Mach4 Operation Manual
Contents
1. To enter code into the MDI window select the window and type in the desired code Press the Cycle Start button to execute the code in the window Once executed the code will be stored in the history where it will remain until Mach4 is shut down Press the up arrow on the left of the MDI window to scroll through the history The most recent code is shown first The tool path window on this page shows the tool path of the currently loaded G code file and not the MDI program Some examples e Change to tool number 10 T10 M6 e Activate tool length offset number 6 G43 H6 e Move to machine zero position G53 G90 GO XO YO ZO e Move to part zero position G54 G90 XO YO ZO 4 2 Loading a G Code Program G code programs contain code for cutting a part The first step to running a program is to load it into Mach4 In the File Ops tab in the operator control section of the screen press the Load G Code button A window will open that will allow the operator to navigate to the desired file and open it By default Mach4 will show tap and nc files Any basic text format can be opened and the default file types can be 40 changed in the Mach configuration on the General tab When the file loads Mach4 will quickly run through it to generate a tool path for the tool path window If there are any major code errors or unknown codes they will be found on this initial run through The tool path window will show the actual tool path including cutt2. G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 History Profile Mach4Mill Feed Rate 0 00 Figure 3 4 Mach4 main screen in enabled state Notice that when Mach4 is disabled buttons that control motion or program execution are unavailable to the user they are greyed out On this main screen these controls are Ref All Home Goto Zero Cycle Start and Reset Once enabled these controls are made available to the user 3 2 Home the Machine The vast majority of machines running Mach software use incremental encoders for position feedback some have no position feedback to Mach As a result when Mach4 is started and enabled the control has no idea where the machine is positioned To determine the location of the machine Mach4 uses a referencing sequence started by pressing the Ref All Home button Before pressing the reference all button ensure that no axis is on its home switch jog the machine away from the switch if necessary Each axis is sent to its home position signaled by the activation of a switch in the order set in the homing and limits configuration When the home position is found the DROs in Mach will be updated to the desired machine position usually O for all axes The machine is now ready to run 3 3 Jogging Manual jogging allows the operator to move the machine around using on screen controls figure 3 5 the keyboard or an attached control panel pendant see figure 3 6 To view the onscreen
3. GO X0 000000 YO 000 d t Debug scripts M3 start Spindle Restore Se S60 000000 Lone G43H5 Figure 2 9 Operator menu e Lock Locks the screen from being edited a password is required to unlock e Unlock Unlocks the screen for editing a password is required e Edit Screen switches Mach4 to the screen editing mode see figure 2 10 11 2 x File Edit Screen Format View Wizard Operator Help e 5 mGNOTENO i 9C6 Screen Tree x Manager Program Run MDI Tool Path Diagnostics G Code Axis Control Too Path Zero X Zero Y Ref Home gt Zero Z Zero Machine Soft Goto Zero To Go Coordinates Limits F Current File Load Wizards Load Last Wiz Regen Display Jog Limit Override TootPsih m teer Fie Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging Too Information Feed Rate Spindle Cycle Start Toot 0 ToolChng RRO FRO SRO pee O ME a Height 0 0000 Spindie CW os de Y Z Auto Tool Zero 100 e n Reset Cycle Jog Inc z Keyboard Jog Off emember Return JogMode Cont Step ELS Jog Rate 54 0 1 1 1 Figure 2 10 Mach4 screen editor e Edit Debug Scripts Opens the Lua editor for editing scripts saved as macros such as custom M codes e Restore Settings e Lua Script Displays the Lua script that controls the screen 2 1 7 Help Menu The help menu figure 2 11 is where the operator will find the About page figure 2 12 File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operat
4. Keep the computer running the machine cleaned up inside and out and don t use it for any unnecessary tasks It is best if this computer is 10096 dedicated to running the machine and nothing else Keep the control software and any plugins up to date with the most current stable releases Don t move too fast for the computer Many times a computer crash is caused when the computer is thinking and the user is frustrated and clicks on something 1 000 000 000 times Don t do it let the computer react to your input before moving on Be deliberate and precise in your actions Sometimes it s just out of our control CNC machines are a complex web of mechanical and electrical systems These systems can fail No machine is ever failure proof Motor drivers can fail causing the motor to stop or go max RPM until something stops it Wires can corrode and break welds can crack or lightening can strike Whatever the failure use the same processes described above Step back and take it all in before taking action 46
5. m m mini mu mom An a SAA A n P P 48 Downloads Test File G65 tap EHH User ameci Y File name roadrunner tap v Gcodefiles tap nc Open Cancel Figure 2 3 Select file e Close Gcode File Closes the currently loaded G code file e Exit Exits Mach4 2 1 2 View Menu The view menu figure 2 4 contains controls for changing the current display File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Load Screen Full Screen Alt Enter Fixture Offsets Tool Table Windows a AO C ie Figure 2 4 View menu e Load Screen Opens a dialog that allows the user to choose a new screen or display e Full Screen Puts Mach4 into full screen mode Mach4 s display will be enlarged to cover the entire display e Fixture Offsets Displays the fixture offset table more information is available in the fixture Offset section of this manual e Tool Table Displays the tool offset table more information is available in the tool offset section of this manual e Windows Provides options for what toolbars are displayed when in the screen editor mode The screen editor and its associated functions are explained in the customization manual 2 1 3 Configure Menu The configure menu figure 2 5 provides access to Mach and Plugins configurations Configuration settings are disabled when Mach4 is enabled To allow access to these settings first disable the controller More detaile
6. Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its name e Regenerate Toolpath Reloads the program and recalculates the tool path e Display Mode Toggles the display of the soft limits e Jog Follow When active the center of the tool is locked to the center of the tool path display The display will follow tool movement 2 2 4 Jogging Tab The jogging tab figure 2 20 displays controls for jogging the machine s axes and changing the jog mode Operator Control Selection Fie Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops JD3gmg Jog Buttons Cycle Incremental Jog Distance echon 1 0000 og Mode Cont 4 Step Jog Rate 51 0 Keyboard Jog or Toggle Keyboard Jog Toggle Jog Mode Jog Rate Figure 2 20 Jogging Tab e Operator Control Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its name e Jog Buttons Buttons to jog X Y Zand A axes e Cycle Incremental Jog Distance In incremental jog mode each press of an axis jog button will move the machine on a specified distance this button cycles through the distances defined in the general configuration The current step distance in shown in the adjacent DRO e Toggle Jog Mode Toggles between continuous and incremental jog modes e Jog Rate Sets the velocity for continuous jog as a percentage of the machine s max velocity e Toggle Keyboard Jog Turns on off the ability to jog using the keyboard 3 Getting
7. be jogged by temporarily overriding the limit switches Press the Limit Override button on the program run screen figure 5 1 This will re enable axis motion and 43 jogging so the machine can be moved away from the limit switch As soon as the switch is deactivated the limit override is automatically turned off When the limit override button is pushed the machine can be moved in any direction and regardless of the state of the limit switches Exercise EXTREME caution to avoid serious damage to human operator or machine Check and double check which axis should be moved and in which direction Start movement with a very small move just bump the axis to verify your choice of direction is correct Then move the machine the rest of the way off the switch 5 2 Soft Limits Running into machine hard limits can be prevented by using soft limits Soft limits are software end of travel switches They are generally set up by the machine builder to be about to 1 inch from the physical switch depending on machine size velocity and acceleration When an axis is moved into the soft limit it is decelerated to a stop Generally there is a deceleration window of about a inch Inside this window axis velocity is reduced When a machine runs into a soft limit it can simply be jogged the other way no risky limit override button Soft limits can be displayed in the tool path display by pressing the Display Mode button The soft limits show up as
