[Rich05]

Probe plug in what is "maximum z height for stuck probe" option do?

for probe plugin, hope this is an ok place to post this thought maybe people digitizing would know this, any Mach users out there?

R

[mcyr]

When functioning normally, the tip moves in some direction off its axis, dependent on the angle it contacts the surface that is being mapped, and forces a circuit to open. The probing plugin recognizes this and responds by retracting the probe in the positive Z direction. Normally this would remove the displacment force the part is impacting on the tip and the tip would return to its centered (in the probe) position and close the circuit. However, if the tip does not move enough to reclose the circuit (i.e., it's stuck open), the plugin will continue commanding the probe to move up (+Z) in an effort get the circuit to close. This would be bad if you don't have limit switches in this direction. To avoid this the plugin asks for a maximum Z value if stuck to stop the carriage return if this condition should arise. If this condition should occur, the probe tip would rise no higher than the value you enter. Ideally, you would set this height some distance just above the highest point on your part.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Rich05]

Hi Mike,
Thank you for the clear explanation. Would a similar thing happen when the Z axis is going down? Or is that much more rare not making the circut when the probe is in contact. Or is that why you set the 0 to the bottom of the piece so that even if the probe gets destroyed the head of the mill will not crash? R.

[mcyr]

Rich, are you using the plugin that Art wrote for 3D probing? If so, one of the entries you need to make is a Probe Depth value. This would be the lowest that the probe would move down the Z-axis , regardless of whether it hit something or not. So in essence, it is the equivalent of the "Max Z height for stuck probe" in reverse for the lowest depth it will go, regardless if the circuit is open or closed. By the way this value will be negative because you should be setting the highest point on the part to be mapped to zero.

Mike

[Rich05]

my part is 1.5" deep. So I will define z=0 as the mill table depth correct?

I am going to attempt to scan a whole guitar body... 1/4 of it at a time since my max table travel is 30" the guitar is 40"x25". After hopefully will put the 4 point clouds together in Rhino 3d and using a program for rhino called T-splines will creat and fix up the surfaces as client requested.

Thinking of .1 increment for scanning. running fairly rapidly maybe 50 ipm.

any tips regarding this really appreciated! thanks Rich

[mcyr]

You'll set the top of the guitar body (highest point) as Z=0 and then set Probe Depth to -1.5 (or better yet -1.6, that way you'll probe all of the lowest points). You might want to try a few tests to see what works best for your Probe Clear and Increment values so that it doesn't end up taking you 10 days to run a section.

Good luck and post some pictures of your finished result.

Mike

[mcyr]

After re-reading you last post, I realized that you may not understand that "zeroing" is setting the height of the bottom of the probe tip. It has nothing to do with the depth of you mill. If you already know this then my apologies. You'll position the tip of the probe as close to the highest point on the object you are going to probe and then zero the Z-DRO on the front screen of Mach3. You need to also define the 0,0 point on the X and Y axes as well before you start the probing plugin.

M.

[msg]

Could someone point me to the location of Arts plug in please.

msg