Tool change and parking position entry?

[Anonymous]

I am working on my first project and I am apparently overlooking where I can enter the items in the title. I use Mach 3 and I am using the standard Mach 3 PP. Many of my parts require different parking and TC positions.

Thanks for any help.

I searched for this and didn't find anything about it.

Lee

[curtis.chan]

Hello Lee,

I'm consulting with the Team, and will keep you posted.

Best,

-Curt

[macmanpb]

Do you mean G54, 55, 56...?

[Anonymous]

I an not sure what G code calls for the tool change position.

Here is a snippet of my Gcode generated by Sheetcam. You will see my tool change poosition is lines 90 and 100.

N0010 (Filename: Pulsar Delta Face.tap)
N0020 (Post processor: Mach3 Novakon.scpost)
N0030 (Date:16/11/2014 Time:15:57:29)
N0040 G20 (Units: Inches)
N0050 G40 G90 G91.1
N0060 F1
N0070 (Part: Nova Delta Face)
N0080 (Operation: No Offset, TEXT, T8: V cutter, 0.0039 in diameter, 0.01 in Deep)
N0090 S4500 G00 Z1.0000
N0100 X-2.0000 Y0.0000
N0110 (V cutter, 0.0039 in diameter)
N0120 G01 F50 T8 M06 G43 H8
N0130 G00 Z0.1000
N0140 M08 (Flood coolant on)
N0150 S4500 M03

[macmanpb]

I think the line 120 is the correct line for the tool changer.
G01 = linear interpolation, F50 = feed rate, T8 = tool 8, G43 = tool height composition negative (G44 = positive), H8 = Defines tool length offset.
Some background info 😉

But i don't found a configuration for a tool changer. Hope Curtis can help...

[curtis.chan]

Hi Guys,

Let's move this one to our CAM Forum, and our Development Team will definitely have some feedback.  

http://camforum.autodesk.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=3speb38bltq0bjpnbqpef1cm11&board=3.0

Lee - Would you mind posting it there?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Guys.

I moved it to here.

http://camforum.autodesk.com/index.php?topic=5863.0

[Anonymous]

Line 120 is my actual tool change. Correct. It isn't the tool change position though. I do this in Sheetcam. It has various machine settings and that is a crucial one, especially for manual TC's. Different jobs require different tool change poositions to be optimal.

This is why I don't think it should be in the post. I typicaally use the same post for all jobs on a particular machine and only change PP's for different machines.

[Anonymous]

I actually put up a thread here.

http://camforum.autodesk.com/index.php?topic=5863.0

I was unaware of those other forums. Cool. 

More places to search. 🙂

[jeff.walters · Accepted solution]

Right now we don’t have a specific way of handling this in Mill as a system setting. But you could have the questions added in the posting dialog as a property. It would be a global setting and not by tool.

[Anonymous]

I think something like that may work okay on my mill.

Sometimes I put the tool change position on the left of the job. Other times it's on the right. That is just kind legacy thing from my old home made mill though. I was just learning how to machine parts with it. I can change the positions of the parts to let all the TC positions be on the same side and in the same position. What would something like that look like?

The problem is that when the tool is at zero, it is sitting on the part. You can't change a tool like that. It always has to move off zero and sometimes has to miove up. Long tools etc. Mach 3 sits and waits at tool change before it applies that tools offset. This is often not high enough.

Optimal TC position for me would be X-2 Y1 Z1. That gets me up and away from the vise and clamp and allows long drills installed.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I can manually insert my tool change positions into my G-code. It seems I have to manually put something in just about all my code from different CAM's as a work around and that is what set me searching for you guys. 😉 I can handle some Gcode manipulation, but I am not too spiffy with much post processor editing. The G01 F50 in the snippet above is inserted in all my Gcode for this mill manually. Mach 3 has a quirk where it will simply creep to the tool change offset after you hit cycle start following the tool change.

It doesn't do it all the time, but will drive you nuts when it has to travel 3.5" or so. I could change the 50 to anything, but that seems to work fine.

Would something like you suggested come out in the next release?

[jeff.walters]

as always if you need changes to your post you can send your request to cam.posts@autodesk.com

[Analias]

Another option with Mach3 is to use another screen set that supports more advanced tool changing (Calypso MachStdMill being one) or modify your M6 macro to position the spindle where you do your tool changes. This removes the need to include the tool change position in your g-code, making your tool paths simpler and your g-code more portable.

Personally I use Calypso MachStdMill and set tool change position where my tool length touch off plate is.