Partworks zero and tool change question

[stumpgrinder]

I was looking around the program and can't find how to make the changes I need, so was wondering if anyone else knows how to do it.

First, during the zero routine, I'd like to add a few seconds time between the point I hit enter to start the zero routine, to the point the machine starts to lower the bit.

Second, when doing a tool change, PW asks if the second tool is installed. When you hit "No", it asks if you would like to change the position to install the new bit. I usually say yes, then raise the Z axis to help me get at the bit. When I close out of the control pad, it then asks something like "hit enter when second tool is installed and ready to zero". After you hit enter, it then drives the router to the last position before I rased it. This is problematic if I'm using a bit that is much longer than the first, and one time did actually plunge the bit into the work piece. Is there a way to remove that step, so that it stays at the position it was raised to?

Thanks!

[dana_swift]

Lauri- I suspect you have a misunderstanding about how zeroing and bit changes are set up. The SB3 program does the zeroing not Partworks. So no amount of reading PW docs will make any sense!

When you hit C2 to zero your bit on the ZZero plate, what SB3 does is run a series of files that ends up running the file "C:\SbParts\ZZero.sbc"

You can edit ZZero.sbc and make it do whatever you want. That is where you need to put your delay request.

How to add the delay? The documentation is thick at first, but you will find the file "ProgHand.pdf" in the "Program Files\ShopBot\developer tools" folder. It explains how to customize your machine more than you ever imagined.

There is a pause command, and now you have to study the code (not a trivial thing) to figure out where you need to put it to get the effect you want, then make the change.

You can make it work any way you need. I have heavily modified mine.

Its another level of complexity most people never get into. But fear not, its not all that hard or I could not have done it. And its very rewarding!

Good luck!

D

[stumpgrinder]

Thanks Dana, yeah that makes sense that the delay would be in SB3. I figured it was something that is inported from PW regarding the moving in the Z after changing tools. For the 3D stuff we do, we usually set up the file in rhinocam, then post it for running on the bot. We run each file individually so never have to worry about tool changes and this issue happening. Looks like I've got lots of reading to do!

[mblackwell1002]

Second, when doing a tool change, PW asks if the second tool is installed. When you hit "No", it asks if you would like to change the position to install the new bit. I usually say yes, then raise the Z axis to help me get at the bit. When I close out of the control pad, it then asks something like "hit enter when second tool is installed and ready to zero". After you hit enter, it then drives the router to the last position before I rased it. This is problematic if I'm using a bit that is much longer than the first, and one time did actually plunge the bit into the work piece. Is there a way to remove that step, so that it stays at the position it was raised to?

Thanks!

This is what caused my broken bit! I would love to hear the answer to this one!

[dana_swift]

Matthew and Lauri-

That must be a problem with the manual tool change logic. I just create independent tool paths for each bit. So no problem with plunge into the material.

Try independent tool paths..

Between bits, DO NOT rezero x and y, or you will make a mess of the project, but be SURE to zero Z with the new bit!

D

[adrianm]

I use the manual tool change routines although I've modded them quite a bit to take account of my Z axis prox switch and a few other things.

However when I first started using them "out of the box" I never had an issue with the bit going into the material like that.

When you ran the ShopBot setup routine did you tell it to use a fixed XY location for the Z-Zero routine? That's the only place in the code I can see that would move the tool at the point you say it's happening.

If it's just the Z that is moving then the routine moves the Z to the Safe Z pullup as set in the cutter settings (VC) in SB3. If your current Z is higher than that setting then it will use that instead so it shouldn't be doing what it is for you.

Not sure what version of SB3 you're using but I'm pretty sure some of the earlier versions used the safe Z setting set during the ShopBot setup routine rather than the one set in VC.

[stumpgrinder]

Yes, this only happens when I export the cut files from partworks into a single cut file. As individual cut files, there is just a prompt at the begining to make sure the right tool is installed and that the z axis is zeroed. So all that is fine.

We are running into the issue where say we engrave the top of a 1" thick workpiece with a micro end mill, then want to cut out the piece with a .5 inch end mill that has an overall flute length of 2 inches. We will run the micromill file, then at the end of the file it brings the micro mill up so that it is at the safe Z height, which we have set for .5 inces. So we are then asked by the program if we would like to move the bit to another location to change out the bit. Since there is no way we can install the larger bit at the last place it left the micro mill above the work area we say yes and raise it up enough to change out the bit. We do not move it in the X or Y. If we install the .5 inch bit, and close out of the control pad, a prompt comes up that says something like "install next bit and hit enter when ready to zero". The second you hit enter, the z axis will return to the position that it was in before you removed the end mill. Since the .5 inch bit is much longer, it will plunge the bit into the material. We could run the bit all the way off the materal and zero out there, or we could just run individual files, but I would like to find a way to remove that z movement out of the program.

[adrianm]

Why not just set the safe Z higher? 0.5 inches is very, very low in my opinion. The whole idea of the pullup safe z is that it's somewhere the machine can move to with no risk of what you're describing happening.

Typically I set my safe z to be as close to the maximum height of the Z that I can get.

The Safe Z is only used at the beginning and end of the job so it's not going to slow your job down any.

The safez and clearance Z settings in PartWorks aren't used by the manual tool change routines or zero z routines in the Shopbot software it's the one set using the VC command in the Shopbot control software that you want to set.

If you really want to remove that movement (I would definitely try changing the safe z settings first) the file you need to look at is c:\sbparts\custom\mtc\mtc.sbp

[stumpgrinder]

Hi Adrian, setting the safe Z higher is not an option for us. We're working on a desktop with only 4" of Z travel. Add the spoil board height, work piece height and the length of the bit and your out of real estate real quick! We lowered the Z to .5 inches and sometimes even just .25 inches above the work piece because there have been several times the Z has topped out in it's direction of travel causing lost steps, and a ruined part. I try to use stub length bits if possible, but for the scenario described above, we need the longer length bit. Going to have to go digging around in that programming, or just use seperate files for each bit.

[adrianm]

It might be worth emailing shopbot support directly over this as I can't see how what you're describing can be happening with the standard routines.

In every place that I can see when the Z is told to move to the Safe position it first checks to see if the current position is higher than the Safe position and, if so, it then uses that position as the Safe.

I don't see why the Desktop should be working differently to a PRS in this regard but if it is support would know best.