Vectric Customer

I am building a 2' x 4' wood router and i have a ? regarding Ball screws .
I ordered Ball screws from over seas . X and Y axis have the same pitch . The z axis is slightly different. Does 2d cut software compensate for the different pitch and have the stepper motor run the z in concert with a different pitch. Should i be concerned here ? Help would be appreciated here as i have talked with hardware people and software people who don't seem to talk with each other.

Hi! The output from the Vectric programs is written in gcode, and describes where the cutter should move, step-by-step through the cut. It uses physical positions in mm or inches. The output from the Vectric programs is read in by the controller software, and it makes the conversion between position and steps of the motion system. I use Mach3 as a controller, but there are many options for the home builder. These controllers are configured for each axis, and there is no need for X, Y or Z to have the same calibration factors.
You should sign up at the CNCZone forum ... it is well-read by machine builders, and they can offer lots of advice.

I have designed and built my own router using ball screws etc.
I can only talk from a Mach3 point of view as that's the program I use to control my machine.

When you are setting up your machine for the first time, you have to calibrate the "Steps per" that is needed to make your machine accurate.
Steps per, refers to how many steps that an axis motor needs to turn for one revolution of your particular ball screw. Thus determining how far your axis moves per revolution.
In the motor tuning section of Mach3, you need to set this for each axis and can have different settings determined by your ball screw pitch etc.
Mach3 also needs to know it's native units, weather they be in MM's or Inch's. You then generate your CAD files in the same units and the code is automatically set.

My advise is to read, read and read.

Thanks that is exactly what i needed to know . The software controller is programmed by the user to set the number of steps the motor needs to make for one revolution . Thanks i was hoping that i hadn't paid for Ball screws that wouldn't work with one another. Now i can proceed with more confidence.