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Author Topic: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???  (Read 84173 times)

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #140 on: October 04, 2011, 08:49:16 AM »
Hi Hood

You enter degrees in tool position in the tool table.

Arthur

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #141 on: October 04, 2011, 09:09:03 AM »
sorry not following, probably best to attach your macro, you will need to rename it to something like ArtM6Start.m1s for the forum to accept as it will only accept a file name once.
Hood
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #142 on: October 04, 2011, 12:53:10 PM »
Hi Hood,

Please find attached Macro and image of screenset I am using.

I think I need to set the DRO at the exact angle after every toolchange, this macro sets the dro to the requested angle to pass the rachet. ie 47 degrees for tool 2 which means that it tool 3 is set to move to 97 degrees it is only actualy moving 45 degrees and does not pass the ratchet.

Can I use the tool table to enter the angle of the turret and read this from the tool direction reading on the screen.

Regards

Arthur

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #143 on: October 04, 2011, 02:50:57 PM »
Ok that macro is the same as you sent before so only for  a 4 pos turret and yours is 8 I think?
You will have to alter the macro to suit before you will know if it works or not. What I think you are going to have to do is make each call a bit more than the distance it needs to move to clear the ratched before it moves back, so for example 360/8 = 45 degrees then as you say your tool calls would be 47 for tool 2 then reverse maybe 5 degrees then set the DRO to 45. Tool 3 would be 92 reverse to 87 then set DRO 90

So in the previous example I gave your macro would need a line that says
SetOemDRO(803,(Apos-2))

Still not sure what you are meaning regards the tool table, it is for setting tool offsets not turret rotation amounts.

Hood
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #144 on: October 04, 2011, 05:24:19 PM »
Thanks Hood

Its all working well now I have just run a job through and all tool changes went without any problems.

The tool table thing was just me trying to find a way of getting the correct angle for the tool but SetOemDRO(803,(Apos-2)) was all that was required.

Thanks again

Arthur

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #145 on: October 04, 2011, 05:59:48 PM »
Ah ok I understand now. Glad its working :)
Hood

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #146 on: October 04, 2011, 06:09:11 PM »
Meant to ask, what kind of turret is it you have? Did it come with a lathe or did you purchase it from somewhere? Reason I ask is I am currentl;y retrofitting a small lathe and in the future I will likely fit a turret and I am not sure whether making one or buying one would be the best option.
Hood
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #147 on: October 05, 2011, 04:35:24 AM »
Hi Hood,

It was a boxford 240 cnc lathe that came with the tool turret fitted. It used to run on a BBC computer. It was in really good conition very little used.
I picked it up a few years ago for £400.00  from a college near Glasgow. I  used the original steppers and drives and fitted a Campbell combo board.

Regards

Arthur

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Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #148 on: October 05, 2011, 04:39:52 AM »
Ok thanks for the reply, will see what happens once I get the wee lathe up and running.
Hood
Re: Mach 3 toolchange for dummies???
« Reply #149 on: October 10, 2011, 06:18:15 AM »
Hi Hood,

I noticed a problem over the weekend while using the lathe  that the tool change is adding the tool offsets from the previous tool to the move back to the original start point.

If I start at X0 Y0 with tool 1 (which has no offset) and change to tool 2 the turret moves to the safe position stated in the Macro and returns to x0 y0.
When I change to tool 4 the turret moves to the safe position and returns to  x-35.8170 y18.349 which is the offset for tool 2
If I return to tool 1 the turret moves to safe position and returns to x-71.634 y 53.560.

This distance increases with every tool change until the axis hits the limits.

Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

Regards

Arthur

« Last Edit: October 10, 2011, 06:29:13 AM by Flying Scot »