CNC Plasma Table Build

Soo I got a little impatient. I wanted to see motors run under control of mach 4.

I took two of the stepper motors that have done had the GX16-4s installed yet and hooked them up as the Z and the Y axis.

The Z worked just fine right away. The Y, did not... spent some some time checking wiring and making sure.the y driver and motor work when uses as the Z, which it did.

Took a few minutes to figure out my axis mapping was off. Verified by trying to spin a different axis and it worked. This was how I confirmed the problem.

I swapped the motors in the axis map and the 2 motors behave as expected for my limited test.

There is a lot of work left but it was exciting to see
the motors spin under the control of mach4, even more so since I have had limited time to work on the controller.

 

24v input with 2.2k ohm Pull down resistor between blue (dc-) and black (signal out) wires gives me a voltage of 4.3vdc sensor is NC... which will cause any broken wire or power supply failure to act as a fail safe and trigger the inputs.

$13 InduSKY 2pcs 8mm Inductive Proximity Sensor Detecting Distance Approach Sensor Cylinder Proximity Switch NPN NO DC 6-36V 300mA 3-Wire (Diameter 18mm)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0872Y3C7D?ie=UTF8

Sensor is NOT a NO as stated in part description, voltage (4.3vdc) is present until sensor is triggered at that time voltage drops to 0vdc

 

I was able to make some small progress the controller.

I finished wiring the GX connectors for both the stepper motors and the control cabinet.

I made up a couple short test cables, this allowed me to test all 4 steppers at the same time.

I wrote a very simple Gcode to spin the steppers for the test.
Even though each motor and driver was ready tested individually... there was still a moment of excitment as all 4 steppers spun up.

 

Awesome!

It's moments like this that you know you will be completing the build. The prep up to this point has little or no excitement. Once you see it do exactly what you told it to do, the anticipation of getting it running is massive!

Thanks for the update!

 

I picked up the tecmo PTM-60 machine torch for the table..

 

We work hard putting these things together. There is no reason not to treat yourself!

 

@Pyrotech

I just got the TECMO from PW a few weeks ago too. 20-30 cuts so far and working great. Really impressed with the quality of the cabling.

Have you ordered any consumables yet? Just curious where/what you ordered. I am still pretty new to the CNC stuff and always just used general electrodes/tips for hand cutting, but I have seen reference to low amperage stuff for delicate cutting, like artwork.

You, or @koditten got any of that knowledge?

 

I've been wanting delve into the bulk, generic consumables for some time.

For my low volume work presently, the OEM , Miller consumables has not been too painfully expensive.

I'm still learning, so who knows what is in the future.

I will admit, I do not do any Uber, high quality cutting, so I use my tips as long as they will cut...maybe too long.

 

just now seeing this...

I have not ordered any consumables yet for the new torch, But much like you I have seen that there are various consumables that are better suited to different tasks.

 

Thanks for the reply. I still only have my 60amp electrodes from Primeweld.

BTW, not sure where you got your torch from. I got mine from Primeweld. Cost was right at $300.

There is a guy on Ebay that runs George's Plasma Shop. Great guy, very knowledgeable, and I recommend his stuff. He is a regular on another site I frequent. Anyway, he sells the TECMO PTM60 for considerably more money. He was recently challenged on the cost of his torch vs the Primeweld version. Since PW website states with no room for doubt that their torch was made in Italy, by TECMO, he reluctantly said that the PW torch is made by TECMO, but the torch is then sent elsewhere for a cheaper cable install and that is how they save money.

I gotta be honest, as I said above, I was impressed by the cabling on my torch.

 

I bought mine from Primeweld as well.

 

I have been thinking a lot about this project lately, been awhile Since I last did any serious work on the table. One thing I need to do near the very top of the list is to replace the laptop that was going to control the table. debating on doing the just the screen, and being able to keep the configuration, or getting a new computer an starting over.

But the notes and pictures I posted so far are going to be very useful as I start this back up. hopefully once this heatwave breaks It will be bearable in the garage, even the little window AC unit I have wasn't doing much but costing me money.

 

You shouldn't need anything more than a really basic laptop.

I do all my CAD on my custom build and just create my G Code on the laptop; that or I access already made TAP files I have saved and load it up for cutting.

The laptop I use is years old.

 

my laptop is old as well, it was only for mach4 and sheetcam, then I tripped over the cord and knocked it off the bench an broke the screen, trouble is that same one is not available, and I am trying to avoid the hassles of unregistering the software to that machine and redoing all the setup. I am thinking about either ordering a replacement LCD off Amazon and replacing it myself or removing the screen so it boots to a external screen like I did with another old laptop that had the same fate

 

I have a garage sale monitor that I use as a second screen. I have a second keyboard that I use as well. This keeps my laptop clean. As you know CNC plasma can be dirty .

 

The 32" TV on my wall was only $119 from Best Buy. Well actually $79 considering I sold the Echo device that came with it

It's mounted to the $10 Harbor Freight wall mount.

 

I picked up an used laptop last weekend, Mach 4 has been installed an configured to the same level it was when the last laptop jumped off the workbench. I misplaced my 2.2k resistors for the proximity sensors, so I ordered a new package an they will be here tomorrow. hopefully I can get the time to solder up the GX4 connectors for teh proximity switches and wire in the plasma cutter connector this weekend.




I also welded up the leveling feet for the frame. I saved some square washers from a fiberglass dead end arm from work that was getting tossed out.

 

I did get all of the GX4 connectors soldered up an wired into the breakout board for the proximity sensors.

I did run into an issue getting them to work properly. I doubled check all setting, and reverified the connections. Still nothing, I even reinstall Mach4 and the ESS plugin, thinking it may have been corrupted... still no work. Changed to an older version of Mach4 and the ESS plugin. Still no work. So I went searching online for an answer, and I was not able to really find an answer.

Not sure what triggered the idea, But I double checked the jumpers to make sure both ports of the breakout board where being powered from the ESS. turns out the jumpers where set wrong. Fixed that, an checked again. and it started working.

I also wired up a soft E-stop to stop the ESS only, there is hard stop on the main panel door that kills all power, but then I need to restart Mach.

Reinstalled sheetcam on the new laptop and downloaded a simple DXF from online an used it to create a virtual part for a test run.

I will need to cleanup some wiring again, and punch a couple new holes in the case for some additional connectors I forgot to add originally

 

ordered some aluminum plate for the Z axis today, also the new longer rails and ball screw arrived, my original set was much to short and lacked the desired travel.

The THC and "ohmic" touch sensor modules arrive in time for the weekend as well.

 

Get going!

This way I can motivate myself to make my table bigger