4th axis

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tomtom24
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:59 pm

4th axis

Post by tomtom24 »

Hello everybody,

I already asked my questions in the geraman part of the forum. But I guess there will be a bigger community in the english vrsion, so maybe someone can help me.

for eht ereason that I switched my cnc machine to a 4th axis (6040), I would like to use the 4th axis to do some engravement with FreeCAD.

- is there a way to use greeCAD with a 4th axis?
- can I use X or Y axis for controlling 4th axis?
- are there any solutions or examples, as I didn't found anything expect one 9 second vid from sliptonics which doesen't answer any question :)

Thanx to everybody in advance for helping me.
jbraun
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:41 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by jbraun »

My help will probably be no real help. First I did not learn German despite having German speaking (bilingual) parents. I was a stupid child and now a now a stupid senior :) Also the cnc machine configuration will determine how things are defined in the FreeCAD operation.
tomtom24 wrote: Sun Jan 08, 2023 4:35 pm I already asked my questions in the geraman part of the forum. But I guess there will be a bigger community in the english vrsion, so maybe someone can help me.
and I hope a German speaker spots this post
- is there a way to use greeCAD with a 4th axis?
Yes. In English it is the 'AxisMap Dressup'
- can I use X or Y axis for controlling 4th axis?
X or Y from the g-code can be "wrapped" around a cylinder. The rotary axis turning that cylinder may be "A" or some other name.
- are there any solutions or examples,
If time allows I may post a YouTube video and link it here. No promises.
For English help on youtube check out Joko Engineering or Mango Jelly Solutions.
Look for recent videos, this software is updated at a rapid pace.
jbraun
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:41 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by jbraun »

Sorry, no YouTube video so far. Only a FreeCAD file.
4th axis center-line is parallel to X axis.
Y axis wraps around the rotary.
FreeCAD reports some warning that seems safe to ignore.
btw this dress-up still scales wrong in imperial measurement.
axis_wrap.png
axis_wrap.png (6.29 KiB) Viewed 3972 times
axis_wrap.FCStd
(47.69 KiB) Downloaded 94 times
For English help on youtube check out Joko Engineering or Mango Jelly Solutions.
Look for recent videos, this software is updated at a rapid pace.
jbraun
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:41 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by jbraun »

The video I remembered has an unexpected title.
Don't be fooled by the camera angle, the Y axis is not moving.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sik5elnSge0
For English help on youtube check out Joko Engineering or Mango Jelly Solutions.
Look for recent videos, this software is updated at a rapid pace.
tomtom24
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:59 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by tomtom24 »

So hello again.

First of all, I wann say sorry for non reaction, there where some healthy problems first :((( Also, I completely refined the 3040 CNC. new ball-bearings, new CNC controller from Planet CNC, new ITX-Case, RemoteJog .... so now it's ready for work I hope :)

MANY THANKS for your help and Support.

I tried your Freecad-file. Looks nice and shows exactly what what I was searching nearly everywhere for. So, whith the right setting it's a charme. But, does the Radius input at axis map dressup need the final radius, or the Radius of the blank workpiece?

By the way, how sutiable is FreeCAD for doing some deepcarving like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJJHgOH4cc

Do you have any experience an FreeCAD with this?

Thank you for your time for building up this example!!
Kind regards
bmsaus4ax
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:16 pm
Location: Bargara, Queensland, Australia UTC+10

Re: 4th axis

Post by bmsaus4ax »

tomtom24 wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:36 pm So hello again.

By the way, how sutiable is FreeCAD for doing some deepcarving like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJJHgOH4cc

Do you have any experience an FreeCAD with this?
Yes this is possible in FreeCAD Path using 3D Surface operation.
.
Attachments
headPath.png
headPath.png (150.46 KiB) Viewed 3599 times
20210406_110233.png
20210406_110233.png (178.12 KiB) Viewed 3599 times
jbraun
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 5:41 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by jbraun »

I hope all is now well with your health.
does the Radius input at axis map dressup need the final radius, or the Radius of the blank workpiece?
the blank work piece

Maybe there is a German translation of this wiki page ?
https://wiki.freecad.org/Path_Surface/en
Pay attention to the advice for "Low Memory".
For English help on youtube check out Joko Engineering or Mango Jelly Solutions.
Look for recent videos, this software is updated at a rapid pace.
tomtom24
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:59 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by tomtom24 »

bmsaus4ax wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 10:48 pm
tomtom24 wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:36 pm So hello again.

