Hole center marking

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TMC
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Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

Have any of you other DynaTorch guys found a way to easily mark the center of holes with the blip of your torch with the sheetcam and Dynatorch software? I have a bunch of parts that need drilling for tapping and want to mark the hole centers by a quick blip of the torch while cutting the parts out. A guy used to do this for me with his Plasmacam when he cut my stuff before I got my table.
Yes I have searched the other forums but didn't find a useful answer I could understand for our table.
Thanks,
Kevin
Last edited by TMC on Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Talbot Metal Crafting
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Hypertherm PMX 85
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CNCCAJUN
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Re: Hoe center marking

Post by CNCCAJUN »

Sent you a PM

Steve :D
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

Steve, never did receive your pm. Not sure where it went.
Kevin
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illusivedf
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by illusivedf »

Not sure with those programs but I can do it with we-cim, pretty much have to make a tiny line like less than the size of your tooling (plasma nozzle) and, then when you do your leads you have to manualy set the lead so that is in on your cad line and not an offset line for kerf comp. You also have to put a restriction on the auto lead in lead out for closed profiles only and this will make the tore fire on the line and since the line is so small the gantry will not really move since the line is smaller than the plasma tooling. Not sure if that makes sense I just know how to do it after somebody walked me through it on the phone. I might be able to make a youtube video or something if need be but like I said I only know how to do it in we-cim.
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CNCCAJUN
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by CNCCAJUN »

I spoke to Michael @ DYNATORCH about this and he said what they do is simply put a point in your CAD program.

I would not allow leadins & I would run zero torch delay. It will should simply fire the torch leaving a mark and move on.

These should be done on a separate layer.

I'll try tomorrow . .
Steve
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

Interesting, I have already tried that and Sheetcam just says (the point) is to small to machine. I even still processed it and when in Dynatorch it doesn't recognize them as being there.
Let me know if you get it to work.
Thanks
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by CNCCAJUN »

Well that is not good . . . :(

He initially suggested a small crosshair & we moved on to a point would work . . . :oops:

I think we need to get with Illusive . . .he has been successful with his Dynatorch . . .

Sounds like a job for Leon . . . :D

Steve
Smiling Gator Metal Works, LLC
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

Thanks Illusivedf, What table and operating program are you running?
Kevin
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by CNCCAJUN »

He is running WECIM for his G-Code generator . . .

We have either SigmaNEST or SheetCAM . . .
Steve
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by illusivedf »

Yea do all my lead in/outs and tool paths and code in we-cim, I know there is a ton more I can do with this program but I never had a chance to go back and take the free class and I do most of my work in AutoCad anyways or, cutting shop for certain things. My table is from 2007, it had its issues but I just upgraded the table to all new finer pitch gear rack and added a slave motor on the x axis, used to have the old driveshaft with belt from one side to the other. It still needs some fine tuning but, it is cutting a lot better than it has the past 6-7 years I have had it. I want to do a couple other upgrades but that's in another post. Don't want to get to far off topic. I really haven't even messed with the code generator in the Dynatorch software really either, so I may not be much help unless you can do what I mentioned in the other post. I think I make my lines like .002 or .005 long or something like that just so the program sees them.
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by I Lean »

If you're using Sheetcam, then it should work the same way as it does for me. (on my non-Dynatorch Mach3 table)

Put the holes you want pierce points on a separate layer. Don't make them dots or lines on the drawing, just holes.

Use the "drill" function. You'll need to create another plasma tool to use in the drill operation--mine uses .15" pierce height, .15" cut height, 0 pierce delay. Make sure the minimum and maximum hole sizes in the drill operation are smaller/larger than the holes you're trying to center-punch (mine are something like .05" min, 1" max)

If you've done it right, you'll see it generate a start point at the center of each circle. Then you can make another operation for your cutting after it marks the centers of the circles.

Hopefully that makes sense--it's easier to do than it is to type out. :P
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

I Lean,
thanks for the info. I have never messed with drilling operations before. I will have to see if I can figure out your method.
Kevin
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TMC
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by TMC »

Ok finally got it for the most part figured out today. I used a combo of I Lean's tutorial and an Arclight video tutorial. Only issue I haven't figured out is when I import the part with the full size circles on it, Sheetcam won't recognize the circles during the assigning of the Drilling operation (after I assign them to separate layer. I have checked the hole parameters for min and max and my hole falls well within that but still doesn't like it. If I make my holes like .05 and set min to 0 and max to 2" all is happy.
Other thing is I'm doing this on 3/8" mild steel and cutting at 65Amps and even the shortest little blip of the torch still produces a deeper divot mark than I was hoping for. I have gotten it as shallow as I can by raising the pierce height to 0.5 but really don't want to go any higher.
Thanks for everyone's help!
Kevin
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Re: Hole center marking

Post by m79b01 »

I think if you put in finecut or 45a and turn the plasma down all the way that will help. Just make sure you have a tool change in between hole marking and plasma cutting. Then after all your holes are marked you can change to 65a tip and turn the machine back up and cut.
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