Z retract in pocketing

[Kiwichrish]

Hi-ho,

I suspect this is 'just the way it is' but I was wondering if there is a way to stop cut 2D coding the Z retract after each cut of a multi-step pocket?

Couldn't find a setting for it. For deep pockets with small plunge steps and slow feeds it can add a huge amount of time to the job watching the Z retract and plunge every pass...

Cheers, Me.

[Adrian]

It's the way it works even on VCarve and Aspire.

It does it that way as the move back to the starting point of the cut could go right through the centre of a shape (imagine pocketing a letter O for instance) if it didn't retract.

On my old machine where the lack of speed made a big difference I manually edited the g-code to remove the retracts and plunges on pockets that I knew were safe.

[gravirozo]

""me""" (?)



reason for this manner the endpoint and startpoint are different in a pocket..
if it would not retract, in manycase simply cut trought the material where posted be to leave...
the program can not decide instead user where need to leave material...

the solution can be edited gcode as adrian mentioned, or making a toolpath as program calculate, but joining with a vector the start and endpoint, and this closed vector can be machined as a profile toolpath on option, even the ramping will help the operation...
and conturing for this pocket also can be made...

viktor

[kiwichrish]

Hi...

I'd not thought too much about the reasons for it, but that makes good sense.

For the couple I've done where it was going to be a huge issue I edited the Gcode in ncplot before cutting anyway.

Cheers, Me.

[foundation]

I too would really like to have the option to eliminate the z retract in multi pass pockets.
I don't buy the explanation that it could move through material, as the program should know the cases where it is making no moves between z raise and z lower. In the pockets I'm making the startpoint is the same spot as the endpoint and it add a lot of time to raise up to safe z and back down. My gcode has hundreds of gratuitous raise to safe z, plunge to rapid safe z, plunge to height of 2nd pass

Code: Select all

G0 X65.2500 Y0.8500 Z0.2000
G0   Z0.0500
G1   Z-0.4375 F150.0
G1  Y1.8500  F250.0
G1 X65.5500  
G1  Y0.8500 
G1 X65.2500  
G0   Z0.2000
G0   Z0.0500
G1   Z-0.6250 F150.0
G1  Y1.8500  F250.0
G1 X65.5500  
G1  Y0.8500 
G1 X65.2500  
G0   Z0.2000

Not I am using vcarve pro 7.5 but this is the only relevant thread I could find

[PaulRowntree]

What if the gcode for the second pass took the reverse trajectory from the first, just that much deeper? You would lose the conventional/climb control, but would there be any other downsides? If you always had an odd number of passes, the last one could do cleanup ...

[foundation]

That would certainly be a general solution for the problem (as you point out at the expense of climb control) but would be fine for my purposes.
ps I checked your tools from your signature, very cool stuff.