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Author Topic: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?  (Read 269133 times)

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Offline mc

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #620 on: December 30, 2017, 04:02:17 PM »
If you want to use the knee for tool length compensation the tool length would simply need to be passed to the knee axis to move it up or down by that amount BEFORE a tool is actually changed so you have room for it at your normal tool change Z height. Then the program sees all tools as the same length.

You'd probably want to compare the two offsets, and only move if the new tool is longer, as you don't really want the knee cranking up for some short tool after running some long tool, before you've changed the tool.

Slowly making sense, thanks ;)

So in the code all tool length compensation would be turned off and I would likely be editing the M6 Start ??

That's actually a good question.
You still need to use tool length compensation, and use the tool lengths in the tool table to move the knee, but how does Mach handle that?
Not using compensation would work, if you know the knee will move to Z in the right position.
Other option is can mach combine the position of the knee, with the quill?

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #621 on: December 30, 2017, 04:53:47 PM »
I think the question of Mach combining both knee and quill was asked before and IIRC it can't.

One possible idea was to drop the knee in the M6start, do the change then lift the knee in M6end to its original position minus the new length, something like that anyway.

However i seem to recall bad issues with the CSMIO if there is any code at all in M6end, i should have made notes back then, i think it faulted out if there was any axis move while in the tool change routine if there was code in M6end.

On the mill its set for "Manual tool change" Does the "manual" bit i.e. the pause, come at the end of M6start and when you press return it runs M6end??
Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #622 on: December 31, 2017, 08:38:43 AM »
We never have the time or money to do it right the first time, but we somehow manage to do it twice and then spend the money to get it right.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #623 on: December 31, 2017, 08:46:27 AM »
Hi

thanks, that is the same guy that was helping on another forum :)

It his code i have pasted into my M6start


I started a new thread to keep things clearer :-

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,36265.0.html

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #624 on: January 20, 2018, 11:24:20 AM »
Made a little progress today, got the motor mounted...



Hopefully get the limit switches mounted tomorrow :)
« Last Edit: January 20, 2018, 11:28:38 AM by Davek0974 »
Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #625 on: January 21, 2018, 06:55:08 AM »
Looking good.

What ratio are you looking to use? Is that an HTD belt?

Mike
We never have the time or money to do it right the first time, but we somehow manage to do it twice and then spend the money to get it right.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #626 on: January 21, 2018, 08:23:56 AM »
Yes HTD 5 x 15mm

IIRC it was 22/72 ratio - 3.2727:1

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #627 on: January 21, 2018, 08:39:14 AM »
Got the limits and home switch fitted today, moving switches and fixed cams so I could do it all with two switches :)

Top is limit, bottom is home...



Had to alter my plan of homing to top as with the vise fitted the bed will crash...



All the way down, a lot of cranking....



Wired the limit switch into the loop, just the home to take back to cabinet...

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #628 on: January 22, 2018, 02:16:55 PM »
I'd forgotten how busy it was in the cabinet :)



The knee axis servo drive will have go on the right-side wall i think.

Hopefully get the drive temporarily fitted tomorrow and powered up the day after.

Offline Davek0974

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Re: Bridgeport Knee Mill Conversion?
« Reply #629 on: January 23, 2018, 01:29:08 PM »
Ok, got it wired and powered up.

Little snag to start with, i'm a bit rusty here....

When you take Mach out of reset, the servo starts creeping without command, anyone give a pointer as to where i start digging??

It does not creep for long as you get an ePid fault.

Thanks :)