Messages

901

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Visual Basic syntax

« on: February 10, 2008, 12:44:04 PM »

Thanks Nick - that will help me out tremendously.

902

VB and the development of wizards / Visual Basic syntax

« on: February 10, 2008, 04:51:41 AM »

Can anybody tell me where I can get the Visual Basic syntax and commands as used in Mach 3 - i.e. the ones written specifically for Mach3 e.g. GetDRO() and similar,

903

General Mach Discussion / Re: Zero X & Y axis based on laser cross

« on: February 09, 2008, 10:02:00 AM »

I am trying a laser alignmentsystem on my lathe. (I am waiting for the laser to arrive).

I want my lathe to aliign three things.

An X0 psition for my forward tool post which will be the lathe centre.
At the back of the cross slide are two tool posts holding 1) a centre drill 2) drilling post to take drills up to 10mm
I therefore need two more positions - fairly accurately since they must be on the centre line of the lathe, the idea being these replace the tailstock and are G Codable.

I have selected some laser detectors - 5 mm lenses, schmitt trigger digital output (0 or 5v) and a laser transmitter (ex Maplin (UK))

My idea is to mount the laser on the cross slide, shining parrallel to the lathe centre, and mount the detectors at right angles near the chuck. The idea is the cross slide traverses and a bit of code will allow me to ref the x axis for the front tool post. If I want either of the drills in the drilling position, a bit of code can select the appropriaite detector and  move across to it.

I will have to see how it goes.

904

General Mach Discussion / Re: using boring bar in Machturn

« on: February 09, 2008, 09:45:59 AM »

OK - it is very easy to over bore, because of the spring in the tool. Tend to set your finish diameter few thou below what it is you want until you have checked it.ALTERNATIVELY - work up to the finish diameter by making 2 or three small cuts to nullify the tool spring. A bit of a pain if you are only doing one, but if you are then making a few, once you have the finish diameter correct, let the machine rip.

905

General Mach Discussion / Re: using boring bar in Machturn

« on: February 09, 2008, 08:18:06 AM »

What I understand to be a boring bar is a  thickish bar, centered at both ends, that you set up between the centres of the lathe. There is a tool tip protruding from the bar (usually in the centre (lengthwise)). It is used for boring long cylinders, the work being mounted on the cross slide. The spindle turns the boring bar which passes through he cylinder and cuts the inside surface. The tool tip needs alteration after every pass.

I cannot see how you can do other than just bore cylinders with that, because the cross - slide is clamped in the X direction, and only moves in the Z direction.You cannot use the x-axis because the tool will foul the opposite wall of the cut cylinder. G Code is simple - cut to one end, wait for tool tip to be altered, cut to other end, wait etc etc,

If you are meaning a simple boring tool - i.e.held at one end in the tool post, which can bore out say an axle hole in a wheel, then yes - this is just another tool. You can use the offsets in the tool table (but remember they are the opposite (i.e. x is +)). You set it up as you would a normal cutting tool - end of work is Z0 and X0 is the lathe centre.

906

General Mach Discussion / Re: Simple toolchange position

« on: February 09, 2008, 06:04:27 AM »

The machine needs to know where it is, and keeps track of itself in memory. When you "set all home" the machine goes back to a fixed position, and sets all DRO's to zero. If you jog too and fro, or up and dpwn, the DRO's will track where you are. This is absolute positioning - and is the MACHINES particular position. If you tell it to go to e.g. X1,Y1,Z0 it will always go to the same position.

That position is not always the best position for machining, or writing code from. For example, my lathe home is tight under the chuck, with the cross-slide as far towards me as possible. This position is no good for starting to write code from, the best place to write code for a lathe is X0 on the centre line of the lathe, and Z0 at the end of the work piece.

To get to that position from "ref all home" you select an increment e.g. g54 to g59. say G56. This adds the requisite amounts to the DRO's from the "ref all home" position, so that the DRO's show X0 Y0 Z0 in relation to your offset position, ready for work. This also applies to offsets it adds for tool length and diameter. This is the incremental position, or offset position and is the one most used in programs.

IF HOWEVER you want to make a move that really has nothing to do with the program, but you need to go to a specific position for the MACHINE e,g, for a tool change, you must revert to absolute co-ordinates to tell the machine (G53) - make the move - then change back to your offset position before resuming.

There are tutorial videos in the collection.


 

907

General Mach Discussion / Re: setting up a reflective object sensor for dummy's

« on: February 08, 2008, 11:59:05 AM »

Have we finally got this working

908

General Mach Discussion / Re: output on/off

« on: February 08, 2008, 11:45:06 AM »

Hood - where can I get a list of the Mach3  Visbasic commands your have just quoted. I know a few that I have picked up from all the various tutorials, but I haven't come across a full list of them yet


Jim

909

General Mach Discussion / Re: Changing the Sensitivity of Limit Switches?

« on: February 08, 2008, 11:38:59 AM »

Reading all this I seem to think that you must (1) solder all your connections (2) if your limits are all connected in series, then make sure that the wire round them all is shielded and earthed.(3) The way to make your switches less sensitive is to up (or down) your pull up, or pull down resistors. This is a bit difficult because I don't know which way you have wired up your limits, or, indeed, what switches your are using to trigger them.

If you are saying that merely touching one of your switches causes it to trigger, then that suggests to me it is the capacitance of your body that is triggering it and not the physical switching of the switch. This also suggests that your wiring is a bit suspect as well.

910

General Mach Discussion / Re: Feed Rate

« on: February 08, 2008, 11:21:19 AM »

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the line as you have put it. I don't use all the 0000 that you do, and I dont use  line nubers, but basically it is telling the computer to G1 - move at cutting rate to position Y-0.225 at feedrate F1.

I assume the machine can do this so I dont see what the problem is - what is the code before and after this line
F is a global statement. What units are you in.