Messages

121

General Mach Discussion / Re: turret tool changer

« on: January 08, 2015, 03:31:28 AM »

Derek,

The stepper option would be easier. Doesn't require any sort of feedback as it relies on the stepper positioning accuracy. Also no need to mess with relays for reversing. Just hook up a stepper to a drive (which I believe you've done for other axes already so should be no problem). Then just use the macro in the above link.

Dan

122

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: I'm in Hog Heaven

« on: January 07, 2015, 04:30:26 AM »

Nice video. Thanks for sharing.

Just pay attention to the clearance of the tool when you do the hex.

Dan

123

General Mach Discussion / Re: turret tool changer

« on: January 07, 2015, 04:26:50 AM »

Hi Derek,

Are you intending to use the stepper motor to drive the turret, or a DC motor? Here are a couple of links that might help you:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,22367.msg155832.html#msg155832 posted and example here for a stepper driven turret.
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,19353.msg134844.html#msg134844 this is the macro I have on my Emco with a DC driven turret.

Dan

124

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: I'm in Hog Heaven

« on: January 06, 2015, 03:11:36 AM »

Since I've made that video, been using this little program every now and then. Saves lots of time and makes life simple. However, cutting a hex with a standard tool bit hardly gives sufficient clearance. Starting from octagon and on things get better. But in plastics and aluminum, hexagons are no problem either.

Dan

125

General Mach Discussion / Re: What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 22, 2014, 09:57:05 AM »

Hi Terry,

Again the screw is the workpiece. It is mounted between centres on a lathe and the probing is of the side of the flank.

Dan

126

General Mach Discussion / Re: What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 22, 2014, 02:01:14 AM »

Yes, Terry. I am mapping the screw. It is a feed screw like those used in injection moulding extruders. The lead is not constant - can start from 50mm per turn and then gradually increase to 80mm per turn, then back to 70mm and 60mm. So calculating number of turns isn't going to help much.

Dan

127

General Mach Discussion / Re: What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 21, 2014, 05:47:43 AM »

Hi Terry,

Thanks for your reply. I did as you suggested - deleting MAch3 directory and starting from scratch. Didn't have a backup for the XML so took me a few minutes to take screen shots of all the settings and have them set back again. Now have the XML saved separately. Haven't yet tried to probe and see how this affected the buggy behaviour.

Now about the application. It is for probing a feed screw with an alternating lead. Y axis is the rotation axis. Z is the longitudinal axis. I have User DROs on the screen for setting feedrate, Zstart, Zend, Probing lengths limit, and probing resolution (how many probing points per single revolution of Y). I could have used pure Gcode with a sub and Vars, without using VB at all. However, I have to have a way to determine where to stop probing. I can't use a sub as I don't know the number of reps (the lead is not constant). This is why I am using While loop.

Oh.. and I am using an Ethernet SmoothStepper for the controller.

Do you think you have a better way of doing what I am trying to do?

Thanks,
Dan

128

General Mach Discussion / Re: What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 20, 2014, 10:53:08 AM »

Yep... he must know this better... will wait for him...

Dan

129

General Mach Discussion / Re: What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 20, 2014, 08:43:48 AM »

Hi Gerry,

I will be more specific. I have made sort of a wizard where I enter values in user DROs (like feed, Zstart, Zend) which which a VB macro then reads and does the probing. Don't have the macro on this computer, but it looks something like this:

Code: [Select]

M40
While GetDRO(2) > Zend
Code "G91 G31 Z-10 F" & "Feed"
Code "G00 Z1"
Code "G01 Y0.2"
Wend

M41
G90
msgBox "Probing Completed Successfully"

Think there is a problem using Gcode inside the macro like I do?

Thanks,
Dan

130

General Mach Discussion / What is the latest Mach3 ver. known to have probing working?

« on: December 20, 2014, 05:28:29 AM »

I have a simple probing routine. Something like this (but actually written in VB macro):

O0200
G91
G31 Z-10 F500
G01 Y0.2
M99

Repeated 200 times or so. However, every know and then a movement in X starts on its own (no where in the code is it commanded at all). Or the Y axis takes off at some crazy speed that the drive can't keep up. It will work fine 5-10 times, and then do that quirk.

Used version .062 and then reverted to .057 which seems to have less quirks, but still has them. It is in Mach3Turn if it makes a change.

Thanks,
Dan