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-   -   Another MM as Plasma Table (http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3608)

KenC Wed 17 October 2012 00:56

Finally, After 2 weeks of hair pulling troubleshooting chore.... while rewiring the control panel, I realized I had my motor pin assigned wrongly, DIR for STEP & vice verse...

All along this time, I knew the problem is gonna be so glaring & right on my face.... Also a simple one to solve... That is IF I can find what was wrong...

All are not lost, something good did came out of my personal blunder, I now know how to monitor parallel port signal, & sending test signal from Mach3 to the BOB... etc etc etc...

Gerald D Wed 17 October 2012 01:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by KenC View Post
. . . . I swap around the Motor pin designation, disregard of what pin number I plug in, including mixing up STEP & DIR of all motors, the result is the same:mad::mad:. . . .
It gets confusing, doesn't it!! :D:D

danilom Wed 17 October 2012 01:59

It get's to the point when you swap swapped wires and chaise your tail :)

aniljangra Wed 17 October 2012 02:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by danilom View Post
It get's to the point when you swap swapped wires and chaise your tail :)
Hmm, Like you swap wires and also swap signals in mach as well :)

KenC Wed 17 October 2012 02:18

Respect Murphy! :p

Thousand thanks to Anil & Danilo for walking me through all the testing.

Anil even sent me his new drivers.

javeria Wed 17 October 2012 03:53

LOL Ken, Anil was like calling me and was like hitting head on a invisible wall !

finally you figured it out!

Let us know how these work.

Regards
Irfan

Surfcnc Wed 17 October 2012 04:14

Ken most problems are simple ... once solved :)
Before solving though they tend to be significantly more complex and wide ranging.
Well done and a gold star for persistence.

Regards
Ross

smreish Wed 17 October 2012 04:27

...and the persistence of the MM forum prevails again.
Glad to see your up and running Ken!

KenC Wed 17 October 2012 05:27

6 Attachment(s)
Surely eye candy is an absolute must

Anil's new & improved BOB & Drivers
Attachment 13558

The cover mount is much improve. & the jumper selector is more reliable than the earlier finger switch.
Attachment 13559

Another view
Attachment 13560

Fresly renovated Control panel looks like this now, Only the motor drivers are connected to BOB.
Attachment 13561

I got paranoid with heat, hence remove the drivers's casing & mount it directly on the external Heat Sink
Attachment 13562

This is how it look from outside.
Attachment 13563

My IR thermometer says the heat sink is 34C, the panel is 36C, the driver boards are around 40C, the transformer remains 50C.
I'm comfortable with these figures :) :)

Funny thing is the fans are 65C...

javeria Wed 17 October 2012 05:45

Ah Ken,

why remove the drive case - I run my tiny's @ 60V DC and at 5 A all the time with no ventilation and mounted on the steel (painted) surface directly ( with heat sink compound) ( I know its not the best way to do it!)- never bothered about them ever!

work horses every day!

KenC Wed 17 October 2012 06:16

Hi Irfan, The spec sheet did mention that it can work with 65C,

The official reason in doing so are, 1) so near the Equator with 32~40C ambient temperature, 2) paranoid... 3)... free up more real estate... 4) what ever... :p

The unofficial (real) reasons are, it looks too cool to resist :D & because I can... :D :D

javeria Wed 17 October 2012 08:03

Ken - from the pics looks like you removed the heatsinks - have you still used the insulated heat pads below the mosfets.?

the fets need to be isolated from eachother.

KenC Wed 17 October 2012 21:25

Yes, I bought some isolation pads for the job & applied heat compound.

KenC Sat 03 November 2012 21:40

FINALLY!!!!!
SPARKS!!! THUNDER!!!

WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

Now I can sleep......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-s7J...ature=youtu.be

rischoof Sat 03 November 2012 23:26

congratulations Ken,
It's a huge machine, I can remember the pile of steel in the corner from your workshop. be careful with all those sparks.

