Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Re: changing a broken tool mid program run? Z height issue

« on: March 06, 2006, 05:14:06 PM »

I think part of my problem was changing it in the middle of the drill cycle and changing it. I just changed out the drill in the chuck while it was still in the spindle and rezeroed the tool. I guess it's best if I do as you suggest so the machine is back at zero for that tool at the begging of the cycle and then remove the tool holder and reset the new one to the exact same height?  The question is what if I can't get the height exactly the same? 

How would I then compensate for the differance? Also I was in teh middle of drillign 395 holes in a pattern.

Would I just edit the tool table for that tool? I don't think the new tool height will be accepted into the program once it has been run?

So does this make the best solution.

1 at hole 195 tool breaks/needs sharpening

2 back up program to that change tool line and "set next line"

3 take the tool holder out and change the tool and re-measure.

4 enter the new measurment into the tool table

5 replace the tool in the machine

6 begin the cycle then pause

7 move to the last line ran

8 run program from here button

? is this the right way of changing tools mid program?

john h

12

General Mach Discussion / changing a broken tool mid program run? Z height issue

« on: March 05, 2006, 06:45:47 PM »

Well, my first part, my first broken tool.

My .149 drill bit came loose in the chuck. That wasn't the problem, I paused the prog. , stopped the spindle and coolant then retracted the z axis. rezeroed the tool after tightening. resumed cycle, as the tool finished drilling and retracted then  moved to the next x, zing! the tool was about .200 to deep, milled a little curved slot and snap.

So, what is the proccedure for changing a tool mid program and getting the z height right?

thanks much for any wisdom,

jh

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: line number limitations?

« on: March 05, 2006, 05:36:22 PM »

The issue has been traced to trying to operate Mach2 in windows 64bit edition. The Mach2 app seams to run fine, it just won't let the license .dat be recognized. In XP pro everything is now OK.

thanks,  jh

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: line number limitations?

« on: March 05, 2006, 12:57:49 PM »

I just figured that out. It's just that it was bundled with the Tormach CNC I just purchased, (great mill by the way, customer service has been prompt too). It came with a license number, a .dat file in the PCNC directory but it doesn't seam to take it? The directory structure is the same Tormach just renamed the main folder that would normally be MACH2. Under the help about menu it still comes up as a demo version?

I also noticed that the keygrabber.exe doesn't find the MACH2.exe when I want to modify the screen even if I rename the main directory, I'd like to have the toggled buttons be a differnt color, the slight shadow change around them is too vauge.

The guys at Tormach sent me the license .dat file again but it doesn't get into the program and register it?

any clues?

jh

15

General Mach Discussion / line number limitations?

« on: March 05, 2006, 02:21:24 AM »

When using Visual mill 5.0 and posting using teh Mach2 post setting line numbers to increment by 1 or 5 or 10, when the prog. is loaded into MAch2, in the program window the N line numbers will not go past 999. in the txt file of the prog the line numbers are sequnecial 1 thru 3892. I can  enter the line, say, 2334 into the "run from here" dro and it will jump to it, I can tell, the scroll bar scrolls down far but the window does not go beyond 999. is this a bug in Mach2 or do I have something not set in Mach to accept and display line numbers beyond 999?

thanks.

also, should I not be able to pause a program then enter single BLK mode and step through from there? My program always jumps back to the first line?

jh