8. control a machine using an external motion device the developer of the hardware must write a plugin driver for that specific device so no standard USB to parallel port adapters will wo k There are many devices listed on our Plugins page in the software and download section of our website www machsupport com controller It makes up one small piece of a computer numerical control CNC machine Machines can range from basic mills and lathes to wood routers plasma cutters multi axis machining centers quilting machines anything requiring motion control The system is capable of interpreting multiple programming languages the default and most common being G code to provide instructions for machine movement and other functions These instructions are passed to an external motion device which in turn controls all the inputs and output signals and motion Mach4 is designed to be flexible and adaptable to a wide variety of machines Part of this flexibility is the ability for hardware and software developers to create addons or plugins for Mach4 to expand its capabilities Addons are small programs installed into the Mach4 directory that give Mach the ability to talk to hardware devices such as motion controllers and pendants communicate with other software add additional wizards or conversational machining functions or anything a developer can dream up Addons to Mach4 are so diverse it would be impossible to cover them in this manual The dev
9. controls click on the jogging tab on the screen 24 File Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging Cycle Joginc 10000 Jog Mode Cont Step 4 Keyboard Jog Off Jog Rate 75 0 Figure 3 5 Jogging tab Jogging is enabled whenever the controller is enabled and a program is not being executed However keyboard jog defaults to off for safety The default screen provides controls for jogging 4 axes X Y Z and A These controls work just like a physical button in continuous jog mode the machine will move as long as the button is held down Keyboard jogging is deactivated by default this feature can be activated by pressing the Keyboard Jog button The default jog buttons are left arrow for X right arrow for X up arrow for Y down arrow for Y page up for Z and page down for Z There are 2 basic jog modes which are selectable by pressing the Jog Mode button The current selection will be indicated by an LED Figure 3 5 shows the continuous mode selected In continuous mode the machine will move at the specified jog rate as long as a jog button is held down The jog rate can be changed by moving the slider at the bottom of the jogging tab or by directly typing the desired rate into the DRO in the bottom right corner The number shown in the DRO is a percentage of the max velocity or rapid rate of the machine Continuous mode is useful for moving the machine relatively large distances and rough positioning When finding the
10. dashed yellow lines figure 5 2 When the cycle start button is pressed to run a program Mach automatically checks if the tool path extends beyond the soft limits if it does a warning is issued File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 a Priel Feed Rate Figure 5 2 Soft limits shown in tool path display 44 5 3 Crash It happens to everyone who has ever run a CNC machine The machine is running great the part is being cut exactly as we expected Then CRASH A tool breaks the work piece comes out of the vise or chuck the machine hits a clamp or any number of seemingly impossible feats for a machine to perform Sometimes it s very minor sometimes it s very serious These moments are extremely frustrating for operators and programmers it is usually best to take a minute to survey the situation before taking action Before attempting to move a machine that has been crashed take a good look at everything involved Make sure there is no major damage to the machine if there is don t try to jog it which could cause even more damage If something happened while cutting a part check the tool and where in cut it stopped Sometimes it is best to loosen a tool in its holder so the Z axis can be jogged up to remove the tool End mills can be easily damaged when jogged along a part edge or ripped out of a pocket when they re not spinning Also if the tool is currently
11. edge of a work piece locating a hole or other precision position is required step jog is much more accurate In step jog the machine moves only by the specified increment amount regardless of how long the jog button is held down The jog increment can be changed by pressing the Cycle Jog Inc button This button will change the DRO to the right of it to show the current increment amount The increment values can be changed on the General tab in the Mach configuration 25 O FEED HOLD Figure 3 6 Control panel and pendant examples 3 4 Changing Tools Tool changes will vary depending on machine configuration Some machines have automatic tool changers while others require the operator to physically change the tool Each type of tool changer must be configured properly in Mach4 this is covered in the configuration manual For automatic tool changers a Lua script will likely be required to command it or communicate between an external controller and Mach4 Scripting is covered in a separate scripting manual 3 5 Fixture Offsets Fixture offsets are used to tell the machine where a work piece is located The values are stored in the fixture offset table figure 3 6 These values offset the machine coordinate system to create a user coordinate system at the desired point Offsets are activated by calling the corresponding G code in the program See the programming manual for details on calling fixture offsets G54 G59 are the standa
12. is perfect The tip of an edge finder is held in place under spring tension and is moveable In figure 3 8 all the edge finders are shown with the tip offset When spinning in free space away from a part edge the tip will move away from the center line and wobble Choose an axis to touch off first For this example we will use the X axis and make the left edge of our part the fixture zero Jog the machine to a position that will allow the edge finder to come down below the surface of the part just to the left of the work piece see figure 3 9 position A A Not touching B Touching just before break C At break Figure 3 9 Using an edge finder When clear of the work piece the edge finder can be moved down in the Z axis until the tip is just below the surface of the part about 100 inch The tip will be wobbling and appear bigger than it actually is Jog the machine slowly and carefully towards the part When the edge finder just starts to touch the part stop and switch to incremental jog A larger step amount of about 0 010 inch is appropriate here move one increment at a time until the edge finder starts to look like figure 3 9 position B As the machine moves closer to the edge the edge finder will start spinning more truly As the machine gets closer the edge finder will get more sensitive to movement Turn the step increment down to 0 001 inch and move in one increment at a time When the correct position is reached the edge finder wi
13. logging facility This is handy error checking tool that logs events in Mach4 in real time The machine builder can choose what gets logged so each machine may log events differently e Modbus Opens a window that shows the current state of Modbus communications e Regfile Opens a window that displays the current value of a variety of registers and variables in Mach4 The contents and range of what is displayed here will vary with each machine build 2 1 5 Wizard Menu The wizard menu figure 2 7 provides access to the pick wizard window figure 2 8 Any installed wizards can be found here A wizard is a small program that allows a user to easily generate G code for common or moderately complex machining processes Wizards are their capabilities can be as varied as the programmers that write them File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Program Run M Select Wizard G Code pu o Figure 2 7 Wizard menu 10 Figure 2 8 Load wizard window 2 1 6 Operator Menu The operator menu figure 2 9 provides the operator with options for editing the Mach4 interface and Lua scripting The screen editor and an overview of Lua can be found in the customization manual IEA Operator Help File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Program Run MDI Tool Pat i Lock am Unlock G Code Um f F60 000000 Screen
