Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

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dbrook
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Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by dbrook »

An older gentlemen located near me has purchased a 4x2 CNC Router Parts kit and it is working fine. When he clicks on the REF ALL HOME button the machine homes as normal to the front left corner with the spindle raised to the top limit. When he then checks machine coordinates the DRO’s show X 0.000, Y 0.000 and Z 8.000.

Does anybody have any idea what is causing the DRO for the Z axis to read 8.000 instead of the typical 0.000? Maybe this is normal for a cnc router parts machine but when the following VB script is run the spindle does not move down to the 4” position but slams to the upper most travel position hitting the top limit.

CODE “G53 G00 Z4”

I have searched for a cnc router parts forum for answers but apparently one does not exist.

Any assistance will be most appreciated.

Dan

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Adrian
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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by Adrian »

If the machine is at the top of the travel on the I would expect it to read 8" or similar,0 should be near the bottom of the travel. If you were expecting the Z to move down by 4" the Z move should be negative otherwise it's doing what I would expect. Move up 4" from the current position but it can't do that as there's no more room in the Z+ direction.

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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by Adrian »

Thinking about it the 4" move should be absolute not relative (at least on machines I've owned). When you say it goes to the top limit is it trying to move past that? If so the readout and movements would be wrong from that point as it would have lost steps unless it's a limit switch rather than a physical stop. The home Z position (again on my machines) is always just below the top limit not 0 otherwise moving to home would plough through clamps and all sorts.

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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by ger21 »

Config > Homing / Limits > Home Offset.
He probably has 8 for the Z offset.
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dbrook
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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by dbrook »

Thank you Adrian and ger21 for the prompt reply. When I checked the soft limits on Z there was a value of 8.000 set in the Z offset column. When I changed the Z offset to 0.000 the DRO’s showed x 0.000., y 0.000 and z 0.000.

It seems to me that when the VB script was run the spindle should move down to the 4” position. I guess I am thinking about it wrong.

Please tell me why you would want the 8.000 offset in in the Z soft limit?

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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by IslaWW »

"It seems to me that when the VB script was run the spindle should move down to the 4” position. I guess I am thinking about it wrong."

Yes you are. With the machine Z zero position at the top of its travel (desired) you would need to enter "G53 Z-4" to move down 4 inches. Remember machine coordinates (G53 coords) are top down. User or work coordinates are bottom up
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TReischl
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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by TReischl »

dbrook wrote:Thank you Adrian and ger21 for the prompt reply. When I checked the soft limits on Z there was a value of 8.000 set in the Z offset column. When I changed the Z offset to 0.000 the DRO’s showed x 0.000., y 0.000 and z 0.000.

It seems to me that when the VB script was run the spindle should move down to the 4” position. I guess I am thinking about it wrong.

Please tell me why you would want the 8.000 offset in in the Z soft limit?

On that machine you don't want anything but 0 in that offset.
The thing to remember about homing a machine is that it tells the machine where it is space. Those are machine zeroes, not part program zeroes. You do NOT want to attempt to run any program with the machine zeroes as your part program zero.

Edit: As Isla mentioned, G53 is a special case, you should not be using it for programming parts. Your mach3 post processor automatically puts a G54 in the beginning of the program to prevent the G53 from being the workpiece coordinate system.

There are a slew of "offsets" aka "workpiece coordinates" that are used to tell a machine where part program zero is located in reference to the machine home/origin. Most of the time on that machine (mine is a CNC RP type machine with Mach 3 also) the program will contain the command "G54" at the beginning. That command references the workpiece offset that has been set in X,Y,Z axis. When you move the axis to the zero point on your workpiece and press the X,Y,Z zero buttons what happens is those values are stored in the G54 offset registers. From then on the machine control does the math between the G53 registers (machine origin) and the G54 registers to position the machine while the part program is running.

Why so "complicated"? Because it is handy to be able to program multiple fixtures (locations) on the table with each one having its own zero points. Quite often I have two vises on my machine. Both of them use the rear jaw and the right end of that jaw as zero. So when I program I can just program each part individually and not worry about the relationship to the other part. I set G55 for one and G56 for the other one. Those are also workpiece registers.

So what I am getting at here is that after you home the machine, then you need to move to zero positions and set them. So if you set Z zero at the top of the workpiece when you command Z4.00 the Z axis will move 4 inches above the surface of the workpiece.

It sounds to me like someone was trying to program the machine from machine origins and figured that since the axis could move 8 inches that was a good number to use. The problem with that is each tool sticks out of the spindle a different amount. In other words, trying to program from machine zero does not work.
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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by ger21 »

Maybe this is normal for a cnc router parts machine but when the following VB script is run the spindle does not move down to the 4” position but slams to the upper most travel position hitting the top limit.

CODE “G53 G00 Z4”

Are you sure the Z axis is not moving backwards?


(I need to start reading the entire posts before replying....)
Gerry - http://www.thecncwoodworker.com

dbrook
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Re: Mach3 CNC Router Parts 4x2 Router?

Post by dbrook »

Thanks for all the excellent feedback. Your responses have cleared it up for me.

Dan

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