Topics

11

SmoothStepper USB / Installed SS today and having a few problems

« on: May 20, 2009, 05:35:45 PM »

I installed a smooth stepper on my big lathe today and I am having a few problems getting a few things running. The machine is moving properly and seems much smoother when trying to run over 500IPM , I assume because I was able to do away with the electronic gearing in the drives.

I am unsure how to go about getting my spindle to work properly. I have a large VFD that was working properly pre SS , the spindle still comes on and spins in the proper direction at m3 and m4 but is only turning at aprox 30 rpms . Unsure how or what to config to get it to respond like it should.

I have a slotted disk generating a pulse as my spindle encoder , it now seems to only read 1 rpm when the spindle is turning .

The other issue I am having is mach is no longer sending the signal thru the par port to my plc to operate the tool changer. I am sure these are simple things to overcome, any help appreciated

12

General Mach Discussion / Renishaw tool setter, Macros and probing questions :) ADDED PICS

« on: April 17, 2009, 12:52:34 PM »

I have been using my big lathe for a few months now on a pretty regular basis with Mach3 . I am controlling the 30hp spindle motor thru a VFD from AD, With much help from HOOD the 12 station tool changer is working perfectly with a PLC from AD communicating with MODBUS . I am having no problems with 800IPM rapids with 2kw brushless servos and thanks to the smooth stepper (and chaoticone) I finaly have threading all ironed out .

Since the machine has been running perfectly for months I feel its time to screw things up again by tackling the project of getting the tool setting probe working and at some point getting the work setting probe up and running.

The tool setting probe is from Renishaw, which as complicated as it appears to be with tons of wire and control box just has two out put wires to signal when the connection in the switch in the probe is broken . What appears needs to happen is an air cylinder needs to be activated by energizingthe coil in the soleniod which will open a door above the chuck and send the probe out to a fixed, known position .

At that point I am guessing a tool will be called out and a routine needs to be run where the tool will slowly approch the end of probe until contact is made , the offset for that direction needs to be entered in the tool library , then it should back off and slowly aproach the side of the probe and the offset for that direction entered in the tool library  

any thoghts , help or guidance greatly appreciated

13

General Mach Discussion / speeding up my 4th axis rotary table?

« on: October 08, 2008, 09:33:03 PM »

I need a little help getting my rotary table , Axis A , up to speed .

I when I am using it to cut flutes in bbls etc it pretty easy to enter speeds of f200 and it takes a little over 1.5 minutes to make a full 360 degree revolution .

When I generate my etext engraving files  I need the x axis to move at aprox 6 IPM but when cutting in the A or a combination of X and A I would like to move at speeds of 200 or a little better.

any thoughts

14

General Mach Discussion / Engraving text around a ring

« on: October 06, 2008, 12:38:44 PM »

I need to engrave a line of text around a 1 inch diameter tube, I have been using deskengrave to generate my engraving files , machine is a 4 axis with rotary as the axis, how can I easily generate my gcode files

15

General Mach Discussion / Gcode should rewind on Estop

« on: September 17, 2008, 08:36:06 PM »

How can I set mach up to automaticly rewind the gcode to the begining when I enter estop?

All the commercial controllers I have used and have on other machinery in my shop, they all revert back to the begining of the gcode file when restarting after estop, they have a start from feature so you can choose the block or line you want to start from if you choose to start somewhere out in the middle .

I rarely am on the cycle screen when running parts and have to go over to the cycle screen to click the rewind button and have broken a number of tools when I forget to hit the rewind button after an estop , I am sure its useful to have the gcode file run from the point where you hit the estop button to some but its not std on most commercial machines and I feel like an old dog sometimes

16

General Mach Discussion / problems after g76 in turn

« on: September 16, 2008, 09:45:01 AM »

After I run the thread cycle, g76 , on the lathe in mach turn the machine will no longer make any moves at any speeds other than the rapid traverse speed.  All g1 inputs run at full rapid traverse speed (200IPM) . Not sure how to reset/clear the condition other than rebooting mach .  I thought the g80 at the beginning of the next program should clear it but no luck . I am sure I am missing something simple. Thanks

17

General Mach Discussion / Machine loosing position when estop

« on: September 12, 2008, 07:10:32 PM »

Since i installed the dev version of Mach and the SS I notice that anytime I hit the Estop button my machine loses its position on the axis thats moving. It only effects the axis thats moving when the estop is hit.  Is there a setting I have missed  somewhere/

18

General Mach Discussion / Problems threading on the lathe

« on: September 11, 2008, 10:41:28 PM »

I hooked up the encoder on my big lathe to the breakout board today and am having some problems .  The encoder is a tamagawa qaud with index pulse , I have the index hooked to pin 12 input on my breakout board and I am getting a very accurate RPM reading on screen. The lathe is new with ball screws and no measurable backlash .  Threading tool is Carmex IP carbide threading tool , held very rigidly in VDI 30 tool holder.

I am using threading files that run perfectly on my other two lathes , both with ball screws and mach .  Everything seems to be working as it should but 4 out of 5 parts I thread at come out looking like I have rammed the tool holder into them . Everything will be running well and on the 5 -6 pass it I will get a shhh sound from the tool and the threads are pretty much wiped out . I have cut some where around 70 sets of thread today and might have 5 that are acceptable. I have cut thousands of threads on my other two lathes and just unsure whats going wrong here . 

I have tried adjusting the j value from .001 to .010 , changed the number of spring passes, tried two diff types of coolant , synthetic and oil based , trans fluid , trichlor , and gtx cutting fluid , still no luck , on at least two of  6-12 passes when cutting .05 pitch (20 tpi) threads the tool will just kind of wipe all the threads out .
Are there some params I need to look at or adjust  in the software that relate to the index pulse?

I think I have checked all the mechanical and wiring issues and have tried to eliminate the cutting tools, cutting fluids , feeds and speeds as possible problems .
Any help or thoughts greatly appreciated RT

19

General Mach Discussion / How do add an mdi line to the automatic screen?

« on: September 10, 2008, 10:40:44 PM »

I am using the lathe silver/blue screen set and would like an MDI line on the auto screen . The black bar across the bottom right side of the screen list the path for the file thats open , can I easily change it to an MDI line so I dont have to go thru the 2 or 3 button clicks to get back to the manual screen?

20

General Mach Discussion / another tool change question , g32 g25 g28 ???

« on: September 09, 2008, 09:53:14 PM »

Just curios how to easily get the z axis to return to a preset point , pref z home , when I call out m6 T** ?

My Milltronics uses g32 to return the head  to the tool change position  which can be defined in setup as z** relative to the home switch , I believe the Centroid my Dad has been using uses g25 Z H0 to return the z axis to the home switch when m6 is called out . We have been playing with g28 z0 but it first plunges the tool to the part zero then retracts to the home switch which in some situations will cause tool or part breakage .

Is there a simple line that could be easily added to the m6 macro that will cause the z axis to retract to the home position everytime m6 is called out?  The machine is a fullsize bridgeport clone and we need it to retract the z axis to the same point everytime for a tool change so the drawbar will be in the correct position for the power drawbar.

Thanks Richard