14. name e Reference All References Homes all axes in the order set on the Homing Softlimits tab in the Mach configuration The axes will move to the home switches and machine zero set e Zero Axis The zero axis buttons will set the current position to zero in the active fixture offset This sets the active fixture offset and will over write any data that was entered previously e Reference Status LEDs When an axis is referenced or homed its status LED will change from red to green e De Ref All Axes This button sets all axes to an un referenced state e Manual Data Input Window Manually input G code to be executed in this window Multiple lines can be entered The up and down arrows to the left scroll through the history of executed code e Position Display Mode Selection Changes the contents of the position display The To Go button changes the display to show the distance to go to the programmed point The Machine Coordinates button changes the display to show the machine coordinate system The LED above each button will light up when the button is activated If neither LED is on the display shows the current position in the active fixture offset e Verify Sends the machine to the home position using the homing sequence however the home position is not set The end position of the sequence is compared to the previously found home position when the machine was referenced This is used to verify that the switches have not moved or step
15. there are CNC machinists this manual can t attempt to cover them all The examples used here are to demonstrate how the offset system works 30 Figure 3 12 Tool offset table There are a couple of methods for touching off the tool A gage block can be used as described for setting the Z fixture offset in the previous chapter A piece of paper can be used in place of a gage block using the same procedure Electronic blocks and touch off devices are available as are blocks with indicators and even automatic tool setters see figure 3 13 Another great method for high production environments is an offline tool pre setter outside the machine Light up Gage Block Gage Block Gage Block with Indicator Auto Tool Setter Figure 3 13 Types of tool setting devices 31 3 6 1 Master Tool Setting up a master tool is a great way to do tool offsets especially on a knee mill type machine This method involves having a tool at a fixed length and a tool offset value of zero An edge finder is great for this Select a holder and lock the edge finder at a fixed length Use the edge finder to set a work Offset at the top surface of a work piece or any flat surface to touch all the tools off This allows the operator to set up a library of tools with set offsets When a new part is set up just touch off the Z fixture offset and start machining All the tools will follow the master tool Make sure to disable tool length offs
16. 5 T X achine o GO X1 137080 Y3 324440 20 200000 o Goto Zero To Go Obsidinaien Limits Current File Load Wizards Load Last Wiz Tr Displa dua A z y C Mach4 GcodeF iles roadrunner tap NUES ToolPath Mode Follow Control File Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging Spindle Edit G Code Set Next Line FRO SRO Diameter 0 2500 o 250 250 Recent File jy Ace Height 3 0000 Auto Tool Zero 100 100 o Close G Code Reset Remember Return G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 History G00 X 2 25173 Y2 30039 AO BO CO Profile Mach4Mill Feed Rate 0 00 Figure 3 15 Tool information 34 The Tool DRO shows the currently selected tool this DRO will be updated at every tool change It can also be changed by the user by clicking on the DRO typing in the desired tool number and pressing enter or return on the keyboard The Diameter and Height offset DROs will update to show information for the selected tool number These DROs are read only and not user editable 3 10 Creating Programs Programs are required for automatic operation of the machine The most common format is G code This type of programming uses a system of G codes GO1 G10 G81 etc to specify the desired function Position codes X Y Z etc are used to tell the machine where to go or where an operation is to take place Other codes starting with M T S F and a few others enable control of just about every aspect of the controller and machine The Mach4 Programm
17. Code GO 10 000000 Y0 000000 70 200000 Window MI start Spindle 60 000000 G43H5 GO X0 000000 Y0 000000 75 00000 GO X1 179950 Y4 004260 70 200000 G1 X1 179950 Y4 004260 2 0 100000 G1 X1 179950 Y4 004260 7 0 100000 Gi X1 179950 3 980210 7 0 100000 Gt X1 175140 Y3 980210 7 0 100000 G1 X1 175140 Y4 004260 7Z 0 100000 GO X1 175140 Y4 004260 70 200000 igi 21 0 1613 1 5 Machine AAN ASS Go to Zero v Goto Zero Coordinates C ent F aso Load Wizards Load Last Wiz i Jog C WMach4 GcodeFiles roadrunner ta Limit Override gt Moge Follow Wizard Controls Position Display Mode Selection Limit Override Soft Limits Current G Code File Figure 2 13 Program run tab e Operation Mode Selection These are the tab markers select the desired tab by clicking on its name e GCode Window Displays the current G code file e Goto Zero Moves machine to XO YO in the active fixture offset e Current G Code File Displays the file path and name of the current G code file e Position Display Mode Selection Changes the contents of the position display The To Go button changes the display to show the distance to go to the programmed point The Machine Coordinates button changes the display to show the machine coordinate system The LED above each button will light up when the button is activated If neither LED is on the display shows the current position in the active fixture offset e Limit Override If a limit switc
18. EN 43 5 1 A A 43 5 2 SOT CMTS p 44 5 3 A OPEN 45 5 4 Preventing theneviEdble pan utei estes buen b eue d on e ec nuntur O LOL et DUI eDUR 45 1 Introduction The purpose of this manual is to teach the basic operation and functionality of the Mach4 CNC control software This manual is based on the core Mach4 product using the standard screen set The appearance of the interface may vary depending on the machine builder Mach4 includes a screen designer that allows manufactures and operators to create custom screen layouts for their specific need More information on the screen designer can be found in the customization manual Programming and configuration also have their own respective manuals which must be read before setting up and running a Mach4 controlled machine Note Operators should be familiar with general CNC and machining practices before operating any CNC machine Some great resources for additional learning at the machsupport com forums other user groups forums and books such as CNC Programming Handbook and CNC Control Setup for Milling and Turning both by Peter Smid and Programming of CNC Machines by Ken Evans 1 1 Before You Begin Any machine tool is potentially dangerous Computer controlled machines are potentially more dangerous than manual ones because for example a computer is quite prepared to rotate an 8 unbalanced cast iron four jaw chuck
19. Path Ops Jogging r Edit gt Edit G Code Set Next Line 4 4 Set Next Line Run From Open Recent File gt Recent File Hors Close File tm Close G Code Om Current Line Load File Load G Code Run From Here Figure 2 17 File ops tab e Operator Control Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its name e Edit The edit button opens the current G code file in the G code editor The operator can then make changes to the program When the editor is closed the G code file is reloaded into Mach4 e Open Recent File Opens a window that displays a list of the most recently loaded G code files A file can be selected to be loaded into Mach4 e Close File Closes the current G code file e Load File Opens a window to search for a G code file to be loaded into Mach4 e Run From Here Opens a wizard to aid in starting program execution from anywhere in the program This function is described in greater detail later in this manual e Current Line Displays the current line in the G code file This is the line being currently executed by the controller e Set Next Line Sets the line to start program execution from 2 2 2 Run Ops Tab The run operations tab figure 2 18 gives the operator control of how a G code file is executed Options such as single block block delete and optional stop can be turned on or off The pr
20. Shortcut properties dialog 3 1 Enabling the System Once open the user will be presented with Mach4 in the disabled state The system must be enabled before any operation of the machine can take place Enable the controller by pressing the flashing green enable button in the lower left corner of the screen Figures 3 3 and 3 4 show Mach4 in its disabled and enabled states respectively File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Program Run MDI Tool Path Diagnostics Axis Control Zero X Zero Y Zero Z Zero A o o o To Go Machine Sof Coordinates Limits Load Wizards Load Last Wiz Display Limit Override Mode Control Fie Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging Too Information Feed Rate Gesn m o mon 6 RRO rats ume c Height 0 0000 Auto Tool Zero G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 History pom Mach Feed rat Figure 3 3 Mach4 main screen in disabled state 23 File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Program Run MDI Tool Path Diagnostics G Code Axis Control Too Path 9 o e Machine Soft Coordinates Limits Goto Zero To Go Current File Load Wizards Load Last Wiz Regen Display Limit Override ToolPath Mode Tool Information Tool O TooChng 4 Fie Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging EdtG Code Set Next Line Diameter 0 0000 Run From Height 0 0000 Recent Fie Here Auto Tool Zero Remember Return Load G Code
