CN wish list

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Dave Burtchell
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CN wish list

Post by Dave Burtchell »

I would like to see a double pass setting that would allow the first pass to be over size (outside the line) or leave a skin or both. Then the second pass would shave the part to the right size, depth or both.

We cut a lot of 2" thick solid wood, too. I would like to see a setting that would give the option of reaching full depth in "x" number of passes.

And I'd still like to see the "nest" button changed to two buttons: "nest X" and "nest Y".

Dave
Todd Miller

Re: CN wish list

Post by Todd Miller »

I would like to see a double pass setting that would allow the first pass to be over size (outside the line) or leave a skin or both. Then the second pass would shave the part to the right size, depth or both.
I will forward this to our programmers.
We cut a lot of 2" thick solid wood, too. I would like to see a setting that would give the option of reaching full depth in "x" number of passes.
I will forward this to our programmers.
And I'd still like to see the "nest" button changed to two buttons: "nest X" and "nest Y".
In the control nesting settings area you should see a "nesting parameters" area. Look for the nest direction box. In this box you can set the direction to X or Y. Click OK, then re-nest.

Dave
Dave Burtchell
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Dave Burtchell »

In the control nesting settings area you should see a "nesting parameters" area. Look for the nest direction box. In this box you can set the direction to X or Y. Click OK, then re-nest.
Yeah, but I'm lazy and was hoping to get the same result without going back and forth to the settings screen. Be nice to do it from the control nesting screen. Just need to make the nest button two buttons. Maybe thats harder than it sounds. My kid writes code, I'm just a wood butcher.
(And sometimes a word butcher)
Dave
Brad McIntosh
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Brad McIntosh »

Regarding the "NEST X" and "NEST Y" selection...

It might be an idea to have a "BEST OF X or Y" (or "Automatic Nest X/Y Selection"). Control Nesting (CN) could actually try to optimize using both the "NEST X" and "NEXT Y" settings and use whichever gives the "best" yield. (Perhaps "Best Yield" should read as - Fewest sheets of a given material with the largest OFFCUT area on the last sheet of that material.)

With this "BEST OF..." setting, CN may find that one material in a particular job is best nested in "X" while another is best nested in "Y".

Just an added idea...
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David Hall
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Re: CN wish list

Post by David Hall »

I share Dave B's desire for an "off the line first pass" feature.

The ridge left on conventional cut double pass parts is more than just a minor annoyance, for many jobs it becomes a production bottle-neck to remove the ridge prior to edgebanding or assembly. I could rant on for a while here but the bottom line is simply... it costs me money.

If the programming required to create this additional "outline" for all shapes, is too much work to be implemented in a timely fashion then may I suggest the feature be limited to rectangles at this time, if that helps.

If rectangles only is still a bear, then perhaps the feature might be more easily (quickly) implemented by adding a "first pass outline tool" and "Through cut outline tool" selection.

We would actually use two different tools for some solid wood machining applications, but for sheet stock you could set-up the two different tool numbers to point to the same physical tool. It would then just be a matter of lying about the "first pass perimeter tool" diameter in tool set-up, to move it off the line. (You'll hear some whining if you don't put a little work into the tool change macro to avoid wasted movement, but not from me)
Or you might use this technique behind the scenes and hide the whole mess from us.

To avoid damaging adjacent parts, the "first pass outline tool" diameter would need to be used for nesting.

Regards,
Dave
David Hall
Hall's Edge Inc.
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Dave Burtchell
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Dave Burtchell »

Dave
We've been doing some more experimenting with the ridge issue. So far the best edge results from a slower first pass climb cutting. We tried 400 ipm at 12000 rpm. Found out we could set the "% full feed for through cuts" to 200 which boosted second pass up to 800 ipm. Left a little fuzz, but no ridge.

How about a feature where we could choose to use climb cut for first pass and conventional for second pass. might clean itself up.

Are three flute bits stiffer than two flute? I mean stiff enough to minimize deflection?

Dave
Dave Burtchell
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Dave Burtchell »

One more thing,

We do 95% of our cutting with the same settings on the "settings" screen. We would like to be able to save these as our "default" settings, so we could return to them without looking thru them all to see what needs to be changed back. Or be able to make "settings groups" like we can with "tooling groups" on the tooling screen, linking the groups with different materials.

Just a thought, as long as we're dreaming,
Dave
Damon Nabors
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Damon Nabors »

I am going to chime in on one other thing. It would be nice if there was a way to retract the Z axis on the controller. Every now and then when you get that small part that moves and the cutter gets caught up in the part so you have to stop the feed overide control only to try and get the part out of the way so it does not plow its way into the other adjoining parts only to move them. If we could block stop the machine and then Retract Z so we could move the bad part out of the way and then keep on cutting.
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Will Williamson
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Will Williamson »

Damon
With the handheld programmer You can block stop and raise the z axis any time during cutting by blockstop then axis 3 up as far as necessary and when you have the part out of the way hit clear and start and the machine will resume where it left off I have built a stand for mY hand held and since I done that Iuse it a lot more .I just wish I could controll the speed from the handheld

As far as how difficult it is to implement these improvements in cutting These functions already exist in third party software I personally resent having to spend another 10 to 20 thousand dollars for these options. Especially when other cnc builders have had these functions for 15 years
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Damon Nabors
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Re: CN wish list

Post by Damon Nabors »

Good point on the hand held. I really hate experimenting and going out of my comfort zone. I really need to play around with the machine more, I just feel more at ease when I can write a program with my software and not have to worry from then on.
Damon Nabors
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