This has happened before.....

[Gasawdust]

Designed several individual kayak forms and copied each form to a composite form. Nested all to conserve material and setup a profile cut for each nested form. Running Aspire 9.x and Mach 3.
Loaded the toolpath and initiated the cut. Got a warning message Insufficient Z Clearance!! Z clearance plane is above Z axis home switch. Press ok to retract safely below switch or press cancel for e-stop.

I pressed ok.....MISTAKE. So i replaced the broken bit, Ref All Home, tried again and same message.

Checked safe z setting in Mach 3 (2.5 in machine coordinates), checked z soft limits (0.10 - 6.20)
Re-checked material setup in Aspire, z at material surface, material thickness .75

Stumped.

Can someone look at the toolpath file (mostly greek to me) and the Aspire file and see if they can help.

Much appreciated.

Tom

[Leo]

Try changing Z1 to .5 and Z2 to .25

Next to last box - labeled Rapid Z Gaps above Material.

I am assuming there are no clamps in the way.

[Gasawdust]

Thanks but no go. Same message.
Any other thoughts?
Previously yesterday morning I cut some other files with no issue. I made no Mach3 changes priori to trying to cut this rascal.

[Gasawdust]

Just recycled Mach 3 after rebooting my ESS.....no go again.

[Gasawdust]

If I start the file on the 11th line of code I don’t get the message so it’s a snag somewhere in lines 1-10 but I don’t know enough about g-code to decipher the problem.

[ger21]

That message is from the M6 macro in my 2010 Screenset, and is telling you that the clearance plane setting on the toolchange tab is higher than your Z axis home switch.

[Gasawdust]

Ok Gerry. Not to be a smart Alec but how to fix it?

[ger21]

What is the clearance plane set to?
What is the Z position at the top of your travel?

[Gasawdust]

Safe z in Mach 3 set at 1.5inch in machine units...... is this the same thing as z zero clearance plane?
Top z limit at 6.2 in in machine units

[ger21]

When you home the machine, it needs to be at Z=0 in machine coordinates. It won't work the way you have it.
Moving down should be negative machine coordinates.

Fix that first, then tell me what it is in work coordinates.
On the Toolchange tab is the Clearance Plane setting.

[Gasawdust]

Home is 0,0,0 in machine units.

[ger21]

Then how is your Z limit at 6.2 in machine coordinates? Isn't the home switch at the top?

What is the clearance plane setting?

[Gasawdust]

Home switch for z is 0 in machine units at the bottom. 6.2 travel up is a virtual limit switch.

[ger21]

The 2010 Screenset won't work like that.
Z zero in machine coordinates needs to be at the top.

You can enter -6.2 in the Home Offset on Config > Homing/Limits, and that should work. But you'll need to change your softlimits

[Gasawdust]

I’m going to have to rethink using 2010 screen set until I finish this project. I’ve grown accustomed to z zero at the bottom and positive travel of the z going up. I can’t wrap my mind around all the changes i’d have to make right now. Guess my age is catching up with me.
Thanks for your help.
Tom