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Rotating indexer 90 degrees

mwoodzork
Participant

Rotating indexer 90 degrees

mwoodzork
Participant
Participant

Hi,

 

I am using a Shopbot PRS Alpha with indexer to create 4 sided blocks with intricate patterns on each face. I have modeled the block in Fusion (excellent modeling tools) and gone through the many posts on 4th axis rotation but seem to be getting code that makes no sense.  I expect to see an M5 command somewhere in the code to tell the indexer to rotate 90 but there is no M5 command. I have checked 4th axis in the post processor dialog so i am puzzled that there is no m5 command. 

 

Is there anyone with experience using the shopbot indexer with Fusion?

 

Thanks

 

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daniel_lyall
Mentor
Mentor

M5 is spindle off


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Daniel Lyall
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mwoodzork
Participant
Participant

From the programming manual

 

M5

Move 5 Axis  new-X, new-Y, new Z, new-A, new-B

 

So I am looking for M5 ,,,,90

 

Looking through the code now line by line to see what is going on. It must be using another command. 

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Steinwerks
Mentor
Mentor
The screenshot you posted makes it seems as though your rotation has no shared axis. Which axis does the rotary rotate about? The usual is either Y or X (X being more common).
Neal Stein

New to Fusion 360 CAM? Click here for an introduction to 2D Milling, here for 2D Turning.

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Stuart-H
Collaborator
Collaborator

From your prog ref 

M5 , could mean correctly stop spindle 

 

next line move axis

 

question is is this a manual indexer that you ( the operator ) rotates or is it powered 

 

I am thinking it's like a spindex not a true 4th 

 

i am am not familiar with a shopbot so I may be wrong but that snippet tells me that they are being safe and stopping the spindle 

 

A 90.   is the normal axis rotation command for A

 

Stuart

Mac Studio M1Max and MacBook Pro M1
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Anonymous
Not applicable

Fusion 360's 3+1 and 3+2 CAM are currently preview features and must be enabled by navigating to preferences and selecting the preview tab - where you can enable the Tool Orientation Feature.

 

2016-09-21_8-32-33.jpg

 

With Tool Orientation enabled you will begin to see the Tool Orientation tab in each of your CAM operations, which will allow you to establish a different coordinate system relative to your initial setup.

 

 2016-09-21_8-34-50.jpg2016-09-21_8-50-21.jpg

 

Now with operations using an alternative tool orientation, and the fourAxis property in your post processor set to Yes, your posted files will contain a J5 command at their start which will rotate your B axis into a new tool orientation (B is ShopBot's default rotary axis). Make sure that you are maintaining continuity in your home position between tool orientations, and if the bAxisTurnsAroundX property is set to Yes, make sure that your tool orientations are moving around the X axis of your setup (this is dependent on how your indexer is oriented on your tool).

 

The example below was copied from a file where I used the same tool orientation as my initial setup - resulting in a B-axis move of 0:

 

SA
IF %(25)=1 THEN GOTO UNIT_ERROR
&PWMaterial = 3
&PWZorigin = Part Surface

' Face3
J5, , , , , 0
TR, 14000
C6
PAUSE 2
J3, 3.325, 0.1838, 0.6
J3, 3.325, 0.1838, 0.2
MS, 2, 2
M3, 3.325, 0.1838, -0.0358
...

 

Notice how the J5 is posted before both a C6 (spindle on) and the initial jogs to safe-Z heights - so just be careful in where your tool is located relative to your stock and indexer.

 

I hope the helps!

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