[Spinnetti]

Folks here have lots of good ideas, and it'd be nice to collect them in one place for the Tormach folks. I recommended to them that it would be handy in this "digital age" to have some dialog on their blog or site to talk about these too... Some starter ideas:

- Slant the stand top surface under the mounting pads to improve coolant drain back
- Offer the option of a coolant sight gauge (Good idea Mark!)
- Offer the option of metal way covers
- Fix the deluxe coolant shield to work with the 4th axis (current design doesn't fit)
- Offer more enclosure options
- Offer option of position sensing for 4th axis
- Offer option of built in spindle tach

[mike sr1]

Folks here have lots of good ideas, and it'd be nice to collect them in one place for the Tormach folks. I recommended to them that it would be handy in this "digital age" to have some dialog on their blog or site to talk about these too... Some starter ideas:

- Slant the stand top surface under the mounting pads to improve coolant drain back
- Offer the option of a coolant sight gauge (Good idea Mark!)
- Offer the option of metal way covers
- Fix the deluxe coolant shield to work with the 4th axis (current design doesn't fit)
- Offer more enclosure options
- Offer option of position sensing for 4th axis
- Offer option of built in spindle tach

Good idea!

One of the improvments was to balance the spindle and drive.
another was the "bib" on the rear of the table to keep the chips contained on the table and off the y bellows, makes cleanup easier/quicker too.
I would like to see an esc button that doesnt change the program position in the Mach.
I am working on table drains that direct the coolant back to the strainer screen as I lose a lot of water just due to evaporation.
I also want to come up with a smaller spindle enclosure rather than covering the whole machine work area.
I also would like to see the option to reverse the x and y axis travel on the jog controller, for me its hard to imagine I am moving the spindle when its actually the table thats moving.

Dont get me wrong, I love this machine and its worth every dime I paid for it! These are just some improvements that make it a bit better in my case anyway.

[JohnToner]

Rigid tapping.

[SquibLoad]

M7 as separate code from M8.
I use it for air instead of mist (cutting hardwood for guitar parts).
Right now both M7 and M8 activate the coolant pump power outlet.
I've rigged a switch to select between coolant and an air solenoid, but an actual separate M7 for mist/air would be quite handy.

Sensor inputs and SDK for programming
I'd love to be able to sense loss of vacuum on my vacuum clamping rig and force an Estop if so. I've had enough parts let go with vacuum clamping that this would be a high priority for me. Lots of other useful things could be implemented with this, such as CMM, etc.

Wireless Estop
Same here, high priority.
Reaching over the work to hit the estop switch if things go really wrong is just plain dangerous.
The wired remote estop switch is better, but better still would be a way to 'keep your distance' if a chunk of stock has let loose and is spinning frantically with the spindle. Don't want to be in the same zip code if it decides to let go. A big red button we could place anywhere whould enhance safety greatly.

I once resorted to flipping the 220V breaker on my 1100 when things deteriorated too far. It's a fact of life that with vacuum clamping things occasionally let loose, especially when getting initial feeds and speeds right for new projects. There is always a bit of experimentation involved with hardwood.
This should be easy to implement, just about every dust collector and exhaust fan setup for woodworking these days has some sort of remote.

[FuriousGeorge]

There is a fundamental problem in the way that feedhold works in Mach 3. Pressing feedhold should instantly stop the machine from feeding (hence the name)- not wait until the current command completes. Instead of hitting the keyboard right in front of me when I see a potential for a crash, I have to jump up and hit the e-stop. Granted, this only takes a second, but that is more than enough time to destroy a part or expensive piece of equipment. Best case scenario, you hit e-stop before your crash and you have to waste time re-zeroing. It's a lose lose situation.

This is a fundamentally easy fix for Tormach to make, too. All the ideas I've read so far are fantastic, but they all take money and a team of engineers working hard to design them. Fixing such a basic problem with the software can be done by one guy in a matter of days (if the feedhold isn't rooted to deeply in the architecture) to a few weeks.

This is probably the most bang for your buck problem that Tormach could actually address in the near future. It really is a fundamental problem that made me dislike Mach 3 from day one.

[SquibLoad]

Pressing feedhold should instantly stop the machine from feeding (hence the name)- not wait until the current command completes.

Earlier versions of Tormach's control software did just that. I'm not clear on the reasoning of why they changed it, but the capability is already present in Mach. My guess is that Tormach reasoned that anything that is truly an emergency should have a true hardware stop, not 'ringing down to the engine room' for a soft stop.

Possibly you could revert to an earlier version of the software to achieve this, or perhaps use MachScreen to add an onscreen estop. That's pretty easy to do; I've added several additional functions to my screens, such at Active Offset indicator, BlockSkip indicator, and ET shown, all on the 'simple' screen, and it is quite simple. Just make sure you keep a backup copy of the original screen set.

[BAMCNC.COM]

Spindle Light that works with ATC

[SquibLoad]

Wireless Estop
Same here, high priority.
Reaching over the work to hit the estop switch if things go really wrong is just plain dangerous.
The wired remote estop switch is better, but better still would be a way to 'keep your distance' if a chunk of stock has let loose and is spinning frantically with the spindle. Don't want to be in the same zip code if it decides to let go. A big red button we could place anywhere whould enhance safety greatly.