By the way, how sutiable is FreeCAD for doing some deepcarving like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaJJHgOH4cc

Do you have any experience an FreeCAD with this?
Yes this is possible in FreeCAD Path using 3D Surface operation.
.
Heey, thx for your reply.
I have tryed to build up a simple example, maybe I missed the point, but, ... i do't get it working and I do not want to use another Prgramm as I like freecad for its technical background (which I might missunderstand sometifmes).

If you could please have a look at my attachament (3axis_test)? This would be very great as I still stuck :(

But I like your example. Looks very great.
At the end, and actually, I just want to mill out a honey spoon for my childs mother :-) The shaft will be stabilized Wood (by vacuum), the pyramid itself won't get in touch with anything else than honey <3

Kind regards :)
Attachments
3axis_test.FCStd
(67.1 KiB) Downloaded 51 times
honey.jpg
honey.jpg (74.22 KiB) Viewed 3360 times
tomtom24
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2020 6:59 pm

Re: 4th axis

Post by tomtom24 »

jbraun wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:16 am I hope all is now well with your health.
Thank you :) Unfortunately, it never will be. But as long as I have Problems like this, everything is fine.
jbraun wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:16 am Maybe there is a German translation of this wiki page ?
https://wiki.freecad.org/Path_Surface/en
Pay attention to the advice for "Low Memory".
Yeah, I have thought in the same direction but I still have ~20GB constantly available and I guess, I will have just a "layer-8" problem ;);)

Hope it gets clearer as my experiance in freecad grows (which happend already)... step-by-step.

Kind regards :)
bmsaus4ax
Posts: 255
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:16 pm
Location: Bargara, Queensland, Australia UTC+10

Re: 4th axis

Post by bmsaus4ax »

tomtom24 wrote: Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:01 pm
Heey, thx for your reply.
I have tryed to build up a simple example, maybe I missed the point, but, ... i do't get it working and I do not want to use another Prgramm as I like freecad for its technical background (which I might missunderstand sometifmes).

If you could please have a look at my attachament (3axis_test)? This would be very great as I still stuck :(
The first thing to do is to rotate the model so that what you want to machine is under the Z-Axis.

The easy way to do this is with the Job Model after the Job is created.
:- Make the original model invisible
:- In the Job: Make the Job Model visible and rotate it to lie along the axis of the 4th-axis ( X = A or Y = B ) Use the Data -> Property -> Base -> Placement -> Angle and Axis to rotate 90 degrees
:- If the face to be machined is not pointing to Z-Axis,; In the Job -> Setup dialogue, Select the face and in the Set section, Select Z-Axis button.
---- the job should rotate to have the face up under the Z-Axis.
:- Select Refresh in the Stock section so the stock is again in line with the job. (do this anytime setting changes are made )

Then the Operations should create successfully, but 3D Pocket seems to not work as expected because it will not allow setting to cut full depth. A standard Pocket operation works on your model case.

Have attached a modified version of your file as examples

I do not know your exact FreeCAD version but I have used one of the last versions before the refactor which accepts your file.

The Honey Spoon looks like and interesting project that will require a few operations.

Code: Select all

OS: Ubuntu 20.04.5 LTS (ubuntu:GNOME/ubuntu)
Word size of FreeCAD: 64-bit
Version: 0.21.30492 (Git) AppImage
Build type: Release
Branch: master
Hash: b4578fb3eae842eb510a1bc055d07d369a67ce94
Python 3.10.6, Qt 5.15.4, Coin 4.0.0, Vtk 9.1.0, OCC 7.6.3
Locale: English/Australia (en_AU)
Installed mods: 
  * fcgear 1.0.0
  * Curves 0.4.4
  * Lithophane
  * CurvedShapes 1.0.3
Attachments
modified_3axis_test.FCStd
(325.6 KiB) Downloaded 55 times
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