Can't figure this out...

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comeoutswingin
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Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

Table is a 5x10 LDR. I cannot figure out why I am having this issue... I have modified it to use Early Torch off which has corrected a majority of the problem with totally ruining the parts at the end of the cut, but I still have this ridge issue on EVERYTHING I cut and I'm getting pretty sick of it..

This shows what I am talking about. The alignment of the line at the top is not even close to being straight with the other. This is where the lead in comes in at. These drawings are perfectly aligned from cad so I know its not a drawing issue. I am not so certain its a mechanics issue because it only happens where the start and end of a cut happen.
1.jpg


Before early torch off this is what I got out of my parts. Pretty neat.
20161002_170018_1478901443729_resized.jpg

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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

Send me your sheetcam Job file and I will try to help.

Thanks
Dan
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

I know this sounds crazy, but are you certain the piece is not moving do to heat right before the end of the cut?
I ask because the inside cut does not seem to have the issue. I would assume if it was mechanical it would be present on all cuts?

Dan
LDR
Last edited by dhelfter on Sat Nov 12, 2016 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

Dan the inside does in fact have the issue. I will take pictures of parts I have that also have the problem.
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

It seems much much more pronounced on the outside cut in the pics? The holes an inside square don't appear to bad?
Please email me your gcode and job file so I can help.

Thanks
Dan
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by acourtjester »

I would attach a pen to your torch and mark paper to see what you get. If it is a mechanics problem the pen tip is much smaller then the kerf and will show up better for troubleshooting.
Also increase the size of the box if your axis calibration is off slightly it will increase as the size goes up.
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by tnbndr »

Have you tried a lead out?
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comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

I've tried every possible combination of lead in/ lead out.. All adding a lead out does is dramatically waste my nozzle life. With my previous system I've never needed to use a lead out and never have had any issue because of not having one, so I have a really hard time believing that a lead out is the solution.
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

Really? I have never seen good cuts without a lead out. I am not sure why a lead out on that size piece would burn your nozzle? I can see that on a large leadout inside offset and the profile is small enough the slug falls away.
If you have tried every combination, then guess I would mount a pen very rigidly and "draw" the part. This will tell us if it is mechanical issue.

Dan
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comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

Dan I've been trying to get a hold of you today. I have some serious problems going on unrelated to this issue...
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comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

I mounted a pen best I could. You can see the the start and end points are not lining up... Now, it does not matter what drawing I use.. they all do it..

Measured with my digital calipers, the two lines are .0375 apart....
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by acourtjester »

From this test you can determine which axis is not correct, calibrate that axis steps per inch and redo the pen test to verify the problem has been corrected. When you run the step calibration use the longest distance that you can move the axis. There is an outside chance you have a shaft slipping a small amount too.
Here is a post about how to get to the axis calibrations function of Mach 3 if you are using a different screen for Mach 3.
http://www.plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.p ... ps#p117675
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

I don't believe it is an axis calibration as your start and end point would still come out correct, just the piece would be incorrect in size. If it is mechanical it must be backlash.
I would try three things. First get rid of any lead in our out just draw a square and using the pen do no offset. This makes it as simple a shape and program as possible.
Second is program lead in on left or right side then another at top or bottom.
Third is draw a straight line maybe two inches then down one inch then back two inches then down one inch and so on. Using a ruler line up all the direction change marks. If it is backlash it will grow with each direction change.
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

Did the line thing, and drew a line with a ruler as accurately I could... its off, and it seems to be off in the x axis?
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

If you rotate your drawing 90 degrees and try that will tell us about the y axis.

I would check on the x axis
Set screws on both small pulley and large pulley
Belt tension
Pinion gear engagement in rack

Looking at your original pics the thing I find odd is the lines that do not line up are on the top which if cut in the orientation pictured would indicate an issue with y axis not x
comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

I've checked all the pulley set screws, and the pinion is engaged tight to the rack. I can move the pinion, but that that point i'm applying so much force to make that happen that it is just moving because the spring is stretching.

in the picture above, left to right is X, and top to bottom is Y. I flipped the drawing but after numerous attempts at getting a good drawing I'm just getting deflection in the pen itself.
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comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

The only slop I can find seems to be in the motor itself.. I took this video with the motors powered up..

https://youtu.be/-eHegZLhTOI
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tcaudle
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by tcaudle »

Locked motors do not have slop. Either the motor is not locked (freewheeling ) or the belt pulley is slipping on the shaft. The cuts look like your gantry is not square.
dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

Looking at the video, think you find the problem! As Tom said, locked steppers do not have slop. So if in that video you had power supplied to motor, then either the motor is bad or the set screws on small pulley are not firm. I would remove the set screws from the motor pulley, and make sure that one of them is aligned with the flat on motor shaft. Then tighten them up and check again. If still has slop then a new motor is needed
comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

Well, I tightened the set screws... One of them, I snapped an allen wrench off getting one loose, the other the set screw gave way before the allen did.. so I couldnt get that one out.. and probably never will. I aligned the good set screw with the flat spot and tightened it down.. It helped, but still in a line test its not perfect....

I can probably pull the stepper off the machine and put it on the mill and try to get that stripped set screw out, but i'd put money on it that I will just wreck the pulley itself...

I'm not the right track now I guess.. but that leads me to my next problem... mach 3 is over riding my cut speeds in the Gcode, cutting one part possibly correctly and then reverting the rest to 35ipm...
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

Small set screws should have heat supplied to break the loctite bond.
As for the cut speed, going to have to get some other folks input. i have never seen mach3 override a federate by itself. If it is not able to move as fast as programmed it will of course slow down but not to 35 ipm. Maybe to at candcnc can help us.
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

At first I thought I messed up and applied the wrong tool, but I went back in sheetcam and double checked. I went as far as to reboot everything and reexport the post. The majority of the parts would cut at the 35ipm when they were programmed for 90ipm. I manually bumped the feed rate up, but it would carry over and the Z would run at the increased feed rate and usually crash. Then it would jump over to another part, and would multiply the feed rate up from 90(correct) to a percentage up like 150-200%, which would just skim across the material.

I loaded another .tap file that has been cut 100s of times correctly and it exhibited the same behavior???
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dhelfter
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by dhelfter »

Can you video your mach screen while cutting a part?
comeoutswingin
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by comeoutswingin »

I will video the issues next time I am able to cut parts... It's back to the real job time for me now.
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Re: Can't figure this out...

Post by tcaudle »

comeoutswingin wrote:At first I thought I messed up and applied the wrong tool, but I went back in sheetcam and double checked. I went as far as to reboot everything and reexport the post. The majority of the parts would cut at the 35ipm when they were programmed for 90ipm. I manually bumped the feed rate up, but it would carry over and the Z would run at the increased feed rate and usually crash. Then it would jump over to another part, and would multiply the feed rate up from 90(correct) to a percentage up like 150-200%, which would just skim across the material.

I loaded another .tap file that has been cut 100s of times correctly and it exhibited the same behavior???
Sounds like the motor tuning on at least one axis is honkered. The machine will only go as fast as the slowest velocity setting in Motor tuning no matter how fast you tell it in code. The feedrates are in the code as an "F" command and MACH simply reads them and sends the number to the program. If code ran before and not now then its a setting in MACH.
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