Hi
I have a part that needs more than one milling cutter to do the job.
At present my cnc router just continues on with the same cutter for the next operation.
This is OK until the machine tries to do a heavy rough cut with a 1mm bullnose mill!
I have been splitting the job in the separate ops on the USB stick to give me a chance to change the cutter.
Is there a way to get this done?
In the machine configuration there is a `Tool` tab where you can specify instructions to add between ops with different tools. You can add a command to pause the machine so you can change the tool, such as M0 or whatever your machine supports.
thanks I’ll give it a try
I’m new to CNC machining. I expected that setting up different operations with different tools would pause between operations. So, this is not the case?
the gcode Kiri exports can only insert a tool change instruction. it’s up to your machine’s controller to recognized and support that instruction. to enable this command in Kiri, make sure your tool macro contains suitable gcode.
If the machine in question does not have an automatic tool changer it will likely ignore the M6 instruction, but you can create a macro for manual tool changing by adding instructions for moving the head to a predetermined location (or just raising it) and then putting in a pause instruction ( assuming the machine supports that ) which might allow you to change the tool and then resume the job.
Thanks for all your replies and I find the info helpful.
To answer your question, My home brew CNC router does not include a ATC.
The mechanical and electro-mech stuff I’m ok with but Gcode is a mystery.
I don’t really understand how a macro is constructed for code application.
A macro generally is just a series of instructions to be called via a button press (keyboard/mouse macro) or inserted among other instructions, like in K:M.
In K:M you just put a series of g-code instructions (generally one per line) you want to be run each time a tool change happens between operations. (For the Tool macro, there is also Header and Footer which are macros that are inserted at the start and end of the g-code file respectively, for example, these work the same way but are only used once per file.)
When K:M is generating the g-code and it goes from an operation using tool #1 to an operation using tool #2 it will take whatever is in the “Tool” box under gcode macros and insert it, replacing any placeholders such as {tool} with the appropriate value, in this case the tool index (2), then continue generating g-code from the operations until the next time the tool changes.
K:M also doesn’t care if the macro contains g-code or not, it just copy pastes whatever is there into the g-code file.
If you’re interested in learning Gcode generally, I’ve found this resourse very helpful.
@Forecaster explained it well. A macro is just some code that takes a few parameters, and gets pasted into your output.
I don’t believe my machine recognizes a pause so it requires 2 separate programs one for each cutter
Hi BPL,
Thanks for the info, I’ll give it a try.
Before I crash I thought I would ask.
Using the tools Macro I do get a pause to allow me to change tools. Currently the bit rises above the project and pauses there, very difficult to change bits!
Where can I insert “move to z,x,y, away from the project” then be paused.
This way I can change the tool and by doing it using a known height block for tool tip support it will be exactly zeroed.
Tools macro would be a perfect place, and I think this does exist but not sure how to gcode that. An additional operation following each operation list would work excellent as well.
Rough, tool change, rough, tool change,trace follow, end. that idea.
Thanks everyone!
whether or not your mill supports a “pause” command is dependent on your controller. you would need to read the docs for your controller and choose the appropriate command, if one is supported.
G4 is a timed pause and not safe for user intervention. you need something closer to M0 or M1 or something specific to your controller.
Hi Stewart, My machine pauses until I tell it that the new bit is ready to go. My thing is I would like the head to move so I have better access to change the tool.
If I were to simply run the gantry off to make access easier… when I tell it to go again will it return to the correct resume spot?
I will have to go give it a try! Foam practice is forgiving.
linuxcnc
David
