Need advice about rotary turning

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Roly
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Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

Perhaps this should be in a different forum.
I managed to set up my rotary engraving axis and of course ran into problems. I had a read of the tutorial in Humblesticks and watched the vectric tutorials. Here's the problem. When I load my Gcode for a simple test cut, my rotary axis does not move. I have no problem setting the zero etc but the axis does not turn during the running of the program. I can jog it manually as I can do the Z and Y axis. When looking at the Gcode on the screen as it is running I can see that Mach3 appears to be sending appropriate code (Y,Z and A) and I can see the Y and Z axis working. The preview shows a straight line along the Y axis.

I assume I have neglected some form of adjustment or something somewhere. Has anyone got some advice please.

Thank you in advance
Roly

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Adrian
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Adrian »

Have you looked in the forum section for rotary - http://forum.vectric.com/viewforum.php?f=38 - There's a lot of good info there.

Roly
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

Yes Adrian thanks. I just spent a very cold Sunday in front of the fire looking at different subjects but didn't get anything that seemed to resemble my problem.

Roly

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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by JMD »

Roly wrote:Perhaps this should be in a different forum.
I managed to set up my rotary engraving axis and of course ran into problems. I had a read of the tutorial in Humblesticks and watched the vectric tutorials. Here's the problem. When I load my Gcode for a simple test cut, my rotary axis does not move. I have no problem setting the zero etc but the axis does not turn during the running of the program. I can jog it manually as I can do the Z and Y axis. When looking at the Gcode on the screen as it is running I can see that Mach3 appears to be sending appropriate code (Y,Z and A) and I can see the Y and Z axis working. The preview shows a straight line along the Y axis.

I assume I have neglected some form of adjustment or something somewhere. Has anyone got some advice please.

Thank you in advance
Roly
Just setup my rotary. Had same problem. Do a "Forum Search) For UNDERSTANDING POSTPROCESSOR and look for a comet by RCNEWCOMB. Good information. Also checkwith the maker of your rotary to see if they have a post processor that they recommend. Now if I could figure out how to change to the direction of rotation I will be happy. Hope this helps.
John

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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Greolt »

If the Goode is calling A axis moves but A axis is not moving, then that is a machine setup issue, not a PP problem.

Is it that the rotary axis does not move or are you just talking about the toolpath view in Mach3?

Those are two different issues.

Roly
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

I can move the rotary axis using the keyboard. It just does not move when I am running the small test program. This is even though the values of the 'A' change in the program as it runs. Almost like it is not sending the values to the machine.

Roly

Roly
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

Thought it could have been sa simple as not having 'A' axis recognized in the settings. (in mach3 ports and pins) All that did was slow the whole system to an absolute crawl.

Greolt
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Greolt »

All WHAT did was slow the whole system to an absolute crawl.


Zero the A axis DRO
Type A360 in the MDI and press enter.
Does the A axis move? Does it do a full turn?

garylmast
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by garylmast »

Since you're using Mach3, you might have to calibrate the steps for "A". Also remember to go in degrees rather than inches or millimeters. You can confirm the steps under Config-Motor Turning. Here's a snapshot of my setup for A-Axis.

Gary
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rscrawford
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by rscrawford »

I'm wondering if the rotary is actually turning, but just too slowly for you to really see it. You might have to adjust the multiplier so that you get a full turn by typing in A360.
Russell Crawford
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Roly
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

Sorry I have not been able to get back to it for a day or so.

John, That advice was good and I think I got a couple of questions to now ask Randall Newcomb.

Greolt, I activated the 'A' axis and everything slowed down drastically. I have since played with it a bit and it has returned to normal but still not moving the axis. I did what you suggested in the MDI but it had no effect whatsoever.

Gary, Thank for that but somehow I believe it to be in a different area.

Russell, No the axis is definitely not moving.

Now when I went into the post UNDERSTANDING POSTPROCESSOR I noticed that when in the Vectric file/open application and I looked intomthe Mach files there was a marked difference in the preamble to what was actually on the post processor that I loaded from vectric when I first constructed the file. This is what I got.

( rotary test 1 )
( File created: Saturday June 22 2019 - 09:56 AM)
( for Mach2/3 from Vectric )
( Material Size)
( X= 125.664, Z= 20.000)
( Diameter = 40.000 mm)
( X Values are wrapped around the Y axis )
( X Values are output as A )
()
(Toolpaths used in this file:)
(rotary test 1)
(Tools used in this file: )
(1 = V-Bit {60 deg 3 mm})
N130 G00G21G17G90G40G49G80
N140 G71G91.1
N150 T1M06
N160 G00G43Z40.320H1
N170 S16000M03
N180(Toolpath:- rotary test 1)
N190()

It shows no mention of what is written in the Vectric file, ie

Direct output = Mach M/Mach4.Document"
ROTARY_WRAP_X = "-A"
SUBSTITUTE = "({)}"

Should this be something that I have to manually enter or am I totally on the wrong track.

Greolt
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Greolt »

Roly

If you have zeroed the A axis and entered A90 in the MDI and the A axis did not move then,

you have a machine setup problem. Chasing Vectric Post Processor problems is pointless at this stage.

Get the A axis connected and set up in Mach3 properly and then you can move onto any futher issues.

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TReischl
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by TReischl »

As Greolt said, the axis should turn under manual input, either entering an A axis command from MDI or pressing a jog button for the A axis. If it don't you are wasting your time worrying about post problems. In fact, you could make things worse by fiddling with the post and then discovering what you do not have set up correctly in Mach.
"If you see a good fight, get in it." Dr. Vernon Johns

garylmast
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by garylmast »

( rotary test 1 )
( File created: Saturday June 22 2019 - 09:56 AM)
( for Mach2/3 from Vectric )
( Material Size)
( X= 125.664, Z= 20.000)
( Diameter = 40.000 mm)
( X Values are wrapped around the Y axis )
( X Values are output as A )
()
(Toolpaths used in this file:)
(rotary test 1)
(Tools used in this file: )
(1 = V-Bit {60 deg 3 mm})
N130 G00G21G17G90G40G49G80
N140 G71G91.1
N150 T1M06
N160 G00G43Z40.320H1
N170 S16000M03
N180(Toolpath:- rotary test 1)
N190()

It shows no mention of what is written in the Vectric file, ie

Direct output = Mach M/Mach4.Document"
ROTARY_WRAP_X = "-A"
SUBSTITUTE = "({)}"
I maybe a little confused, but if your X values are output as A, where are there any "A" codes in what you just shown? Here's an example of one of my files.

Gary
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Roly
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Re: Need advice about rotary turning

Post by Roly »

There are A values showing, I may have over thought the issue a bit.

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