contour on Pipe

Hi
is it posible as of many Freesoftware opensource now got 4th axis to cut direct in plasmac to a pipe
or as of sheetcam also can do rectangulare pipe

i think of somthing like EGGBOT for sculping round oven metall sheets <200mm Diameter
as well as it can be used for rounding the pipe as to welt together 90deg Angular

I am sure if you can post a example G-code file of what you are after Phil will have a look and say if its possible.

thanks
things to be made like here
premierplasmacnc.com
the pipe on pipe
and the Text on pipe

while only pipe is rotating

something like this :



No need for post processor or any complicated CAD/CAM for that.
Think of it as a sheet of paper and then bend it to make a round !

Tom,

How do you generate the G-code for your tube cutter?

i use a simple NGC
i attached 2 NGC files as of a Hole and the Font cut

Depends exactly what you wan to cut, but this is a good starting point to understand how to do this (and yes it gives perfect results)
www.metalgeek.com/static/cope.pcgi

So as Tommy says, think of the tube as being a flat sheet as wide as the circumference.

When you think about it pipe cutting does not need THC action becasue the distances remain constant.
However if you want to cut SHS, you need the THC to lift the torch as it rotates around the corner.

Sheetcam has an extra cost module that unraps the rotary material but if you have a cad program, you may be able to insert a fine cut along the tube, convert to sheetmetal and cut normally.

thefabricator03 wrote: Tom,

How do you generate the G-code for your tube cutter?

Inkscape, as usuall.
I make configs for each tube diameter, so that makes it very easy to use.
Example:
Tube diameter 100mm, perimiter will be 314.15mm, draw in inkscape whatever is needed to be cut no wider than 314.15mm ( assuming X axis is rotary, allthough it is set up as linear in Linuxcnc), that is it.
No complicated math involved.