Re: What does Tool Radius Compensation do ?

Jon,
Thanks for the explanation, as I do not machine hard material at all,
I'm doing plastic and aluminum and some Epoxy circuit board but not
much...

I also have the Step/Direction by MAXNC, and it works OK, but the key
board layout is to say the least pathetic. I expect the programmer just
never did figure out how to get to the Arrow keys on the keyboard...
Doug's program is just Text based with ANSI colored text and "clean" in
the layout.

I've noticed lots messages about EMC what is it and where can I find out
more?

Hans Wedemeyer



Jon Anderson wrote:

> Hans,
>
> Radius comp allows you to program to the actual part profile, and let
> the control figure out the coordinates needed to achieve what you
> want.
> I started with the stock MAX software, then went to the step/dir w/rad
> comp. First thing I noticed was that it sure didn't work like the old
> Bosch controlled machine I ran at a previous job. It's pretty fussy
> about how you enter and exit comp. I often saw it take 3 moves while
> entering comp where I'd only programmed one.
> Ah-ha handles comp MUCH better. Without comp you have to adjust
> toolpaths manually if a feature doesn't come out to size.
> Example: My dad machines some small molded resistive elements for a
> customer, that are made of a highly abrasive material. Even with TiN
> coated carbide, cutter life is poor. Many of these parts have full
> radius slots around the periphery, radial to the center of the disk
> shaped element. With tol. of +/-.001 on some of these, radius comp
> allows quick and fine tuning of slot width as the cutter wears. Before
> comp, (and lacking decent math skills) I'd have to draw a new
> toolpath,
> run it through Bobcad, then edit the program to the new numbers. Woe
> to
> me if I made a typo....
> If you are doing nothing but one of a kind work, you can live without
> it. I'd like to try Yeager's program, but must have comp. By the time
> he
> adds it, I'll probably have EMC running...
>