Need help with tube cutting post...

[LSX]

Hey guys, I need some help modifying a post processor. The two that I see in sheetcams select menu that would fit my machine I built. One is the mach3 tube cutter post and the other is rotary plasma post. My machine only has linear and rotational movement, the Z is fixed so there's only two axis controlled by steppers, I might add a marker to it later on. Right now in mach 3 I have the Y set as the linear. And the X as rotational (linear) can I mod the post to keep the x and y or should I re-pin the ports to fit the post? Im having trouble getting it to work what I mean is get the right steppers to work in mach with a post. Thanks

[Les Newell]

How does your machine drive the tube? Does it use a chuck to rotate the tube or does the tube sit on driven rollers? If you use rollers you can use the 'Mach3 plasma' post. I would set it up with X being along the tube and Y around the circumference. Both axes would be defined as linear. You can calibrate the Y axis directly in inches or millimetres on the circumference of the tube.

If you use a chuck the Mach setup is pretty much the same but you would define the rotary axis(generally A or B) as a given number of units per revolution. I generally find 1 unit per rev works well. Still keep it defined as linear because Mach does some odd things with angular axes. Now in SheetCam you need a post processor that can translate the Y axis movements into angles depending on the tube diameter. The 'Mach3 tube cutter' post should work for a simple setup like yours and you don't need to buy the rotary plugin. If you want a bit more control and a graphical preview the rotary plugin with RotaryPlasma post would work.

[LSX]

Thanks Les! Sorry, I have a rotary chuck and just a liner slide, the torch is fixed. I have the sheetcam rotatory plug in. So far I got everything working, I ended up using the plasma rotatory mach 3 post and just changed my pin outs in mach. I now however have one more problem all the DFX and SVG files that I load in sheet cam with the rotary plug-in are normal like they would be on the load but when save and I upload tap file load it in mach 3 and run the g-code everything is upside down or flipped, what I mean is if you where wearing t-shirt that had text in a mirror, that's how its laid out on my parts being cut. All the step directions are correct in mach 3 everything seems normal... What would cause this? Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Les Newell]

It sounds like one of your axes is running the wrong way around. If it is flipped along the length of the tube flip the linear axis. If it is flipped around the circumference reverse the rotary axis.