Mach3 plasma/laser post processer

[chuck767]

 I was looking for a post processor for MACH3  laser cutting and there is none in the list  of available PP s

 but Autodesk shows that there is one available, what would it  take to get it included in the optional postprocessors?

 Thanks,

Chuck 

[engineguy]

@chuck767 

OK, my mistake, apologies, does the code below work better for you ? If so then try the attached PP.

(6365)
G90

(2D Profile1)
G54
M63 P1 G0 X44.33 Y27.5
M62 P1 G1 X40. Y25. F1000
M62 P1 G1 Y-15.
M62 P1 G2 X30. Y-25. I-10. J0.
M62 P1 G1 X-40.
M62 P1 G1 Y15.
M62 P1 G3 X-30. Y25. I0. J10.
M62 P1 G1 X40.
M62 P1 G1 X44.33 Y22.5
M63 P1 G0 X0. Y0.
M30

[chuck767]

Good morning (Mentor),

Well it took a while for me to communicate what Was needed, but this time you nailed it.

Since this PP is for Mach4, please change the name to;

MACH4 LASER.cps

Thanks again for sticking with me on this one.
Chuck kahler

[engineguy · Accepted solution]

@chuck767 

Yes, once again my apologies, somehow I got "hung up" on Plasma 🙂 🙂

As long as you are happy and it works OK for you then all is good, re-named PP is attached.

You can easily change names of files yourself, just save the file to a folder somewhere on your Computer and then select it and Right Click and you should get a drop down list with the option "Rename" usually near the bottom of the list, select that and type in whatever you want the new name to be 🙂

[chuck767]

no apologies necessary,

I wanted you to make the change from Mach3 to Mach4 so if others were following this post they would know that the post processor you just created was for Mach4 and not Mach3.

I am just getting into using Mach4 after many years of Mach3 and it appears there are additional features for laser cutting in Mach4.

As I learn more I may come back and ask you to include some additional features in the post processor if you can find time to do that.

Thanks again,

Chuck 

[chuck767]

Hi mentor,

I surfaced a glitch in the PP.

Apparently it happens when there’s two machining operations in the same G code file.

It has to do with GO. 

As you can see in the attach photo the upper G0 and the lower one work properly, 

but the center one did not add the extra M10 commands 

for your information, the PP that Seth did for Mach3 had the same issue. I just lived with it and modified the code by hand. 

it would be nice if it was fixed but it’s not that big a deal to manually correct the G code. 

thanks,

Chuck

[engineguy · Accepted solution]

@chuck767 

OK, first, the PP is the original one that Seth @seth.madore did so credit really is to him, I just made a couple extra changes to his good work 🙂 🙂

Does the code below work for you ?? If yes then try the attached PP, it is 3 different Profiles and seems to do what you are asking about 🙂

(1001)
G90

(Square Profile)
G54
M63 P1 G0 X22.054 Y-2.035
M62 P1 G1 X21.054 Y-0.303 F1000
M62 P1 G1 X1.054
M62 P1 G1 Y19.697
M62 P1 G1 X21.054
M62 P1 G1 Y-0.303
M62 P1 G1 X20.054 Y-2.035

(Circle Profile)
M63 P1 G0 X0.678 Y-8.697
M62 P1 G1 X-1.054 Y-9.697 F1000
M62 P1 G2 X-11.054 Y-19.697 I-10. J0.
M62 P1 G2 X-21.054 Y-9.697 I0. J10.
M62 P1 G2 X-11.054 Y0.303 I10. J0.
M62 P1 G2 X-1.054 Y-9.697 I0. J-10.
M62 P1 G1 X0.678 Y-10.697

(Shape Profile)
M63 P1 G0 X-22.584 Y1.741
M62 P1 G1 X-20.852 Y2.741 F1000
M62 P1 G1 Y14.327
M62 P1 G2 X-15.852 Y19.327 I5. J0.
M62 P1 G1 X-5.734
M62 P1 G3 X-4.856 Y17.206 I3. J0.
M62 P1 G3 X-2.734 Y16.327 I2.121 J2.121
M62 P1 G1 Y7.741
M62 P1 G2 X-7.734 Y2.741 I-5. J0.
M62 P1 G1 X-20.852
M62 P1 G1 X-22.584 Y3.741
M63 P1 G0 X0. Y0.
M30

[chuck767]

Yes, The code looks good. I tried the new PP and it works great , thank you.

Now that you have the PP working perfectly for Mach4, maybe you could ask Seth to make the same changes in the post processor he built for Mach3😊😊.

Thanks again for getting this PP put together. I’m sure a lot of people will be using it since fusion 360 is such a great package and more and more people are switching to Mach4.

