Messages

5771

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: December 01, 2017, 01:42:11 AM »

Hi Nick,
shifted the code into a  folder 'temp' (I know...a really original name!). Also added a message box if the function declines to run because the axes aren't enabled
or homed.

Code: [Select]

function GoCenter();
local inst=mc.mcGetInstance();
local Xhand=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'iRegs0/Xcenter');
local Xcenter=mc.mcRegGetValue(Xhand);
local Yhand=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'iRegs0/Ycenter');
local Ycenter=mc.mcRegGetValue(Yhand);
local Zhand=mc.mcRegGetHandle(inst,'iRegs0/Zcenter');
local Zcenter=mc.mcRegGetValue(Zhand);
local homed=0;
local enabled=0;
if (mc.mcAxisIsEnabled(inst,mc.X_AXIS)==1) then enabled=enabled+1 end;
if (mc.mcAxisIsEnabled(inst,mc.Y_AXIS)==1) then enabled=enabled+1 end;
if (mc.mcAxisIsEnabled(inst,mc.Z_AXIS)==1) then enabled=enabled+1 end;
local Xhomed,rc=mc.mcAxisIsHomed(inst,mc.X_AXIS);
local Yhomed,rc=mc.mcAxisIsHomed(inst,mc.Y_AXIS);
local Zhomed,rc=mc.mcAxisIsHomed(inst,mc.Z_AXIS);
if Xhomed==1 then homed=homed+1 end;
if Yhomed==1 then homed=homed+1 end;
if Zhomed==1 then homed=homed+1 end;
if (homed+enabled)==6 then;
    mc.mcCntlGcodeExecuteWait(inst,"g53 g0 z"..Zcenter.."\n g53 g0 x"..Xcenter.."y"..Ycenter);
else
    wx.wxMessageBox('Axes not enabled/homed');
end
end
if (mc.mcInEditor() == 1) then
    GoCenter()
end

Craig

5772

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: December 01, 2017, 01:33:52 AM »

Hi Nick,
I will be doing as Daz has suggested. Try the code to see if it does what you want. If it does bung the function, excluding the mcInEditor bit, in the screen
load script. Put 'GoCenter()' as left-up script on the events tab of the screen button.

Craig

5773

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Acceleration Settings

« on: December 01, 2017, 12:54:03 AM »

Hi,
there's no doubt about it small diameter tools are a challenge. If you can go to a larger size it will save you some grief.

I liked HSMAvdisor so much I bought it. Wide range of materials, a library of tools, includes power and flexure calculations and torsional flexure as well.

http://stores.ebay.com/carbideplus/

Dubious that you'll save anything by backing off max speed, the tool is that small the power requirement is virtually nill. You might save having the bearings
spin that fast however if you back off to 18000 rpm you'll have to run 25% longer to do the job. Are you gaining anything?

Craig

5774

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Acceleration Settings

« on: November 30, 2017, 07:07:46 PM »

Hi,
another small point worth bearing in mind, the smallest 2 flute mill in the list is 0.032" or 32 thou.
You are using 0.02"  20 thou. The larger 32 thou tool has 256% greater cross sectional area than what you are using
and will be much stronger as a result.

I used to use 16 thou (0.4mm) tools. My target is to produce pads with minimum separation of 0.6mm consistant with
SOIC ICs. I got a good price on 20 thou (0.5mm) tools and the increased strength has helped my cause much more than
I expected. The larger tool has 156% the area of the 16 thou tool, hard to credit such a small variation can have such
a dramatic effect.

As I've mentioned I use a software tool called Autoleveller and that has resulted in very very much more precise machining
thereby minimising the amount of fibreglass that gets cut with major increase in tool life. Likewise when I started using
flood cooling, mainly for chip evacuation I got a 20-30 fold increase in tool life.

While these techniques probably will not be useful to you given that you are cutting wood I mention them as examples of small
changes that have had dramatic effects. Keep experimenting, eventually you'll find the right combination that maximises what
you are doing. You'll need a quite a few tools to experiment with. When I get home I'll flick you drillmans EBay store,
Kyocera Tycom tools at very very sharp prices, I buy the vast majority of my micro-tools from him.

Download a trial copy of HSMAdvisor, very useful. Surface speeds are critical parameters particularly in metals. You can get away
with less but very seldom more than recommended speed. With such a small diameter tool you'll never get even close to the
recommended surface speed, the best you can do is spin it as fast as you can. Is your spindle rated to 24000 rpm?
If so why pussy foot around spinning it at less than max, do you disbelieve the spec?

Craig

5775

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: November 30, 2017, 12:46:09 PM »

Hi Daz,
kool, that's certainly simple enough and the temp directory doesn't get compiled....and potentially screw up mclua.mcc

Craig

5776

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: November 30, 2017, 12:15:51 PM »

Hi Daz,
where would you put some code that as being worked on? The reason I suggested the Macro folder is that the lua editor can be used  for debugging.

Craig

5777

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Acceleration Settings

« on: November 30, 2017, 10:17:26 AM »

Hi,
that formula is the same, they have combined pi and divide by 12 in the constant.

0.262 x 0.02 x 18000 = 94.32 ft/min
pi x 0.02 x 18000 / 12 = 94.25 ft/min

So this is the actual surface speed given the diameter and rpm but not the recommended target surface speed based on material and tool type.
But 94 ft/min is way way slow. What does the database recommend for surface speed with an uncoated carbide tool in various materials?
My database says 906 ft/min for softwood and uncoated carbide, 10 times what you've calculated.

Craig

5778

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: November 30, 2017, 01:51:13 AM »

Hi,
yes that is the idea. Tempted to strip it out of the macros folder and put it in the screen load script. It would then be possible to call the function from
the left-up script of a screen button but also from the signal script if you wanted it to be accessible from a physical button.

Craig

5779

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Reference all home help.

« on: November 30, 2017, 01:22:50 AM »

Hi Nick,
I learnt the hard way...blithely editing my screenset for a few months (Mach4 was new to me) only to find that I had inadvertently overwritten it all when I got
a later build. It did cause me to re-read and more importantly UNDERSTAND the recommendations about having not only your own profile but screenset as well.

Craig

5780

Mach3 under Vista / Re: another issue with possibly with Win7

« on: November 30, 2017, 01:16:36 AM »

Hi,
if you haven't already download the Mach3 Installation and Configuration Guide and read it, then read it again and for good measure read it a third time.

Take particular notice of:

2.1.3 The Vital Reboot
You must reboot Windows before running Mach3. This reboot is vital. If you do not do it, you will get
into great difficulties which can only be overcome by using the Windows Control Panel to uninstall the
driver manually. So please reboot now.
If you are interested in knowing why the reboot is required, then read on. If not, you can skip to Section
2.2.

If you haven't rebooted as recommended you will have to dig out the corrupt code the hard way...it is described and I think just about everyone who has installed
Mach3 will have had to do the same!

http://www.machsupport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mach3Mill_Install_Config.pdf

Craig