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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Help! how can I make my Smithy 1240 faster?
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  1. #1
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    Jul 2008
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    Help! how can I make my Smithy 1240 faster?

    Hello! I bought a Smithy CNC 1240 milling machine. The machine comes with it's own computer and has EMC2 software in it. When I program a part in the mills computer (only cabable of simple shapes) it ask we what size bit I'm using and what material I'm cutting into. This is EMC2 asking these questions. When I program a part using my bobcad software it bypasses the EMC2. So it doesn't ask me those previous questions. When I start to cut into aluminum I max out the speed and it goes slow. Do you think that this is because of a Default setting? Since I'm not telling the EMC2 software the material and tool, does it automatically assume the worst case scenerio and slow my speeds down? I know that the motors are cabable of much higher speeds. I can tell that when I jog the machine. In the end, I need the machine to move faster. Please help

  2. #2
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    Feb 2007
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    4553

    Smile

    Ryan,

    Welcome to the Zone

    I don't have Bobcad however you should be able to set your feed rate by right-clicking on Milling Tools, and selecting Tools. There should be a feed rate setting option.

    P.S I had a 69 SB

    Jeff...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 69bee.jpg  

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    6618
    Not too familiar with EMC, but there should be a setting somewhere that will let you set maximum speed of each axis. Then the Gcode that comes in gets run either at or below this speed depending on the code.

    Say you have max machine speed set at 100 IPM. The Gcode calls for a feedrate of 125 IPM. The machine will only do 100 IPM by default back to max allowed machine speed.

    It gets a little trickier too if you have a slow axis with a fast one. The slow axis won't be able to keep up with the faster one, so the machine controller slows down the faster axis so that they can work together.
    Lee

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2005
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    1662
    Quote Originally Posted by ryansuperbee View Post
    Hello! I bought a Smithy CNC 1240 milling machine. The machine comes with it's own computer and has EMC2 software in it. When I program a part in the mills computer (only cabable of simple shapes) it ask we what size bit I'm using and what material I'm cutting into. This is EMC2 asking these questions.
    This must be something Smithy has added to the software. It's not part of the linuxcnc released version of emc.

    When I program a part using my bobcad software it bypasses the EMC2. So it doesn't ask me those previous questions. When I start to cut into aluminum I max out the speed and it goes slow. Do you think that this is because of a Default setting?
    Is the interpretor (emc) overriding the feed (F#) in the BobCad created code? Maybe you simply need to increase the F# in the gcode file? If that doesn't work contact Smithy. There must be a way to bypass the addons and run a straight gcode file without the nonsense.

    Edit/ Also ask Smithy where the default settings are located. Maybe the material defaults to SS or the like. Unless someone running a similar machine chimes in.
    Anyone who says "It only goes together one way" has no imagination.

  5. #5
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    May 2005
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    Out of curiosity I went to the Smithy site. That's a nice (not so) little mill

    While they don't deny running modified Emc2, they don't exactly talk it up either

    Normally emc at startup calls a someword.ini file. This file contains the velocity and accelerations settings among other things. Since this file has been created by Smithy don't mess with it. It's interesting if Ez-Trol is capping the feedrate while maintaining the rapids. My gut feeling is the gcode simply was created with low feedrates.
    Anyone who says "It only goes together one way" has no imagination.

  6. #6
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    Feb 2008
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    Change your speeds and feeds in bobcad it should do automatic rapids.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by highspeedmazak View Post
    Change your speeds and feeds in bobcad it should do automatic rapids.
    I'm not familiar with BobCad but would assume most posted files contain some G00's.

    The reason for mentioning "while maintaining the rapids" is the override in Emc2 is total. If a user were to deliberately or accidently have the override set to lowspeed both the feeds and rapids should be noticably slower
    Anyone who says "It only goes together one way" has no imagination.

  8. #8
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    Feb 2008
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    I didn't think about checking your manual overide, would be a good idea I just never change that myself.

  9. #9
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    I will have to try changing the speed in the G code and see how that works. Normally I let the bobcad auto generate the code. I think that it may still cap me off though. I just may have to call smithy on monday and see if there are settings that I can change in the "definitions file" And see if that gets me anywhere. Until then I will play with the G code some more. There is an ".ini file". Are you familiar with this system? If you are I can give you my number, and tell you on the phone what settings I have to play with.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    1754
    what type of program is it? Is it a bunch of short line segments? If it is - and smithy modified the normal emc2.. You may just need to add a G64Px.xxx where x.xxx is how close you want emc to follow the programmed path. If you run normal G64 (no tolerance) emc touches every line segment. with tollerance it blends segments togather that are within the x.xxx tolerance.

    Hope that made sense.

    sam

  11. #11
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    Jul 2008
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    I'm at my machine right now. I will give you guys updates in the .ini files

  12. #12
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    Jul 2008
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    From my main screen, >places
    >home folder
    >EMC2
    >configs
    >smithy1240
    >smithy1240.ini
    From here it opens a page where I can change all sorts of varibles. The ones that I think pretain to me are:
    max feed override= 1.5 ( is this my max speed for programed parts?)
    max velocity= 20.0 (is this my max jog speed?)
    max acceleration= 1.5 ???
    Please help me decide what factors to change I can get more info if needed.

  13. #13
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    Apr 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryansuperbee View Post
    From my main screen, >places
    >home folder
    >EMC2
    >configs
    >smithy1240
    >smithy1240.ini
    From here it opens a page where I can change all sorts of varibles. The ones that I think pretain to me are:
    max feed override= 1.5 ( is this my max speed for programed parts?)
    max velocity= 20.0 (is this my max jog speed?)
    max acceleration= 1.5 ???
    Please help me decide what factors to change I can get more info if needed.
    Are you sure you don't have max velocity and max acceleration values swapped?

