I want to set up a rotary table and need to know how to configure the settings in Mach3. Are there any good threads on this forum or any good videos on the web which explain this topic in a simple way?
I want to set up a rotary table and need to know how to configure the settings in Mach3. Are there any good threads on this forum or any good videos on the web which explain this topic in a simple way?
It's not that hard. In Config/Ports and Pins/Motor Outputs check the "enable" box for A. In General Logic Configuration, check the "A=Axis is angular" box, if it isn't checked already. In Toolpath Configuration, make sure that X-Axis is checked if your A axis is set up parallel to X (if not, uncheck X and check Y or Z)."A-rotations Enabled" and "Use radius for feedrate" boxes should each have a check too. And in the Settings box (alt-6) you should set a diameter for A in Rotation Radius that's greater than zero (like ,001"). Then test A and see if it works.
Thankyou for the info!
Do you also know what I need to do in order to configure a setting for a full 360 degr. rotation?
That's in General Logic Configuration/General Configuration/Rotational. Uncheck Rotational soft limits, and check "Rot 360 rollover". .
Ok!
So far, so good. But which values do I need to set in the Motor Tuning and Setup/A-axis motor movement profile?
My rotary table requires 72 rotations from the stepper motor in order to move 360 degr. so what do I need to set in "steps per". and the other windows there?
Most stepper motors have 200 steps per rotation. Your rotary table takes 5 rotations to go 360 degrees. So 1000 steps equal 360 degrees. Since your unit is one degree, you'd divide 1000 by 360 to find the number of steps (2.777777...). You don't mention your drivers, but they usually introduce a microstepping factor (generally 2 to 10), which you'd need to multiply by to get the figure you'd put in the box.
In the calculation above I misunderstood your gear ratio; if it's really 72 to one and not 5 to one then it goes like this: 72 times 200 (1440) is the number of steps it takes for the motor to turn the rotary table 360 degrees. Divide by 360 to get the number of steps for one degree (40) then multiply by your microstepping factor to get the number of microsteps per degree (400).
I think this setting made my rotary table to move a full rotation for each line in a generated toolpath as you can see in another post in vectric forum: Vectric Forum • View topic - Is my 3D rotary toolpath wrong calculated?
I'm not sure why your machine is behaving that way, but it probably has to do with Vectric's way of coding its "wraparound" version of 4-axis milling. Apparently it doesn't get along with the rollover. Here's another thread in the Vectric forum that goes into it: Vectric Forum • View topic - Wrapped Job -> Mach3