[keithmcelhinney]

Well the big brother is moving in and taking over. Actually had my 135 all but packed up and had to put it all together again for an order today. Getting pretty close!

Started working on what I want to do for my jig system. As soon as I get the mill up and running I can take some real life measurements of what the travels are going to be. Going to turn off the limits and run with soft limits in Mach I think. Really want to get the full travels out of this thing.

Attachment 224014

-Keith

[keithmcelhinney]

And please ignore the spaghetti wiring for my cable and internet...

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Keith,

You can adjust the "hard" limits to very close to the physical stops - I've got mine set to less than 1/4". You do have to either extend the Y axis rail, or add a second prox sensor at the back. However, I've found the prox sensors are really not great for limits if you're really generating a lot of chips, unless you keep chips away from them. Even aluminum chips will cause false triggers. The X and Z axes work ok, since they're pretty well shielded, but the Y is problematic. I've ordered physical switches to replace mine. At some point, I'll replace the switches with Hall Effect sensors, but that will require custom water-proof enclosures, and I just don't have the time to make them right now.

Regards,
Ray L.

[Hirudin]

I've adjusted my soft limits to maximize my travel while still leaving a small margin of error. If I remember correctly I left ~5 mm of buffer (on each end) before the bed is physically stopped by colliding with something. My travels are 621 x 350 mm (XY). It could possibly be as large as ~631 x 360 mm if I was really pushing it.

[keithmcelhinney]

Thanks guys! I will look into what I can do. Ray as always a great help. Let us know what you come up with. I would really like to have the limits in place. They never worked right on my 135 so I have never really used them.

-Keith

[kvom]

If you turn off the limit switches, how do you reference the axes at startup?

[LeeWay]

I don't. I mark them as refed when I zero the job so ref is at job 0. I have had trouble with the X proximity sensor. It was not sealed and may have gotten some coolant inside it before I caught it, but it would give intermittent faults. Only on X though.
Novakon sent me another, but haven't had a chance to install it. I just leave the X axis switch that is bad turned off in Mach. The others are still working fine though even with metal chips around them.

Wow Keith. That is quite a difference in size.

[keithmcelhinney]

It almost looks like the 135 is off in the distance! Haha!

[kvom]

I don't. I mark them as refed when I zero the job so ref is at job 0.

Same here. My sensors haven't worked for quite a while (NM200), and I ref like you do. How are you setting the soft limits afterward? Is it from a know fixture location for each job?

[LeeWay]

Most all jobs I do is off the main vise. Right at table center. I do use a sine vise that is off to the side for some bevel cutting. They all use the same soft limits. Those are just outside the tool change positions.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

If you limit sensors are not working, it should be easy enough to get them working. They're simple proximity sensors, with only three wires - power, ground and output. They're wired direct to the BOB. Either the sensor itself has failed, or the cable has. Both are easy and inexpensive to replace, and both are available from Novakon, as well as E-Bay and other sources.

Regards,
Ray L.

[LeeWay]

I have nice plugs on the ends of the sensor wires, so that should have kept out the coolant. They also have led's in them. While the led's are a nice touch, they are simply unnecessary. The whole unit is enclosed in a steel box, so not visible.
I think the led's are even at fault for this failure. Just suspecting. No evidence.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I have nice plugs on the ends of the sensor wires, so that should have kept out the coolant. They also have led's in them. While the led's are a nice touch, they are simply unnecessary. The whole unit is enclosed in a steel box, so not visible.
I think the led's are even at fault for this failure. Just suspecting. No evidence.

Lee,

I very much doubt it. The LEDs are a part of the cable itself - they are encased in the molded strain relief on the cable end. Even if the LED fails, the sensor itself will still work.

Regards,
Ray L.

[kvom]

I think that my limit switch problem has to do with the breakout board rather than the switches, since none of the 3 nor the e-stop work. Since I also do everything from the vise, I rarely even use soft limits. I am going to talk to John about a replacement. I'll be at Cabin Fever in April, where Novakon usually exhibits. That's where I saw the pulsar and PDB prototypes last year.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

I think that my limit switch problem has to do with the breakout board rather than the switches, since none of the 3 nor the e-stop work. Since I also do everything from the vise, I rarely even use soft limits. I am going to talk to John about a replacement. I'll be at Cabin Fever in April, where Novakon usually exhibits. That's where I saw the pulsar and PDB prototypes last year.

The Novakon BOB does a wired-OR on the limit switch inputs. So, if one switch fails closed, none of them will work. Disconnect two of the switches, and see if the third one works, then repeat for the other two. You'll almost certainly find only one switch is not working, and you can at least get the other two going until you can replace the bad one.

Regards,
Ray L.

[keithmcelhinney]

Well I got my mill powered up! Now just to get it set up...

Doesn't look like my z limit works. Have to test the rest of them, but I know the x and y worked when it left Toronto (I tested it before I loaded it).

Still have to hook up the cooling system and waiting on a part for the air on the PDB. Part should be here thursday or friday. Have to travel for work tommorow and thursday then I will be doing my best to get the mill all sorted. Doesn't help that I keep getting orders and have to do that on the old mill. Seriously who orders motorcycle parts in Feb? Can't complain about the money coming in though...

[SCzEngrgGroup]

Well I got my mill powered up! Now just to get it set up...

Doesn't look like my z limit works. Have to test the rest of them, but I know the x and y worked when it left Toronto (I tested it before I loaded it).

Still have to hook up the cooling system and waiting on a part for the air on the PDB. Part should be here thursday or friday. Have to travel for work tommorow and thursday then I will be doing my best to get the mill all sorted. Doesn't help that I keep getting orders and have to do that on the old mill. Seriously who orders motorcycle parts in Feb? Can't complain about the money coming in though...

On the Z limit, check the connectors on the BOB - These are the three 6-pin white connectors, all right next to each other. One is X, one is Y, one is Z. You can unplug all but one at a time for testing. Also check the position of the limit stops under the cover on the side of the head, above the coolant pipe. Could be one of the stops moves, or the sensor may just be positioned too far away from the stops. It should be as close as you can get it, without making contact.

Also, keep in mind the default configuration uses the prox sensors as home switches only, NOT limits. Used as limits, they will give you random false trips if chips get on the X and Y sensors (which they will....).

Regards,
Ray L.

[keithmcelhinney]

Good to know! You are the man Ray!

Thanks!
-Keith

[LeeWay]

I have the same sensors on mine. Granted I had trouble with one and they shipped a replacement.
Mine are used as homes and limits. I did initially get some false triggering, but that all settled down after awhile. Once I sealed up the housings. They initially let coolant inside.