[tonyrize]

I have an HPR130 plasma table, it is controlled by a Multicam CNC, it was bought in 2004. The machine is working great, but the PC fried out, we had another PC we were using on it a long time ago and thought it was a working backup, but it does not allow the plasma head to lower.

Using the handset I can manually control it to tell it to cut a 1" circle and it works perfect, the head drops and makes the cut, but cnc jobs dont lower the head, they only "dry-run".

The PC is running Jobserver, and we only use the Hotwatch function, we drop the cnc files in a folder, and go to the handset to select the job, it previews on the PC screen, and we execute it. Now the job says executing on the handset, the head moves all over doing the job, but it never lowers, it stays a foot off the table. The machinist that set it all up is no longer with us, and we just follow procedure, no advanced knowledge of the machine....

Multicam said they could not help us because "they do not *know how* to use Jobserver 3.9, we have to buy the new version" - which is a bunch of bs, because it looks like everything is functional, just a setting needs to be changed??

Can anyone give me any tips on what to check to make it cut??

[jimcolt]

The CNC control on MultiCam machines is MultiCams design. If you need it to work as designed I would suggest that you work with them and follow their advice. They are a great company and have great products.

Jim Colt Hypertherm

I have an HPR130 plasma table, it is controlled by a Multicam CNC, it was bought in 2004. The machine is working great, but the PC fried out, we had another PC we were using on it a long time ago and thought it was a working backup, but it does not allow the plasma head to lower.

Using the handset I can manually control it to tell it to cut a 1" circle and it works perfect, the head drops and makes the cut, but cnc jobs dont lower the head, they only "dry-run".

The PC is running Jobserver, and we only use the Hotwatch function, we drop the cnc files in a folder, and go to the handset to select the job, it previews on the PC screen, and we execute it. Now the job says executing on the handset, the head moves all over doing the job, but it never lowers, it stays a foot off the table. The machinist that set it all up is no longer with us, and we just follow procedure, no advanced knowledge of the machine....

Multicam said they could not help us because "they do not *know how* to use Jobserver 3.9, we have to buy the new version" - which is a bunch of bs, because it looks like everything is functional, just a setting needs to be changed??

Can anyone give me any tips on what to check to make it cut??

[tonyrize]

Multicam was of very little help, and the problem is *obvious* after talking with Extratech the makers of Jobserver, it is missing the ETC M-code definitions file, but Extratech said those vary by manufacturer, and that it is a simple small text file written by Multicam. The Multicam tech I talked to had no clue what could possibly be missing, but the Jobserver tech said it was obviously missing the definitions file, which is called multicam2.etc. Multicam was very interested in selling us the new version of the program, rather than giving us the 10 line text file.

At any rate - does anyone have an example of that file??

[tonyrize]

I finally was able to get through to tech support at Multicam and explain to them that it just need the etc file and they sent it over without buying the new version.... 2 minutes later arcs were flying.