21. Started How to start Mach4 will vary depending on the installation In all cases there will be a Mach4GUI exe located in the Mach4 folder usually located on the C drive Some machines may have a shortcut to this executable on the desktop When Mach4 is started the user will be presented with an option to choose a profile figure 3 1 21 Mach Lathe Mach4Mill Mill Figure 3 1 Select profile window In the select profile window the user can choose a profile to open create a new profile from scratch copy an existing profile restore a profile or delete a profile Once a machine is set up using a shortcut to run a specific profile is often convenient Create a shortcut to Mach4GUl exe on the desktop Right click on the shortcut and select properties In the properties dialog figure 3 2 the Target is the file that will be run This should read the location of Mach4GUl exe Add p profilename to the end of this line replacing profilename with the name of the desired profile The shortcut will open Mach4 into the named profile 22 General Shortcut Compatibility Security Details Mach4GUl exe Shortcut Targettype Application Targetlocation Mach4 Target C Mach4 Mach4GUL exe p Mach4Mill arg D Start in CAMach4 Shortcut key None Run Normal window Comment Open File Location Change Icon Advanced Figure 3 2
22. alue is calculated and input into the offset The X axis DRO will now read 0 1000 The math is completed by Mach4 just input the value that the DRO should read at the current position Repeat the same process to find the Y axis position The Z axis will be a little different A good way to find the Z axis position is to use a fixed tool The edge finder is a good one and a gage block Move the machine above the part and jog down slowly When near the gage block height use incremental mode to avoid crushing anything Slide the gage block under the edge finder if it slides freely pull it out and step the Z axis down Keep stepping down until the gage block just hits and won t slide under Go back up one increment usually around 0 001 but that will vary with desired accuracy This is the touch off position Entering the offset data is the same as described above only this time instead of taking the edge finder radius into account the gage block thickness must be used Select the Z axis offset in the fixture offset window enter the gage block thickness in the input box and press the Measure button Activate the offset and check the position DRO The Z axis should show the gage block thickness 3 6 Tool Length Offsets Tool length offsets are used to tell the machine how long a tool is or where it is in relation to the rest of the machine or work piece and are stored in the tool offset table figure 3 12 There are as many ways to touch off tools are
23. at 3000 rpm to plunge a panel fielding router cutter deep into a piece of oak or to mill away the clamps holding your work to the table Because we do not know the details of your machine or local conditions we can accept no responsibility for the performance of any machine or any damage or injury caused by its use It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand the implications of what you design and build and to comply with any legislation and codes of practice applicable to your country or state If you are in any doubt be sure to seek guidance from a professionally qualified expert rather than risk injury to yourself or to others 1 2 What is Mach4 Mach4 is software that operates on a personal computer to create a powerful and cost efficient CNC What is an external motion device Originally Mach series software only worked with the parallel port via the parallel port driver which was a standard port on every PC Technologies have advanced over time and not only is the parallel port becoming obsolete but the Windows codebase has changed to the point where it is technical impossible for the parallel port driver to work An external motion device is a piece of hardware that is an improvement over the parallel port It enables a PC running Mach3 Mach4 to control outputs and read inputs They typically communicate with the PC via an Ethernet or USB connection but are not limited to those two means of communication In order to
24. d 5 1 Limit Switches Limit switches are physical switches that mark the end of a machine s range of motion Sometimes one or more of these will double as a home switch The hard limit switches are basically the last line of defense before major damage occurs Without these switches the machine could slam into a hard stop at the end of travel or even send the table right off the end of the rails depending on the configuration Running a machine without limit switches is risking damage to ball screws and nuts bearings castings people floors and walls When Mach senses that a limit switch is activated it immediately disables all motion In this state jogging is disabled At first it can seem impossible to recover from this situation On small machines one solution could be to turn the ball screw or slide the axis by hand on bigger machines this is not possible In this case jogging the machine off the limit is the only option Mach 4 GO X0 001 Y0 001 20 289 me G1 X0 010 X9 495 Y0 031 o 9 G52 x0 y0 Ret M3 524000 E xX5 486 o x0 001 Mactwne 50 Goto Zero To Go Y0 038 y oe Cooranates Limits ert F C Mach4 GcodeF iles outhouse tap X Diameter 0 0000 TA Recent Fie nre Mexht 0 0000 Line 1 Remecbe Return G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 natoy Profile Mach4Mal Feed Rate 0 00 Figure 5 1 Limit override on program run screen When a machine is on a limit switch it can
25. d information on these settings can be found in the Mach4 CNC Controller Configuration Manual File View Configure Diagnostic Help Select Motion Dev Mach Wizard Operator Plugins 000000 Y0 000000 70 200000 Figure 2 5 Configure menu e Select Motion Dev Use this menu option to select the external motion device that is to be used e Mach Opens a window that displays all of Mach4 s configuration settings This is where all motor and input and output settings are entered e Plugins Opens a window that lists all installed plugins and provides access to each plugin s configuration settings 2 1 4 Diagnostic Menu The diagnostic menu figure 2 6 provides functions for logging and viewing the status of inputs and outputs Any installed plugins may have their own diagnostic varying the contents of this menu based on the machine configuration Some of the options shown may not be discussed in this manual as they are 3 party plugin diagnostics The menu items should be covered in detail in the manual provided by the developer of the plugin File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Logging Galil Barker Murphree Crouch Modbus Newfangled Solutions Regfile Newfangled Solutions Simulator Newfangled Solutions Ethernet SmoothStepper Warp9 Tech Design Inc G43H5 mn YA ACACIA Vn nnn FE MAN A Figure 2 6 Diagnostic menu e Logging Opens the
26. e found in text books or talking to experienced operators Jogging is another source of crashes We ve all done it jogging tool towards a part to check or set the height and bang we jogged too far and crushed the tool into about 1 000 pieces These crashes are usually very minor as the velocities tend to be low and the button pushes are short but they do happen Biggest thing to avoiding these is pay attention and take your time This usually happens when you re rushing that last job and you don t want to switch to incremental jog just yet one more bump of the jog button will get it that much closer Now a new tool needs to be put in and touched off Take the extra time and use the incremental jog when nearing a part This prevents crashes caused by holding the jog button down a millisecond too long Computers They make this technology possible they can also bring it crumbling down and make us want to leap out of tall buildings Computers can crash and fail when set up properly this will simply cause the machine to stop hopefully avoiding any damage When a computer locks up the charge 45 pump signal from Mach to the hardware motion control stops as well this tells the motion controller that Mach is no longer in control of the system In this situation the motion controller will essentially hit the emergency stop button ending all motion and shutting down all outputs Using a good reliable computer can almost completely avoid these situations
27. e looks like 35 pa File 2D Milling Pocket Drill 4th Axis Code Control Config Help Save and Load to Mach4 Job Settings Tool Change Engrave Text Tool Change Rectangle Keyway Slot Circle Pocket Circle Pocket Figure 3 16 Mill Wizard main screen Job Settings Stee Material Brass Cast Iron Other Inch _ Metric S Equal 7 As Entered Y Use Gcode Comments Rapid Height Clearance Height 0 0500 Cancel Help Figure 3 17 New job window select material units etc 36 Tool Dia Units Flutes Type Ramp Angle Description gt s Inch 1 Carb 10 Calc Tool Properties Tool Properties Calc Feed and Speed Feed Speed e 4500 Feed 1509 Proa 1500 Custom values may be entered to override calculated feed and speed Red values have been limited by machine max settings ox cool m Figure 3 18 New tool window select tool and set feed and speed Figure 3 19 Circular pocket wizard 37 ze emm zoe 220000 I zswppek 02000 Drill Cycle 0 Dril G81 O Deep Hole G83 O Peck G73 C Hand Drill O Circle C Pocket Hole Diameter 1 0000 ox e m Figure 3 20 Hole circle wizard Wizard Current job is in INCH units A vage xm Text Height 2 0000 Text Length 9 5238 2 vet Wad rot ie Cis Fies OSINES Maer Brome Figure 3 21 Text engraving wizard 38 Current job is in INCH unit
