Mach2 controls and running a part program

or custom keyboard) is written in the MDI line rather than controlling Mach2. In particular,
jogging keys will not be recognised: you must Esc after entering MDI.
Mach2 can remember all the MDI lines as it executes them and store them in a file by using
the Teach facility. Click Start Teach, enter the required commands and then click Stop
Teach. The LED blinks to remind you that you are in Teach Mode. The commands are
written in the file with the conventional name "C:/Mach2/GCode/MDITeach.tap" Clicking
Load/Edit will load this file into Mach2 where it can be run or edited in the usual way – you
need to go to the Program Run screen to see it. If you wish to keep a given set of taught
commands then you should Edit the file and use Save As in the editor to give it your own
name and put it in a convenient folder.

6.2.12 Rotational Diameter control family

As described in the Feedrate control family, it is
possible to define the approximate size of a
rotated workpiece so the rotational axis speed
can be correctly included in the blended
feedrate. The relevant diameters are entered in
the DROs of this family.
The Axis control Family has warning LED(s) to
indicated the setting of non-zero values here. Figure 6.14- Rotational diameters

Values are not required if rotary movement is

not to be coordinated with linear axes. In this case a suitable F word for degrees per minute
or degrees per rev should be programmed.

6.2.13 Plasma Torch Height control family

If you are controlling a plasma torch using the torch height control feature then this family
controls its operation (figure 6.15).

6.2.13.1 The controls

The Calibrate to Zero
button will move the torch
to the reference position
defined by the switch on its
sprung holder. A correction
to this zero value will be
needed to set the desired
height for piercing. This
can easily be done by a G0
input using MDI and then
setting the Z axis to zero by
a G92Z0 button, typing Figure 6.15 - THC control family
zero into the Z axis DRO
or MDI of G92 Z0. You will need to establish the correct gap for clean piercing, with
minimum cutting tip wear, based on experience and the documentation of your plasma
cutter. Another way to accomplish the same goal is to allow the axis to correct the switch
offset value and to zero the axis so Z = 0 at the top of the material. Using this approach, all
heights will reference from the nominal top of the material and the pierce height and initial
cut height can be controlled programmatically.
The Enable Toggle switches on the automatic servo control of the Z axis. Its movement is
then based on height information from the plasma unit. The appropriate input pins must
have been defined in the Ports and Pins dialog and been connected to the plasma cutter's
THC controller.
The Anti-Dive toggle enables use of the Anti-Dive limit. Details of this are given below.

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 Mach2 controls and running a part program

It is easiest to understand the operation of the system by looking at the sequence for a
complete cut. We assume that Z = 0 is a suitable height for the start of the piercing
operation and the Enable Toggle is ON.

6.2.13.2 THC in operation

The part program moves the torch at Safe Z to the start of the cut then moves to Z = 0. It
then executes M3 ("spindle start") to start the arc. Mach2Mill stops executing the part
program and completes the torch switch circuit. Piercing starts. When the THC interface
detects that the arc is good it signals this to Mach2Mill which switches on the torch height
servo and resumes execution of the part program. This can have a short Dwell (G4) or
immediately commence the first move for the cut.
Note: Different brands of plasma cutters have different methods of sensing when the arc
has started and to turn on the start circuit. It is not in the scope of this manual to explain
how to tap into a specific plasma unit's signal to generate the Torch On signal.
Whenever the height servo is on it will sample the Torch Up and Torch Down inputs. If
Torch Up is active then the Z axis will move in the plus direction at the rapid feed rate
multiplied by the Correction Speed percentage DRO. Similarly Torch Down will move in
the minus Z direction. The up and down signals are derived from the arc voltage. Too low a
voltage and the torch must be moved up, too high a voltage and it must be moved down.
The actual threshold values are determined by the calibration of the hardware interface
between the plasma controller and the PC. The correction from the nominal (usually Z = 0)
position is shown in the Current Correction DRO. The Z axis DRO will update to reflect
the actual position of the axis.
If the cutting speed becomes low, perhaps due to acceleration limitations while turning a
sharp corner then the height servo will see an increase in arc voltage and think that the
height needs to be reduced. This causes the torch to dive at sharp corners. You can prevent
this by defining a minimum actual feed rate in Anti-Dive limit and toggling Anti-Dive on.
Choose an appropriate feedrate by experiment to suit the acceleration of your X and Y axes
and plasma unit characteristics.
The Highest and Lowest value DROs are to minimise the risk of damage to the torch if a cut
is made over the edge of the material or into a hole or if the arc goes out due to dirty
material or the like. If the Current Correction value attempts to go outside these limits then
the Torch Up and Torch Down signals are ignored and the program execution continues.
When setting up your system, the Correction Speed should be configured starting from a
low value and increasing it until the height is not controlled properly because of hunting in
the servo loop. Operate at a lower speed to give a margin of safety. The Maximum
Correction values (particularly the Lowest) should be set to minimise the risk of damage to
the torch tip by crashing into the work.
At the end of the cut an M5 switches off the arc, small dwell (G4) can be used be used to
allow the arc to extinguish. The plasma controller will deactivate the arc good signal and so
the THC servo will switch off. At this point the actual height of the torch (whether above
material zero or pierce height) will be loaded into the Z axis. It can then be moved by the
part program to Safe Z and rapid moved to the start of the next cut when the process can be
repeated.

