Emco Maier Compact 6p 120p lathe post processor including results

[DaneelSE]

Welcome to my second post processor project.

The Machine:

Emco Maier Compact 6p sometimes called Compact 6 CNC P or Compact 120p

The controller is an old TM01, so beware if your machine has a more modern TM02

My lathe's controller software revision is:

AC03.02/DC03.05

Some basic facts about the machine:

Working area

• Swing over bed 180mm
• Swing over cross slide 75mm
• Max length between centers 180mm
• Max diameter of workpiece 90mm

Main spindle

• Through hole 21mm
• Speed Range 80 - 4000 rpm
• Manual chuck 80 / 85mm
• Pneumatic power Chuck (without through hole)
• Pneumatically operated tail stock

Automatic tool turret

• 4 external tool holders (12mm shank)
• 4 internal tool holders (16mm bore)

Main drive

• 2 kW DC motor

Feed motors

• Feed 1-1200 mm/min
• Resolution 0.001 mm
• Feed Power 2000 N
• Rapid traverse 1200 mm/min

As the new forum don't permit editing of posts (I think) the updates will be below newer posts. A useful status update should have a summary of:

What's been tested, the result, suggestions or questions on how to proceed and maybe a attached file of the success, disaster and or a new post processor file.

At the moment the postprocessor is in early development and can't be used.

What is working (afaik):

• Program header
• Formatting of code (NXXXX<space><space>G-code)
• Linear interpolations

What is missing or not working:

• Tool change, Need some type sequence here, maybe M00 then move to safe position, make tool change and force new G00 to entry position
• Ending of program move to safe position, reset offsets and turn off spindle
• Drilling cycle
• Threading cycle
• More cycles?
• Update the description in the post

[DaneelSE]

I still haven't tested Mayr version, sorry. As far as I remember it only works for lathes set up for radius programming, but that shouldn't be to hard to fix. I have done a few parts on my lathe but nothing advanced.

I did have a look at the threading cycles and fixed a couple of bugs but havent tested the new code, however we still have the acceleration distance not being taken care of in threading. I think this needs to be handled for both the G33 and G85 case.

I had a look at the diagrams found in the ET120 manuals.

A on the Y-axis is the needed distance to accelerate to get a properly formed thread for different pitch and spindle speeds.

I took a few points from the diagram above and using some accelerations formulas came up with this expression for the needed distance:

A=(F*n/60)^2/(2*a)+A0, where F is the threadpitch (mm) and n spindle speed (rpm), A0 is some sort of safety margin (mm), and A the recommended value.
The values a=134.97 A0=2.447 gives a very good fit to the data, realistically a=130 and A0=2.5 works as well. So now the question is, why do we need the 2.5 at all?

That's all I have for today.