[chris59]

Hi,

This is an enhanced Mach3 Mill screen. It is very similar to the original Mill screen, but almost everything can be done from the main screen, and there are many enhancements that I find handy. The screen will allow you to switch between the jog modes, without any tabbing. Also supported is the MPG mode. When selected you can either use button to select velocity setting, or multi step modes: coarse (0.001" step), or fine (0.0001" step). This is done without any cycling, and doing this does not change the continuous jog step. You can also touch Z, or set your XY zeros directly. This screen has been customized for my pendant, but those are added hotkeys for the off-screen buttons. I have retained the same shortcuts for the on screen stuff, so it will work for everyone.

Another enhancement is the addition of new tool referencing. It does not use tool offsets (although they are still supported): rather you reference the tool to the lathe chuck. In essence, you set the Z for the front surface of the chuck, and the X for the front outside circumference of the chuck at the beginning. Afterwards, when you change the tool, you just “touch” either of these features, and your reference is set. To make it easier, my QCT is electrically insulated from the rest of the machine, so when the touch occurs, there is a beep, and I can also use the digitizer to set references (otherwise you can use a piece of thin foil to detect the touch). The screen lets you do it manually, or if your probe input is activated, it will auto touch the chuck. My repeatability is better than 0.0001” when doing it manually, and 0.0005” using the auto touch. Depending on the quality of your chuck, you may want to use the same place to do the referencing. The outside concentricity of my chuck varies by about 0.0005”. So, why did I do this? Well, unless you have larger production runs, and have many tools, it is very troublesome to use the regular tool offset system. If anything was to go wrong during the machining, it is not that easy to re-reference the new tool. Say, you break your tool, and have to take it out of the holder and substitute something different. And, you also have to change the tool angle to make it possible. With this method, it does not matter – all you do is re-ref the tool to the chuck. It takes 30 seconds or less. And, yes, I did add two help buttons to tell you how to do it the first time. After that, you will not need them J.

Note: Due to Mach3 bug, if you are going to be using “auto touch” feature you need to upgrade to Mach3 1.083.046 or later version.

To install:

Unzip the file somewhere. Copy the 1024.set to the main Mach3 directory (it will overwrite the existing file so you may want to rename the original file). Copy the TurnBitmaps to the Bitmaps folder (this will add additional pictures for the screen controls). Same with any macros I may include in future. If you wish you can rename the screen file.

Download from:

http://www.novalab.org/mach3/index.htm

You will find other goodies there...

Let me know of any bugs, or your feedback.

Chris

[asuratman]

Hi Chris,
I can not download that file, webpage not found. Please let me know to get it. Thanks. Aristo.

[asuratman]

Hi Chris,
Sorry I found from your other website. Thanks a lot. Aristo.

[jhowelb]

Hi Chris,
I too am having trouble with the link, no page available.

I have another question as well. I would be much more comfortable with Mach Turn if I had jog capabilities on the "Auto Screen".

Many times I need to move the tool as soon as the g code has run and find switching back and forth between screens awkward and time consuming.

As yet I'm not able to modify the screens in turn. Anyone got a hint?