    Assuming that you are running in inch mode not metric, max velocity of 1.5 would be 90ipm and 20 sounds like a reasonable acceleration value. Max acceleration of 1.5 would be very low and a max velocity of 20 would be 1200ipm.

    Max feed override is the amount by which the specified feed rate in a program can be over-ridden by the slider in the gui interface. So if you set the override slider to 150% a F20.0 would act as if you had specified F30.0.

    Alan

  14. #14
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    Jul 2008
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    I have not changed any of the settings myself. These are factory settings. I will send you all the variables in about 10 min. I'm not sure which is which so I will send the rest of the variables to you and see if you can figure which ones to change and to what. Thank you so much.

  15. #15
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    Ok here it is.

    Sections for display options:
    Cycle time = 0.200
    Position offset = relative
    Position feedback = actual
    Max feed override = 1.5

    Trajectory Planner Section:
    Axes = 4
    Coordinates = XYZA
    Home = 0000
    Linear Units = inch
    Angular Units = degree
    Cycle time = 0.010
    Default Velocity = 0.50
    Max Velocity = 20.00
    # Max Velocity = 2.0
    Default Acceleration = 1.0
    Max Acceleration = 1.5

    Axes Section: (This is the x axis settings. All other axes are the same.)
    # first. axis
    [Axis_0]
    Type = Linear
    Home = 0.000
    Max Velocity = 2.0
    Max Accerleration = 1.5
    Stepgen Maxvel = 2.1
    Stepgen Maxaccel = 1.6


    I think these are all the setting that pretain to my speed problem. Please advise as to what to do with these numbers. Thank you!

  16. #16
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    May 2005
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    Hope you plan to fill us in on Smithy's response. I'm hesitant to recommend changing anything that might be a factory setting. Smithy knows their machine better than anyone.
    Anyone who says "It only goes together one way" has no imagination.

  17. #17
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    1602
    Quote Originally Posted by ryansuperbee View Post
    Ok here it is.

    Sections for display options:
    Cycle time = 0.200
    Position offset = relative
    Position feedback = actual
    Max feed override = 1.5

    Trajectory Planner Section:
    Axes = 4
    Coordinates = XYZA
    Home = 0000
    Linear Units = inch
    Angular Units = degree
    Cycle time = 0.010
    Default Velocity = 0.50
    Max Velocity = 20.00
    # Max Velocity = 2.0
    Default Acceleration = 1.0
    Max Acceleration = 1.5

    Axes Section: (This is the x axis settings. All other axes are the same.)
    # first. axis
    [Axis_0]
    Type = Linear
    Home = 0.000
    Max Velocity = 2.0
    Max Accerleration = 1.5
    Stepgen Maxvel = 2.1
    Stepgen Maxaccel = 1.6


    I think these are all the setting that pretain to my speed problem. Please advise as to what to do with these numbers. Thank you!
    It's hard to say what's wrong without seeing the G-code as well. Have you tried MDI on EMC to see if it obeys your programmed feed rates? I'd give both rapids (G0 X?? F??) and feed-rate moves (G1 X?? F??) a go. If they look fast enough, the problem is in your CAM output.

  18. #18
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    Apr 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryansuperbee View Post
    Ok here it is.

    Sections for display options:
    Cycle time = 0.200
    Position offset = relative
    Position feedback = actual
    Max feed override = 1.5

    Trajectory Planner Section:
    Axes = 4
    Coordinates = XYZA
    Home = 0000
    Linear Units = inch
    Angular Units = degree
    Cycle time = 0.010
    Default Velocity = 0.50
    Max Velocity = 20.00
    # Max Velocity = 2.0
    Default Acceleration = 1.0
    Max Acceleration = 1.5

    Axes Section: (This is the x axis settings. All other axes are the same.)
    # first. axis
    [Axis_0]
    Type = Linear
    Home = 0.000
    Max Velocity = 2.0
    Max Accerleration = 1.5
    Stepgen Maxvel = 2.1
    Stepgen Maxaccel = 1.6


    I think these are all the setting that pretain to my speed problem. Please advise as to what to do with these numbers. Thank you!
    Ryan,

    I would make these changes, (you can always change them back).

    Sections for display options:
    Cycle time = 0.200
    Position offset = relative
    Position feedback = actual
    Max feed override = 1.5

    Trajectory Planner Section:
    Axes = 4
    Coordinates = XYZA
    Home = 0000
    Linear Units = inch
    Angular Units = degree
    Cycle time = 0.010
    Default Velocity = 0.50
    # Max Velocity = 20.00
    Max Velocity = 2.0
    Default Acceleration = 15
    Max Acceleration = 16

    Axes Section: (This is the x axis settings. All other axes are the same.)
    # first. axis
    [Axis_0]
    Type = Linear
    Home = 0.000
    Max Velocity = 2.0
    Max Accerleration = 15
    Stepgen Maxvel = 2.1
    Stepgen Maxaccel = 16

    What version of EMC/EMC2 is Smithy using anyway?

    Alan

  19. #19
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    Apr 2005
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    Ryan,

    Maybe you already know this but the velocity in the ini file is specified in ips (inches per second) while the gcode F# is specified in ipm (inches per minute).

    The other thing that I thought of is that if you are running short segments and your acceleration is set very low (which it is), you would never hit the specified feed rate because you would be going through repeated acceleration and deceleration cycles. Only on a long move would you even begin to approach a rapid feed rate. On my router when I had the acceleration set very low, on long moves you could easily hear the acceleration and deceleration taking place.

    Alan

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1778
    Ryan,

    Did you get this figured out?

    Alan

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