[fusion_crank]

Hello,
I have the X and Y axis working, but not the Z. In the past I have used a 2.5 axis Bridgeport EZ Track mill that would pause when it saw a change is Z. You would provide the Z change and the press the cycle start to resume the program.
The other place this was nice was in drilling cycles. The machine moved in the X and Y and you pressed the cycle start after you drilled each hole and raised the quill.

Is there any way to make Mach do this?

Thanks,
Mike

[Alex_Cole]

I think the easiest solution to this would be to change your post processor for what ever cam system you are using and have it output an M00 with a comment that tells you what new Z location you should move the machine to. That way when the program is executed it will stop and wait for you to press the "Cycle Start" button to continue.

AC

[HillBilly]

There is a setting on the general config page for this. It should function as you mentioned.

Darek

[fusion_crank]

Alex, I'll try the M00 code.
Darek, I tried the setting you mention, but the program just went right on by. Maybe I need to set somthing else with it too?

Thanks.

Mike

[gotfdirtball]

Fusion,

Did you ever find a setting that would cause the program to pause for z movements? I tried the one mentioned above and got the same results - just flies right on by.

[aminear]

That setting is to have Mach turn on an output in response to z movement commands.
example
g01 Z -1 (output goes on)
g01 Z +1 (output goes off)

I used this setting on a router that had 2.5d, the Z axis was just up and down driven by a solenoid controlled air cylinder, with an adjustable down stop.

[gotfdirtball]

Ah ha, I see. So did you use switches and inputs to confirm back to Mach that the quill was up or down before moving? Otherwise, the XY might start to move before the Z is fully up or down right?

[aminear]

no, Mach assumes that the axis moves according to the speed you setup in the z Axis settings.

If you were doing a manual operation like lowering the z by hand and then locking it down or something, I supposed you could fool mach to thinking it took a long time. Then it would wait until it had enough time to do it.

What are you doing exactly? Maybe the forum can suggest a way.

Arnie

[gotfdirtball]

Pretty much the same as fusion described. I'm building an XY table to mount to my bridgeport. We have a Prototrak at work that works the same as fusion described. The machine pauses and prompts for Z moves. I'm hoping to find a way other than manually inserting M00 into the G code.

I'll probably be using Lazycam to do the G code so if there's a way to get it to output an M00 everytime there's a Z move that'd be fine. Or if there's a way to get Mach3 to pause for every Z move that would work too.