i don't have a x.y home, but I can home Z.
I turn on PC, load Mach3, turn on machine (bridgeport Series 1 CNC connected to a breakoutboard that plugs into the PC). The machine has no inteligence, just stepper motors and a few limit switches. Spindle control is manual.
I load the g code into mach3, i find Y and Y zero positions and zero them in mach3. Then I do my tool offsets. I insert the longest tool, use that to find Z Zero (top of workpiece). Then I type in the tool number for that tool, set offset (which is now 0.00 because it is equal to Z zero). Then I reference all home, insert tool 1, type tool 1 into tool number field, hit enter, jog tool down, hit set tool offset, reference all zero and then goto Z to test offset. That works. I do the same thing with tool 2. Test goto Z with all tools everything is good.
Hit cycle start, mach3 stops for tool change,i make sure correct bit is in spindle, hit cycle start and then tool 1 offset is now down at workpiece. Program operates above the part.
So I hit stop, reference all home and when I run goto Z for each tool, all the tools are above the table. Except the tool that was used to set Z zero, that tool will still touch the top of the work piece.
I'm sure it is something proceedural or a very silly setting in Mach3 that I didn't see or know to select. Attached is the gcode for teh 36 tooth sproeck that I'm trying to cut. The code runs perfectly as long as I run 1 tool at a time. 4 tools as 4 seperate processes.
any help is gretaly appreciated. |