A while back, I tried to cut a custom piece for a customer.
Overall part is about 26"x14", 3/16" steel, 65A, book settings, 270-some-odd pierces (
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
SheetCam was happy, no open contours, etc.
Both times I attempted to cut this part, Mach3 went belly up...it didn't freeze, but the gantry/torch would just stop.
Neither part turned out the way it should have, but I was able to better salvage the second attempt.
On the second attempt, I created 3 layers in SheetCam:
2 layers for inside contours (with over 270 pierces, I was hoping that splitting up the part into sections would help keep Mach3 happy...)
1 layer for the outside contour
It still went belly up with 3 layers instead of two.
Is the answer to use more layers? Does this reduce the "load" on Mach3 for complicated parts?
I salvaged the second attempt/part by going back to 0, 0 (X, Y), lower torch, create quick hole for alignment, close Mach3, created new G-code for the remaining/missing contours in SheetCam, reopen Mach3, referenced axes, eyeballed the torch to the hole, zero'd axes and ran the new G-code in Mach3. Not perfect, but better than nothing.
Here is a video showing the G-code scrolling back and forth while it was belly up. Very odd.
https://youtu.be/uiLYFOIbqf0
Did I somehow find a limit in Mach3?
Thanks in advance,
Matt