28. eloper should provide detailed information on the installation configuration and use of their addon or plugin 1 3 How Do Get My Drawing Into Mach4 Mach4 cannot directly interpret drawings Mach4 is motion motor control software General process 1 Part is drawn in a computer aided design CAD program 2 Resulting file transferred into a computer aided manufacturing CAM program to create the tool paths for machining 3 The CAM program uses a post processor to generate a formatted G code program from the tool paths created in the software for Mach 4 The G code program is then loaded and executed by Mach4 This is only one method of creating a G code program they can also be manually written or created with a wizard or conversational program The wizards in Mach are essentially simple graphical CAM programs designed to easily create programs for basic shapes and tasks 1 4 Typical CNC Cutting Process iine safet Turn on machine Maa ety and control power C Start Mach4 and Enable system 4 select appropriate profile Jog machine away from home switches eference all active axes Find work piece Load edge finder A Load tools and set into spindle B zero location and p tool height offsets Load work piece into fixture vise set fixture offset T amp Dry run program y phe tool path n above part lt A isplay for any lt Load progr E k a a obvio
29. er comp and any other adjustments made in the program Check it to make sure it looks as intended before running 4 3 Viewing the Tool Path The tool path window shows the programmed path exactly as it will be run by the machine It is possible to pan rotate and zoom the tool path window using the mouse Move the mouse pointer into the tool path window and perform the following e Rotate Left click and drag e Pan Left right click and drag e Zoom Right click and drag or scroll wheel e Reset View Double left click 4 4 Editing a G Code Program To edit the currently loaded G code file press the Edit G Code button in the File Ops tab Mach4 will open the file in the included G code editor GC Edit When the desired changes are made save the file and close the window Mach4 will re load the file and re generate the tool path 4 5 Closing a G Code Program To close a G code program press the Close G Code button in the File Ops tab 4 6 Executing a G Code Program 4 6 1 Cycle Start Pressing the cycle start button will start program execution from the current line shown in the File Ops tab The program will run until a program pause or end G code is read or execution is stopped by the operator 4 6 2 Feed Hold The feed hold button will immediately pause the program press cycle start to continue Feed hold will only pause axis motion If the spindle is running it will stay on and any active outputs will remain active coo
30. ets G49 or activate the tool length offset for the master tool G43 Hhh where hh is the Offset number of the master tool before setting the fixture offset for touch off surface Once a surface is found using the master tool and the fixture offset entered bring each tool down to the surface using the same method some type of gage block or tool setter of known height The position shown in the Z axis DRO will show the difference in length between the master tool and the tool being touched off There are a few options for inputting the value into the tool offset table just like when setting fixture offsets The value can be entered directly into the offset A value can be typed into the input box at the bottom and then the Input button will over write the existing data with the value in the box the Input button will add the value from the input box to the existing value and the Measure button will calculate the offset value using the data in the input box as the desired position For this example type in the gage block thickness then press the Measure button The value will be set Double check the data by activating the current tool offset MDI G43 Hhh where hh is the offset number of the tool being touched off The Z axis DRO should read the gage block thickness if done correctly 3 6 2 Tool Length from Gage Line Measuring the actual tool length from the spindle gage line figure 3 14 is the preferred method when using automatic too
31. hed is tripped motion is disabled This can cause a problem trying to move the machine off the limit The limit override essentially ignores the limit switches until they are deactivated Extreme caution should be used when activating the limit override it is possible to overrun the switch and cause damage to the machine e Wizard Controls The Load Wizards button opens a window that displays all the installed wizards available to the user select one and press OK to run the wizard Load Last Wizard loads the last wizard that was run e Soft Limits Activates or deactivates the soft limits Soft limits are exactly as the same implies software limits to contain machine motions These are usually set just inside of the actual limit switches Soft limits are set up in the Homing Soft limits tab in the Mach configuration e Reference All References Homes all axes in the order set on the Homing Soft limits tab in the Mach configuration The axes will move to the home switches and machine zero set 14 e Zero Axis The zero axis buttons will set the current position to zero in the active fixture offset This sets the active fixture offset and will over write any data that was entered previously e Reference Status LEDs When an axis is referenced or homed its status LED will change from red to green e Position Display The digital readouts DROs display position data as selected by the display mode buttons e Tool Path Window The tool path wi
32. his case the operator would have had to record the previous length offset or remember the adjustment amount Using wear offsets the operator could just zero out the wear offset or even use it to cut a little oversize and work down without doing a lot of math The original offset is never changed unless the tool is changed Wear offsets are a valuable resource learn them understand them and use them 3 9 Tool Information During operation the current tool information is displayed on the main screen figure 3 15 This section of the screen shows the current tool number and its diameter and height offset information It is a quick way to check that the correct data has been input into the tool offset During a tool change the Tool Chng LED will blink indicating that the machine is either changing the tool automatically or waiting for the user to manual change tools and press the cycle start button File View Codfique Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Program Run MDI Tool Path Diagnostics G Code Axis Contro Too Path GO X0 000000 Y0 000000 Z0 200000 X M3 start Spindle 60 000000 1G43H5 Zero GO X0 000000 Y0 000000 Z5 00000 Ref GO X1 179950 Y4 004260 70 200000 All G1 X1 179950 Y4 004260 Z 0 100000 me Zero Gt X1 179950 Y4 004260 Z 0 100000 Z G1 X1 179950 Y3 980210 Z 0 100000 G1 X1 175140 Y3 980210 Z 0 100000 G1 X1 175140 Y4 004260 Z 0 100000 i G0 X1 175140 Y4 004260 70 200000 g 71 0 3 o o G13 1
33. ia Met cei voter Gallen ID FAN PEDE a etus ta Ata tit ioe MEAE 19 2 2 3 TOO LPRA ODS T3 uos estote ito Rr ca I 20 2 2 4 Jogme Tabucdauestetute tees a eese ue icc LIO LU IEottE c ON CIE ie ei OS ED c CODES eene tnra 21 GetUING Stared eT accendas 21 3 1 EHabIIBB the SUSEBITI man cep ut esttetabto tides otio B Mert S 23 3 2 HOME the Mach s up tU ve taeda deca RU DEM Pol 24 3 3 JOE SMO aac CT TRE 24 3 4 Changing TO MD TEN 26 3 5 PICU OPES CUS E 26 3 5 1 wore RI ano TTE 27 3 5 2 putine Fixture Offset Valles cuesta a 28 3 6 Tool Length OA Si a a A 30 3 6 1 Master Tola REN 32 3 6 2 Tool Lensthtrom Goge LiNE idas 32 3 7 Tool Diameter Offsets acne a O saca 33 3 8 ToolW Cah ON SOUS sanean r a E T 34 3 9 TOO Or ide n TREE DET IUS 34 310 Creating PONS weed exert ede eie e eve eee um etta ed ea One ca RR EE RR EE ER E D PEN ME eee 35 O09 MIW sparta Rules O oraret bac fue baie nc e 35 Ruling the Maceo 39 4 1 Manual Data INputiIMDN aio cie Lie 39 4 2 Loading a G Code Programa des 40 4 3 Viewing the TOO Patinando 41 4 4 Editine aG Code Porra raf M cs efe 41 4 5 Closing a G Code Progr arise beo od e e hens 41 4 6 Executihig a GCode PIOBEFSITIe sisi ie ure a Dhu e Neb oo a e Blu ecards eet bot us Mo io eo tbe adus 41 4 6 1 PP IM UU m Ld E 41 4 6 2 Feed TIONG eec 41 4 6 3 o N A T EA ENEA O ANE EAE 41 4 6 4 PROS Cli eena E E E E N E O aa 42 4 6 5 Starting tromthe Middleof a ProgriMas ciar 42 pz USE ee T T T P
