LinuxCNC Support Forum :: Topic: Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table (1/1)

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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table

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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table

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TOPIC: Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table

Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 14 Jun 2012 04:47 #20912

BigJohnT
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A guy on the IRC was asking about some method to align sheets of stock on his plasma table and having a plasma table too sparked my interest in developing this. A suggestion from Andy about using global parameters while chatting on the IRC about ways to do this sparked what I came up with. Lots of sparks flying about it seems...

I added 4 buttons to my PyVCP panel Start Align, Align Y, Align X and Clear Offset. The attached file has the PyVCP code as well as all the rest of the code.

I then added 4 MDI commands to the [HALUI] section of my INI file.

[HALUI]
MDI_COMMAND o<start-align> call
MDI_COMMAND o<align-y> call
MDI_COMMAND o<align-x> call
MDI_COMMAND o<clear-offset> call

Then I connected the PyVCP buttons to the MDI commands in my postgui.hal file.

# MDI commands start at 00 in the order listed in the ini file.
net align-start halui.mdi-command-00 <= pyvcp.align-start
net align-y halui.mdi-command-01 <= pyvcp.align-y
net align-x halui.mdi-command-02 <= pyvcp.align-x
net clear-offset halui.mdi-command-03 <= pyvcp.clear-offset

Then I created the 4 subroutines that do the actual work when the button is pressed. They are also in the attached zip file.

To align along the Y axis jog to the left rear corner and press Start Align. Next Jog to the left front corner and press Align Y. You set to cut even if the sheet is not perfectly square to the plasma table.

To align along the X axis use the left front and right front corners and the Align X button.

After cutting use the Clear Offset button to do the obvious thing. A note I ASSUME you need to have the rotation cleared before locating the sheet edge...

Enjoy
John

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Last Edit: 14 Jun 2012 04:50 by BigJohnT.

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Re:Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 15 Jun 2012 02:54 #20950

Rick G OFFLINE Moderator Posts: 1069 Thank you received: 15 Karma: 80	Nice one John, that has got to save time and material. Not to mention trying to physically align a heavy awkward sheet of steel on the table by hand. I really need to build my plasma table this winter. Rick G
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Re:Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 15 Jun 2012 03:23 #20951

BigJohnT
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Posts: 4940
Thank you received: 84
Karma: 133

Thanks,

I found out yesterday even with careful measuring with a tape measure that the 1/4" x 8" HR material I was cutting on was not even with the X axis exactly. After using sheet align all my parts I cut came out great. The cuts were from edge to edge and I had to cut 20 pieces so the material needed to line up to the X. I need to add one thing to my PyVCP panel a readout of the rotation of the coordinate system as a reminder that it is rotated.

John

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Re:Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 22 Jun 2012 05:05 #21192

Quadro OFFLINE Fresh Boarder Posts: 1 Karma: 0	I just had to sign up to the forum to say this is the best 'add on'. No more time wasted aglining sheet maually. I will be editing my postprocessor so that it cancels the rotation at the end of the file. Well done BigJohnT
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Re:Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 22 Jun 2012 13:27 #21194

BigJohnT OFFLINE Administrator Posts: 4940 Thank you received: 84 Karma: 133	Quadro, Thanks John
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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 20 Jan 2013 03:19 #28850

otto_pjm OFFLINE Fresh Boarder Posts: 17 Karma: 0	Thanks John, This is a great subroutine, I don't have our Plasma CNCed yet, but I set it up on my router and it's quite handy, I can see using it to rotate tool paths 90 when I set them up wrong in CAM, in addition to it's intended purpose. Has anybody enhanced this to use touch sensing / probing so we can be even lazier? Pete
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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 20 Jan 2013 13:47 #28871

BigJohnT OFFLINE Administrator Posts: 4940 Thank you received: 84 Karma: 133	Not that I know of but it is a good idea for sure. John
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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 26 Jan 2013 19:22 #29169

alan_3301 OFFLINE Expert Boarder Posts: 90 Thank you received: 8 Karma: 4	I have made some changes to use probing. I didnt realize this thread was here, I found the files on the tutorial section of the wiki. I did post them on the cnczone forum for linuxcnc. Here they are if anyone wants to look.
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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 26 Jan 2013 19:28 #29170

alan_3301 OFFLINE Expert Boarder Posts: 90 Thank you received: 8 Karma: 4	I guess I dont know how to attach files, or zip files arent allowed. anyways here is the link to the files on cnczone www.cnczone.com/forums/linuxcnc_formerly..._sheet_function.html I hope thats not against the rules
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Sheet Alignment in a Plasma Table 26 Jan 2013 20:09 #29172

BigJohnT OFFLINE Administrator Posts: 4940 Thank you received: 84 Karma: 133	test hmm I can't add a file either...
	Last Edit: 26 Jan 2013 20:14 by BigJohnT. The administrator has disabled public write access.