Kcam and rpm´s

[auvecu]

I just finished my first CNC router and it works, but so slow. I can make the motors run as much as 150 rpm, so according my configuration I can get as much as 100 mm/min. Are that rpm regular, or they use to be much more for these motors?

Another question related to Kcam. When importing a dxf file, it imports the whole thing, but actually it draws and makes only part of the file. How can I get through this problem?

Thanks

[pminmo]

You don't say what you controller is, but rpm is improved as the ratio of coil voltage of the motor to motor supply voltage goes up. For example if you have a 7V coil voltage and a 12V power supply, you won't get the performance that the same morot would get with a 50V power supply.
Here is an excellent writeup on performance: http://www.geckodrive.com/photos/Step_motor_basics.pdf
also from my website:
http://www.pminmo.com/wiki/index.php?title=Performance

[auvecu]

Thanks, Phil. I'll check out this webs to learn on motors performances.

I'm using the Kitsrus K-159 with Pwer Supply 12V. This board can be feeded between 8 - 30 VDC, so I'll try a more powerful PS.

But still nothing with porpper importing dxf files to Kcam. Dont know how to get done with somethig I designed on Autocad.

Thanks

[pminmo]

Don't know about import to Kcam, but it is supposed to import DXF's. You can with Mach3 http://www.machsupport.com/, also ACE converter. It's a freebee that converts dxf's to g-code. http://www.dakeng.com/ace.html

[auvecu]

Thanks, Pminmo. I tryed it and Kcam does the same: It does not draw/make but a small part of the figure. I have realized Kcam does not manage the dxf file when the drawing has other than strait lines. When I get a curve, whether it draws it very small, or it does not draw but part of it. If all the drawing is made out of strait lines, the file goes through.

Could it because of the computer??. I'm using a Pentium (R)4, 2,59 GHz and 0.99 GB RAM. I guess this should be more than enough.

Thanks for help.

[ger21]

Does your .dxf use splines for the curves? Splines can't be converted to g-code. Post the .dxf and I'll take a look at it.

[auvecu]

Thanks, ger21. Yes I need to use spline lines to machine what I want. However, any curve does not go through, even a circle. If it is samll, it works. If I "scale GCode" it like for example x10, regartheless still inside the plot area, it begings but stops some point.

Attached one of them I cannot make (I hope they went with the post)

Andres
circunferencia R50 mm.dxf

cuadrado L300mm.dxf

[auvecu]

Actually I'm trying to convert a reglated surface generated on
autocad. This surface in the end only has strait lines, but in the other hand is a 3D surface. Is half of a simmetric wing, pretty easy shape.

I'm using at the moment a Demo version of Kcam, but I cannot import pretty simple dxf files. I've tryed Mach2, and same kind of problems.

Any suggestion on the way to import dxf files?.

Truly, after the work to design a to built a CNC router, having software problems is pretty desapointing.

Thanks a lot for any help.

[pminmo]

There is something about your dxf files. I can open and view them in turbocad, but the NC utilities I have don't like the format. It's not just kcam, it's also mach3, aceconverter, ncplot. Importing shows all kinds of misintrepreted data.

[ger21]

The .dxf's looked fine in AutoCAD 2007. Try saving them as v12 .dxf

No free .dxf converters that I know of will read any 3D data, though.

I wrote an AutoCAD macro that will create g-code from 3D polylines, though. Works with AutoCAD 2002 and newer.
AutoCAD 2 G-Code macro

[dpot]

Actually I'm trying to convert a reglated surface generated on
autocad. This surface in the end only has strait lines, but in the other hand is a 3D surface. Is half of a simmetric wing, pretty easy shape.

I'm using at the moment a Demo version of Kcam, but I cannot import pretty simple dxf files. I've tryed Mach2, and same kind of problems.

Any suggestion on the way to import dxf files?.

Truly, after the work to design a to built a CNC router, having software problems is pretty desapointing.

Thanks a lot for any help.

I run kcam and draw with acad 2007 first the drawing must contain only the part you wont to cut, (I save the drawing as a partlayout.dwg if you wont to keep your original dwg as is ) then explode partlayout.dwg and perg it after save as partlayout.dxf and kcam should have no problem importing it, in the options menu there are several different setting that will affect the import of a dxf. kcam is not the bees knees but it cuts most things i have attached a dxf and gcog to try, the jaquar 1 dwg is spline and the jaquar 1 poly is poly see the difference in performance I have to zip the gcods to upload

[auvecu]

Thanks for answer. I reloaded Kcam and now work better. I cannot make 3D designs though, because Kcam imports only what it is on plane Z=0. Perhaps is my Autocad. How much is 2007 version?