[SquibLoad]

If your concern is safety, you do not want a wireless device. There are FAR too many things that can cause wireless to not work when you most need it. You can very easily put as many wired switches as you want, wherever you want them. If they're wired as they should be - normally closed - they will be VERY reliable, and they WILL work when you need them. A wireless device might work, might not.

Regards,
Ray L.

OK, OK, folks, I get it! You don't trust wireless!

I'll build one for myself (latching, NC, in series, failsafe) as an ADDITION to the existing switches, including remote wired.
I'll report back how it works, or doesn't.

Seems to me that if it doesn't modify the existing circuit, and only ADDS a switch, and is a relay, is NC, is in series, then it is no different than any other switch or relay in the circuit. Those fail too, or else we wouldn't sell so many switches at our store. Or relays. Or wire. Or connectors. Or......

I'll do the science experiments on my own 1100 and report back.

Thanks for the insights, I understand the concern.
I don't trust wireless, or wired either, for that matter. The smoke comes out too easily.

Knife switches, now there's the thing.... hmmmm

John B

[SCzEngrgGroup]

HimyKabibble, yes that would be me.
Heck, small world!
If you are in the area, please stop by and introduce yourself. Always happy to meet other CNC hobbyists.
JohnB

John,

I will do that, next time I'm down that way.

Regards,
Ray L.

[S3MIH3MI]

OK, OK, folks, I get it! You don't trust wireless!

I'll build one for myself (latching, NC, in series, failsafe) as an ADDITION to the existing switches, including remote wired.
I'll report back how it works, or doesn't.

Seems to me that if it doesn't modify the existing circuit, and only ADDS a switch, and is a relay, is NC, is in series, then it is no different than any other switch or relay in the circuit. Those fail too, or else we wouldn't sell so many switches at our store. Or relays. Or wire. Or connectors. Or......

I'll do the science experiments on my own 1100 and report back.

Thanks for the insights, I understand the concern.
I don't trust wireless, or wired either, for that matter. The smoke comes out too easily.

Knife switches, now there's the thing.... hmmmm

John B

Hey John I just don't trust wireless. I have a gaming device for PS3 and the computer, it emulates keyboard key strokes.
It works well and I can set one of the buttons to a N.O. reset which would stop the cnc but because it's n.o. I would not get false stop conditions.
We have around 1000 robots in our plant and they had looked into the wireless pendants but Ontario laws don't allow it. Another device I have used and it is legal here,
was a remote pendant for an overhead crane. It also had an "E" stop but this wireless setup was CSA and ULC listed and operated on an approved or registered frequency.
There was very little chance of outside interference. So long story short. They do make a wireless safety device but I'm sure it is pricey.

Phil

[takewhatyoulike]

I believe wireless would work for a failsafe machine Estop if the NC loop included the wireless circuit ( i.e. the wireless switch is always transmitting) such that if anything happened to the constantly transmitting wireless circuit that fails the circuit would shut down the machine. Of course the constant transmission from the wireless Estop switch would be an error correcting code (e.g. Hamming Code http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamming_code ) that would be tolerant somewhat of glitches or transients.

Don Clement

[bevinp]

I'd like to see a rotary switch that would allow variation (stepless) of the feed rate during machining.

[bevinp]

Don,
As you say, "tolerant somewhat" so while reliable when manually operated, such a wireless design still has risk not existing with fixed wire. And an unnecessary Estop ruins the tool reference and most probably the tool if cutting.

[Wirecutter]

I'd like to see a rotary switch that would allow variation (stepless) of the feed rate during machining.

Second that!

-Mark

[takewhatyoulike]

Don,
As you say, "tolerant somewhat" so while reliable when manually operated, such a wireless design still has risk not existing with fixed wire. And an unnecessary Estop ruins the tool reference and most probably the tool if cutting.

I have had wired limit switch failures with my Tormach, so wired switches are definitely not exempt to failure. I am sure the risk of failure for a wireless Estop can be made to be at least as low as a fixed wire. Wireless failsafe systems are used in much more critical applications (e.g. missile uplink /downlink, etc). It's just a matter of finding the right combination of handshake code and redundant or multiple frequency system like spread spectrum that is in common use today almost everywhere from cell phones to satellite communication. You can thank Hedy Lamarr for inventing spread spectrum. http://hypatiamaze.org/h_lamarr/scigrrl.html

Don Clement

[takewhatyoulike]

I'd like to see a rotary switch that would allow variation (stepless) of the feed rate during machining.

The shuttle jog controller P/N 30616 http://www.tormach.com/store/index.p...show&ref=30616 does just that. When the step size on the center finger wheel is set small enough (i.e. 0.0001”/step) the shuttle jog has the feel of a “stepless” feed rate. I use the shuttle jog controller all the time as a virtual hand wheel. I think of hand wheels (and quills) found on some CNC machines as vestigial artifacts of the CNC evolution like male nipples. The shuttle jog controller does appear to be a male nipple.

Don Clement

[TiagoSantos]

I believe he meant overriding the feed rate, not jogging.