34. inder was used to find the edge but the radius of the edge finder has to be accounted for see figure 3 11 Figure 3 11 Touch off location for 0 200 inch diameter edge finder 29 Select the desired offset In figure 3 10 the X offset of G54 is selected In the input box type in the position displayed in the X axis machine position DRO and press the input button The data will be written to the offset Now turn off the machine position to see the fixture offset position in the DRO If everything was entered correctly the X DRO should now read 0 0000 If not make sure the desired fixture offset is active by commanding it in the MDI mode Now although the data was input correctly to obtain zero the edge finder radius has not been accounted for The position we are actually looking for is 0 1000 as shown in figure 3 11 To make this adjustment type 0 1000 into the input box and press the Input button The X DRO will update to show 0 1000 this is the correct position Double check your offset data by commanding the fixture offset in MDI to activate it jog the machine so the edge finder is just above the surface of the part and move to X0 0000 the edge of the part should be at the center of the edge finder The next method and more reliable as human error is reduced is to use the measure button With the edge found with the edge finder type in the desired position in this case it is 0 1000 and press the Measure button the offset v
35. indle speed overrides e Spindle Control Spindle on off button 2 1 Menu Bar The menu bar in Mach 4 consists of drop downs that provide access to among other things configuration settings diagnostics and offset information 2 1 1 File Menu The file menu contains commands for opening and closing G code files and exiting the program see figure 2 2 File View Configure New Gcode File Recent Files Wizard Operator Diagnostic Help Diagnostics Open Gcode File Close Gcode File Exit Figure 2 2 File menu e New Gcode File Selecting this option opens the G code editor with a new blank file A program can then be manually typed in by the user and saved for later execution e Recent Files Display a list of the most recently opened G code files Select one from the list to load it into Mach4 for execution e Open GcodeFile Opens the Select File dialog figure 2 3 The user can then navigate to the desired G code file to select and open it in Mach4 T jd ThisPC OS C Mach Gcodefiles Organize New folder W Favorites I Desktop de Downloads ArcTest tap Y Recent places Comp Test tap Drill Cycle Test 1 tap fli OneDrive Fanuc 9010 tap MarcTesttap ed Homegroup __ outhouse tap __ roadrunner tap IK This PC Test File 2tap de Desktop Test File 3 tap jJ Documents J Test File G65 2 tap gt 3 Pip P731 gt gt Dp p 3 n n a oto oov 5 H
36. ing Guide is a complete description of the required G code format Programs can be created by using the wizards a CAM computer aided manufacturing system or by manually typing it There are a variety of CAM systems that can be used for generating programs from 2D or 3D drawings When CAD models are available using a CAM package is usually the best and quickest way to generate a G code program for machining However some of these software packages can be very expensive For this reason Mach4 includes the ability to run wizards a form of conversational programming Wizards can be created by anyone with some computer programming skill for just about any task needed 3 10 1 Mill Wizard Mill Wizard provides the user with a set of tools to generate G code files for common milling jobs The close link with Mach4 allows created G code to be loaded into Mach4 with the push of a single button Mill Wizard can create programs with multiple tools and features Features and shapes include rectangles circles links slots hole patterns engraving gears splines and more Figure 3 16 shows the main screen and all the available operations Jobs can be created using the stock materials or the user can add special materials to the table Tools can be added to a table for later use Operations can be modified and re ordered as desired Complete documentation is provided in the help menu of the software The follow figures give a basic idea of what the softwar
37. l setters and manual electronic light up or indicator style setters It is also particularly suited to machines with fixed tables like bed mills vertical and horizontal machining centers gantry mills and routers etc The distance from the spindle gage line to the measurement point must be known When tools are touched off the offset value will be the distance from the tip of the tool to the gage line Because the offset is simply a length measurement and not a machine position the offset value can also be measured outside the machine on a tool pre setter 32 Spindle Spindle Gage Line Tool Length Tool and Holder Figure 3 14 Gage line and tool length To use this type of tool offset system a fixed point in the machine should be chosen to measure tools A great position is the table of a bed mill The distance from the spindle gage line to this point must be found One way to do this is remove any tool from the spindle then jog the Z axis down Generally the spindle cannot reach the table but a 4 block usually provides enough height to obtain a measurement Use the same procedure as was used when touching off tools step the spindle down in small increments until the block just slides under The machine position Z axis DRO will read the distance the spindle traveled down to reach this point Record this number For our example machine let s say it is 10 0000 If the gage block used is the same one that will be used to touch off to
38. lant air blow etc 4 6 3 Stop The stop button will immediately end program execution All motion will stop as well as the spindle and other outputs This is similar to commanding a program stop in the G code program Although program execution is halted by pressing the stop button the program is not rewound 41 4 6 4 Reset To rewind a program back to the beginning press the reset button This will also return the controller to its default state 4 6 5 Starting from the Middle of a Program There are a couple ways to start execution from a point other than the beginning of a program If the desired start point is a safe start line or other safe position not including any motion the desired start line can be selected and cycle start pressed Select the desired start line in the G code window and then press the Set Next Line button When the cycle start button is pressed the program will begin execution from this selected line Programs can also be started from any position in the program including in the middle of a cut To do this select the point to start by scrolling through the G code program in the G code window and select the desired line Manually jog the machine close to the start point Next press the Run From Here button in the File Ops tab A window will open figure 4 2 to start the process of restarting the program Distance To Go X 0 0162 2 0 3000 A 0 0000 B 0 0000 C 0 0000 Jog axis close to star
39. ll break as shown in figure 3 9 position C 3 5 2 Inputting Fixture Offset Values Now to input a value into the fixture offset table There are a couple ways to do this The value can be calculated manually and directly typed into the field or the input box can be used to enter values When using the input box there are three ways to enter data see figure 3 10 The first is the Input button Pressing input enters the value from the input box into the selected offset over writing any existing value Next is the Input button Pressing the plus input adds the value in the input box to the value in the selected offset For instance if the current offset is 1 5 and 1 is typed into the input box then 28 plus input is pressed the new value of the offset will be 1 6 If input was pressed the new offset would be 1 Play around with these input functions to get familiar with them and how they function The third button is the measure button This button will do the math for us 0 0000 0 0000 4 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 0 0000 t 0 0000 ji 0 0000 Figure 3 10 Fixture offset table Let s first input the offset using the Input and Input buttons The value we re looking to enter into the offset is the machine position of the X axis at the desired zero location on the work piece The position we are looking for is the location of the edge of the part The edge f
40. ndow displays the programmed path for the currently loaded G code file Below it are some basic controls for the display e Regenerate Tool Path This button regenerates or refreshes the display When pushed the tool path will be recalculated with any changes e Display Mode This button toggles the display of the soft limits in the tool path window Showing the extents of the soft limits can provide visual reference of where the program is in the machine travel and if it fits e Jog Follow This button toggles how motion is displayed in the tool path window With jog follow off the tool path stays stationary and the red lines showing the tool position moves around When on the tool position stays centered on the window and the tool path moves around For large parts this mode can be used to view the tool path in more detail 2 1 10 MDI Tab Manual Data Input or MDI is a mode that allows the user to manually type in blocks of G code to be executed A block is a single line of G code containing multiple words each started with a letter or symbol The code is executed by pressing the cycle start button Position Operation Mode Selection Display Tool Path Window Reference All Zero Axis Reference Status LEDs De Reference Axes Position Display Verify Mode Selection Manual Data Input Window Figure 2 14 MDI tab 15 e Operation Mode Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its