Is it OK to quote ourselves?

I've decided this is important enough and easy enough to do that I've ordered the parts to build and implement it (I own an electronics and computer store in Santa Cruz, CA), so I'll test this and make it work. If it works as I envision, I'll offer it here for other Tormach folks once I've got it functioning. I'll also post a parts list for those wishing to build their own.

Great thread, Spinnetti, it gets the creative juices flowing!

[S3MIH3MI]

A wireless safety device such as an "E" Stop is a bad idea. Something could interfere with it and it could unexpectedly stop the machine or worse, it could malfunction when needed.
If your worried about being in close proximity of the spindle for emergency situations, then put the wired remote "E" Stop near the door of the shop. This could be just a machine "E" Stop
or you could switch a contactor rated for the line side of the equipment in question and when the contacts on the "E" Stop are open the contactor will drop out, shutting the whole machine down.

Just my 5 cents....we don't have pennies anymore here in Ontario.
Phil

[SquibLoad]

A wireless safety device such as an "E" Stop is a bad idea. Something could interfere with it and it could unexpectedly stop the machine or worse, it could malfunction when needed.
If your worried about being in close proximity of the spindle for emergency situations, then put the wired remote "E" Stop near the door of the shop. This could be just a machine "E" Stop
or you could switch a contactor rated for the line side of the equipment in question and when the contacts on the "E" Stop are open the contactor will drop out, shutting the whole machine down.

Just my 5 cents....we don't have pennies anymore here in Ontario.
Phil

All very good points, thanks for pointing them out.

Just to clarify, I wouldn't envision this as replacing the current estop switches, merely an additional method, and would not disturb anything about the current circuit. It would be wired in series with the current setup just as the wired remote estop is now, so that all existing switches would continue to work exactly as they currently do, with no changes. An additional switch you could hold in your hand well away from the work surface would seem to do nothing but enhance safety.

Thanks, John B

[takewhatyoulike]

Spindle position sensor for single point threading.

Don Clement

"One mustn't criticize other people on grounds where he can't stand perpendicular himself " ~Mark Twain

[tbaker2500]

Don!! You're BACK!

[TiagoSantos]

John B, I think what Phil meant is that an e-stop is supposed to be an absolutely fail safe way of shutting things off. That's why e-stop switches are usually wired NC, so a broken switch or wire will disable the machine. I'm sure it IS possible to have a fail safe wireless remote switch, but for simplicity's and reliability's sake, I'd go for a wired remote too! Cheap, very easy to install, almost trivial to shield and isolate from noise and interference, etc.

[SquibLoad]

John B, I think what Phil meant is that an e-stop is supposed to be an absolutely fail safe way of shutting things off. That's why e-stop switches are usually wired NC, so a broken switch or wire will disable the machine. I'm sure it IS possible to have a fail safe wireless remote switch, but for simplicity's and reliability's sake, I'd go for a wired remote too! Cheap, very easy to install, almost trivial to shield and isolate from noise and interference, etc.

Again, thanks for the comments, I'll take this idea off the table for others.

For myself, the NC, latching relay ( as per mechanical switches ) I plan to use will have to suffice.

Others may prefer not to use it.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I own an electronics and computer store in Santa Cruz, CA

Would that be Santa Cruz Electronics, on Soquel? Don't know any other electronics stores here in town.... I'm up in Bonny Doon.

Regards,
Ray L.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Wireless Estop
Same here, high priority.
Reaching over the work to hit the estop switch if things go really wrong is just plain dangerous.
The wired remote estop switch is better, but better still would be a way to 'keep your distance' if a chunk of stock has let loose and is spinning frantically with the spindle. Don't want to be in the same zip code if it decides to let go. A big red button we could place anywhere whould enhance safety greatly.

If your concern is safety, you do not want a wireless device. There are FAR too many things that can cause wireless to not work when you most need it. You can very easily put as many wired switches as you want, wherever you want them. If they're wired as they should be - normally closed - they will be VERY reliable, and they WILL work when you need them. A wireless device might work, might not.

Regards,
Ray L.

[takewhatyoulike]

Don!! You're BACK!

Perhaps not. I was not able to post on the Tapping thread with pictures and videos of the TTS Procunier.

[waltpermenter]

Perhaps not. I was not able to post on the Tapping thread with pictures and videos of the TTS Procunier.

it's not you don, the whole site is having problems with picture uploading.http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forum_...ml#post1250070 welcome back!

[takewhatyoulike]

it's not you don, the whole site is having problems with picture uploading.http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forum_...ml#post1250070 welcome back!

Thanks. I tried again using only direct url links to picture and video instead of IMG code but still failed. Will try again later. Hopefuly the picture and video upload issue will be fixed.

Don

[SquibLoad]

HimyKabibble, yes that would be me.
Heck, small world!
If you are in the area, please stop by and introduce yourself. Always happy to meet other CNC hobbyists.
JohnB