There are uses to male nipples, by the way, not everyone enjoys them though!

[Wirecutter]

The shuttle jog controller P/N 30616 http://www.tormach.com/store/index.p...show&ref=30616 does just that. When the step size on the center finger wheel is set small enough (i.e. 0.0001”/step) the shuttle jog has the feel of a “stepless” feed rate. I use the shuttle jog controller all the time as a virtual hand wheel. I think of hand wheels (and quills) found on some CNC machines as vestigial artifacts of the CNC evolution like male nipples. The shuttle jog controller does appear to be a male nipple.

Don Clement

This may be crazy, and I'm still pretty new at this, but...

I have the shuttle jog controller, and I use it all the time. I was thinking of a device that would allow me to adjust feed rate on the fly, especially when developing a program. A knob would be much preferred to the jog controller for this. The shuttle jog seems to have about 5 or 6 discrete speeds, depending on how far you turn the ring. I'd like something more like a volume knob, maybe even a 3 or 10-turn pot.

Why? Well, I've tried to understand feeds and speeds, and to study all the charts and calculators. But in the end, and even for a given machine, speed and feed settings have a significant "seat of the pants" component to them. You should be able to cut material "X" at feed rate "F" and spindle speed "S" with a given tool. So often, however, there is a wrinkle. Maybe you get a little chatter, which affects surface finish and sounds like hell. Sometimes the answer is to feed a little less (or more) aggressively. Maybe you need to increase or decrease the spindle speed. You get the idea.

So it would be cool to have a little knob. Maybe put the machine in "development" mode to enable this crazy and potentially dangerous and tool-breaking feature. (You wouldn't want it all the time, for safety's sake.) Start the program and get a cut going. You hear the spindle start to load up and decide that you're being a little too enthusiastic with that 1/2 inch cutter - no problem. Turn the "volume" down to slow the cut to something more reasonable. (And of course, make a note of the new feed rate so you can change the "production" version of the program later.) Maybe you're going a little slow in that 6061, and the chips look like laundry lint. No problem. Crank up the "volume" a little bit and the job gets done in a more reasonable time.

Am I off the rails here?

-Mark

[Wirecutter]

Oh, and this is already kind of possible with the spindle speed, but you'd need a tachometer. Put the spindle in "manual" mode and twist the knob. When you hit the "sweet spot", record the spindle RPM and update your program to use that value.

-Mark

[BAMCNC.COM]

Vistacnc...

[Mooser]

Umbilical cord for the control panel that would allow you to easily move the entire panel from the machine door to another location outside of the machining environment. Mainly for those who have added full enclosures.

Support for the jog-shuttle pro (with programmable buttons and you can set xyz zero etc on the shuttle, and the addition of Cycle start, single block etc. on the shuttle.

Front loaded coolant tank/pump

Mooser

[takewhatyoulike]

Am I off the rails here?

-Mark

Not at all! It seems that speed/feed calculations are typically for theoretically rigid, heavy, high production machines and full of assumptions, like any sort of simulation and theortical calculations. The calculations don’t typically take in to account the relatively light weight Tormach with less than optimal tool holders, 1-1/2 HP motor, etc. I have found the best way is to start with calculations and simulations, then try cutting on a real Tormach and adjust speeds/feeds accordingly. Your idea seems like a cool way to do that.

Don Clement

[dbrija]

A lot of the items relating to sensors, M7, etc... are very easy to do with addition of a BOB and using LinuxCNC. I have a CNC4PC C11 board, and 3 parallel ports (usual Tormach port, BOB port, and the 3rd for a jog pendant) and I have implemented my own M codes, air pressure sensor, air blast, and 2 additional axis drives to support an ATC I am building. Code to support is pretty straight forward, and LCNC is much more stable and reliable than Mach3 has been. It's not perfect, but things like toolpath being displayed, background processes, etc.. dont disturb LCNC.

[bevinp]

I have had wired limit switch failures with my Tormach, so wired switches are definitely not exempt to failure. I am sure the risk of failure for a wireless Estop can be made to be at least as low as a fixed wire. http://hypatiamaze.org/h_lamarr/scigrrl.html

Don Clement

Yes I too am sure that a wireless estop could be made with high reliability, but at what cost? That solution could never be as economical as wired.

And just what failures have you had with the Tormach wired estop? What did Tormach say?

[GJeff]

Right now if one limit switch is activated (ie you trigger one and forget to move the table back) and another limit switch gets activated it doesn't cause a fault. The logic should be better and look for any limit switch being triggered as opposed to ignoring all limit switches if one is already triggered.

[BAMCNC.COM]

It's how the limits are wired, that is why it does that.

[GJeff]

That would make sense if all the limits completed the same circuit. Mach3 tells me which limit switch has tripped though - is it inferring this based on which axis was moving or closest to what Mach3 thought was a limit at the time?

Edit:

They can't be on the same circuit. Mach3 knows which limit switch I'm hitting without any table motion. Go into diagnostic mode and press them with your finger. You sure it's a wiring issue? I think it's software.