Messages

71

General Mach Discussion / Re: I thought this software was bug free by now

« on: November 18, 2009, 08:49:39 AM »

Thanks Rich for your reply. The problem I'm having is not with LC. It's with Mach3.  I included LC to show the steps I worked in until the problem occured.

I started Mach3 this morning after booting up and loaded a g-code file. I get the path generation box and nothing happens.

I then re-installed an older version of Mach and all the buttons were not displaying correctly so I then re-installed the current version and it worked correctly for a while.

Finally I was getting some work done!

I'm currently working with some wizards to create G-code and after a couple of returns from the wizard I now have the box saying Path Generation and I'm back to square one.

I seems that the Path Generation loads the Path display, all I see is green dot in the center.

I have licenses for both Mach3 and LC and the software is installed on a computer running win2k.

72

General Mach Discussion / Re: I thought this software was bug free by now

« on: November 18, 2009, 07:10:48 AM »

Waiting patiently for an answer to my problems, I started up Mach3 this morning after booting the computer to get yet another error message.

See attachment.

73

General Mach Discussion / I thought this software was bug free by now

« on: November 17, 2009, 12:31:24 PM »

Hi, I have Mach3 Version R3.042.029 installed and I created a g-code file with the latest update of lazy cam and sent the file to Mach3.

I get a box saying Path Generation and then nothing happens.

I then save the g code to disk and open it in mach 3. I get the Path Generation box with 3 blue bars and then nothing.

Sometimes I wonder why I should keep updating the software at all.

74

General Mach Discussion / Re: Missing steps in Y axis only

« on: February 21, 2009, 01:54:06 PM »

  Also when holding the Y axis mouse for constant jog it will miss for a group of steps and then begin to move

Hi, I had a similar problem when I first got my servo mill up and running, One of the drives kept moving or not moving according to some unknown problem. It was only when I was moving the mouse cursor across the screen I found the problem. A quick change of mouse and I was away, problem gone.
Dont ask me how or why cause it was a while back, all I know it had me confounded for ages.

Hope this helps
John

75

General Mach Discussion / Re: Z Axis Not Holding

« on: February 06, 2009, 02:21:13 PM »

Hi, Using the rack and pinion is a definite no-no. You would probably need at least 10:1 reduction and even then I'm not sure that would be sufficient for all jobs. Having looked at all the ways people have converted their machines whilst building my own, for the quill ballscrews are most common. A clamp bracket is fixed to the quill and the ballscrew is fixed to that at the lower end of the shaft and the ball nut is supported by bearings with a pulley so that  the nut is driven. The shaft of the screw moves up and down in the vertical without rotation. A 2:1 or less reduction would be fine depending on the pitch of the screw.


John     

76

General Mach Discussion / Re: Speed and feeds wizard help

« on: February 01, 2009, 11:51:36 AM »

Hi Hood, Thanks for your advice, Sometimes you can forget the obvious and after I changed the setup to make the material more rigid I have completed the items and the cutter is still as new.


Many thanks.

John

77

General Mach Discussion / Speed and feeds wizard help

« on: January 30, 2009, 08:54:47 AM »

Hi, I need some advice about feed rates as I dont usually use such small cutters.

I'm cutting open ended slots to a depth of 2.5mm in 316 stainless with a 4mm 2 flute carbide cutter with flood coolant at a depth of 0.6mm per pass.

Using the speeds and feeds wizard as maths was never my best subject, It calculates for hard steel that I should use the highest spindle speed my machine offers
which is 1750 rpm for carbide.

What I'm not sure on is the chip load per tooth which I set at 0.02mm. This gives out a feed rate of approx 71mm/min.

I managed to get 5 of these slots done but could hear a bit of complaining and checked the cutter, the edges were rounded off.

I'm now down to my last 4mm cutter so I'm asking you, "Cap in hand" what might be my problem, Usually dulling of the ends means too much rpm but I've read that the big guys use carbide at thousands of rpm so my logic says perhaps I should reduce the feed rate.

My only worry is that if I reduce the feedrate work hardening of the material may take place.


G code attached so you may be able to suggest a better way of doing things

Many thanks
John

78

General Mach Discussion / Re: toolpath display: odd problem

« on: January 20, 2009, 01:48:04 PM »

Hi, Ok, I take it back. Bothersome is not the right word to use. A right F*^%ing pain in the a*se is more appropriate.

I have lost a whole days work today because of this toolpath window problem and broken a whole bunch of cutters.

I had to write a new program using the same jig so I thought I'd be clever and just cut the main gcode from a file I had already run ok and write the new bit in.

So I ran the program which offsets in X and it cut the 1st position twice and then moved in minus X. I hit the estop.

The whole day went by as I tried to figure this out and between kicking a plastic bucket about the workshop in frustration and grimmacing at the missus as she supplied cups of tea.
 I eventually realised that I missed out a G0 X0 at the beginning of my code.

Hallelujah, I ran the code and the machine still didn't go where I expected it to. WHY, WHY....

Here's my second tip, If it's all gone wrong and you've stopped the machine in the middle of the program, move the cutter back to the starting datum and then in the MDI type G52 X0 Y0 Z0 and then zero all axis.

This will get you back out of any offsets your program has set before.

Hopefully one day the tool path window will emulate the actual machine position what ever code is used and I would have been able to test the gcode and correct mistakes before breaking tools/foot/marriage, delete as applicable!

I have attached a sample program to give an idea of my problems. I am now off to thank the missus for the teas and apologise for my grumpiness.

Still a newbe,

John

79

General Mach Discussion / Re: toolpath display: odd problem

« on: January 19, 2009, 02:24:46 PM »

Hi, I use G56 offsetting for a fixture for cutting 10 of the same item. The toolpath display shows cutting the first item 10 times which is a bit bothersome but if the offset coords are correct it souldn't cause a problem.

For those that may be new to offsetting, One thing that had me tearing my hair out for 2 days is that once it had done the 10 items and I placed another set of 10 blanks in the jig and re-ran the gcode the next 10 were slightly offset in X to the right. The troublesome offset was a small amount but never an exact figure

The cause of this was that the machine hadn't actually got to the required position before the next G56 offset was commanded.

I placed a small G4 wait before each G56 to allow the machine time to settle, this cured the problem.


Edited.. Duh I meant G52.

80

General Mach Discussion / Re: Losing the will to live :-(

« on: January 17, 2009, 06:31:04 PM »

There's the rub, If at any time one of the drives fail, having everything on one board means a wait for repair or a new board. Having separate drives means if one fails I can replace with a spare in about 10 minutes. (Having the foresite to purchase a spare just in case) with Gecko's I'll probably never need it.

I wish you good luck.