I have just bought an Easy Scriber and am struggling to use it within my workflow. I use SheetCam and have configured it as:
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I use Mach4 on an Avid CNCRouterParts table with Hypoertherm Powermax 45XP. I disable THC, and turn the Torch off. When I run the Gcode, the torch drops down, pushes the tip in then it stops. WHen I turn the torch off again, it runs the first feature, then it moves to the next and the cycle starts anew (drop down, then stops etc). I keep turning the torch off, but becasue of the deep drop and drag, at some point the torch breaks off from its magnetic attachment.
How can turn the torch off and keep it off, and prevent the deep dive (ideally, the ohmic control would stop it when there is contact). Any suggestions? Thank you all.
I suspect the the drop down to the plate and then stop may be because you are calling an M3… and have thc enabled… therefore Mach is waiting for the ArcOK signal before moving off and following the path…
try using something else like M7 to get your scribing routine going… read next section though…
the other part of your question / problem (torch falling off holder ) is a difficult one…
how does your torch know where the plate is… with a plasma cutting routine you normally use a floating head (and secondary optional ohmic) touchoff… the problem then is when your torch has just ever so gently touched the plate… how do you now force it downwards to apply a bit of scribing pressure…
what you can do is do a probe / torch touchoff… and then move the torch downward a little more to apply some controlled pressure… (I have no idea how much in units I guess 1 or 2 mm… depends upon your floating head spring pressure…). (sorry I am metric…)
next problem is… when you drag the torch around… if your plate is not level. how do you know how much the z axis must rise and stop as it follows the contour you want scribed as you have no feedback (torch height control needs a voltage from the plasma cutter…)
you could use a 2 stage floating head switch… first one for the touch off… 2nd stage for the scribe drag pressure too much…or little…
or you could use an application such as what they use for PCB milling… (PCB autoleveller)… I suspect mach4 may have it / one available as a plugin… basically you do a bed of nails probe routine on a fixed spacing and the CNC software records the coordinates of the material probed… it then corrects the z axis coordinates to account for this curvature or warp so it could retract the z and drop it down as needed following the contour of what you are trying to scribe…
personally… I have a separate pneumatic scribe which is under air pressure to hold it to the plate… yes it’s noisy but I’d rather not be fiddling with my torch more than I need to swapping out cutting parts for scribe bits and dragging my torch around the plate and giving it and my finely crafted light weight fast z axis undue stress and strain…
if I need a chisel… I buy a chisel or make one… I don’t use one of my screwdrivers for the task… I may use an old one or I’m happy to use one of yours… but my £350+ plasma torch I look after and treat with care with what it was designed for… zero force cutting or plasma scribing … not a drag scribe sorry!