On 2014-03-21 18:17, andy pugh wrote: > On 21 March 2014 15:50, Marius Liebenberg <[email protected]> wrote: >> Very straight forward really. Not a standard lathe but a custom made to >> cut plastic. Looks much like a wood lathe with two chucks. Linear slides >> along the Z axis with a chuck at each end. One X axis with permanent >> tools set up at both ends of the tool holder. > I am sure that the description is very clear to you, but I can't yet > work out if the spindles turn in the same direction, or if the tools > for each spindle operate on the same or opposite sides of the work. The spindles can be activated independently and also change direction independently form each other. The tools work on the same side so one will spin clock wise and the other anti clockwise for the same job
> It seems like you should just be able to change coordinate systems and > use negative Z values. > > If you want Z to be positive away from either chuck, depending on a > mode change, then how do you allow for the fact that the Z-axis > position is out by a couple of feet when you switch modes? > What do you want to happen when you do switch modes? If Z = 10 is 10mm > from one spindle and you change mode, do you want the tool to > instantly shoot to within 10mm of the other spindle? > > How do you want to inform the system which spindle you are working with? The change over from one spindle to the other will happen as a move to the centre of the lathe where the reference position will be. There will be code in the beginning of the job loop to probe the material and then run the gcode from there. So I envisage some python code to control the spindles via hal. The solution will have a gladevcp panel with cotrols on it. Probaly to select the right spindle and to swap the coordinate system. That is why I want to keep the gcode as one file and do the swap in some other fashion. I was hoping to use MDI to swap the coordinates. I am sorry I am not close to the machine so I cannot send a picture of it. -- Regards /Groete Marius D. Liebenberg +27 82 698 3251 +27 12 743 6064 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Learn Graph Databases - Download FREE O'Reilly Book "Graph Databases" is the definitive new guide to graph databases and their applications. Written by three acclaimed leaders in the field, this first edition is now available. Download your free book today! http://p.sf.net/sfu/13534_NeoTech _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
