Duplicating parts without duplicating tool changes

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum but I'm at my wits end. I just recently switched from Mach3 to EMC2 because Mach3 doesn't support looping (while, do while, etc). I'm trying to run a business on the side creating parts that have up to 8 tool changes each. I can make single parts at a time, but the tool changes make it unfeasible in order to run 50-100 parts at a time (8x = 400 to 800 tool changes ).

Has anybody previously developed a sub routine in order to do this? I haven't been able to find one. I'm currently using Solidcam and they have a Transform->Translate->Matrix feature that works, but my post processor doesn't spit out the Gcode into a format that EMC2 is compatible with. I've been manipulating the post processor in order to try and make it work for almost a solid full time week now.. I'm running out of hair on my head fast! Somebody please help me. I BEG OF YOU!

Hello,

Does this give you some ideas?

www.linuxcnc.org/index.php/english/compo...iew&catid=40&id=7914

Rick G

Thanks for the quick reply Rick! I had a look at that subroutine and although it doesn't take into account tool changes it did however spark an idea!!! I tried it out on my post processor and isolated that my current problem is that I create an O-word (O501) with every operation and it freezes EMC2 whenever I use more than one operation! So my question is.... how do I reset or over-write the O-word with multiple operations? The section of my post processor that I need to modify is shown.


@loop /// this is called at the start of every operation
local integer var_num

var_num = loop_level + 20
{nb, '#', var_num, ' = 0'}
{nb, '#<loop_level> = ', loop_level}
{nb, '#<loop_count> = ', loop_count}
{nb, 'O501 WHILE [#', var_num, ' LT ', loop_count, ']'} <

---

in gcode this comes out as O501 WHILE[#21 LT 2] ///where #21=0
endp

;

---

@end_loop ///this is called at the end of every operation
local integer var_num

var_num = loop_level + 20
{nb '#', var_num, ' = [#', var_num, ' + 1]'}
{nb 'G'home_number}
{nb 'O501 ENDWHILE'}
*************************************** <

---

what do i add here in order to Over-write/reset the O-word?

endp

;

---

Found a fix. It seems as though EMC2 was freezing because it didn't know what to do with multiples of the same oword in the file originally. I created a global variable within the post processor 'oword', initialized it to 501 at the beginning of the program. Then inside the loop call, referenced oword in place of 501 and at the end of loop call, incremented oword.

Now once I fix the minor details as to why my coordinates are off for my duplicates, I will post the update post processor. Thanks again for the reply Rick!

Hi Robo-Dan, I'm also new on this forum and in also in topic of machining. I would like to ask you for help with my post procesor from solidcam to emc2 (linuxcnc). I am using linuxcnc 2.5, solidcam 2011. Is it possible to send me your gpp to solidcam? Every day I am teaching a new things step by step, but postprocesor is for me still a little bit faraway. My cnc mill is now XYZ, later I would like to mount 4th axis and maybe...?
Thank you very much.

Hi Raduzze,

Sorry for the late reply. I have attached a copy of my modified .gpp file. The site will won't let me upload the .gpp file extension, so just download the attached .txt file and rename the extension to .gpp. Good luck.

Hi Robo-Dan,

thanks very much for your reply. I will try it and will inform you. I hope, that will work well .

Have a nice day!

There is sometimes (well almost always) another approach.

I have only a manual tool changer which takes a couple of minutes to change.

Recently had to do a run of about 2000 identical parts using multiple tools. There was no way I was going to do 6000 tool changes.

So ran the entire run of parts with the first tool, changed tools, ran the entire batch with the second tool, etc.

This did require making a couple of simple fixtures that enabled me to just remove a part, run a brush through the vice to reduce the amount of swarf remaining, then inserting the next part in the vice, tighten the vice, then tell emc to run again.

Compared with changing tools, changing parts (in this case) was a breeze.

Tom