Adjustment of Safe height

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JamZ00
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri 13 Apr , 2012 15:50 pm
Hardware/Software: CNC Vertical Router

Adjustment of Safe height

Post by JamZ00 » Fri 12 Apr , 2013 8:32 am

I have been experiencing some difficulties when cutting components on the vertical router using QuickCAM 2d software. When cutting out several large components on one sheet the tool does not fully raise up out of the material and cuts an unwanted channel when the machine moves to the next component. I have around 14 students cutting out furniture components out of 18mm MDF and some of them haven't had this problem although all of them are following the same proceedure when setting up the programme.

I have checked the other posts similar on the forum and they don't seem to answer my issue, i'm using a 12.7mm cutter and taking several passes to get down to a depth of 18mm. Each component is done separately down to 7mm then 14mm and a final pass.

Not sure why this is only happening on some and not others....what can i do to resolve this?

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Denford Admin
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Re: Adjustment of Safe height

Post by Denford Admin » Fri 12 Apr , 2013 9:02 am

It sounds like the sheet is lifting up off the bed - how're you holding down the MDF ?
This post is also relevant for QuickCAM 2D - just make sure you backup the old .ppl file you are using first (probably Denford (Metric).ppl)
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2852
You can then get the programs to lift out a bit further between cuts.
HTH

JamZ00
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri 13 Apr , 2012 15:50 pm
Hardware/Software: CNC Vertical Router

Re: Adjustment of Safe height

Post by JamZ00 » Fri 12 Apr , 2013 11:31 am

It sounds like the sheet is lifting up off the bed - how're you holding down the MDF ?


We have a 25mm MDF sacrificial board mounted to the T slots in the machine bed with bolts and the 18mm MDF workpiece is screwed directly to it. I'm not entirely convinced that there would be that amount of flex in the 18mm board especially where it is close to the screws....having said that, on closer inspection the depth of the 'cut' does vary from around 5mm at the beginning of the movement to more like 3mm before plunging for the next cut which suggests to me that the tool is not coming up quickly enough before movement commences.

I have (hopefully) attached an image to help convey the scale i,m working at the board is 800 x 1220 x 18mm

does this shed any more light on things?
Attachments
safe height.jpg
safe height.jpg (445.32 KiB) Viewed 10915 times

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Denford Admin
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Posts: 3632
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Hardware/Software: Go to User Control Panel > Profile
Enter as much information about your CNC hardware and software as you can - it makes it easier for everyone to know what you're talking about then.
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Re: Adjustment of Safe height

Post by Denford Admin » Fri 12 Apr , 2013 11:42 am

From that image I'd have to say that the Z0 / datum position is set wrongly somehow.
If you jog the axes to the centre of the board and down to Z0.000, where is the end of the cutter ? It should be just touching the board.
Maybe the tool is loose in the collet and has pushed out ?
I'd look at the post-file settings anyway and see what the safe height is set to. Increasing it will help it clear the board

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