6.2.13.3 Hints on G-code and running the system

The following points should help you get the best out of the THC system:
♦ A pierce is unlikely to be as clean as an established cut. It is therefore best, when
you can, to pierce in scrap and use a tangential lead-in cut. If you use a
CAD/CAM package to create your part program this should be very easy to
program or be automatic. Most torch manufacturers concur that the best approach
is to start the pierce higher above the work than the cut height. This is due to the
fact that as the plasma arc is piercing the metal prior to breakthrough, the molten
metal has no place to go but up! If the tip is too close then fouling the tip and
secondary arcing are possible, greatly reducing the life of the tip and electrode. If

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 Mach2 controls and running a part program

you control the pierce height from your part program then you can move from the
safe height to the initial pierce height, start the arc, wait for penetration then
quickly lower the tip into the cut. The THC then will take over the fine adjustment
as the torch moves along the cut.
♦ The sequence of M3 and the Z move to the "cutting" position is reversed to that
used in milling. Any CAM post-processor needs to take account of this.
♦ Best results are usually obtained by running in Constant Velocity rather than
Exact Stop modes. The best feedrate will have to be determined experimentally
for each plasma system and material being cut. Some manufacturers' websites
have tables of recommended cutting speeds for different materials. Use these as a
guide to start but adjust the rate to generate the minimum amount of bottom side
dross (slag) that sticks to the work. The flame of a plasma is "floppy" in that the
bottom of the arc will trail the top as it moves and create issues if the move is too
rapid or changes direction too quickly. Thus the recommended cut rates may work
on straight cuts but prove unsuitable for smaller curves and corners.
♦ The direction and sequence of cutting can affect the final quality of work. The
plasma swirls in the torch and as it comes out so that it is much like a rotating bit,
This implies an optimum direction for circular cuts. In most cases this is
clockwise. It is best to distribute cuts over a sheet to minimise distortion due to
localised heating of one part. It is helpful to allow the work to cool after doing an
initial series of short cuts before embarking on the more difficult long ones.
Experience has shown that cutting from the center out causes smaller stresses and
less buckling. Also, obviously, it is necessary to cut holes out of the middle of
objects before their outlines are cut.
♦ Unless the material is very distorted it is usually satisfactory to calibrate the Z
position once rather than between cuts. The G28.1 command can be used to
reference (home) an individual axis so Z can be referenced at any point but on
jobs where there are many small cuts this can take up a lot of time
♦ When you get your system running you will find that you are able to make a very
large number of cuts with a considerable total length during a day's work. In these
circumstances using a plasma unit which has a good supply of discounted quality
consumables is more important than initial purchase price.

6.2.14 Tangential control family

On a machine to cut vinyl or fabric it is very useful to
use a rotary axis to control the direction that the knife
points. It will cut best if tangential to the direction in
which the X and Y axes are moving at any time.
Mach2 will control the A axis like this for G1 moves.
Clearly the point of the knife should be as near to the
axis about which a turns and this axis must be parallel Figure 6.16 – Tangential control
to the Z axis of the machine. family

The feature is enabled by the Tangential Control

.button. In most applications there is a limit to the angle through which the knife can be
turned at a corner while it is in the material. This value is defined in Lift Angle. Any coner
where the change in angle required is greater than Lift Angle will cause the Z axis to rise by
the value in Lift Z, the knife will turn and then Z will drop so it re-enters the material in the
new direction.

6.2.15 Limits and miscellaneous control family

6.2.15.1 Input Activation 4

Input activation signal 4 can be configured to give a hard wired Single Step function
equivalent to the Single button in the Program Running control family.

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