Topics

21

General Mach Discussion / Macros, Visual Basic and all that

« on: September 21, 2007, 11:55:57 AM »

Can somebody help me -
My machine is working fine. I am competant enough to write GCode to run it.
I have started to write Macros in Visual Basic - eg rough a bar down to a finished radius - putting in the start and finish radius in User DRO's, but the trouble with Macros is when you put them into Mach3 as, say , M204 or whatever, you cannot see the result on the toolpath generator - so it is a bit of pot luck when you run it.

What I wish to do is write my Visual Basic script, then have it output a file to a GCode file for Mach 3. When I pick up the GCode file in Mach 3 it will show me the tool path and I can go through all the checks before I run it.

I have the Vis Basic scripter writing to a file,  using "Open....etc"    Write#1 "etc etc" but Vis Basic also writes the inverted comas into the GCode, which Mach3 will not accept. What is the format to get Visual Basic writing to a file that is acceptable to Mach3, please !!!

22

General Mach Discussion / Screen enhancement for M6

« on: August 14, 2007, 07:13:50 AM »

I have altered the manual screen on the Turn program to include inputs for a tool change position, as in the video tutorials. I was hoping to put in a command such as M6 T3 - and the lathe would move to a change tool position, indicate on the screen which tool to insert, and also automatically change the offsets.

If I do such a command on the Mill screens, then this is what occurs, but the same Visual Basic file ( minus the Y axis ) does not produce the tool change required on the Turn screens. It quite clearly is not picking up the information from the command. I can put them in manually and all is well. Does Turn react to "GetSelectedTool ()" or is it something different. M6 is fine , it is the T? that is lacking.

I cannot access any customising information with Adobe reader to check this.

Jim

23

General Mach Discussion / web site going slow.

« on: July 31, 2007, 03:30:08 AM »

Over the last week or ten days, the Artsoft website appears to be going at G1 speed rather than G0. It is taking me a long long time to recieve replies. Is this a fauilt at your end, or mine. All my other site are acting normally. I am on Tiscali.co.uk ADSL

24

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / another sub-routine problem

« on: July 21, 2007, 07:57:45 AM »

I am running up a g-code program, which involves cutting a shape out of steel, and then machine various rebates in it. The rebates are mostly all the same.

The g-code for the shape is in a subroutine which I call with M98 - and it closes on M99 and returns - the program carries on.
The second rountine is called with the M98 - but when it show up in the g-code box on Mach3 mill, the M99 return code is missing and so the program stops when it gets to there.

M99 is present on all the subroutines in the subroutines folder - but when this one is loaded, it disappears.

Can anybody help, please - I am at a loss to understand this.

25

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / G code subroutines ??

« on: July 20, 2007, 06:30:31 AM »

Is there any way of doing subroutines in G code - as in computer programming.

I am trying to do a program to cut steel connecting rods for locomotives out of 1/2 inch bar, I have done the outline in G code and tested in. I now want to repeat that as many times as is necessary to cut through the 1/2inch bar. In computer programming the outline cut would be a suroutine and I would call it as many times as necessary, dropping the cutter each time.

I see there is something similar in the canned cycles, for repeat drilling - but does it extend to making your own canned cycle for general use

26

General Mach Discussion / stepper motor driving speeds

« on: July 16, 2007, 03:30:43 AM »

Can anybody explain the relationship between "kernel speed" as set on the prots and pins page, and setting up the stepper motors.

I have two 220Ncm motors driving the main axis and cross slide on my lathe (A Warco). Even running light, i.e. not cutting, I seem unable to get the motors moving faster than 4" per min traverse speed. The machine cuts alright and everything else, but I would like to get the traverse speed up during G0 movements.

If I move up to say 6" per min - the traverse might run but the motors might then start missing steps and once the start missing the seem to carry on missing.

I have a 3 to 1 reduction on the drives so I need 48000 steps per inch, but divided down to seconds it is only about 1.6kHz which doesn't seem a lot.

The only other thing, of course, is the motors - perhaps these will not go faster - but they are brand new - 8 wire, but connected as bi-polar.

Any offers, please

Jim Pinder

27

General Mach Discussion / Need help with choice of stepper motor.

« on: July 02, 2007, 02:36:51 PM »

I have tried fitting a stepper to my lathe, but it clearly is not strong enough, because it keeps slipping. The problem is I am a dunce when it comes to Nm or whatever the torque rating of steppers is - and there is no label on my present motor to show what power that is, or I could work from that.

I have a Warco lathe (with a milling head attachment) WMT200. It has a 5 inch throw (ie will turn just under 10 inches) and an 18" bed.
I use it for turning steel.

Has anybody any idea what size of stepper I should be looking for - ie Frame size and torque or whatever.  I have 24 volt supply available. I think my present motor is a Nema 23 frame - so if I can get one it will fit my present attachment (although making another one is no bother).

I have had Mach3 working on my daughters Toshiba laptop - and it seems to work very well - it better do, I have said I will buy it from her. I have checked the movement of the motor (step per inch and backlash) and got very good results. The only thing seems to be my small motor.

I am based in Wakefield, West Yorks - if anybody can tell me of a stockist that is reasonably sympathetic that I can try.

Jim Pinder

28

General Mach Discussion / Computer OS to run Mach 3

« on: June 25, 2007, 09:03:33 AM »

Will Mach3 run on  Windows 2000. I ask this because I can buy several laptops cheaply on e_Bay, but the cheaper ones run Windows 2000. I only need this to actually run the lathe, my development work will be done on my other desktop computer, and the programs transfered by Lan.

Jim.

29

General Mach Discussion / Speed Control of Omron inverter

« on: June 21, 2007, 12:57:58 PM »

I'm new to Mach3 and the forum. I am trying to convert my Warco lathe (with milling atachement) to CNC. I am replacing the single phase motor with a three phase, powered by an Omron 3G3XV - AB015 - E inverter. I have read the operators manual for the Omron (which works well on it's own push button control system).  There are two possibilities of controlling spindle speed - one is to put a 0 - 10v DC voltage on a control pin, or the other is to put on/off signals on two other pins to move motor speed up, or down (direction is on another pin as is start and stop).

This doesn't seem to tie in with Mach3 - I cannot work out if I can get increse simple speed and decrease speed signals from Mach 3 on any of the output pins or if I can add other circuitry to extract a voltage from the PWM output.

Can anybody help, please

Jim Pinder