41. neled vgvtanded Origination of Innovation Mach4 CNC Controller Operations Guide This is a general operations guide for using Mach4 with Mills Routers Engravers and other similar machine types Each machine will be different and will require specific technical knowledge that cannot be covered in a software user s manual With customizability comes user responsibility to ensuring the setup and operation is safe and meets your specific needs Copyright 2014 Newfangled Solutions Artsoft USA All Rights Reserved The following are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Windows Any other trademarks used in this manual are the property of the respective trademark holder Table of Contents 1 AE OCMC CIO me ee 4 1 1 Before You Begi ecu eat Ont o ab ladle ae 4 1 2 Wats Machap IE ts 4 1 3 How Dol Get My Drawing Into Machd rusia 5 1 4 Typical CNE Cutting PODES ic 6 Screen tavout anda CONTO Salio cenar tipica 6 2 1 MENU Df 8 2 1 1 File MEN AA A AA AL 8 2 1 2 VIEW MEDU os mel rates 9 2 1 3 Contour Menta tdo 9 2 1 4 Diagnostic WII eter X c 10 2 1 5 Wizard Menotti ced ME 10 2 1 6 Operator Mehta E ETE 11 2 1 7 misi IVICTIU ecg tier EQ TT UN PDT TN 12 2 1 8 Operation Mode Tabs io 13 2 1 9 di A A 13 2 NOME DIES N A A E 15 ALT POOWP AUN Ta Deesa E N S 16 212 Diagnostle Tab A A id 17 2 2 Operator Control Tabs arc tui 18 2 2 1 Ele Ope Ti E TR EET 18 2 2 2 RUD ADS TA oderat aM e Ate i
42. ogram can be rewound or run in reverse 19 Operator Control Selection File Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging s Mist Coolant Rewind 8 Rewind Block Del o Mist Single Block gt Single Block O M1 Opt Stop o Block Delete Reverse Run Rev Run a A Flood Coolant Optional Stop Figure 2 18 Run ops tab e Operator Control Selection These are the tab markers select the desired tab by clicking on its name e Rewind Rewinds the program to the first line e Single Block Activates single block mode the LED will light when active In single block mode Mach4 will execute only one line or block of code for every press of the cycle start button e Reverse Run e Flood Coolant Turns on the flood coolant output e Optional Stop When activated program execution will pause at MO1 in the program e Block Delete It is possible to skip lines or blocks or a program using the block delete When activated any block starting with a slash will be ignored by Mach4 e Mist Coolant Turn on the mist coolant output 2 2 3 Tool Path Ops Tab The tool path operation tab figure 2 19 contains tools for controlling the tool path display Operator Control Selection File Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging Tool h Regen Regenerate Toolpat Toolpath s Display Display Mode Mode Jog Follow Figure 2 19 Tool path ops tab 20 e Operator Control
43. ol Path Window The tool path window displays the programmed path for the currently loaded G code file 2 1 12 Diagnostic Tab In the diagnostic tab figure 2 16 the operator can view the status of inputs and outputs as well as individual axis homing 17 Axis Homing and Reference Status LEDs Operation Mode Selection e input 0 O rpt Input Status O rout o LEDs e Prove o Lima Override Emergency Outputs O Enade 0 Q Enable 1 Enable 2 O Enade Output Ene e Endes output 0 Output Status LEDs O Output 2 Output 3 O Output Output 5 O SpeceOn Spnaerwa spese Rev Cootant On vast On Figure 2 16 Diagnostic tab e Operation Mode Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its name e Input Status LEDs LEDs show the status of a variety of inputs to Mach4 e Output Status LEDs LEDs show the status of a variety of outputs from Mach4 e Axis Homing Buttons to home individual axes and status LEDs to show the reference status 2 2 Operator Control Tabs These tabs give the operator control of G code file loading and editing program execution option tool path and jogging 2 2 1 File Ops Tab The file operation tab figure 2 17 displays controls to affect the current G code file Here the operator can select which file to load where to start program execution and edit the G code file 18 Operator Control Selection File Ops Run Ops Tool
44. ols then this is the number that will be used for tool touch offs If not subtract the gage block thickness 10 0000 4 0000 14 0000 to get down to the table and then add back the height of whatever gage will be used Now we will explain how to touch off tools A fixture offset can be set at this position or a macro can be created If a fixture offset is used it must be active and tool height offsets inactive when touching tools to get the correct data With this set up the user position Z axis DRO will read the length of the tool This number should be directly input into the tool height offset With a macro see customization manual for more detailed information a button like the Auto Tool Zero button can be used to do the math The macro would take the absolute value of the difference between 10 0000 and the machine position when the button is pressed The resulting number will be the length of the tool For instance if a tool is touched off and the Z axis machine position is 8 5000 the tool length tool height offset is 8 5000 10 0000 1 5000 So the tool in the spindle is 1 5000 long which is the tool offset This method is a little more complicated to set up but once set can be a time saver Fixture Z offsets can be set with any tool as long as the correct height offset is activated 3 7 Tool Diameter Offsets Tool diameter offsets allow the operator to make adjustments to the finish size of parts provided that the program contain
45. or Help ProgramRun MDI Tool Path Diagnostic G Code Figure 2 11 Help menu e About Opens a window that displays information about Mach4 and the computer it is installed on The about screen indicates what version of Mach4 is installed Lite Hobby Industrial etc Next is the version number followed by the build number The PCID is required for licensing The PCID is based on the configuration of the computer Mach4 is installed and the license will be locked to that PCID computer system Copy the PCID number by clicking on the Copy ID To 12 Clipboard button Use the Load License File button to load a license file received from Artsoft Mach4 Hobby CNC Control Software Version 1 0 01 Licensed Build 1767 Arts OK Copyright 2001 2014 Newfanged Solutions LLC All rights reserved Figure 2 12 About window 2 1 8 Operation Mode Tabs The operation mode tabs allow the user to navigate between program run manual data input MDI and diagnostics Click on a tab to change the view in Mach4 and change modes 2 1 9 Program Run Tab The program run tab figure 2 13 is the default on startup This tab displays the current G code file a plot of the tool path and current position 13 Reference Status LEDs Tool Path Window Operation Mode Selection Zero Axis Position and Controls Display Reference All Program Run MDI Too Path Diageostics F60 000000 A G
46. rd fixture offsets with G54 1 P1 through G54 1 P248 There are also two additional offsets in the table Work Shift and Head Shift Values in work shift will shift the entire table this can be useful when test running programs the Z axis can be lifted slightly more than the max depth of the program to run above the part or making adjustments without changing offset values The work shift is always active so when changed it is important to remember a change has been made Changing fixture offsets in the program will not deactivate work shifts Head shift is used for multi head multi spindle machines and not covered in this manual 26 Figure 3 7 Fixture offset table There are a variety of ways to find a work piece in the machine edge finding is probably the most commonly used method and will be covered in this manual Probing is a great method when available sometimes all that is required is to visually jog the machine to position and zero it The accuracy required is determined by the required part accuracy 3 5 1 Edge Finding Edge finders figure 3 7 come in many shapes and styles each specialized for specific applications The type used for examples in this manual are highlighted in figure 3 7 The shaft diameters can vary but the tip diameter is 0 200 inch making the math for calculating the offsets very easy Figure 3 8 Edge finders 27 An edge finder is used by spinning it at a low RPM usually 1000
