Author Topic: Notch cutting backwards (Read 5728 times)

KevinDoss · « **on:** Oct 08, 2004, 20:38:35 PM »

I have been installing Cam for 9 years, and when I started we were selling version 8, which was a DOS based program running in Windows.

When PM2000 was released, we started to have problems on certain notches, where the machine would starting cutting the notch backwards or just take off in a strange direction, cutting across other fittings.

After alot of research we started to notice that it was something with the kerf on the control, and if we set the kerf in PM2000 it was fine. At first I thought the problem was just in the D10 kerf calculations, but we are seeing it on D11, D6B, Edge, and Profiler Controls as well.

A couple of weeks ago, we did a software upgrade for a customer that was running version 8 software, and after installing PM2000 he started having the same problem.

It would not be a big deal to set the kerf in PM2000, except for the fact when you have a customer that cuts everything from 26 ga to 3/4" plate. This poses a problem, because the material may be cut at 60 amps, or may be cut at 100 amp, same materail, different kerf. The only way I see to get around this is to set up several tool under cutting for the different amp tips, and if it is an opus part, selecting the amp that you are cutting the part out of. This is nice for the fab side of it, but for the customer that is doing fittings, it is just impossible.

Just wondering is there are any suggestions on why, for one, PM2000 causes this, and if there a way other than what I explained to set the kerf for different amp tips.

Thanks
Kevin Doss
Advance Cutting Systems

Andy Robins · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 12, 2004, 09:04:41 AM »

When you say same material, different kerf, do you mean that each gauge can have a different kerf, if that is the case, you can set the kerf per gauge in the machine database

KevinDoss · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 18, 2004, 17:15:16 PM »

No I am not saying that each material can have a different kerf, this can be done int he details of the tool.

What I am stating is that if you have a 200 amp plasma, you might cut 10 ga at 60 amp and you migh cut 10 ga at 100 amp depending on the part. 60 amp has a smaller kerf then 100 amp would, but other than setting up multi tools for the machine and then choosing which tool to use on the part, there is no way I can see of doing it, and this makes it hard for customers that are using patterns.

Kevin

Chris · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 19, 2004, 15:33:56 PM »

You could install more than one machine that have different default cutting tool data but are identical in every other respect.
Write NC for the machine that you want. That way the patterns can use the default cutting tool on either machine.
Additionally, if you use autonesting you can nest for the machine that you want to cut with by making it the default machine - I know it's stating the obvious but the nesting could change if there is significant differences in kerf size.