as on 1st off or cut, I feel its necessary as a form of safety, rather than potentially crash tool on rapid or feed rate into the workpiece in the chuck.
Regards,
Wayne

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: touch screens

« on: May 14, 2012, 01:14:00 PM »

I bought via evilbay a brand new Advantech 17" touch screen for £120 for my lathe project, worth every penny! the first cnc machine with a touch screen I used, was a Cincinatti Sabre back in 1995, what ever happened to that old Acramatic cnc control? quite liked it, till it lunched on its own hard drive. Not a bad machine, the company I worked for then scrapped it 5 years ago!

14

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: May 12, 2012, 06:12:34 AM »

Hi, My name is Wayne (Croz) Crosby. Worked for 27 years with Lucas Girling here in South Wales, firstly as a machine tool setter and then as a production engineer, left in 2004 couldn't stand what was happening to the factory after being bought by another company. I have shed loads of experience in all forms of machine tools and started working with cnc back in 1982, have worked on Huller Hille NBH150 and 70, Index cnc lathes, Traub cnc, Bridgeport, Okuma LB/LR lathes, Pfauter PE 150 gear hobber, Hitachi Seiki and Doosan. I started my own light engineering/toolroom shop in 2005 and been rushed of my feet since then! Right now just finishing of a conversion of an old Denford lathe to Mach 3 as a "taster", very impressed with Mach 3 and the support from this forum! On my lathe I have replaced everything, spindle motor (control of which by Mach is next!) all steppers new as old one were 30 years old and tired and drives etc. In my "spare time" WTF? I ride motorcycles and am building a couple of classic bikes to either race or parade, one is a Morini 426 vee twin, the other is a little Ducati 160 and my road bikes are an old BMW k1100 for general scooting around and a Laverda Jota that I have owned for 25 years. Next up is to convert one of my mills to Mach, by which time I am ready to do so it will probably be Mach 10!
Regards,
Croz

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 turn spindle dro not working, spindle speed changing while jogging

« on: May 11, 2012, 07:22:12 PM »

Hood,
OPB917B arrived, bracket fabricated, installed and everything up and running perfectly! Thank you very much for your help and advice!
Regards,
Wayne

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 turn spindle dro not working, spindle speed changing while jogging

« on: May 09, 2012, 04:43:56 AM »

Thanks for the info Hood, one on order from RS as I type!
Regards,
Wayne

17

General Mach Discussion / Re: mach3 turn spindle dro not working, spindle speed changing while jogging

« on: May 08, 2012, 10:00:08 AM »

Hi All,
Sorry if I am "highjacking" this thread but can a NPN proximity switch work as a spindle RPM counter? and if so are there any available suitable for 5V supply from the BOB? or, do I have to use an optointerrupter? and if so how do I connect the cathode/anode wiring? I am converting an Orac, mine had reflective strips on the disc rather than the segmented one. I have looked at OPB917B  on the RS website, I'm not a "spark" so excuse me for the lack of ability I undoubtedly show!
Regards,
Wayne

18

General Mach Discussion / Re: Graphics screen

« on: May 02, 2012, 02:08:42 PM »

Hi,
Sorry for the late reply, but config/toolpath, lathe object is enabled and was enabled, still no stock showing on graphics window, only toolpath. Anything else to check? BTW it is licenced version on my lathe and I have an unlicensed version on my desktop and that, also has no stock showing on graphics window.
ATB,
Wayne

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Turn wizards?

« on: April 18, 2012, 01:35:06 PM »

Didn't work! did reinstall instead!
Thanks,
Wayne

20

General Mach Discussion / Turn wizards?

« on: April 18, 2012, 09:11:36 AM »

Hi,
Was messing around with the view tab and load screens on my Mach 3 turn installation and my turn wizards have gone, replaced with the mill wizards, Eek! can I get them back and if so, how, or do i have to reinstall Mach 3 turn?
Help!
Best regards,
Wayne