Weird indexer behavior

[Justin G]

Hi guys,
Have a weird indexer issue. During program moves, any jog command causes the indexer to double the rotation.

Example:
JB 180 would cause a real life JB 360, but the little round display on the sb3 software shows only a 180 turn.

Example 2:
MB 180 moves the perfect 180 degree rotation.

An M5 vs a J5 is exactly the same thing. Normal/ double but only for the indexer.

Any ideas?

[Gary Campbell]

Justin..
Check the [VU] sheet and look at the resolution multiplier for the B axis

[Justin G]

Gary, thank you. Multiple is 5, the unit values are weird for my indexer because it was not programmed from the factory or some jazz like that. Pretty much a whole lot of hours of trial and error got me to my current value for B. It works great for move commands. No clue when it started being weird with jogs.

277.7989

[Gary Campbell]

Justin...
Yes, the devil is in the details. If your drive was not programmed by ShopBot we can still figure out what you need for settings. First you MUST get the Unit Value correct using Move commands. Look at the attached picture, set it up, but make sure that you use SB3 commands instead of the GCode versions shown.

Zero the B axis
type in MB, 360 and make sure that you verify only one revolution (IMPORTANT)
If the clip is close to the marks (+/- 1/8") skip the next 4 lines

Use the keypad to move the marks to the pointer
Divide the number on the Control Console DRO B axis by 360
That number should be just under or over 1
Multiply that number by your unit value and renter it into the VU sheet

Assuming you are close, type in MB,3600.
Use the keypad to move the marks to the pointer
Divide the number on the Control Console DRO B axis by 3600
That number should be just under or over 1
Multiply that number by your unit value and renter it into the VU sheet

Zero the B axis and repeat.

Now type in JB,360 and carefully count the turns. If you cant count them, go to the MS sheet and slow down the B jog speed. Zero and repeat
If your chuck moved 1 1/4 turns set resolution multiplier to 4
If it moved 1 2/3 turns set it to 3
If it moved 2 1/2 turns set it to 2
and if it moved 5 turns set it to 1

Its simple math :)

When you get it working correctly, take a pic at some of the new tricks for rotary. And they said you couldn't do a continuous rotary turn using Vectric software!

https://youtu.be/9bLnP9R7bE0

[Justin G]

This is golden information. Thank you Gary. I'll check it out as soon as I am back at my machine and report my findings. To check my understanding, once I get a number on the screen close to 1, I multiply that by my current unit value and then type in the result as my NEW unit value?

[Gary Campbell]

That's correct

[myxpykalix]

Gary,
I watched your video, i'm surprised at how much i tend to forget lately and haven't used my indexer in a year. Let me ask you in your design you show on the video, could you have used a rope spiraling bit and created a spiral on your design if you wanted to? I created this rope spiraling routine 7-8 years ago to touch off the surface and go rather then calculate from center on each different one because i had a ton of them to do. (The final version not filmed that got ride of the waste at top and bottom).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSy8PGj2eDU

Do you have a website that talks about your online training and fixturing, ect? It seems this "Old Dog" needs to relearn some "old tricks"....

[Gary Campbell]

Jack...
I have numerous online and onsite (mine or yours) classes consisting of most anything CNC related. Most common, and least costly, are the online versions that usually last around 2 hours. As you probably have noticed the last month or so has been directed to rotary axes at Jim's Aspire Camp. The pic attached above is a slide form the "Basic Rotary" class. Along with procedure for easier setups and zeroing, laying out complicated designs using a mix of 2D and 3D along with spiral features and how to combine them are shown. From an application and design standpoint. After the class all of those "edgy" topics will be included in the Rotary Advanced classes along with those things I learn from the attendees.

Yes I could have used a rope bit and done that. For a straight shaft as you show in your video, the Vectric Rotary Gadgets will work just fine. Assuming you own a current copy of a Vectric product, there are tutorial videos that show how to setup and design for this. My advanced class can show you how to take your design and change pitch or spiral direction in the same cut. Wind counterclockwise for half the length and clockwise the other, for example.

I am working on a website, but for now my email will be my preferred contact method. It is in the signature line, lower left of my posts. I am attaching a clip of a "partial menu"

While you were at my YouTube page, did you see this one? https://youtu.be/24nSYX67Zik That video along with this one: https://youtu.be/Ezdx2KVvFnU are actual lessons from the advanced classes.

[Justin G]

So I got it sorted out. The resolution multiple is 10 for my b axis and unit value of 277.7989. As I mentioned I spent a lot of time getting the move commands dialed in, so I did not have to adjust that at all. lowering the b axis multiple made it spin farther, raising it less. ultimately changing the multiple to 10 worked for both mb and jb 3600 respectively. maybe the value is supposed to be 2777.9890 which would obviously be my current value multiplied by 10. Either way this works for now. Thank you Gary for helping me understand what was going on here.