Messages

461

General Mach Discussion / Re: Different starting questions to equipment, etc.

« on: September 11, 2014, 09:29:43 AM »

Machinerys Handbook, so useful that machinist toolboxes came with a cubby hole to hold it!

462

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Any benefit to climb vs. regular milling?

« on: September 05, 2014, 10:38:41 PM »

Climb cutting requires a tight machine with low backlash otherwise the cutter pulls itself into the material. CNC and ballscrews and such changed that part of the process.

On metals with conventional cutting the cutting edge is sliding along the surface until enough pressure builds up that it starts to peel off the chip and the chip gets thicker as you go up to your feed per tooth. In climb milling the tooth enters the material at full feed per tooth, there is no sliding and the chip gradually thins out until it breaks off.  On metals that work harden the material gets hardened by the sliding in conventional milling but not with climb.  So your tool lasts longer.

463

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Newbie Lazycam question

« on: September 05, 2014, 10:26:32 AM »

Post a picture of your machine and we may be able to suggest some easy fixes.

464

General Mach Discussion / Re: Nema23 velocity and acceleration

« on: August 15, 2014, 08:19:40 PM »

Your motors are relatively high voltage and high inductance so it will require a high voltage to drive them fast. If your drives are not currently on a power supply close to their rated voltage consider getting a higher voltage supply.  If you drives are say 40 volt rated and you have a 24 volt supply currently then a 36 volt supply would make a big difference.

465

General Mach Discussion / Re: Does Lazycam come w/ Mach3?

« on: July 27, 2014, 09:56:57 PM »

I worked with Lazycam for a while, but once I trialed CamBam I never looked back.

466

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mill Wizards

« on: July 26, 2014, 09:23:08 PM »

Gary, I have a demo version of Cambam and other programs.  I'm kind of overwhelmed right now with trying to figure out which one to invest my time and money in.  It seems to me that Cambam has only rudimentary CAD features?  I'm not at the level yet to know what complexity I can get to with that set of features.  Maybe it's all I need; that would be nice.

Yes the Cad  is rudimentary, and I do have 4 other cad programs at my disposal.  However lots of stuff I do I don't bother firing up one of those. For a front panel you can bang out a working program really quickly.  The forum is also a huge part of CamBam.  Lots of knowledgeable people there, like here.  So getting answers to your questions is usually very quick.

467

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mill Wizards

« on: July 26, 2014, 05:09:03 PM »

I've done quite a bit of G-code by hand and with various wizards and such. But I have to tell you I get a lot more done and enjoy it a lot more since I got CamBam. 40 sessions to prove you'll like it before you buy.  I almost felt guilty at the amount of stuff I machined before I bought it.

468

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using Mach to drive an automated scissorlift

« on: July 21, 2014, 08:03:17 AM »

I've done lots of projects like this. You can contact me directly at gary.lucas@verizon.net

469

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using Mach to drive an automated scissorlift

« on: July 20, 2014, 06:06:38 PM »

Encoders are connected via timer counter modules that take quadrature inputs, so they count up and down as you move.  I have used an inexpensive Dart 10 pulse per revolution counter to locate the greenhouse bays along a 400 foot path.  The encoder should never be on a driven wheel, only an idler.  This gets me within a couple of inches, then I drop into creep speed and stop by a photoeye looking for a retro reflector. This gets close positioning even when things have shifted due to expansion and contraction of the building, rails etc.  Approaches for alignment always come from the same direction too.  So when going back to an earlier location when the counter says I have arrived I brake to a stop and go forward again until the photoeye aligns.  At both ends of the path is a long metal bar that is detected by an inductive proximity sensor.  This warns the machine that it is near the end and forces it to slow down to avoid crashing into the end.  If it is anywhere along the bar it is only allowed to creep.  The counter always resets at the home position.  On power up the machine always goes home first to reset the counter.

The newer PLCs like the PAC 3000 and DoMore series have lots of memory now.  That said, my machines from 20 years ago had enough memory to store 47 positions in each of 60 bays!  Those machines are still running today, with only occasional problems, mostly mechanical.

If you use a C-More 6" or larger HMI locally on the machine it has a web server that lets you access it over Ethernet.  A 5 dollar app for an Iphone gets you access from you phone too.

470

General Mach Discussion / Re: Using Mach to drive an automated scissorlift

« on: July 19, 2014, 11:14:07 PM »

This is the kind of task handled very well by a PLC.  PLCs are way more robust than a PC, already have real world I/O designed for this kind of task. AutomationDirect.com has very inexpensive PLCs, limit switches, encoders etc.  I used to build watering/spraying robots for large commercial greenhouses. They could be programmed to go anywhere in a 100,000 sq/ft greenhouse and apply water or chemicals from 8 different sets of nozzles and move at different rates while doing it. If you have an ethernet connection you can have a local control panel or direct the machine from any PC or even your Iphone!