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Ok, I have used genserkins module and I set it with the parameters of my robot. But i have a problem.... my axis x not corresponds to joint 0 as well as axis y to joint 1 and so on...!! Where and how i can make the right corrispondence? i must create some lines in hal for resolve this problem?

Does look like a late one.

Looks like a pneumatic power chuck too, which explains a lot of the extra wiring and possibly the small PSU.
Mine had one too ( and a pneumatic parts catcher), but I removed it and sold it to pay for a good standard Pratt Burnerd 3 jaw, as I don't do production work.

It also has mist coolant, as does mine.

I assume that the big black tube above the motor is a ballast resistor for the motor brake?

Does it have a tailstock? I have just had to make one, they are as rare as hens teeth.

Well worth the money, you have all the raw material there, just requires rewiring, but does your friend want to do the work involved?

regards

It had an expensive upgrade not so long ago, so has aspects of both.

Hi Andy

A friend of mine has been offered a Boxford 240 lathe for £1000.

If it is in good condition, take it, he can always sell on Ebay for more than that

He is dithering because the existing CAD/CAM software is licensed for educational use only.
(He wants to use the lathe as part of a small business he has making security products)

Boxford are notoriously difficult to deal with, they are only interested in supplying packages to educational establishments and will not entertain private individuals.

Does anyone know how easy it is to run this lathe through the serial port without using the Boxford software?

If the lathe is 1980s - early 1990s as it probably is, the software is proprietary, quite restricted and rather old (it may not even run on anything above Windows98 or even just DOS).
The serial connection may require a dongle and to run from something else would require a lot of reverse software engineering, which is probably not the way to go.

The 160TCL I converted had a 25 pin serial connector and I just used it to connect to the BOB!

How difficult is an EMC2 conversion?

There are several variants of the 240, if it is the straight 240 TCL which it almost certainly is because it comes with Boxford software, it is just an inflated version of the 160 TCL.

Therefore it is a stepper powered, probably Parker Digiplan SD2 or SD3 stepper drivers, 2 pickups on the spindle disc for index and pulse, good heavy transformer and rectifier bridge, DC spindle motor with a GEC speed controller and FWD and REV via a reversing contactor.

If he is lucky and it is a new, just pre 250 TCL lathe, it may have a Mitsubitshi inverter and 3 phase spindle motor. Even easier to convert.

In other words a prime candidate for conversion, even just using the original equipment.

There was a Fanuc version which I have, the 240F with AC servos, 3 phase supply and Fanuc OT mate controller.
I have seen a Heidenhain T150 version but don't know if it is original.

With your assistance I am sure conversion is the way to go, just depends if he has the time or simply wants a machine that runs out of the box.

If he decides to convert I am quite happy to assist where I can.

regards

A friend of mine has been offered a Boxford 240 lathe for £1000.
He is dithering because the existing CAD/CAM software is licensed for educational use only.
(He wants to use the lathe as part of a small business he has making security products)

Does anyone know how easy it is to run this lathe through the serial port without using the Boxford software?

How difficult is an EMC2 conversion?

Testing continues on metal - working well, with one unforeseen exception in the <g71> sub

If turning a profile which incorporates a large taper, from a billet whose diameter is considerably greater than the finished diameter
( I was turning a large stub arbour on a R8 tapered shank from a 45mm diam. billet)
the built in limiting of fresh air cuts will lead to gouging when the large end of the taper gets down below the 'fresh air' limit because the taper will be considerably steeper than the finished angle.

Have removed the code from o710 helper sub and amended the g71 code to use whichever X value is larger for retraction, as the tool will be now starting well above the [diam+clearance] value.

Zip updated.

Apologies to anyone who downloaded before I posted this.

I made a zip of the wrong directory and omitted 4 crucial helper subs.

.zip file as above now contains all files, please download again.

PS

Found another gotcha

<toolchange> had commented out M6Tn sequence for running in sim and wasn't reinstated, now corrected.

Hi

I have been busily converting the template files and subs I have used for some time into ngcgui subs.

I have taken a modular, lego block, approach to this, intending that the user strings a series of subs together to build the full program.

Whilst I have titled this Metric lathe subs, the only metric setting is G21 in <start>
The subs do not make any assumptions or add any clearances etc. internally, other than those provided through the gui,
so they will work in any unit base

The main feature of these subs, is the ability to enter a finished profile path in terms of G01, G02 and G03 X, Z and R codes and the g71 / g72 routines will read it, work out deepest cuts required ( X and Z respectively), offset the start point by the required amount and then cut the profile in a decrementing series of loops until finished ( or finishing) dimensions are reached.
The main limiting factor is the tool profile.

All is explained fully in the README with the files.

You need to understand the ngcgui from a users perspective, to make the best of these routines. Please read Deweys notes.

The easiest way to use these subs, is to write a simple program which just traces the profile you want and load in Axis.
If the plot is what you want, copy it into the fields of the <path> sub(s)
The loop will start after a move to X[diameter + clearance] Z[startZ] and will return to these points after each loop,
so these need to be correctly entered in <start> and your code needs to finish at co-ordinates where this can be reached without collision.

Only 2 subs can be duplicated as new instances ( <moveto> and <toolchange> )
The cutting subs are for the most part split into roughing and finishing routines to allow a toolchange to be inserted between.

Usual caveats, not warranted fit for any purpose, check the plot and run in simulation first.
Programs based solely upon subs can be very difficult to debug or to spot potential problems easily.

Hope someone finds them useful.

(File now in later post)

andypugh wrote:

forhire wrote:

X21 is fine, and means move X to 21 (mm in this case).
To move to X=0.0021 you put X 0.0021.
I see no point using decimal points when there are no places of decimals.

Thanks for clarifying that. My Mori requires the decimal... so that is how my plotter is setup.

forhire wrote:

N15 and N56 appear to be missing the decimal point also.
...
N15 G0Z37.X21.
N56 G1X80.

Does emc2 interpret those values as x21 or x0.0021?

I don't think that those decimal points should be there at all.

X21 is fine, and means move X to 21 (mm in this case).
To move to X=0.0021 you put X 0.0021.
I see no point using decimal points when there are no places of decimals.

Glad you solved it.

While I was pouring over your original code I found that N15 and N56 appear to be missing the decimal point also. It's a small thing.

N15 G0Z37.X21
N56 G1X80

Should likely be:

N15 G0Z37.X21.
N56 G1X80.

Does emc2 interpret those values as x21 or x0.0021?

SOLVED!
The error:
N39 G3 X54.7 Z40.2 I2.2 K0. - Original
N39 G3 X54.9 Z40.2 I2.2 K0. - HAS TO BE
so as the starting point calculated from previos position:
N37 G2 X50.5 Z36.5 I0. K5.
N38 G1 Z38.
X=50.5
Z=38
The end point for X = 2.2*2+50.5=4.4+50.5=54.9
The end point for Z = 38+2.2=40.2
Hence the G3 command looks like:
G3 X54.9 Z40.2 I2.2 K0.
The lathe behave itself strange in THIS point.
Please, correct the sintax interpritator in EMC 2.5. PLEASE!

The thing is, we still have no idea what the original problem is..

aike wrote:

I corrected the code, remove all comments.

Remove the changes I posted earlier! They are not correct! My back plotter was NOT in G7 mode. Use your original code. Thankfully, andypugh caught my mistake

Like andypugh said... add G7 to your original code and it should run properly.

linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gcode_main.html#sec:G7-Diameter-Mode

You need a G7 to put it in lathe mode, or the arcs don't work.