Hey Guys,
New to the forum and new to SheetCAM.
Question:
I've have my table running for a little while now using a Hypertherm 1000 and everything is great except one thing... the torch is not touching off on each cut. Is there a way to get it to touch off and trigger the Z-Home switch at the start of each cut?
It seems to touch off the first cut, then attempt to touch off on the second and subsequent cuts, but doesn't quite get all the way down, then travel back up the switch travel (pierce height and cut height) amount before firing the torch.
As each piece is cut the amount the torch travels down seems to get less and less, does not trigger the Z-home switch, travels back up the amount of the switch travel (pierce height) then fires the torch... eventually, it fires the torch to high from the Job for it to pierce, then the THC has to adjust down to cut.
Hope some can give me some assitance.
Regards,
Marcus
Touch off - THC300 & Mach3
-
Les Newell
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3674
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 8:12 pm
Touch off - THC300 & Mach3
Hi Marcus,
It sounds like the Z probe distance in the post is set too short. What
post are you using?
Les
It sounds like the Z probe distance in the post is set too short. What
post are you using?
Les
-
Les Newell
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3674
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 8:12 pm
Touch off - THC300 & Mach3
Hi Marcus,
It sounds like the Z probe distance in the post is set too short. What
post are you using?
Les
-------------------- m2f --------------------
Reply to this post simply by hitting reply in your email client or you can read this topic online here:
http://www.forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?p=8512#8512
-------------------- m2f --------------------
It sounds like the Z probe distance in the post is set too short. What
post are you using?
Les
-------------------- m2f --------------------
Reply to this post simply by hitting reply in your email client or you can read this topic online here:
http://www.forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?p=8512#8512
-------------------- m2f --------------------
-
Shuey
Hey Les,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm using the THC300 post and it seems to work just fine some fo the time.
What do I mean by that??? Ok, if i have parts that are nested far apart then the Z will probe off the job almost all the time. When I have a lot of smaller parts clustered closer together then it seems as though the torch comes down, but stops before the Z switch is triggered then travels back up the pierce height distance.
As an example... it might stop say 4mm short of touching the switch, then travel up to the pierce height (In my case 14.75mm), so 4mm + 14.75mm =18.75. My switch travel is 11.75mm, which means it fires the torch 18.75mm - 11.75mm = 7mm above the work piece, which is to far to cut the job, then the THC has to adjust down to get teh required tip volts.
Interestingly, I look through the G-Code as this is happening and i see the G28.1 Z 3.0 cycle through, yet it doesn't probe off the work piece.
I have triple checked my Z - Axis and there is no slip in the Stepper motor and it is not skipping steps at all. The DRO is reflective of the issue... when it does probe properly, the Z DRO is zeroed on switch trigger and the Correcting DRO shows the correction amount give or take a mm or two. Z is normally around 13.9mm. When it doesn't probe/switch off the work piece and the THC has to adjust down, then the DRO is reading say 4mm with the THC correction amount around 9mm. mean while it has not cut part of the job as while the THC is going down searching for correct Tip Volts.
Your thoughts?
Regards,
Marcus
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm using the THC300 post and it seems to work just fine some fo the time.
What do I mean by that??? Ok, if i have parts that are nested far apart then the Z will probe off the job almost all the time. When I have a lot of smaller parts clustered closer together then it seems as though the torch comes down, but stops before the Z switch is triggered then travels back up the pierce height distance.
As an example... it might stop say 4mm short of touching the switch, then travel up to the pierce height (In my case 14.75mm), so 4mm + 14.75mm =18.75. My switch travel is 11.75mm, which means it fires the torch 18.75mm - 11.75mm = 7mm above the work piece, which is to far to cut the job, then the THC has to adjust down to get teh required tip volts.
Interestingly, I look through the G-Code as this is happening and i see the G28.1 Z 3.0 cycle through, yet it doesn't probe off the work piece.
