has anyone explored / carried out improvements or replacement of the bellows type way covers on the mill with overlapping metal (or some other type) ?
I find the performance of the bellows to be less than optimal - especially during bigger jobs as they fill up with chips and require constant manual clearing .
+1 for any suggestions for the Y-axis bellows of the 440 (Z is not as much of a problem child) aside from judicious use of chip brushes and the compressor blow gun…
We sell chip flaps to cover the y belows for 770 and 1100 machines, you can probably modify one for the 440 as well.
I thought about one of those in the very front of the vise to keep coolant from spraying the doors but realized they become another obstacle to avoid when programming.
What are you doing differently than before you had them to your G-code to avoid them?
Hello Ashraf,
No changes to G-code are necessary - at least thus far.
I should start by saying that I have never used the standard Tormach post processor that comes with Fusion 360 - I have always used David Loomes Xoomspeed version, as it allows for in-process probing - which I use with all my CAM setups. His processor is quite different in other ways as well.
In any case G30 Z moves come after each block of machine code prior to any X Y move for the next operation, as seen below.
When I get around to it - I will attached a piece of the same acrylic horizontally to the stainless guard on the front of the table - protecting the other side of the Y axis.
Ed
N40(Probe Y)
/ G54.1 P222
/ G0 X3.55 Y0.3868
/ G0 Z0.2
(probing-y)
/ o<f360_probing-y> call [3.55] [0.3868] [0.05] [0.1547] [40.] [0.2047] [-1] [0.3094] [0.4] [0.05] [222.] [0.] [0] [0.08] [0] [0.] [0] [0]
/ G0 X3.55 Y0.3868 Z0.2
N50(Contour - Rough)
(T87 D=0.5 CR=0. - flat end mill)
(Loading tool 87 with offset 87)
M9
M5
(Retracting prior to toolchange - g30z)
G53 G0 Z#5183 ----This is the G30 Move using G53
T87 G43 H87 M6
M8
S9100
(Spindle clockwise)
M3
G54.1 P221
G0 X-0.0391 Y-4.2235 ----Here is the first X Y move - Z still at G30
G0 Z0.185 ----X Y move completes before ANY Z move
G0 Z-0.7883
G1 Z-0.917 F90.
Here is the code at the end of each program I write.
(Post-amble)
(Retracting after end of program - g30zxy)
G53 G0 Z#5183 ----This is the G30 Move using G53
G53 G0 X9 Y-2 ----This is an X Y move to center the table and brings it 2" from full Y travel toward the
operator - the Z G30 move is complete before any X Y movement
M30
%
In this pic you can see it would be quite bad to have a Z move prior to the X Y moves - also note that the stationary vise jaws are about 4" from the guard.
This pic shows a 1/2" end mill that is below the vise jaw ( i know it doesn’t look like it tho)
plenty of room between the guard and Z axis
This shows my shortest tool - a 3/16 end mill in an er16 holder (below vise jaw)
it still clears - barely - this would be a problem with wide stock (guard would have to come off)
but as it is I can machine within about 4 inches of the jaw at full depth
In this final pic you can see how the guards are attached with 1/2x13 button cap screws into the back of each vise - also note how little swarf is on the way cover - and that’s after about 4 hours aggressively machining aluminum
Thanks for the clarification/howto. I guess step one is to get familiar with the Xoomspeed post-processor instead of the Fusion default and figure out in-process probing. I also imagine that it would be best to add the guards and fixtures and enable appropriate collision checking/avoidance in Fusion…