Chuck

[engineguy]

@chuck767 

That code should still run in Mach3, I assume that is what you were using before ??

[chuck767]

yes, the M3 PP  that Seth did still runs but it does have the same G0 issue that you just addressed for M4. 

since you corrected it for M4, I thought it would be pretty straightforward to do the same thing for the M3 PP

Thanks,

Chuck

[engineguy · Accepted solution]

@chuck767 

Try attached PP, just changed to output M10/M11 instead of the M62/M63, code shown below, is this what you want ??

(7070)
G90

(Square Profile)
G54
M11 P1 G0 X22.054 Y-2.035
M10 P1 G1 X21.054 Y-0.303 F1000
M10 P1 G1 X1.054
M10 P1 G1 Y19.697
M10 P1 G1 X21.054
M10 P1 G1 Y-0.303
M10 P1 G1 X20.054 Y-2.035

(Circle Profile)
M11 P1 G0 X0.678 Y-8.697
M10 P1 G1 X-1.054 Y-9.697 F1000
M10 P1 G2 X-11.054 Y-19.697 I-10. J0.
M10 P1 G2 X-21.054 Y-9.697 I0. J10.
M10 P1 G2 X-11.054 Y0.303 I10. J0.
M10 P1 G2 X-1.054 Y-9.697 I0. J-10.
M10 P1 G1 X0.678 Y-10.697

(Shape Profile)
M11 P1 G0 X-22.584 Y1.741
M10 P1 G1 X-20.852 Y2.741 F1000
M10 P1 G1 Y14.327
M10 P1 G2 X-15.852 Y19.327 I5. J0.
M10 P1 G1 X-5.734
M10 P1 G3 X-4.856 Y17.206 I3. J0.
M10 P1 G3 X-2.734 Y16.327 I2.121 J2.121
M10 P1 G1 Y7.741
M10 P1 G2 X-7.734 Y2.741 I-5. J0.
M10 P1 G1 X-20.852
M10 P1 G1 X-22.584 Y3.741
M11 P1 G0 X0. Y0.
M30

[chuck767]

Yes, this looks great.

I will try the new PP later on this morning 

Thanks so much,

Chuck

[chuck767]

your latest PP for M3 works great.

Thanks again so much.

Chuck

[martengrima]

Hello to all you guys,

I'm new around here and have been reading this post which I have found very helpful. I have been working with self built CNC router as a hobbyist for quite a number of years. I am currently fitting a co2 laser on my second build and while slowly progressing on the physical work, at the same time am doing research on how to cross over from design to manufacture. Since I am using UCCNC drives, from my search results so far, it seems that photo engraving is out of reach to be done on a CNC setup such as mine. Although it would be nice to have that option, it doesn't really bother me as I am mainly interested in cutting. The below is my CNC setup:

Design software: Aspire and highly considering Fusion 360.

CAM software: Mach3, (may consider to switch to UCCNC if no solution is found for laser).

CNC driver system: CNCDrive servo drives +UC300ETH-5LPT Ethernet motion controller, capable of having 2 dedicated PWM outputs - 1 for the router and the other for the laser.

Laser power: 150W 

Working volume: X 2020mm x Y 1015mm x Z 400mm.

I am sorry for writing so much, but mainly I wanted to say thank you for the great help, patience and support, in understanding this issue.

Regards

Marten 

[chuck767 · Accepted solution]

Hi engine guy,

I just realized that M10 and M11 are reversed in this post-processer.

I have been using exclusively Mach4 and today I needed to use the Mach3 PP and noticed the Reversed M10 and M11.

Could you please make the M10/M11 switch modification in this PP?

thanks,

chuck

[engineguy]

@chuck767 

Try it now 🙂

[chuck767]

Hi Rob,

Yep, that works. 

Thanks again,

Chuck

[WhiteRoomSkis]

I have abandoned F360 for laser. Lightburn is a much better option. it can be made

to work with Mach3 with some workarounds.

to use Lightburn with Mach 3 and M10/11 commands you need the following 

use the M3/grbl setting in Lightburn. This generates gcode with m3/m5 commands.

Find/replace all M3 and M5 commands with you M11 and M10 commands. There needs to be a single M5 command at the end of your code to get it to turn off correctly.

I do all of this with a couple clicks of an apple script now, it takes a few seconds per file/program.

if anyone is interested I can share my scripts. Or maybe you can improve on them.

[k335533k]

Hi, WhiteRoomSkis

I'm still trying to figure out what works the best, I would be gratefull if you share your script, I don't own an apple but I'm sure I can use it in a windows based editor. 

[WhiteRoomSkis]

I'm not able to upload scripts. message me with y0ur email and I will send them to you.