Messages

2351

General Mach Discussion / Re: 1st pierce is longer...

« on: August 15, 2014, 08:13:51 AM »

Hmm, that's odd then,

Where or how does the direct activation code go, is it just placed into the M3\4\5 macros or somewhere else?

Is it just a matter of changing the macro's to this style --- ActivateSignal(Output1) & DeActivateSignal(Output1) ?

I will also take the THC completely out of the loop, just in case that is causing a variation and try that.

Would make sense to replace the M codes with direct signals if you could give a little guidance please.


Many thanks for your time

2352

General Mach Discussion / Re: 1st pierce is longer...

« on: August 15, 2014, 04:15:19 AM »

Thanks

Files below

Dave

2353

General Mach Discussion / Arc-on timer????

« on: August 15, 2014, 02:54:20 AM »

I don't think this is already featured in Mach but is it possible to have a cumulative Arc-On timer plus maybe a pierce counter??

Both easy to add as external units but that would not show on the screen.

Needs to be cumulative and have a reset button.


Any ideas

2354

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Setting Issue?

« on: August 14, 2014, 03:28:10 PM »

Good stuff, at least I'm on the right track.

I spent a fair bit of time playing this afternoon, using up scrap and doing repeat straight cuts with varying settings.

I think I have managed to find a set of figures that allow it to follow a a warp of 8mm across 620mm quite closely and at speeds from 900 to 3300mm/min so I think it will function ok if I keep an eye on warp limits etc

It's better than it was at least.

THC Rate is now at 9% and Hysteresis is +\-2v

2355

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Setting Issue?

« on: August 14, 2014, 08:54:14 AM »

Interesting, not sure I could figure out how to calculate that

The Z axis motor in motor tuning is set at 1187.8mm/min so with the 5% THC rate it's running at 55.89mm/min.

I think that gives me a z axis travel of 0.93mm per second, and with the other axes possibly moving at 55mm/sec (3300mm/min) I can now see that I have a height change possibility of 0.93mm over a distance of 55mm.

I think that equates to a warp factor of 5.28mm halfway along a sheet of steel 625mm wide.

What I don't know is is that bad, useless, reasonable etc?

5mm of warp seems quite believable on a plate that size.

If I am correct on all of my assumptions above, maybe I have been testing it on too extreme of an incline??

2356

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Setting Issue?

« on: August 14, 2014, 08:07:32 AM »

I forgot about the hysteresis setting in the THC too, I had it set for +/-1v but having just made some straight cuts without THC it seems the voltage does not settle at a fixd point for any length of time and +/-1v is not a wide enough envelope for it.

I now have it set at +/-2v which should give it some leeway hopefully, out of the box it comes set at +/-4v which seems a bit too wide.

A faster loop response seems to be the only way of getting full control though, but at least I'm getting a handle on how it all works together now.

2357

General Mach Discussion / Re: 1st pierce is longer...

« on: August 14, 2014, 07:26:14 AM »

No-one else notice this??

2358

General Mach Discussion / Re: Output signal

« on: August 14, 2014, 07:25:25 AM »

I have just checked and have a similar/same issue.

As soon as I press reset, Enable1 goes live as expected but output6 starts flashing.

Output6 is not mapped to any function and I do not use it.

2359

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Setting Issue?

« on: August 14, 2014, 05:05:33 AM »

Ouch, maths!


What i think is the issue, is that the motor will spin at whatever rate i have in THC Rate (currently 5) for as long as the THC box sends the up signal.

But, with the bad loop-speed it has, it is telling the system UP for too long due to the loop response. This makes the system overshoot so it then tells it DOWN straight away and we are into see-saw country in no time at all.

To counter this I have set the THC Rate low BUT this now means the system only works for thick/slow cuts, going to thinner metal means more speed which means I need a faster THC response rate so I up the THC Rate setting a bit but then that only works on fast cuts.

I think it's just a crap THC box really, there is plenty more speed available in system, I just can not use it properly to my best advantage.

Does that make sense???

2360

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC Setting Issue?

« on: August 13, 2014, 02:00:50 PM »

Thanks Stirling.

I think the z axis is on a 2mm screw pitch, it was a pre-built z axis system, presumed it was "normal" ?

According to hypertherm guru Jim Colt, at the same power level, on the same material, the 30XP cutter will give the best results, so for the present at least I am sticking with that system.

I will have a further play around with the THC system.