Odd noise

[matt_raymond60]

Just started using my older 48 by 96 PRT Shopbot recently after it sitting for a few years. I did the upgraded card a long time ago where it uses the USB cord between the computer and controller. Also learning to use VCarve Pro since Art Cam was what came with the machine eons ago when I bought it used but obviously that is a dead animal now since my version is so out of date.

The machine runs great and sounds great when I am doing surfacing work or moving the gantry around using the controller but when I am running a v carve file doing lettering the machine sounds like it is fighting itself. The lettering comes out nice and clean, no jitters but the machine just doesn't sound normal. Almost sounds like it is vibrating. When it is moving to the start position or back home it sounds fine, it only sounds odd when it is actually cutting the lettering.

This is the first time I have done v carving doing letters that I can remember so I don't have anything to compare the sound to but it just doesn't sound right. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance!

Matt

[srwtlc]

If your cuts look good, it could just be that you are using a feedrate that falls in a bad "motor resonance" range. Try some different feedrates to see if any sound better, and for best motion with V-carving toolpaths, always set your plunge rate (Z) the same as the feedrate (XY). For larger detail, higher feeds, and for smaller detail, lower feeds.

[waynelocke]

PRTs made a horrible growling sound when the x and y axis were going simultaneously. It sounds like something must be wrong but relax. All is as it should be.

[matt_raymond60]

Good to know! Sounds horrible but is cutting nicely. Happy to have in action again. Thank you!!

[matt_raymond60]

I will give that a try. Thank you!

[chiloquinruss]

Another area to look at is the actual toolpath created by that font. If you select the vector in node mode the font curves should be just a few nodes, otherwise what you may have is hundreds of little lines and that makes your machine make all kinds of "strange" sounds! Russ

[srwtlc]

Good catch Russ! Yes, if the font wasn't created in VCP, but brought in from another program as a dxf etc., you can get many nodes that then create "facets" for the letter or object profile, and that will cause the toolpath to do a lot of extra small in/out motion. Sometimes you can choose a font that is just plain "dirty", and it will cause the same situation. In these situations, you can use the "Curve Fit" option in VCP to smooth it and lessen the node count.