Plasma cutter with manual Z axis and Plasma post processor

[OscarCK]

Hi,

I have built a XY plasma cutter with a manually adjustable Z for the torch, I have been looking in the post processor settings to remove all Z axis movements, I found a few Z movement values but even when i remove them there are still a few lines written.

I also want set the "plunge feedrate" as a pause value so the cut has time to go through when the torch ignites, I have some kind of understanding of Gcode but there is something I'm doing wrong because the torch turns off when it goes to the pause and the cycle seems to stop, or at least it is way longer than the pause value. The macro I had use was

( torch on )
M3
( cut through )
G4 P{$mop.plungefeedrate}

Thanks
Oscar

[Bubba]

what post are you using?

[OscarCK]

The one found on the CamBam website.

http://www.cambam.info/ref/ref.plasma

[OscarCK]

Ok I found that removing {$clearance} from the Header removes one of the Z lines left, and also zeroing all cutting depth parameters remove the last Z line but it also removes the command to light the torch, so now I have to find a way to get over that.

[EddyCurrent]

Try the one attached here;

[OscarCK]

Still seems to produce the one line I'm trying to remove

This is with the cut depth parameters set to 0
( Made using CamBam - http://www.cambam.co.uk )
( Untitled 25-Sep-18 00:33:18 )
N0001 G21 G90 G64
( move to the X,Y location of first toolpath )
N0002 G0 X45.15 Y23.0
( Holes )
N0003 G0 Z0.0
N0004 G3 F400.0 X47.15 Y25.0 I0.0 J2.0

and with the stock surface set to 1 to get the torch on
( Made using CamBam - http://www.cambam.co.uk )
( Untitled 25-Sep-18 00:35:13 )
N0001 G21 G90 G64
( move to the X,Y location of first toolpath )
N0002 G0 X45.15 Y23.0
( Holes )
N0003 G0 Z0.0
( torch on )
N0004 M3
N0005 G3 F400.0 X47.15 Y25.0 I0.0 J2.0

[dave benson]

Oscar
The whole point of this PP is that it uses the change in Z heights to generate the M3 and M5's .
Even if you have not got a Z Axis connected you need to leave them in.
From the Doc's

Important! For the start and end cut states to work correctly, the machining operation must specify a target depth that is below its stock surface value. It is the action of the Z move going below stock surface that triggers the start cut event. To prevent having to remember to set these parameters for each machining operation, default stock surface and target depth values are set in the plasma CAM style library.

Dave

[OscarCK]

The reason I need to remove all Z movements is that Mach4 will not generate the toolpath because I don't have a Z axis set, I know I can enable it without actually having it but this complicates things when there is something not working and it needs troubleshooting. At this point I only have to delete that one line and it will work fine, but I'm not the final user and people don't like doing extra things, I'm also wondering if at somepoint, when there is a more complicated part, it generates more Z lines and they have to be searched from the many lines of Gcode.

Oscar

[OscarCK]

Oscar
The whole point of this PP is that it uses the change in Z heights to generate the M3 and M5's .

Well I'm confused with your statement since if you see the Gcode that gets generated the Z axis is moved only on the start of the first cut:

( Keikkaseppa Weckman )
( plasma 9/25/2018 1:26:26 PM )
G21 G90 G64
( move to the X,Y location of first toolpath )
G0 X45.15 Y23.0
( Holes )
G0 Z0.0
( torch on )
M3
( cut through )
G4 P2000.0
G3 F400.0 X47.15 Y25.0 I0.0 J2.0
G3 X36.425 Y31.1921 I-7.15 J0.0
G3 Y18.8079 I3.575 J-6.1921
G3 X47.15 Y25.0 I3.575 J6.1921
G3 X45.15 Y27.0 I-2.0 J0.0
( torch off )
M5
( small delay - ms )
G4 P500
G0 X38.2858 Y149.7479
( torch on )
M3
( cut through )
G4 P2000.0
G3 X40.3927 Y147.8608 I1.997 J0.1098
G3 X47.15 Y155.0 I-0.3927 J7.1392
G3 X36.425 Y161.1921 I-7.15 J0.0
G3 Y148.8079 I3.575 J-6.1921
G3 X40.3927 Y147.8608 I3.575 J6.1921
G3 X42.2798 Y149.9676 I-0.1098 J1.997
( Perimeter )
( torch off )
M5
( small delay - ms )
G4 P500
G0 X-3.1 Y-2.0
( torch on )
M3
( cut through )
G4 P2000.0
G3 X-1.1 Y0.0 I0.0 J2.0
G1 Y180.0
G2 X0.0 Y181.1 I1.1 J0.0
G1 X80.0
G2 X81.1 Y180.0 I0.0 J-1.1
G1 Y0.0
G2 X80.0 Y-1.1 I-1.1 J0.0
G1 X0.0
G2 X-1.1 Y0.0 I0.0 J1.1
G3 X-3.1 Y2.0 I-2.0 J0.0
M5
( small delay - ms )
G4 P500
M30

[dave benson]

HI Oscar
What I've Quoted is from the Doc's, the very page you down loaded the PP from.
By modifying the template and PP you're got close but no cigar.
To remove the remaining Z moves you'll need to do what I've done here for other users http://www.cambam.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6682.0
Good Luck
Dave

[OscarCK]

Hi Dave, is this about the pause or the Z, I actually fixed the pause by changing the values to seconds not ms. Unless you mean I should make a script that removes the Z lines from the final file.

Oscar