CNC Router Procedures
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Work Holding
TBD presently ( situation is evolving).
Power UP
- Power up CNC computer
- Ensure Mach3 is running
- Plug in main power cord for machine
- Release E-stop
- Press 'RESET' in Mach3
- Press 'Ref All Home'
- Machine will move up in Z, left in X, towards operator in Y, in that order
- Ref #Tool_Change
- Jog machine in X & Y to starting position [Note: TAB key brings up jog window in Mach3]
- Press "Zero X"
- Press "Zero Y"
- Jog machine down in Z to touch off cutter to either "Material surface" or "Machine bed" as user defined in VCarve
- Press "Zero Z"
- Load G-Code into Mach3
- Turn on dust collector
- Press "Cycle Start"
Recovery from E-stop or fault
- Record the G-code line number of the last executed line from the G-code display
- Reset the E-stop switch by rotating the red knob clockwise
- On the PC, click on the flashing red "Reset" button
- Jog the Z axis up to clear material
- At the "set next line" enter a number before the last executed line: 5 lines earlier is suggested but it can depend on the exact G-code commands, it is best to pick a line where the bit is raised out of the work.
- Click "Run from here", confirming that the line number you entered is where it will start
- Click "Cycle Start"
- Mach 3 should then run a check, displaying the X, Y and Z coordinates of the chosen G-code line on a popup entitled "Preparation Position"
- Click "OK" on the popup if the values are correct
- The spindle should start, and the cutting tool should move to the displayed position
- If all is good, click "Cycle Start"
- The job should continue
Power DOWN
- Remove material from bed surface
- Pull out any nails/screws left behind
- Vacuum up all remaining dust
- Press E-Stop
- Remove collet nut and cutter from spindle
- Place in CNC tools bin
- Return bin to drawer under computer
- Place in CNC tools bin
- Unplug main power cord
- Close Mach3
- Shutdown/Power-off computer
Tool Change
- Jog Z-axis up
- Press E-Stop
- Remove collet nut, collet, cutter from spindle
- Select appropriate new cutter
- Select appropriate collet to match cutter shank diameter
- Ref: CNC_Router_Collets
- Select appropriate collet to match cutter shank diameter
- Install collet in collet nut
- Loosely install collet nut/collet in spindle
- Insert new cutter leaving enough stickout clearance for thickness of work material
- Tighten using 2 wrenches in CNC tools bin
- Excessive tightening is not needed
- Release E-stop
- Press "RESET" in Mach3
- Jog machine down in Z to touch off cutter to either "Material surface" or "Machine bed" as user defined in VCarve
- May need to jog in X & Y first
- Press "Zero Z" NOT X OR Y
- Jog up in Z above material