Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 18, 2023, 10:43:44 AM »

Craig,

One more question  ,any insight on doing this BOB/ESS hookup?

I looked on Warp9 site and only found info on setting up with THC.

You wrote;
“If previously you've had successes without THC, then you can again have that success without it, but you do need to hook up your plasma to your
breakout board/motion control combination to take advantage of the Mach4Hobby Plasma screen and the features it includes. “

Thanks,
Chuck

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 17, 2023, 03:43:13 PM »

Thanks Craig for your detailed and unbiased approaches to THC.

I’m going to take your advice and tie it into my ESS. Sounds like a no-brainer for what I have going in my hobby shop.

Thanks again for all your input to my original post.

Chuck.

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 17, 2023, 10:05:57 AM »

Wow, that sounds encouraging. If I were to purchase a THC, do you have a recommendation?.

I don’t use my plasma set up that often. I have a 18o watt CO2 laser connected to the same machine which I also use as a milling machine.

I have been  satisfied with Mach3 Plasma using M3/M5 to control the plasma. But if I could get a THC set up that would be sweet.

Thanks for researching all this for me.
Chuck.

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 17, 2023, 12:34:48 AM »

Will do,
Thanks

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 17, 2023, 12:21:29 AM »

Craig,
Thanks for all the detailed information on Plasma Cutters.

I have an thermodynamics cutmaster 52

I do not have a THC module and my set up is pretty basic. I have the plasma torch  mounted on my milling machine which has a 28 inch X travel and a 15 inch y travel.

A Couple years ago, I worked with Arturo, CNC4PC,  trying to get a THC module set up on my machine and we could not do it, machine compatibility issues.

For the small parts that I cut I really don’t need the THC.

I have had good success with Mach3 Plasma.

Hopefully I can get Mach4 Plasma working correctly.

Thanks again for all your input.
Chuck.

6

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 16, 2023, 02:01:46 AM »

Craig
OK, I understand what you’re saying.

“What you really need, as a minimum, is a circuit to activate to turn the arc on and an ACR_OK signal. Ideally you'd have a probe input so the torch can touch off too.

Do you have those?”


To activate the arc, I’m using output number 2, which is a pin16 of port2.


Not sure about the “ ACR_OK signal” and “probe input”.
I will look into these.

Thanks,
Chuck

7

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 16, 2023, 12:46:56 AM »

Craig,
“ Is there a reason you don't use it?”

The reason I didn’t use it was  because I have been looking for a Plasma post processor for Mach4 like the one Artsoft has for Mach3.

If I had used the Mach4 Plasma screenset, what post processer in fusion 360 would I use for my “plasma cutting”tool paths?

Chuck

8

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 15, 2023, 11:17:38 PM »

OK, Craig, sounds like I’m gonna have to learn how to do macros which I’ve been avoiding.

Thanks for all your input,

Chuck.

9

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 15, 2023, 09:50:18 PM »

Craig,
“ m62/m63 are for lasers. It turns the laser on, but ONLY when the machine has started to move, otherwise the laser would burn a spot right at the start.” 

I’m with you on this. But there is no reason m62/m63 would not work for Plasma as long as g4p2 dwell is included,  I have manually put a two second dwell before any x or y axis  movement
And the it did  operate properly.

I am really not into macros/programming so I think I’m going to simply use Mach3 for my plasma cutting and wait for somebody to develop a plasma cutting post processor for Mach4.

Thanks for all your input,
Chuck

10

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Post Processor for Plasma in Fusion 360 and a ESS motion - Cant Find One

« on: May 15, 2023, 08:25:22 PM »

Craig,
 As I understand, in Mach4 M62 and M63 were developed for more precise, laser cutting., Much more precise than M3 and M4.

I was hoping a post processor could be developed for Mark’s for using the M 62 and M63 commands.

Chuck