Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
- tommylight
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10 Jan 2021 20:45 #194776
by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
Round tube.
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- robertspark
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10 Jan 2021 21:09 - 10 Jan 2021 21:10 #194779
by robertspark
Replied by robertspark on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
for round tube I just use one of these with a bracket to hang it underneath / supported to my table + allow me to square it.
i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AwgAAOSwUY9dPzvk/s-l1600.jpg
with a bit of an uprated stepper motor (nema 23, 4.2A, 3.1Nm)
www.cnc4you.co.uk/Stepper-Motor/Nema23-3...Nm-60BYGH301B-Nema23
I don't do a lot of tube, but it works fine for my hobbist needs (beats an angle grinder + flapdisc / file....)
i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AwgAAOSwUY9dPzvk/s-l1600.jpg
with a bit of an uprated stepper motor (nema 23, 4.2A, 3.1Nm)
www.cnc4you.co.uk/Stepper-Motor/Nema23-3...Nm-60BYGH301B-Nema23
I don't do a lot of tube, but it works fine for my hobbist needs (beats an angle grinder + flapdisc / file....)
Last edit: 10 Jan 2021 21:10 by robertspark.
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10 Jan 2021 21:13 #194780
by rodw
Replied by rodw on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
So anyway, back to the original question. I think to use the Sheetcam rotary plugin for square tube, you probably would be best not using Plasmac so you have gcode control of the Z axis. start the torch with the spindle.0.on signal, and do the probing in Gcode using a touch off routine. BigJohn has an example on his web site gnipsel.com if you can't work it out.
You won't need a THC or any fancy features so a standard axis config would do the job for you.
You won't need a THC or any fancy features so a standard axis config would do the job for you.
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10 Jan 2021 21:17 #194781
by rodw
Robert is that a 4 jaw self centring chuck? They would be perfect for square tube.
Replied by rodw on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
for round tube I just use one of these with a bracket to hang it underneath / supported to my table + allow me to square it.
i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AwgAAOSwUY9dPzvk/s-l1600.jpg
with a bit of an uprated stepper motor (nema 23, 4.2A, 3.1Nm)
www.cnc4you.co.uk/Stepper-Motor/Nema23-3...Nm-60BYGH301B-Nema23
I don't do a lot of tube, but it works fine for my hobbist needs (beats an angle grinder + flapdisc / file....)
Robert is that a 4 jaw self centring chuck? They would be perfect for square tube.
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- robertspark
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10 Jan 2021 23:23 - 10 Jan 2021 23:24 #194808
by robertspark
yes that is why I got it / went with the 4 jaw self-centring. (also better with thinner wall tube)
I've not tried it with square tube.... but it was a nice to have / just in case feature.
Replied by robertspark on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
Robert is that a 4 jaw self centring chuck? They would be perfect for square tube.
yes that is why I got it / went with the 4 jaw self-centring. (also better with thinner wall tube)
I've not tried it with square tube.... but it was a nice to have / just in case feature.
Last edit: 10 Jan 2021 23:24 by robertspark.
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10 Jan 2021 23:26 #194809
by phillc54
It would be easy enough to add an option in the gcode parser for a magic comment to not remove Z axis motion commands.
Replied by phillc54 on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
you probably would be best not using Plasmac so you have gcode control of the Z axis.
It would be easy enough to add an option in the gcode parser for a magic comment to not remove Z axis motion commands.
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10 Jan 2021 23:31 #194810
by rodw
That would be cool. But some way the Sheetcam post could set that without changing the post processor would be even better. I don't know the Sheetcam rotary. does it have a different post?
I wonder if a cutting rule could be used to insert the comment?
Replied by rodw on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
you probably would be best not using Plasmac so you have gcode control of the Z axis.
It would be easy enough to add an option in the gcode parser for a magic comment to not remove Z axis motion commands.
That would be cool. But some way the Sheetcam post could set that without changing the post processor would be even better. I don't know the Sheetcam rotary. does it have a different post?
I wonder if a cutting rule could be used to insert the comment?
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- robertspark
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11 Jan 2021 00:32 #194826
by robertspark
Replied by robertspark on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
Just looking at sheetcam now there actually is a LinuxCNC Plasma Rotary post processor listed:
--************************************************
--*** Set these values up to suit your machine ***
--scriber axis.
--scriberAxis = "B"
scriberAxis = "Z"
--If this value is set to true then use G28 (home) for the Z reference
--Set it to false for G31 probe
refHome = true
--rotary axis. Normally this would be "A"
rotaryAxis = "A"
--Number of units for one full revolution of the rotary axis
--Note: In Mach3 the axis should be defined as linear, not rotary!
unitsPerRev=360
-- Rapids will move the shortest distance to the next cut but may cause machines with limited rotation
-- to 'wind up'. Set this to 0 to disable optimisation.
