Linuxcnc plasma rotary
05 Jun 2019 10:36 - 05 Jun 2019 10:43 #135925
by Grotius
Linuxcnc plasma rotary was created by Grotius
This is information to set up Plasma Rotary cutting.
Attached a modified post processor for sheetcam rotary. Rename the file extension from txt to scpost.
1. This postprocessor does not use a touch off or probe function. Probing for tube cutting is not a better option in practical way.
(In my case probing can be activated by selecting a gui screen button, this will trigger the THC2 component probe function, but i don't use probing when cutting tubes.)
2. It uses G64P0.05 for optimal accuracy during cutting.
(G64P0.01 up to G64P0.04 will result in bad rotation movement's (shocking) during corner rotation when cutting square tubes)
3. It set's the plasma power "S" in the g-code when a laser tool is used.
4. important : the Z axis zero point is located at center point of the main chuck. When zeroing your z axis on top of the profile, for example a square tube 100x100mm your z axis is at 50mm when on top of the profile, the z-axis value (50mm) can be included the cutting distance about 3-4mm, no problem.
5. Included is a 100x100mm draftsight dxf template file (flatten tube layout) that correspondent's with the sheetcam square tube layout 100x100mm, corner radius 5mm.
6. Attached picture is the output in linuxcnc. In this example you see probe was used. The probe has offset the actual cutting pat'h a little.
7. Example g-code output
8. The ini file example for a rotary axis setup, in my case axis B. I changed Lineair to Angular. But without changing this,
it work's also. Wrapping the axis does not improve anything in my case.
9. For long tube cutters you need the main chuck driven and the back end chuck driven synchroon to prevent torsing the profile.
For this option you have to modify the ini file and the post processor to adapt a extra axis.
10. Test machine for this config. It's a watertable based on-side rotary cutter.
I hope this info is usefull for our community.
Attached a modified post processor for sheetcam rotary. Rename the file extension from txt to scpost.
1. This postprocessor does not use a touch off or probe function. Probing for tube cutting is not a better option in practical way.
(In my case probing can be activated by selecting a gui screen button, this will trigger the THC2 component probe function, but i don't use probing when cutting tubes.)
2. It uses G64P0.05 for optimal accuracy during cutting.
(G64P0.01 up to G64P0.04 will result in bad rotation movement's (shocking) during corner rotation when cutting square tubes)
3. It set's the plasma power "S" in the g-code when a laser tool is used.
4. important : the Z axis zero point is located at center point of the main chuck. When zeroing your z axis on top of the profile, for example a square tube 100x100mm your z axis is at 50mm when on top of the profile, the z-axis value (50mm) can be included the cutting distance about 3-4mm, no problem.
5. Included is a 100x100mm draftsight dxf template file (flatten tube layout) that correspondent's with the sheetcam square tube layout 100x100mm, corner radius 5mm.
6. Attached picture is the output in linuxcnc. In this example you see probe was used. The probe has offset the actual cutting pat'h a little.
7. Example g-code output
Warning: Spoiler!
8. The ini file example for a rotary axis setup, in my case axis B. I changed Lineair to Angular. But without changing this,
it work's also. Wrapping the axis does not improve anything in my case.
Warning: Spoiler!
9. For long tube cutters you need the main chuck driven and the back end chuck driven synchroon to prevent torsing the profile.
For this option you have to modify the ini file and the post processor to adapt a extra axis.
10. Test machine for this config. It's a watertable based on-side rotary cutter.
I hope this info is usefull for our community.
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05 Jun 2019 14:58 - 05 Jun 2019 17:32 #135947
by Grotius
Replied by Grotius on topic Linuxcnc plasma rotary
Hi Maximilian,
nice machine setup
The customer requested a rotary axis. Normally it's a dry rotary axis. But his wish was a rotary water table. So i made some
extra work for the same price !!! Customer is happy.
the sheetcam got a module that got tube sqare and Round in Full version witch handeles the Linuxcnc Thcud component
Yes and no for the THCud component, see item 2 below for the rotary plugin :
sheetcam.com/Register/purchase
1. SheetCam TNG (£110.00)
2. Rotary pipe cutting (Receive a £5 discount if you purchase this with SheetCam)
Total : $217.43 US dollars
Thcud component
For tube cutting you don't really need torch height control. So if we look into the THCud source code :
( in my case the torch height control is fully functional, see comment's below of i/o stream )
I look at the THCud source code, i mention that this code is not very usefull for a rotary plasma machine.
What is useful is to connect in hal your plasma arc oke signal of the plasma inverter to motion.feed-hold-inhibited.
This would be the most simple succesfull solution rotary cutter machine.
This day's there are several component's designed, like in progress the plasmac or my THC2-ehtercat component wich is done and has many in and output's, to have a look in the i/o stream :
is the post you added different then the standard sheetcam linuxcnc_rotary
Yes, it's different. The one i provided can also be used for :
1. oxy-fuel on rotary axis, it has preheat function's during processing.
