Going from inches/sec to inches/min

[geneb]

I'm starting to work more with 2D cutting of 6061 aluminum plate (.062) and all the references I've seen to feed rates are in inches per minute.

I know that I can easily hit Google for the conversion *grin*, but is there a way to tell the control software that all figures are in inches/minute instead of inches/second?

Thanks!

g.

[khalid]

I will prefer to set the values for feed in CAM software... and only change the Acceleration/Velocity values in controller software..

[geneb]

Understood, but the software I use (V Carve Pro 4.6), setting 1 in/minute results in an MS entry like this:

MS,0.0,0.0

The newer version may fix this, but I don't have the funds to upgrade yet. It would be nice to have some kind of SBP command that says, "all MS commands from this point on are in inches/minute".

g.

[scott_smith]

I think you’re cutting a little slow. That’s .016” per second. Try a more reasonable speed in VC Pro like 60” per min.

Scott

[geneb]

Scott I destroyed two 1/16" end mills going too fast.
60"/min is way too fast for tools that small, especially in 6061.

tnx!

g.

[beacon14]

In VCarve Pro you can set the units in the Tool Library for each tool to inch/sec.

[geneb]

...and the result of that was the "MS,0.0,0.0" that I mentioned earlier.

g.

[mark_m]

Hello Gene,

The slowest feed rate that you will be able to set within VCarve Pro for both Cut and Plunge, in Inches per second is,
0.1
This will result in an MS command of:
MS,0.1,0.1
As Scott mentioned earlier, 1 inch/minute = 0.016 inches /second. the output for the MS command is formatted within the post processor to 1 decimal
place, so 0.016 to one decimal place is 0.0
You would need to change the format of the post processor to at least 3 decimal places, for it to be able to display such a small value.

To do this, Change the formating of the VAR CUT_RATE and VAR PLUNGE_RATE line within the post processor that you are using from
[FC|A|1.1|0.0166] TO [FC|A|1.3|0.0166] (and FP...)

I hope that this helps.

Cheers,

Mark.

[geneb]

Ahh. Thanks for the tip Mark! I'm going to be upgrading to VCarve Pro 5 next week so I'll make the change then.

g.