Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Cam Axial engine cam track code

Hi John,

Thanks for the additional comments. I opened your spread sheet, and
saved it as a CSV file. I should have saved it as plain text then.

After adding some line numbers, I feed it to my controller program,
which seemed to like it. Not much to see in the simulation (no 4-axis
simulation) so just "cutting air". But after I get spread sheets
figured out, I think I can make use of 'em.

Alan KM6VV


"j.guenther" wrote:

>
> Alan,
>
> What I did was after I typed in all the coordinate data from a table
> provided on plate 2 of the cam axial drawings, I inserted two columns in the
> spread sheet. The first column was filled with "g1 a". The second new
> column was inserted between the degrees column and the X coordinates column
> and it was filled with "x". The original spread sheet looked like this:
>
> 1 0.000207119
> 2 0.000828223
> 3 0.001862556
> 4 0.003308857
> 5 0.005165364
> 6 0.007429816
> 7 0.010099453
> 8 0.013171023
> 9 0.016640784
> 10 0.020504509
>
> when I was done inserting new columns and filling them with the necessary
> commands it looked like this:
>
> g20
> f2.5
> g1 a 1 x 0.000207119
> g1 a 2 x 0.000828223
> g1 a 3 x 0.001862556
> g1 a 4 x 0.003308857
> g1 a 5 x 0.005165364
> g1 a 6 x 0.007429816
> g1 a 7 x 0.010099453
> g1 a 8 x 0.013171023
> g1 a 9 x 0.016640784
> g1 a 10 x 0.020504509
>
> I then saved it as a text file. You could also copy and paste it into
> wordpad or some other text editor to add additional commands to it if need
> be. This actually allowed me to create a gcode file that worked the first
> time I tried it. Of course I do not have any commands for the Z axis in
> this file. I was just testing it to see how the motion looked and if the
> coordinates provided in SIC made sense for trying to cut this thing.
>
> The real test will come when I try to cut this thing. That will have to
> wait for a couple of days since I have another project on the rotary table
> right now and don't want to mess with the setup.
>
> John Guenther
> Sterling, Virginia
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Alan Marconett KM6VV [mailto:KM6VV@...]
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 14:38 PM
> > To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Cam Axial engine cam track code
> >
> >
> > Hi John, Dan,
> >
> > OK I give in. You use an Excel spread sheet to generate coordinate
> > pairs (sets) for conversion to Gcode. Do you then export comma
> > delimited files (CSV)? And HAND edit them into Gcode? Or do you use a
> > program to do the work?
> >
> > About all I ever do with spread sheets is to print them out. But as of
> > late, I keep seeing them more. Just this week my boss (president of the
> > small company) wanted a developer schedule in Excel. I got it out
> > (just typed in dates into his spread sheet). Next, I'm talking to a
> > lecturer (ham buddy) at the Engineering College of UCSC. He's telling
> > me that he uses a spread sheet for calculations! So I guess it's time
> > to give it a try.
> >
> > John, I don't see any equations in your spread sheet, and I think I
> > recall you saying you entered it by hand? I don't have access to the
> > original article(s) in "SIC". What did you work from (raw data)?
> >
> > Dan, Your Celtic patterns are quite interesting, as I've observed
> > before. I believe you said before that you DO use calculations in your
> > spreadsheet to generate your patterns. Did you do a sheet for this
> > cam? I'd be curious to see it, or a simple ring pattern as I haven't
> > written a spread sheet before.
> >
> > I can write an equation and generate Gcode from it in a 'C' (or other
> > language) program, but I was thinking a program to generate Gcode from a
> > .CSV file would be just the ticket. I have already done a menu-driven
> > DOS program that generates Gcode for cutting timing belt pulleys (and I
> > should shortly have a new Sherline 5400 mill that is big enough to hold
> > the rotary table, tilting table, etc to cut them).
> >
> > Or maybe a "Math Cad" type of program would be even better (never could
> > afford real MathCam). As far as that goes, a "Windows" program could
> > evaluate an equation entered, and generate Gcode from the equation and
> > several parameters. My son needs something to do!
> >
> > I'd appreciate hearing more about how this process works for you guys.
> >
> > Alan KM6VV
> >
> >
> > John Guenther wrote:
> > >
> > > I have created a folder, Cam-Axial-60 , in the files section
> > and placed the
> > > spread sheet and a gcode file in this folder. The gcode runs
> > one iteration
> > > of the track based on the coordinates provided in the
> > construction article
> > > in SIC. My rotary table is set up so that the y axis in the published
> > > coordinates is the X axis on my setup. The code ran in TurboCNC without
> > > problems although from listening to it I am not sure it will
> > cut a smooth
> > > track. Some refinement may be necessary to get a smooth cut. I will
> > > attempt to cut it later when I get my current project off the
> > rotary table.
> > > I will probably cut it in wood just to save my round stock.
> > >
> > > John Guenther
> > > Sterling, Virginia