2. In my first post i commented about it also set's the plasma power of the inverter.
3. It also can use a second torch head, and offset's for the second torch head are provided as x,y and z scriber value's.
4. And more options like better accuracy, and trough experience no height problem's after cutting many profile parts.
The provided post processor is a very good alternative for the standard LinuxCNC plasma rotatif post processor, which is standard included by the default sheetcam install. The provided post processor is used for over year's and has cut more then 50km of pipe and profiles over the last years. I cutted about 10km of pipe with this processor, to give you an idea.
Without the GPL2 licence Linuxcnc would be less and less powerfull as today's Linuxcnc power is very, very high, top level, high end solution's can be made without problem's. No window's pc can compare with linux at this day's. It's the same vision as Elon Musk and Linus Torvalds and many other's, like the custom linux user's all over the world.
We collect and share info, data and provide example's, give code back, just as the GPL2 licence is intended for.
The extra added line's in the post processor are good to be provided as GPL2 based lines.
A quote from Elvis : " time can do so much "
nice machine setup
The customer requested a rotary axis. Normally it's a dry rotary axis. But his wish was a rotary water table. So i made some
extra work for the same price !!! Customer is happy.
the sheetcam got a module that got tube sqare and Round in Full version witch handeles the Linuxcnc Thcud component
Yes and no for the THCud component, see item 2 below for the rotary plugin :
sheetcam.com/Register/purchase
1. SheetCam TNG (£110.00)
2. Rotary pipe cutting (Receive a £5 discount if you purchase this with SheetCam)
Total : $217.43 US dollars
Thcud component
For tube cutting you don't really need torch height control. So if we look into the THCud source code :
( in my case the torch height control is fully functional, see comment's below of i/o stream )
Warning: Spoiler!
I look at the THCud source code, i mention that this code is not very usefull for a rotary plasma machine.
What is useful is to connect in hal your plasma arc oke signal of the plasma inverter to motion.feed-hold-inhibited.
This would be the most simple succesfull solution rotary cutter machine.
This day's there are several component's designed, like in progress the plasmac or my THC2-ehtercat component wich is done and has many in and output's, to have a look in the i/o stream :
Warning: Spoiler!
is the post you added different then the standard sheetcam linuxcnc_rotary
Yes, it's different. The one i provided can also be used for :
1. oxy-fuel on rotary axis, it has preheat function's during processing.
2. In my first post i commented about it also set's the plasma power of the inverter.
3. It also can use a second torch head, and offset's for the second torch head are provided as x,y and z scriber value's.
4. And more options like better accuracy, and trough experience no height problem's after cutting many profile parts.
The provided post processor is a very good alternative for the standard LinuxCNC plasma rotatif post processor, which is standard included by the default sheetcam install. The provided post processor is used for over year's and has cut more then 50km of pipe and profiles over the last years. I cutted about 10km of pipe with this processor, to give you an idea.
Without the GPL2 licence Linuxcnc would be less and less powerfull as today's Linuxcnc power is very, very high, top level, high end solution's can be made without problem's. No window's pc can compare with linux at this day's. It's the same vision as Elon Musk and Linus Torvalds and many other's, like the custom linux user's all over the world.
We collect and share info, data and provide example's, give code back, just as the GPL2 licence is intended for.
The extra added line's in the post processor are good to be provided as GPL2 based lines.
A quote from Elvis : " time can do so much "
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09 Jun 2019 23:32 #136423
by tommylight
Replied by tommylight on topic Linuxcnc plasma rotary
Thank you for letting me know, I was not sure if I did post it. Way to much to do and another issue I have since the end of last year is I will have to move soon as my house and workshop are going to be demolished to make way for new buildings so I can not expand the workshop for now and it got very cramped there so a lot of projects got frozen.
Not a nice feeling at all, but the good thing is I will have a much larger workshop, but the wait is killing me !!!
Not a nice feeling at all, but the good thing is I will have a much larger workshop, but the wait is killing me !!!
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01 Dec 2020 12:54 #190750
by marcolagares
Replied by marcolagares on topic Linuxcnc plasma rotary
Hi Grotius,
Many thank´s for sharing your work. I was testing your post doing a P (see attach) and i got it mirrored.
I used the rigth hand rule (see attach) to configurate the rotary axis pointing thumb to the chuck.
Since is my 1st time doing this application what i am missing here? Machine setup, Sheetcam setup?
Thank´s in advance.
Many thank´s for sharing your work. I was testing your post doing a P (see attach) and i got it mirrored.
I used the rigth hand rule (see attach) to configurate the rotary axis pointing thumb to the chuck.
Since is my 1st time doing this application what i am missing here? Machine setup, Sheetcam setup?
Thank´s in advance.
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