Re: Question about angular and linear feedrates

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Dan Statman" <dan.statman@r...> wrote:

> Fred,
>
> Of course you are absolutely correct when taking into account true

4-axis

> 3-D work. But given the fact that low end controllers are not

handling the

> mixing of linear and rotary axes very well by using the linear axis

feedrate

> exclusively and then spinning the rotary axis at a value to keep

the move

> synchronous, which may be far in excess of a reasonable value,

don't you

> think it would make sense to limit the speed to the SLOWER of the

rotary

> feedrate or the linear feedrate.
>

Ask for what you need , not what you think the software developers
can do. They will surprise us all if we educate them and make it
clear just what is needed. If we are willing to accept a compromise,
we might not get their best efforts. Until about 2 years ago you
could not buy a rotary 4th axis for a reasonable price, let alone any
Cad-Cam software to program it. Today that has changed. It is time
for the CNC controller software writers to catch up with the hardware
and cad-cam programming softwre. I challenged them in public at
names in 2001 to get with it on smooth contouring in 3D. Some of them
made great strides. Today, they are challenged to do the same for
rotary axis applications.

How many windows controllers are there now, compared to 2 years ago?
And they are good and getting better all the time. The companies that
only do DOS are stagnant or in decline. The same minds that do this
can do rotary 4th axis, but not if users accept a crippled solution
and admit that engraving on a cylinder is all that is important.

Darnit, I want to carve a totem pole and I've got my end of the
software just about done, now I need a controller that can handle the
toolpaths. ;-) Art, Doug, Dave, Jim, Carl, Tom, Dick, Harry, are you
listening?

Best Regards,

Fred Smith
IMService