This is a list of common questions that people have regarding FlashCut CNC's products. It contains both support and pre-sales questions. If there is a question that you think should be on here, feel free to submit your question to support@flashcutcnc.com
How
can I run a part multiple times without using the keyboard?
You
can use the M100 or M101 command to start a program over
and over again. This is mostly used for companies who are
making he same part repetitively and need to run it, unload
the part, load new material, and run it again, etc. Here
is some sample code for you:
M98 PMakePartSubroutine L100 (calls a subroutine to make the
part 100 times)
M02 (Program end)
OMakePartSubroutine (the subroutine)
M101 I6 (Wait for switch number 6 to trip before proceeding.
Note that input 6 must be configured as "control")
(You can use any of the 8 switches, I just picked 6 since
usually 1-5 are limits for the axes)
(Put code to make the part here)
M99 (Subroutine end)
How
can I make my system run smoother?
There
are a lot of factors that go into the smoothness of the
feedrates:
- If
you are using a stepper system, check the amperage of
the drives. Turning them down could reduce a lot of vibration
at resonant speeds without loosing too much torque.
- A
1/2 stepping system can be replaced with a micro stepper
or a servo system for much smoother motion.
- There
are a few software settings that can help give smoother
motion. In the Setup..System Options Menu you can increase
the buffer time from 0.3 to 1.0. This buffers out windows
glitches if you have a computer that is slower or has
poor graphics capability. You may also want to increase
the coordinate update time if you see the jerky movement
corresponding with updates of your coordinates. The other
thing to try is the timing factor. Increasing this gives
more precision timing when doing 2 or 3 axis interpolation,
but the top speed that the signal generator can handle
goes down.
What is the difference between
2D, 2 _D and 3D contouring?
2 Dimensions, means that you are cutting out a part with
features all at the same depth. This is common for engraving,
Laser cutting, plasma cutting, etc. The FlashCut DXF Import
automates this very easily.
2 1/2 Dimensions means you are cutting a part that has
multiple flat features at varying depths. When it is being
cut, the Z axis positions itself to a depth and the X and
Y interpolate on that plane to cut the feature. The Z axis
then retracts, the X and Y rapid to the start point of the
next feature, the Z axis positions itself to the correct
depth of that feature, and the X and Y interpolate on that
plane to cut the feature, etc. Most simple CAM programs
deal with 2 1/2 D parts.
For 3 D contouring, the X, Y and Z interpolate simultaneously
to create full 3-D contoured parts. You will most often
need a full CAM program to create this G-Code.
4th Axis milling usually means that a rotary table is
involved in the cutting process in addition to the X, Y
and Z axes. The 4th axis can be used for full contouring
with other axes, indexing, or flipping a part over.
How can you do real time control
in Windows?
Real time motion controllers such as FlashCut CNC require
a dedicated clock that is accurate on the microsecond level.
Windows by design is a multitasking operating system. It
is constantly servicing multiple programs and peripherals
in time slices on the millisecond level. Therefore, Windows
is not capable of outputting the necessary timing for real
time motion control.
The FlashCut CNC architecture uses Windows for what it
does well, i.e. a great user interface and graphic display
of the tool path. We then pass all of the real time information
through a buffer to the signal generator. The signal generator
has its own dedicated microprocessor that does nothing but
control motor pulses and I/O for your machine. Because of
this it is very capable of orchestrating motor timing to
multiple axes and I/O signals to and from multiple devices
on the microsecond level.
What are the Tolerances of your
Mills?
The tolerances of our machines vary depending on their
application and use of backlash compensation, but here are
some rough ball-park numbers for you:
- Mill
2000 and 5400 +/- .001" to .003"
- Mill
9000 and 9100 +/- .0005" to .001"
- Mill
8000 Series +/- .00075" to .0015"
Some
people have seen even better performance using our backlash
compensation and taking good care of their machine.
What
is Microstepping?
Microstepping
drives are a perfect upgrade for customers who desire a
very smooth cut while still using stepper motor technology.
Microstepping is a way of moving the magnetic pulses of
a stepper motor more smoothly than in full/half step drive
modes. This results in less motor vibration, and makes virtually
noiseless stepping possible. In addition, it makes smaller
step angles and better positioning possible. The greatest
advantages of this technology are to solve noise and resonance
problems, and in some cases increase step accuracy and resolution.
This results in very smooth cut with minimal tool marks
on the finished part.
Microstepping
uses special drives, in conjunction with standard stepper
motors, to produce these results. With the FlashCut CNC
microstepping technology, the number of steps per motor
revolution (typically 200 or 400 for full/half stepping
drives), can be increased to 1000, 2000 and 12,8000 steps
per revolution.
What
is the difference between stepper and servo?
Stepper
motor control is the most cost-effective way to control
a machine tool. The accuracy is exceptional, and the price
is very reasonable. The only limitation is that the maximum
speeds for rapid moves and cutting moves are not as high
as for servo control.
Servo
control uses feedback from an encoder to constantly monitor
the machine tool_s exact position. Using the feedback signals,
the control system can achieve very high speeds and perfect
accuracy, even under very strenuous conditions.
A good
analogy is walking through a dark hallway at night in your
house. You know the way, but you go very slowly because
you don't want to loose your position and bump into a wall.
This is like a stepper motor. If you instead turned the
light on, you walk much faster because you are getting constant
feedback from your eyes as to where you are in the hall.
This is like a servo motor.
How
do I Switch the Motors off so that I can easily turn them
in Manual Mode?
The best thing to do is to just turn off the driver box
(The larger black box). There will still be a little resistance
at higher manual speeds due to back EMF. If you want to
completely eliminate this, you will need to unplug the motors.
THE DIVER BOX MUST BE FULLY OFF WHEN YOU UNPLUG and PLUG
IN THE MOTORS. If you want to automate plugging the motors
in and out of the driver box with some kind of a relay or
switch box, you must figure out a fool proof way to ensure
that the driver box is fully turned off during the switching.
One other caution is the driver box takes about 1 minute
to fully turn off due to the time it takes to discharge
the capacitor in the power supply.
How
do I Configure the Machine Tool Settings for a Rack and
Pinion Drive?
In the Machine Tool Setup Menu, the Screw Thread field is
set for Turns Per Inch. In this field you should put
the number of pinion turns there are per inch (or mm) of
travel.
For
example: A 20 tooth pinion with a 0.2” tooth pitch
would have 1 turn = 4.000” or 0.25 turns per inch.
If
you have a gear train or pulley between the pinion and your
drive motor, put the gear of pulley ratio of this mechanism
into the Gear Ratio field.
For other types of drive mechanisms, enter the number of
motor or pulley turns per unit length traveled by the axis.
How
do I go from Inch to Metric?
1.
Start with the setup file for your machine by going File....Open
Setup.....
2.
Go to Setup....System Options and fill in the Display Units
as Metric.
3.
Go to Setup..... Feedrate/Ramping and multiply every thing
that is feedrate units (mm/min) by 25.4. Do not change
the ramping rate.
4.
Go to Setup.... Machine tool and Divide your Screw Thread
for Each Axis by 25.4. Multiply everything else on
the screen that is in length (mm) units by 25.4 (i.e. axis
length, home offset, backlash, tool change position).
5.
Go to Setup....Tooling and multiply any tool length offsets
that you might have defined by 25.4.
6.
Go to File...Save Setup As.... and give it a memorable setup
name for metric such as MyMetric.stp
7.
You can now easily switch from inch to mm by opening the
original setup file for inch and the new setup file for
mm.
