Messages

301

General Mach Discussion / Lathe turret toolchanger

« on: March 06, 2006, 05:36:47 PM »

In the process of converting my 13 by 40" manual lathe to CNC control, I am considering building a turret toolchanger for it. probably a disc type with 5 or 6 tool stations. I would drive this with a geared down stepper motor, and lock it with a solenoid- pin arangement. The pin would also have a microswitch to tell Mach3 that the change is complete and to continue on with the program. Questions are; what capability does Mach3 have for this? I would drive the stepper in certain increments to the next tool needed, this would obviously change as a multiple of the station seperations if the tool needed was not the next one on the turret. Would need to set timing to unlock the pin, determine that the pin is actually unlocked, then drive the stepper to the called out tool station, then stop there and plunge the pin back in and determine that the pin is locked. So, two microswitches for both lock pin positions needing two data pins in the parallel port, and drive the stepper motor certain amounts of steps. Possible? Thanks in advance.

302

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: G71, G70 roughing, finishing lathe

« on: February 06, 2006, 10:42:37 PM »

Yes, I tried a DXF file, it finishes the part, but no roughing cycle either. have to get the lathe CAM up and running I guess. Thanks.

303

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / G71, G70 roughing, finishing lathe

« on: February 06, 2006, 01:31:58 AM »

Hello. All my turning files are from a Fanuc OT control, running a Clausing storm lathe. The G71 is a good roughing cycle, and the G70 is usually used for finishing after that. In addition, G73 is a roughing using a reentrant cycle. I tried to run these programs in Mach3, and realised that it didn't have these cycles. I read the PDF files for turning, didn't find a roughing or finishing cycle. Anyone have an idea of what cycle I need to do this with? Or, is it reccomended to just program it with CAM? Thanks.

304

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Teach Wizard A Bit more

« on: January 15, 2006, 12:17:11 PM »

A webcam, interesting. Readily available, but I have no idea how to interface from a graphical device to digital output, maybe someone could come up with something there. On the line following robot idea, that kit I linked to earlier would just need two ADC controllers, the robot's drive motors input's connected to them, so the output would be digital into the parallel interface board. That gives you a two axis input, all that's needed. OK, so there's the electronic side of it, I don't know anything about writing a macro in Mach to run this "Visual digitising device"

305

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Teach Wizard A Bit more

« on: January 15, 2006, 11:03:05 AM »

Maybe could use the guts of this kit http://www.electronickits.com/robot/owi9737.htm It drives two servos for the steering, by running either of the drive wheels, the signal to those wheel servos might be close to something that's useable, probably are DC motors so it sends voltage ranges, could that be converted to Mach's input? I'm no genius with this stuff by any means, know just enough to be dangerous, anyone have an idea?

306

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Teach Wizard A Bit more

« on: January 15, 2006, 10:48:28 AM »

Yes, good idea Graham! This is what i've been looking for with what I want to do, which is cut carbon fiber prepreg using the tangential knife setup. I start with cardboard patterns from the mould and have to somehow digitise these, see attached pic, it would be much easier to just arrange them out on the table of my 8' by 4' router and let it do the job automatically. Could attach a photo diode where the knife usually is, have a quick disconnect plug ready above the knife stepper and plug it in there, remove it for the cutting work like an attachment.

307

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma cut holes question ( plasma experts welcome! )

« on: December 27, 2005, 09:47:01 PM »

If you have to tap, you have a vertical rotary spindle of some sort, so it just makes sense to use that same spindle to drill as well. It's not like you could, or would, hand tap all those holes. Use a spiral pointed tap to force the chip ahead of the tap and you never have to back it out to clear it. Typically gas cut and plasma cut edges get harder than the surrounding metal, even when they are mild steel, and a plasma cut hole isn't likely to be too round since you have to pierce the steel to start, with the plasma anyway.

308

General Mach Discussion / Re: DXF files, 0,0 and Mach3

« on: December 24, 2005, 11:51:52 PM »

Problems I have had with other CAM systems can be: you must use DXF from version 12 Acad, others will give different results, there are quite a few DXFs but R12 is the best one most use, if you mirror a part then some of the lines, arcs, etc. won't mirror. Also, moving the drawing to world 0,0 is a no no, start your drawing where you want it to end up. Some CAMs don't like polylines and will only support lines and arcs. My guess is that your problem is that you moved the drawing to it's location. Redraw it where it should be and try again. Oh, one thing, when I say R12 Acad, there is an option for DXF export that will let you choose what version you want, pick R12 there, I wouldn't want to be using R12 either!

309

General Mach Discussion / Re: DXF files, 0,0 and Mach3

« on: December 24, 2005, 04:27:54 PM »

Sounds like you are not actually using world as your UCS, you said you were placing 0,0 at some logical position, you can't move world in Acad, you have to move the drawing to world. If you were placing your UCS somewhere then it's not the world UCS.

310

General Mach Discussion / Risk of non isolated breakout board?

« on: December 24, 2005, 11:35:05 AM »

Hello, I have a new chinese router that I am thinking of converting to Mach3 control, it has a breakout board in it right now that has no optoisolators on it, just direct connection. I will buy an isolated breakout board, probably from PMDX at http://www.pmdx.com/PMDX-122/ but would like to test it now before I go that route. Am I running a big risk in connecting the machine up to my PC like this? Anyone have any real examples of torching their PC with destructive feedback, or is this just an urban myth? Thanks to all, merry Christmas!