--defaults to 1 if not defined
optimiseRapids = 1
--************************************************
--*** End of settings ***
--************************************************
function OnAbout(event)
ctrl = event:GetTextCtrl()
ctrl:AppendText("Post for rotary-plasma plugin LinuxCNC plasma\n")
ctrl:AppendText("\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Modal G-codes and coordinates\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Comments enclosed with ( and )\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Incremental IJ\n")
end
-- revision 3/2/07
-- Removed final safety move. This is now done in SheetCam
-- revision 7/10/04
-- Added new arc handling
-- Created 30/3/2005
-- based on Mach2.post
function OnInit()
post.SetCommentChars ("()", "[]") --make sure ( and ) characters do not appear in system text
post.Text (" (Filename: ", fileName, ")\n")
post.Text (" (Post processor: ", postName, ")\n")
post.Text (" (Date: ", date, ")\n")
if(scale == metric) then
post.Text (" G21 (Units: Metric)\n") --metric mode
else
post.Text (" G20 (Units: Inches)\n") --inch mode
end
post.Text (" G40 G90\n F1 S1\n")
bigArcs = 1 --stitch arc segments together
minArcSize = 0.05 --arcs smaller than this are converted to moves
end
function OnNewLine()
post.Text ("N")
post.Number (lineNumber, "0000")
lineNumber = lineNumber + 10
end
function OnFinish()
post.Text (" M05 M30\n")
end
function OnRapid()
post.ModalText (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Z", (endZ + toolOffset) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" " .. rotaryAxis, endA, "0.0000")
post.Eol()
end
function OnMove()
post.ModalText (" G01")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Z", (endZ + toolOffset) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" " .. rotaryAxis, endA, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" F", feedRate * scale, "0.###")
post.Eol()
end
function OnArc()
local radius = math.hypot(currentX - arcCentreX, currentY - arcCentreY)
dist = dist + radius * math.abs(arcAngle)
if(arcAngle <0) then
post.ModalText (" G03")
else
post.ModalText (" G02")
end
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
if(offZ) then
post.ModalNumber (" " .. currentZAxis, (endZ + offZ) * scale, "0.0000")
end
post.Text (" I")
post.Number ((arcCentreX - currentX) * scale, "0.0000")
post.Text (" J")
post.Number ((arcCentreY - currentY) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" " .. rotaryAxis, endA, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" F", feedRate * scale, "0.0###")
post.Eol()
end
function OnPenDown()
local matZ = sc.QueryDll(qryCHKEND, endY, dllId)
post.NonModalNumber(" o<touchoff> call [" ,(pierceHeight + matZ) * scale ,"0.000" )
post.Text ("] ")
post.NonModalNumber("[", pierceDelay * scale, "0.##")
post.Text ("] ")
post.NonModalNumber("[", cutHeight * scale, "0.##")
post.Text ("] (Touchoff and start cutting)\n")
post.NonModalNumber (" F", feedRate * scale, "0.###")
post.Eol()
end
function OnPenUp()
post.Text (" M05\n")
if (endDelay > 0) then
post.Text (" G04 P")
post.Number (endDelay,"0.###")
post.Eol()
end
end
function OnNewOperation()
post.Text (" (Operation: ", operationName, ")\n")
end
function OnComment()
post.Text(" (",commentText,")\n")
end
function OnNewPart()
post.Text(" (Part: ",partName,")\n");
end
function OnDrill()
OnRapid()
OnPenDown()
endZ = drillZ
OnMove()
OnPenUp()
endZ = safeZ
OnRapid()
end
function OnFinish()
post.Text ("G92.1 (Cancel offsets and set to zero)\n")
post.Text ("G0 Z0\n")
post.Text ("M2\n")
post.Text ("%\n")
end
--Set this to the number of units for one full revolution of the A axis. For example 360 = 360 degrees.
unitsPerRev=360
package.path = sc.Globals:Get().thisDir .. "/plugins/RotaryPlasma/?.lua"
require("rotaryhelper")
--change this to 1 if your machine is a robot
--defaults to 0
isRobot = 0
--maximum error when converting arcs to multiple line segments.
--Smaller numbers give better resolution but larger code size.
--defaults to 0.1
arcResolution = 0.1
-- Rapids will move the shortest distance to the next cut but may cause machines with limited rotation
-- to 'wind up'. Set this to 0 to disable optimisation.
--defaults to 1
optimiseRapids = 0
--Set this to false if your code does not do a reference cycle
ignorePierceHeightMove = true
function OnArc()
post.ArcAsMoves(0.1)
end
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11 Jan 2021 01:00 #194835
by rodw
If you look at onPenDown it requires a touchoff routine in a seperate gcode file. You can grab BigJohn's from here:
gnipsel.com/shop/plasma/plasma.xhtml
This will get you going but you can improve on this by probing back away form the material (check the gcode docs).
Replied by rodw on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
Just looking at sheetcam now there actually is a LinuxCNC Plasma Rotary post processor listed:
If you look at onPenDown it requires a touchoff routine in a seperate gcode file. You can grab BigJohn's from here:
gnipsel.com/shop/plasma/plasma.xhtml
This will get you going but you can improve on this by probing back away form the material (check the gcode docs).
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11 Jan 2021 11:11 #194878
by phillc54
Replied by phillc54 on topic Rotary cutting square tube with PlasmaC?
I put a magic comment in the QtPlasmaC gcode parser, so if anyone is game they can give it a try, it is called #<keep-z-motion>
#<keep-z-motion> = 1, you can make z axis moves and qtplasmac will NOT make the initial Z move
#<keep-z-motion> = anything else, it behaves as existing
if it is not in the gcode file it means it behaves as existing
#<keep-z-motion> = 1, you can make z axis moves and qtplasmac will NOT make the initial Z move
#<keep-z-motion> = anything else, it behaves as existing
if it is not in the gcode file it means it behaves as existing
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