Surfcnc Sun 04 November 2012 01:20

Well done Ken - the video was great to watch.

Regards
Ross

javeria Sun 04 November 2012 01:26

good work ken

Robert M Sun 04 November 2012 03:41

Nicely done, félicitation ;)

smreish Sun 04 November 2012 04:20

Ken,
Nicely done - I know the Sparks and fire feeling!

Castone Sun 04 November 2012 12:26

Great job as always.

danilom Sun 04 November 2012 13:47

Ken , try cutting a little lower. it seems you have dross on the upper edge :P

Its ok when the sparks fly parallel to the plane of sheet

KenC Sun 04 November 2012 22:17

Thanks everyone. Its been a nerve wrecking journey, enjoyed it nevertheless.

Couldn't had completed the machine without Danilo#64 tireless guidance on Plasma operation, THC controller, Mach3 THC functions from & Antony#77 on the THC introduction & Anil on the BOB & Drivers trouble shooting.

Danilo, I suspected that too. Still learning the THC & the parameters...
I just inspected the nozzle & it is worn out only after less than 30 minutes of cutting... must be the result of all the wrong settings...

One thing I learnt about the recommended cutting parameters table which came with the operation manual... They are a big pile of crap!!!

The manual stated for 3mm MS plate, when using 60Amp, the feed should be 5060mm/min, cut height 3.8mm & piercing height 4.1mm but after some fiddling, the actual feed speed should be 2200~2400mm/min & cut height is about 2mm... TOTALLY OUT OF EXPECTATION!!!!

KenC Mon 05 November 2012 02:05

Quote:
Originally Posted by KenC View Post
One thing I learnt about the recommended cutting parameters table which came with the operation manual... They are a big pile of crap!!!
I take back this comment, the recommandation is fairly accurate. The error is due to bad cutting height setting... My bad... :o:o

danilom Mon 05 November 2012 09:07

Ken... in three weeks you'll be cutting like a pro (me) :) hehe

MetalHead Mon 05 November 2012 11:19

Congrats !!! Nice Machine !!!

What torch are you using?

I love post 112 .... "I'd like to thank my ...." just like the awards shows and racing here in the states. :)

KenC Mon 05 November 2012 21:39

:D :D

Thank you thank you... I'll like to thank.... {applause} {Clap clap clap}

Jokes aside, I genuinely appreciate all the help :) :)

Mike, That is a Thermal Dynamics A80 Plasma power source with SL100 machine torch.

southernduckie Wed 07 November 2012 02:37

Congratulations Ken

It looks as though your control cabinet is on the large size too don't be shy post up the size:D LOL looks like a great build, the way you felt sorting out your wiring is probably the same as I felt for most of my build:o
Hope it brings much happiness to your life.

Gerald D Wed 07 November 2012 03:01

I have to laugh at how the wheel turns......

When we built the first MechMate (maybe 8 years ago?) everyone tried to build the smallest control cabinet (and had the smallest cellphone). They shook their heads at our "big" control box (without air holes). Today there seems to be a competition for the biggest box (and the biggest cellphone) :D

KenC Wed 07 November 2012 04:19

LOL!!! BIG IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

My boxes are 400(W) x 500(H) x 200 deep. 40 liters each... one for the electronics & the other for the PC. Not as big as I wish... each panel cost about a ready-made PC box, the next size up is nearly double the price...

Tiny in comparison to Duckie‘s double panel 500x600x300 each...

Like I said in my 1st built, a penal this size is TINY in comparison to the actual MM’s actual foot print. What is the good in saving that 10~20 liter ?? & squeezing a PC mother-board in it??? My hand & fingers are just too big for such endeavor...

Gerald, I've seen people actually shouting into 10.4" iPad (as phone) against their favorite side cheek walking on the street.... I can tell they have problem holding it single handed....

Surfcnc Wed 07 November 2012 06:03

Is that what that box is..
Though it was a towel drier for Ken's new swimming pool :D.

Regards
Ross


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