I have triple checked my Z - Axis and there is no slip in the Stepper motor and it is not skipping steps at all. The DRO is reflective of the issue... when it does probe properly, the Z DRO is zeroed on switch trigger and the Correcting DRO shows the correction amount give or take a mm or two. Z is normally around 13.9mm. When it doesn't probe/switch off the work piece and the THC has to adjust down, then the DRO is reading say 4mm with the THC correction amount around 9mm. mean while it has not cut part of the job as while the THC is going down searching for correct Tip Volts.
Your thoughts?
Regards,
Marcus
-
Shuey
Touch off - THC300 & Mach3
Hey Les,
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm using the THC300 post and it seems to work just fine some fo the time.
What do I mean by that??? Ok, if i have parts that are nested far apart then the Z will probe off the job almost all the time. When I have a lot of smaller parts clustered closer together then it seems as though the torch comes down, but stops before the Z switch is triggered then travels back up the pierce height distance.
As an example... it might stop say 4mm short of touching the switch, then travel up to the pierce height (In my case 14.75mm), so 4mm + 14.75mm =18.75. My switch travel is 11.75mm, which means it fires the torch 18.75mm - 11.75mm = 7mm above the work piece, which is to far to cut the job, then the THC has to adjust down to get teh required tip volts.
Interestingly, I look through the G-Code as this is happening and i see the G28.1 Z 3.0 cycle through, yet it doesn't probe off the work piece.
I have triple checked my Z - Axis and there is no slip in the Stepper motor and it is not skipping steps at all. The DRO is reflective of the issue... when it does probe properly, the Z DRO is zeroed on switch trigger and the Correcting DRO shows the correction amount give or take a mm or two. Z is normally around 13.9mm. When it doesn't probe/switch off the work piece and the THC has to adjust down, then the DRO is reading say 4mm with the THC correction amount around 9mm. mean while it has not cut part of the job as while the THC is going down searching for correct Tip Volts.
Your thoughts?
Regards,
Marcus
-------------------- m2f --------------------
Reply to this post simply by hitting reply in your email client or you can read this topic online here:
http://www.forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?p=8536#8536
-------------------- m2f --------------------
Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm using the THC300 post and it seems to work just fine some fo the time.
What do I mean by that??? Ok, if i have parts that are nested far apart then the Z will probe off the job almost all the time. When I have a lot of smaller parts clustered closer together then it seems as though the torch comes down, but stops before the Z switch is triggered then travels back up the pierce height distance.
As an example... it might stop say 4mm short of touching the switch, then travel up to the pierce height (In my case 14.75mm), so 4mm + 14.75mm =18.75. My switch travel is 11.75mm, which means it fires the torch 18.75mm - 11.75mm = 7mm above the work piece, which is to far to cut the job, then the THC has to adjust down to get teh required tip volts.
Interestingly, I look through the G-Code as this is happening and i see the G28.1 Z 3.0 cycle through, yet it doesn't probe off the work piece.
I have triple checked my Z - Axis and there is no slip in the Stepper motor and it is not skipping steps at all. The DRO is reflective of the issue... when it does probe properly, the Z DRO is zeroed on switch trigger and the Correcting DRO shows the correction amount give or take a mm or two. Z is normally around 13.9mm. When it doesn't probe/switch off the work piece and the THC has to adjust down, then the DRO is reading say 4mm with the THC correction amount around 9mm. mean while it has not cut part of the job as while the THC is going down searching for correct Tip Volts.
Your thoughts?
Regards,
Marcus
-------------------- m2f --------------------
Reply to this post simply by hitting reply in your email client or you can read this topic online here:
http://www.forum.sheetcam.com/viewtopic.php?p=8536#8536
-------------------- m2f --------------------
-
Les Newell
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3674
- Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 8:12 pm
Touch off - THC300 & Mach3
Try manually editing the code and changing the G28.1 Z 3.0 to G28.1 Z 30
If that works, it is easy to change the post to suit.
If that works, it is easy to change the post to suit.