Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Thc disable when cutting holes , cnc plasma

« on: May 25, 2020, 10:18:09 PM »

Hello,
I am having a similar problem
Mach3+sheetcam+WinXP+Proma150
Mach3 is constantly resetting the Z height from THC corrections. so the program cycle pierces lower and lower until it crashes into material. I do not use a touch off, only torch up/torch down, i need the other pins for other things. The odd thing is I have been plasma cutting with the same setup for years without this issue. Several separate setups. Just this setup its now an issue. All I want to do is disable the THC corrections from resetting the Z height, so it pierces same programmed z every time regardless of THC corrections. I cant work out if mach 3 is obeying on pierce or during cut or end of cut. The non THC post in sheetcam has always worked using Proma as I knew this post doesn't reference height during cutting.

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: Kinematics

« on: June 01, 2011, 03:13:33 PM »

Im having a bit of trouble with max and desired feed rates in formulas.
I use formulas extensively for muliaxis tool length compensation as well as cartesian to polar machine driving. Does anyone know the hierarchy of max feedrates when using formulas. if multiple variables are used will it slow other axis down to slowest actual outputted axis speed or use values pre formula. Im in a situation where i have max feedrate changes across a rage of rotary movements (elliptical rather than rotary motion)
benergy

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: 5 axis kinematics and coordinate transformation

« on: May 24, 2011, 03:46:07 PM »

As long as the 5 axis toolpath is short straight lines mach3 can process poor man's kinematic motion with tool length compensation, even compensation for bad rotary head alignments, provided some vector formulas are inputed, the downside is no  true jogging. Unless you use mdi, what would be good is a step based mdi jogging routine(10mm at a time?), i ll look into this when i get some free time and its raining.....
Piv, i never noticed mastercam having kinematic computed outputs, where are the head values set?  I assume It wont do kinematics for heads with b and c offsets like CNC toolkit? ...or did you mean 'cant' rather than 'can' in the last post.
I really do like toolkit...
I still swear by indexed head machining for big curved open surfaces on routers...it's like overdirve on the autobahn compared to 2nd gear round the back streets.

4

General Mach Discussion / Re: There is a God!!!!!Keygrabber Axis Gain question

« on: May 19, 2011, 04:03:37 PM »

Hello all,
i tried the method suggested to make mach3 launch with keygrabber.
It does not work. It tells me the file path is not valid. despite i can run kerygrabber and mach3 from keygrabber icon and keygrabber is in the right directory...
benergy

5

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: New Plugin Joystick Compatible Mach3 R2.009

« on: May 18, 2011, 01:54:49 PM »

what about buttons

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: 5 axis kinematics and coordinate transformation

« on: May 09, 2011, 01:29:26 PM »

Hiya Piv
so thats a thunbs up for dspmc then. you run steppers or servos? How are you toolpathing your 5axis?
b

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: 5 axis kinematics and coordinate transformation

« on: May 07, 2011, 02:36:47 PM »

hiya guys,
ive had good results with cnc toolkit
ive also had good results with 'cheating 5axis' by rotating head and then re zeroing and cutting 3 axis with a tilted head.
Im thinking about doing the math and code for one of 2 things:
a gcode modifier that you feed in 4'5 axis offsets then it will filter 1,2,3 axis locations. effectively doing what cnctoolit does very well already.
I was also thinking about using the math formula feature in mach3 to do the same thing but suspect it would slow down with all but the coarsest 5 axis movements, again this would work if you only moved 4,5 axis ocassionally while off the work surface. I could live with this as i think good work is possible if you keep life simple.
Can you let me know what you made of the vitalsystems DSPMC, im thinking of ordering one shortly and would love to hear your expereince.
regards
Benergy

8

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / strange display on curves

« on: September 21, 2007, 10:14:03 AM »

I have recently been using more gcode with curves rather than lots of straight segments..
I have noticed that when the toolpath display shows these toolpaths, instead of drawing a curved radius where a curve should be, it draws a massive circle on the same trajectory of the curve extending out from the correct start and end point and leaves out the segment where the curve would be as if its travelling from the start to end point round the center point the wrong way, the program still seems to follow the correct path, leaving the little white dots behind in the right place.
 Also when i make a toolpath with straight lines making up curves, the machine runs smooth and continuous on paths in xy plane but is jumpy (starts and stops) in yz and xz plane.
any ideas
regards
Benergy   

9

General Mach Discussion / Re: Analog joystick control...

« on: July 31, 2007, 02:42:34 PM »

Yea, I saw that, im running into similar probs. I think ill keep trying a bit longer then just get a ipac and settle for on-off joystick control...

 

10

General Mach Discussion / CNC Printing part numbers on routed parts

« on: July 31, 2007, 02:38:11 PM »

This has been in the back of my mind for a while...

I have programmed PICs to control old bubblejet printer heads a long time ago, and thought about the possibility of putting the print head on the side of a router head, and as the x axis moved across (after finished routing) , it lowers to print a rudimentary part number or label on routed out parts, good for tagging large numbers of parts from sheets of stock. I know existing hardware exists for production lines (often plywood or plasterboard comes with these kind of markings)but dread to find out costs. Has anyone put any thought into such a thing for mach, made out of cheap n cheerful (or free) and plentiful supply of obsolete hardware (like printers)?. How would i go about outputting a simple line of gcode that sent a number over serial to be recieved by the pic( Programable Integrated Circuit for anyone confused) that then dumps the number to the print head? I thought of just using trigger outs, with the pic incrementing every time, but would be way more fancy if a part program could dictate the word or number.

xx
Benergy