Please Help, My Mach 3 and BobCAD Just dont get along

[Red Star]

Hello everyone. Im having a real tough time with a used table we bought.

I use solidworks for all my drawing.

I purchased BobCAD V28 Express to nest my dxf's

The controller on the machine is a Mach 3 R2.60 with a hypertherm PHC Sensor

My first problem is with BobCAD. The files I generate in solidworks are dimensionally accurate and i open them in BobCAD and post them and cut them and they are incorrect. I take the exact same dxf and open it in my mach 3 and use lazy cam to generate the g-code and its perfect. Does anyone know why this may happen?

My second problem is with my z axis. Both G-Code from BobCAD and LazyCAM does this. After my cut the z axis moves up to a safe height and rapids to the next cut. The Z axis doesnt come back down to sense the plate to start the next cut and tries to start cutting an inch off the plate. I feed hold and manually sense the plate and cycle start and everything works and have to do it again for the next peirce.

Im making so much scrap. Can someone please help me.

[tcaudle]

That is configured as a 2 axis (XY) system with a torch lifter . So you really do not have a "Z" axis. You will note that the MACH screen does not even have a DRO for Z and has no control over it (from MACH) or when it lifts. The IHS sequence (touch-off) is done by the PHC. Its time to A: figure out what the torch uses for the touch off sensor and if its working
B: How the IHS is triggered and what sets the pierce height . Hypertherm has good manuals and they are all available for download.

DXF files are funny things. There are dozens of releases of DXF over the last twenty years and each one adds parameters that may not work with older INPUT filters . DXFs are first defined by the EXPORT filter so that would be Solidworks then by the IMPORT filter in this case either BobCAD or LazyCAM. Since one works and the other does not you have to look at the one that does not. If you have different options in Soldiworks for the DXF export (older or newer versions) try both ends of the spectrum for the export to BobCAD. Most of the software you are running is circa 2005 or older .
Not that updating is going to change anything and Lazycam is no longer supported. it could be something in the POST in BobCAM that is re-scaling the output

If you have a dimension tool in BobCAD take some measurements of a simple object you create in Solidworks. THEN if it s right its not he DXF import but in the way BOBCAM is putting out the POST. Compare the G-Code from each CAM program and the XY numbers and see what the difference is.
The DXF IMPORT in BobCAD MAY have options because DXF does not nove things in inches or mm..just in UNITS

[Red Star]

Thank you for the reply. I downloaded the manual for the PHC and am going through it now. As for the dxf i will follow you thoughts on that and try to narrow things down. I will keep you informed as to my progress.