Messages

641

Mach Screens / Re: Arrow Keys Jogging doesn't work with a new screen

« on: July 04, 2011, 11:17:16 PM »

Issue number 2 is resolved - apparently was my fault of some sort. Now seems to work.

Issue number 3 appears to be a touch screen issue - if you statically hold your finger on one spot it just quits after a couple of seconds. Moving the finger around on the button keeps it thinking you're still there. Hope I can find some parameter in the touch screen software to resolve this.

Thanks,
Dan

642

Mach Screens / Re: Arrow Keys Jogging doesn't work with a new screen

« on: July 04, 2011, 02:39:43 AM »

Hi Gerry,

Thanks for the tips.

1. Now works. It appears to be the button that is required.
2. Yes. Nothing happens. But put the same screen on this PC and it seems to work... Will go back to the machine PC and see if there was really a problem or it was my fault.
3. Yes, I am positive I am in continuous jog mode. It seems to me like the the touch screen quirk - as if it doesn't like to be held continuously and quits after a couple of seconds. Is it possible? 

Regards,
Dan

643

Mach Screens / Arrow Keys Jogging doesn't work with a new screen

« on: July 03, 2011, 01:46:30 PM »

Hi,

I have created a new screen using MachScreen. I took the standard mill screen set and deleted all the pages accept diags and settings. Then I created another page that would be the main page for all stuff. The main screen is designed for a touch screen with and has large buttons.

It seems to work fine except for several things which I can't figure their relation to a specific screen:

1. I define arrow keys to jog from the keyboard, but they just don't work. Simply loading the standard screen fixes it.
2. Some commands don't work from the MDI - G1's work fine while G0s not.
3. I have job buttons on the screen (which is a touch screen), but pressing them the axes would only jog some distance (which is not constant, but very close to such) and then just stop - feels like jogging is set to incremental, while it's not.

Any ideas why would any of these happen?

Thanks,
Dan

644

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: AL54b (lathe) project from New Zealand

« on: June 17, 2011, 02:05:53 AM »

Super precision angular bearings are very expensive. If you say $50 each that doesn't sound like a super precision bearing. So here you go:

http://bearingsdirect.com/

http://www.vxb.com/

http://arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Bearings/Angular-Contact-Ball-Bearings   (in the UK and doesn't have your size, but otherwise good pricing)

Dan

645

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: AL54b (lathe) project from New Zealand

« on: June 15, 2011, 03:01:51 PM »

Katoh,

If you ask me, 20mm is definitely overkill for this machine. Keep in mind that the ball nut will be huge - the mounting flange being some 50mm in diameter. A 16mm diameter will have plenty strength for this machine. Even a 10mm one will cope well with those loads, but a 16mm one will not even "feel" the them

Dan

646

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: AL54b (lathe) project from New Zealand

« on: June 14, 2011, 08:28:47 AM »

Not quite so. Lead screws can be very accurate. Not sure what are the numbers you measured. It is common to speak of a ball screw in terms of accuracy over a given length. Thus, for instance, a C5 accuracy grade would mean about 0.03mm acceptable error in travel over 300mm. Accuracy grade definition varies from one manufacturer to another, so the above example is not dictated by a standard.

Lead screws can easily hold those accuracies. So, when using ball screws it's not really an accuracy demand. Ball screws allow you to have minimal backlash (practical zero), which is often desired in a CNC application. Also, ball screws run quieter and higher speeds can be achieved without the risk of heating the nut and wearing it. Of course they wear slower. Theoretically you can have a lead screw set up to have zero backlash, but it will hardly last.

Dan

EDIT:

Forgot your lathe was Chinese, so the original screws may have been poor quality and not as accurate

647

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: AL54b (lathe) project from New Zealand

« on: June 10, 2011, 01:58:41 AM »

Isn't it so much rewarding to finally see it in action

I like the G251 - it almost makes steppers sound like servos. Still not on all speeds though.

Dan

648

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: MachScreen releases

« on: May 25, 2011, 11:44:50 AM »

Thank you, Klaus!

Dan

649

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: MachScreen releases

« on: May 21, 2011, 03:26:05 AM »

Great!!

Dan

650

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: MachScreen releases

« on: May 21, 2011, 03:09:38 AM »

Hi Klaus,

We have just found with Hood that there is something that can be very useful which can be done in Screen4 but not in MachScreen. In Screen4 one can force leading zeros by using a formatting string something like this %04.0f. MachScreen on the other hand, doesn't output leading zeros with the same formatting string.

Also, using a formatting string like T%04.0f is allowed in Screen4 and and will output the T in front of the number. This is useful in some cases, like the one demonstrated by Hood, here:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,17093.msg127574.html#msg127574

Please consider adding these capabilities to MachScreen.

Thank you for your efforts and a great software!

Dan