47. s X Origin 0 0000 Y Origin 0 0000 Width 2 5000 Corner Radius 0 Rotate Angle 0 0000 Onw ONE 6 Cen sw OSE Direction of Cut Inside Outside cw ccw OInsde O Outside Groove Figure 3 22 Rectangle cutting wizard cut inside outside or groove 4 Running the Machine 4 1 Manual Data Input MDI Manual Data Input MDI mode allows the operator to manually enter G code to be executed The operator should have a solid understanding of G code and machine programming before attempting to command the machine using the MDI mode This is useful for activating or deactivating fixture offsets tool offsets positioning modes tool changes moving to known positions etc In Mach4 MDI programs can be multiple lines and a history of commands is saved that can be navigated using the up and down arrows adjacent to the MDI window 39 File View Configure Diagnostic Wizard Operator Help Tool Path Diagnostics Zero X Ref Y j All pu Z a Zero f A i o o De Ref Machine i Alaxes PO Coordinates Verify Axis Control MDI Commands Press Cycle Start to execute File Ops Run Ops Tool Path Ops Jogging ns l Tool 0 ToolChng Edit G Code Set Next Line Diamet 0 0000 er Run From Height 0 0000 Recent File Here Auto Tool Zero Close G Code Remember Return Load G Code G92 G17 G90 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G54 G64 G97 Hoy Td Feed Rate Figure 4 1 MDI screen
48. s been lost in running the machine e Position Display The digital readouts DROs display position data as selected by the display mode buttons e Tool Path Window The tool path window displays the programmed path for the currently loaded G code file It does not display the path of the code entered in the MDI window it will show the axis motion in real time when MDI code is executed 2 1 11 Tool Path Tab The tool path tab figure 2 15 is a simple display with a tool path window dominating the screen 16 Operation Mode Selection Tool Path Window F60 000000 A G0 X0 000000 Y0 000000 20 200000 M3 start Spandie 560 000000 G Code Gams G0 X0 000000 Y0 000000 25 00000 Window GO X1 179950 Y4 004260 20 200000 Gt X1 179950 Y4 004260 7 0 100000 Gt X1 179950 Y4 004260 2 0 100000 Gt X1 179950 Y3 380210 20 100000 Gt X1 175140 Y3 980210 2 0 100000 G1 X1 175140 Y4 004260 20 100000 GO X1 175140 Y4 004260 70 200000 lat 21 0 UG123 15 G0 X1 137080 Y3 324440 20 200000 v Position Display Figure 2 15 Tool path tab e Operation Mode Selection These are the tab markers Select the desired tab by clicking on its name e GCodeWindow Displays the current G code file e Position Display The digital readouts DROs display position data as selected by the display mode buttons There are not position display mode buttons on this tab the display will be changed based on the state of the buttons on the Program Run or MDI pages e To
49. s the proper codes to activate and use the diameter offset Data is entered in the Dia column in the tool offset table figure 3 12 Detailed information on the programming and use of tool diameter offsets can be found in the cutter compensation section of the Mach4 programming guide 33 3 8 Tool Wear Offsets Cutting tools wear during use This is true for everything from steak knives in the kitchen to high tech coated carbide metal cutting tools Wear and dull cutting edges induce deflection in the cutting tool and machine that can throw off the precision of a part being cut Mach4 provides wear offsets for both tool length and diameter to compensate for this deflection and sometimes actual reduction in length or diameter of the cutting tool These wear offsets are found in the tool offset table figure 3 12 in columns labeled Length Wear and Dia Wear When a tool offset is called Mach4 adds the wear Offset to the set offset value to determine the actual offset to be used Using wear offsets is recommended for making small adjustments over making changes to the other offsets For example a CNC mill is facing a steel part and the finished thickness is 0 005 too big The operator adjusts the tool length offset 0 005 to cut deeper The next part is an aluminum one the operator doesn t remember the old offset so just faces the part and it is 0 007 too small The difference in material hardness can affect the finished size of the part In t
50. t ponit then use the Move buttons to get into the correct position Move Axis to Start Position j Move Unselected Figure 4 2 Run from here window In the run from here window there is a position read out showing distance to go These distances are how far the machine needs to travel to reach the start point Before starting execution the machine must be moved to the start point The axes can be moved using the controls in the Move Axis to Start Position section of the window Enabled axes will be available for selection Select one or multiple axes to move and press the Move Selected button The selected axes will move to their start positions Another button Move Unselected will move the unselected axes Use this button to move any remaining axes to their start positions Once the machine is in the start position press the OK button Mach4 will scan the preceding part of the program to get the machine into the proper state 42 coolant spindle on or off and setting up cutter comp if active Press cycle start to start machine motion and run the rest of the program 5 Help l ve Crashed and now my machine won t move Inevitably as careful and conscious as we may be there will be a crash or run in with hard limit switches Recovery from these situations can range from careful jogging to removing tools and debris before moving try to avoid the latter As always prevention is better than recovery both will be discusse
51. tains drop down menus similar to many programs Options here range from loading programs configuration of Mach4 and its plug ins and exiting the program e Operation Mode Tabs These tabs select the operation mode of Mach4 and change the layout of the upper half of the screen based on the selection made e Program Execution Controls Cycle Start Feed Hold and Stop buttons to control the execution of loaded G Code programs or MDI programming e Reset The Reset button returns the control to its default state and rewinds the program e Enable Disable The enable button does just that it enables Mach4 The control must be disabled before any configuration changes can be made e Status Bar Shows the current state of the modal G Code groups e Message History Displays a window that shows the history of messages displayed in the message bar and recent button pushes e Message Bar Displays Mach4 errors and comments from a program or script e Operator Control Tabs Display a variety of buttons for control of loading and editing programs running of programs tool path display and jogging e Current Tool Data Displays current tool number and offset data e Active Profile Displays the name of the current profile e Actual Feedrate Displays the current actual feed rate this could differ from the programmed feed rate depending on the setting of the feed rate override controls e Override Controls Provide control over the feed rate rapid and sp
52. us errors i ann p MM Measure critical P feature BEFORE Make required removing part if pa adjustments and possible re run if necessary 2 Screen Layout and Controls The standard Mach4 screen is designed to be easy to navigate for first time users Figure 2 1 shows the layout of the main page This is the screen that will be loaded when Mach4Gui exe is launched and the Mach4Miill profile is selected Each part will be discussed in more detail in separate sections Menu Bar vu oy R i O Cose da Cista e gt REF anart Epindis tii ddi Cass Lene GA KELDA YD 000000 ZEDO si f Sa 74 004780 0 209000 A Gi X1 178950 Fd ipd Pl Z0 800900 Jere eee petro NEED Gi Wiara 11 560250 7 0 100800 Mode Tabs Gl XLATERAO 11480749 T 0 500900 x Ga X1 375440 4 004 PO 7 0 900800 LES peniteat yrs Ei a a igi 21 0 113 1 5 Gy 21 114040 13 34440 ID 00000 r Gre fara TO Go Machine Sol Coordinabes Limits Cugi Pig C Mach tscodek ies raadnuinner tap Load Lad Ma Pagar Too am Program Execution Controls Reset DL n i Well el bell Ne ad tte eso s Control Enable Disable gt Emm _ E G17 690 G91 1 G94 G20 G40 G49 G50 G98 G15 G4 G64 GST Override Status Bar ratory Pte Machspid Mag F Controls Message History Message Bar Operator Control Current Tool Active Profile Actual Tabs Data Feedrate Figure 2 1 Mach4 screen layout e Menu Bar Con
53. welded to the part which does happen trying to pull it out with the machine can potentially cause damage to the machine or it could break sending small very sharp bits of carbide or tool steel flying in every direction could cause harm to humans and other things nearby If a tool is stuck in a part try to loosen or remove it from the spindle or unclamp the part before attempting recovery 5 4 Preventing the Inevitable As always the best method of crash recovery is to avoid the crash in the first place Most crashes are due to human error and operator complacency As humans we have a tendency to get overly confident and stop paying complete attention to what we re doing This is especially common when running production type parts large volumes and very repetitive Always remain focused on the work at hand CNC machines can be very dangerous and require 10096 of your respect and attention They will not think twice about removing parts of your body New programs are always a huge source of crashes involving the tool and work piece or work holding devices Usually these crashes are minor at worst resulting in a broken tool However the worst crashes can result in broken spindles damaged bearings cracked or bent castings and machine frames bent tool changer arms or even fire However these types of collisions can almost always be avoided by dry running the program either without a part or above the part Procedures for checking programs can b
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