Messages

51

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Merry Chistmas

« on: December 27, 2022, 09:01:27 AM »

Little late, but, Merry Christmas!  Hope everyone has a safe and blessed new year as well!!

52

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Different use for Mach4

« on: December 22, 2022, 02:58:31 PM »

Very cool Bill!

53

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 on Homag Retrofit

« on: December 20, 2022, 11:54:51 AM »

I'm sure Craig will get on here and give you a pretty thorough explanation; but for now, in short, Mach4 can run ethercat, but it will be a plugin that you will have to get, and probably have to get the hardware to go along with it. 
Vital Systems has an ethercat card and plugin for Mach4.  Give them a look.  I'm not sure how you can use your existing motors and drives, I have zero experience with ethercat, I just know it is available.
https://www.vitalsystem.com/portal/motion/ethercat/EC01.php

54

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Thinking of doing a lathe build and need some basic questions answered.

« on: December 12, 2022, 09:19:35 AM »

Keshka,
We do lathe threading almost everyday with 1 if not 2 lathes here in the shop with Mach4.
By this point, we have threaded 10's of thousands of parts. 
As far as your motors and encoder goes... you will have to be sure you get a motion controller that can control your drives and read an encoder.  I think the most common way to control motors is Step and Direction, so the pulse train in your case.   
You need to make sure your motion controller can have encoder feedback for the spindle.  I don't know which controllers have this feature, you may have to do some research on your own for that.  We use the HiCON Integra from Vital Systems.  It works very well. 

55

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 03:56:26 PM »

Although it isn't the safe way to run G Code, here is the post processor you are looking for.
DISCLAIMER!  You need to be sure the Z is safe before moving X and Y. 

Like Stuart mentioned, you can edit it with the little pencil Icon. 
I make notes when I change things as well, so you can look and see where I moved the line in question.  CB are my initials, and I usually put a date with it as well.

56

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 03:52:43 PM »

That is correct.  That is the code it should be putting out.  It is the safest code it can put out; it assumes that it is at a safe Z position. 

At the start of the code it moves to the safe z (G28, G30, or NO (you move it manually to safe z)).
If you don't have a referenced Z Axis then you cannot use G28 or G30; otherwise the machine will go to whatever the machine thinks is Machine Coordinate Z 0.0; which could be 6 inches above the part or 2 inches into the part if it hasn't been referenced.  Without a Z Reference, it is operating blind for a safe move.  Once you set a work offset, it knows where the work offset Z should be; but it has no idea where a "Safe Position" is. 

So, like I mentioned in my last post, the Safe Z completely up to you, the operator. 
If you Select NO Safe retracts and move the Z up to a safe point before you start your program, it will work like you want it to. 
It will be at a safe Z to begin with and THEN it will move X Y and then apply the Z Offset. 

57

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 03:13:40 PM »

You'll need to get some home switches on your machine.  At least the Z to operate safely. 
However, you can get it to work without dragging across your parts if you set your Safe Retracts to "NO" and make sure that, when you start, the tool is above the part. 
The code posted Safe Retracts set to NO will move to X and Y and then apply the Tool Length Offset with the G43 line. 
At this point it is on the operator (you) to make sure it is starting safely above the part.  Without any reference, the machine doesn't know where it's "safe position" is.  So it is on you to define that for the machine with some preparatory moves manually. 
Alternatively, you could home the machine in place at a safe Z position way above the part.  You would have to make sure your Z Work Offset is updated after each "homing".
Try posting the code with no retracts and make sure your tool is above the part.
If you have subsequent tools that are longer, you will probably have to jog the Z up to change the tool; in which case you are ensuring that it is high enough to start as well.

58

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 01:59:25 PM »

I would be certain that you have the correct post processor.  I have never had mine say mach3 since I've been using the mach4 post processor.

I'll attach one that I've modified pretty heavily.  Use at your own risk, but it is current.

Also, to answer your question from an earlier post, the Z move after the X and Y move is there because it assumes that the machine is at a safe plane.  I'm not sure why your machine isn't at a safe position since you have the "Clearance Plane" option selected.

59

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 01:51:27 PM »

That'd be awesome, 3D print some brackets!
Also, that is the Mach3 Post Processor.

60

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor Fusion360 Editing to move Z to safe 1st

« on: December 07, 2022, 01:38:20 PM »

G91 G28 Z0. will move to what the machine thinks is 0.00.  Again... what the MACHINE Z 0.00 position is. 
If you don't have home switches to reference your machine, then you need to select the "No" option on safe retracts in the post properties.

The G43 Z15. H8 applies the tool offset to tool 8 and then moves to the Work Coordinate Position Z 15.00.  So whatever work offset you are in, it will move to Z 15.00 with the tool height offset applied.