tool change with Vcarve pro

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Lee G Sch
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Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:13 am
Model of CNC Machine: 13 by 23

tool change with Vcarve pro

Post by Lee G Sch »

Is there a way to change tools with Vcarve pro?

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Adrian
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Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: tool change with Vcarve pro

Post by Adrian »

As long as your CNC machine has a tool changer or supports pseudo auto tool changing then yes.

It's down to which Post Processor you select. If you select one for your control software (such as Mach3) with ATC in the name then you get the option on the save toolpaths dialog to output multiple toolpaths to one file.

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zeeway
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Re: tool change with Vcarve pro

Post by zeeway »

To add to Adrian's post, if you use Mach 3, you select an ATC post processor to generate the toolpaths. Then in Mach 3, you click on Config/General, and under the Tool Change block, you click Stop Spindle Wait for Cycle Start. When you run the file with the first tool installed, the first tool path will run and then wait for you to change the tool. After you change the tool, you hit 'cycle start' and continue.

Angie

ThomR
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Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:48 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Rockler 60th Anniv. Edition (HD+)

Re: tool change with Vcarve pro

Post by ThomR »

On some controllers, you "can" make it pause to allow you to change tools. On my system, which has a somewhat generic ncPod style controller, I added an M06 T01 (tool changer...tool one) to the start of the GCode files, and where any change was needed. Now, the controller pauses when it stops there, making it possible to change the bit (make SURE you turn the router/spindle back on!). I haven't explored how to make this real, but I suspect you could even add an S000 and SXXX to start and stop the spindle before that M06 block. There's the issue of moving the Z-axis out of the way so you can get the bit out, but IIRC I was able to jog it up, and then it actually returned to the right location when I hit "continue".

Hope that helps,

Thom

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