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Messages - ballistic42

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91
General Mach Discussion / Program Run Screen Tool #
« on: December 11, 2015, 06:44:48 PM »
Hello, On my Mach3 Program run screen I used to be able to put A tool number in the Tool Information Tool DRO and have it give me the tool information.  But for some reason now I cannot put any number in the space.  I have to go to the MIDI screen and type M6 T4 for ex. to get the information.  I did some messing around trying to make a Old tool in spindle DRO at one point and then got rid of what I did.  I',m not sure if that's where I went wrong or not but now I would like to fix it back but don't know how.  Any help would be nice.

Thanks,

Jeff

92
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: December 10, 2015, 12:20:21 PM »
From this website http://benbrandt22.github.io/genevaGen/     I plugged in 12 in the numbers of positions spot. 

Jeff

93
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: December 10, 2015, 12:18:17 PM »
Ok I have another question for those who are way more advanced than myself on this topic.  I am going to use the Geneva mechanism for my 12 tool carousel.  I want to use a stepper motor (Nema34) since I have a Gecko 203V sitting idle in my control box.  What stepper motor do the experts recommend, Geared stepper or non geared stepper?  If a geared stepper motor what type of gear ratio?  I have looked at 20:1 and 9:1 ratios.  Any ideas or insight would be appreciated.  This is the website that I got my info on the dimensions for the Geneva Mechanism from. http://benbrandt22.github.io/genevaGen/

Jeff

94
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: December 01, 2015, 06:52:09 PM »
Well it will be a while still having some parts made that I cannot do, but they should be done soon.  I still have to machine the PDB and treadmill motor brackets as well.  I have everything drawn up in CAD and CAM.  It has been a slow process but will be worth it in the end, good things take time.

Thanks for every ones input and help so far.

95
General Mach Discussion / Re: CNC4PC C52 board and C32 Board PLC
« on: November 27, 2015, 11:47:20 PM »
Yes the C52 board can take in inputs or outputs.  So I guess the limit switches will then hook up to the PLC?  I am fuzzy on how the limit switches will be read.  I would like the M6start to have the PLC call so the PLC will do the whole function.  My tool carousel will have 14 tools, if that does not work then 12 tools for the carousel.

96
General Mach Discussion / CNC4PC C52 board and C32 Board PLC
« on: November 27, 2015, 09:57:37 PM »
Ok first off, how is everyone doing?  I have a control box that has a C32 board with a  ESS Smooth Stepper attached.  Attached to the ESS Smooth Stepper is a  C52 board to give me more I/O, adds a 3rd printer port.  My QUESTION is can I hook an Automation Direct Click PLC to the C52 board?  I am trying to understand how I can use a PLC to run an ATC Tool Changer and my Power Draw Bar.  I am pretty sure the PLC can handle the Auto Tool Change function but the problem is how would I incorporate the PLC into my C52 Board?

I have looked at the documentation for the C52 board  http://cnc4pc.com/Tech_Docs/C52_R1_3_USER_MANUAL.pdf  but I  don't know how to get the PLC to run through the C52 board.  If anyone has any knowledge or can understand it better than I please let me know.  By the way i have all the components for the ATC, air valves, carousel air cylinder, fabco pancake air cylinder for PDB, and all the limit switches.  What I don't have is the ATC put together yet, still need to machine parts to do so.  I am just wanting to get the electronics out of the way first.

Jeff

97
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: November 21, 2015, 10:36:32 PM »
Yes for sure on the Proximity switches.  I have a two on the carousel cylinder and two on the Pancake cylinder (those things are not cheap)!  
OutPut3 is for my coolant

Output4 is for the Carousel Air Cylinder Valve

Output5 is for the PDB Air Cylinder Valve

OutPut7 is for the Air Blast valve to clean the tool when put back into the carousel.

What I do need, is to figure out what a good home switch will be for the tool carousel.  I understand the need for a home switch on that carousel.  If the carousel is homed, it should  know what tool is in the slot at home through the macro.   I still need to wire up the limit switches for the ATC.  I am not sure how I will go about this in my control box but I have a pretty good idea.  The real estate inside my control box is getting tight. I am running out of I/O in the control box.  I went with the CNC4PC's c32 board with the ESS.  The machine has been down for a while, I had to put linear rials on the Z axis of the machine.

Thanks for the ideas and help so far.

98
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: November 21, 2015, 08:55:31 PM »
Thanks for the reply.  I do know what the Solid State relays will run as far as OutPuts.  What I was confused on was how would the carousel know where to stop for each tool.  Yes a switch or a magnetic pickup on the carousel hub would do the trick.  The Carousel air cylinder piston is magnetic, so I will have a limit switch on the input side to tell mach3 that the cylinder is in the retracted or extended mode.  Same goes for the PBD.  I will have to look into what would be the best setup for the pickup for the carousel location.   There is a lot to think about but one process at a time right! 

Thanks,

J

99
General Mach Discussion / Mach3 10 slot tool carousel tool changer.
« on: November 21, 2015, 07:52:16 PM »
Hello, I am attempting to make a 10 slot carousel tool changer and looking for help with writing the Macro code using Cypress Basic.  I have the mechanics of how I want it to work but putting it into words using CB is the killer.  I dont have the tool changer built yet but I do have all the components.  I will have a PDB activated with an Air solenoid through one of the Solid State Relays  I have in the control box.  The carousel will be turned by a Nema 23 stepper motor.  The carousel will go into position with an air cylinder operated with an Air solenoid valve and another Solid State Relay.  I also have another Air Solenoid to give a blast of air onto the tool after it is put into the carousel.

I understand the steps that have to take place for it all to work, I just don't know how to tell it to do it.  Any help would be very much appreciated or at least a point in the right direction.  I have the Mach3 Version 3.x Macro Programmers Reference Manual as well as all the DRO, OEM button codes.

Thanks,

J

100
General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach3 Output 6 and 7
« on: November 11, 2015, 01:21:05 PM »
Rob, I did what you said and had a little hickup in the middle but I re-read what you said and it worked out GREAT and I learned a lot!!!  I wanted the OUTPUT LEDS for 7 and 8 to come on and flash when they were active ex. 1071 1081 and then go out when I typed Mcode 1070 1080.  I had to invert the signal to do so, works awesome.  Really pretty trick how this stuff works.  I am in the process of having some machine work done on my mill.  I had my G0704 Z column machined and HIWIN heavy duty linear rails and bearing blocks attached to it and squared to the world.  The base is at a local machine shop here in KC being ground to square the bottom on the base to the top and the side where the Z column mounts.  When I put it all back together, I should not need any shims when I TRAM everything again.  I had the machine running before but when using G83 cycle the gibbs would jump around and I was breaking drill bits.  That is when I decided to take it apart and do the Linear rail conversion.  I am having a metal fab shop build me an enclosure that will have a V pan in the bottom of it with a screen to filter the big metal shavings then the finer ones will go through the filter prior to going into the coolant tank to be recycled up again.  The reason for the extra relays in my control box are for a Powered Drawbar and an ATC.  I have pretty much all the electronics done for it now except for wiring up a few more limit switches for the FABCO Pancake air cylinder and the ATC air cylinder.  

Thanks for helping me figure that out.  I have to read up on how to make a macro for the tool changer.  I am pretty much copying Tormachs design with a few mods.  I am estimating having about $900.00 To build both the PBD and the ATC combined.

Jeff

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