M20 Macro

[AGMantz]

Hey everyone,

I have a Mits MV4800 WEDM. This machine likes to be fussy about when it wants to insert the wire by itself. Some days it'll thread by itself just fine at any Z height, and other days it'll rarely thread below a specific Z height. This time around it doesn't seem to want to thread by itself below 2 inches on the Z axis. As soon as I raise the head up to the 2 inch mark it'll thread no problem. I have a job I'm currently doing that I want to run overnight and it has to re-thread itself several times during the run. My question is, is there anyway to implement a macro into my machine that whenever it comes across a M20(wire insert) in the code it'll automatically raise the Z axis to a specified number, thread the wire, and then reset itself to the Z height it was set to for the cut? I can't imagine writing the macro for it would be too hard even with my limited knowledge of coding. But getting it implemented into my program(or machine) is what I am not sure about. Let me know if y'all have any ideas or if anyone has done this or something similar to it.

Thanks,
-AGMantz

 

[pr0xify]

I did this a long time ago but the way I did it was manually adding Z moves away from the part to thread the wire. As far as a macro, I don't use them much on WEDM. A few times I did add some code to move to a specific place away from the part and lower the Z axis to thread, raise the Z up, and go back to my lead in location on some tall parts. My program wasn't that long so this was fine for me. I recommend dry running the program after adding the Z moves if you choose to do that.

Try turning your jet pressure down for threading at lower heights. The adjustment for this is in the recessed area to the right of the work tank where the gauges are. Typically if my machine won't thread it just needs to be cleaned, but adjusting the pressure down will be another option to try.

 

[AGMantz]

Hey pr0xify,

Unfortunately simply cleaning my machine isn't doing the trick, I've been good the last couple weeks about staying with my maintenance routine. Though it could be possible that I've missed something that needs to be cleaned during my routine, it seems odd though that it doesn't thread at certain heights at completely random times. Sometimes it'll go days with no problems at any height and then all of a sudden it'll start acting up for a few days. Turning down the jet pressure didn't seem to have an effect either, but I didn't even know that dial existed so that is pretty handy to know so thanks for that!

I pretty much did what you did and added manual Z moves to my code. It was a pain in the arse due to my code being ridiculously long but it ended up running all night with no problems. I just don't want to have to do that every time my machine decides to act up especially if my code is crazy long. I've started writing the code for the macro but we'll see if I can figure out how to implement in my machine.

Regards,
-AGMantz

 

[OffsetLeft]

Isn't there a 'Raise Head When Threading' checkbox on one of the Maint pages on a Mits? It's been a while since I ran one, but I'm sure I remember using that.

 

[pr0xify]

One small thing I do is spray up in the upper head/nozzle and lower stuff down with water before I leave the shop if the machines are going to be idle. It keeps some of the stuff from settling in the guides. At the beginning of a shift I'll sometimes drip a little alcohol into the diamond guides too and stab some wire through them to get started.

Speaking of which my Mv4800 is dirty and I need to clean it. No threading over here either hahaha. Our Mv1200 threads like a champ though. When it's clean it can thread submerged half of the time. Makes no sense!

That'd be cool to hear if you get the macro working. Let us know!

 

[AGMantz]

Isn't there a 'Raise Head When Threading' checkbox on one of the Maint pages on a Mits? It's been a while since I ran one, but I'm sure I remember using that.

If there is I can't find it but that would be soooo handy. We only have MV4800s here so maybe it's only exclusive to certain models but I'd find that hard to believe.

 

[AGMantz]

One small thing I do is spray up in the upper head/nozzle and lower stuff down with water before I leave the shop if the machines are going to be idle. It keeps some of the stuff from settling in the guides. At the beginning of a shift I'll sometimes drip a little alcohol into the diamond guides too and stab some wire through them to get started.

Speaking of which my Mv4800 is dirty and I need to clean it. No threading over here either hahaha. Our Mv1200 threads like a champ though. When it's clean it can thread submerged half of the time. Makes no sense!

That'd be cool to hear if you get the macro working. Let us know!

That is a good idea I find a lot of mornings I come in and even though I cleaned up the night before there is always a impressive amount of "gunk" built up. Never hurts to be a clean freak especially in WEDM!

At one point in these machines lives one of our wire guys from a couple years ago managed to get the macro working on both of our machines, however he moved job positions and is doing toolmaking now and the wire guy who replaced him for whatever reason deleted them so I guess it is my turn to figure out how to do it.

 

[JZ.]

Hey pr0xify,

Unfortunately simply cleaning my machine isn't doing the trick, I've been good the last couple weeks about staying with my maintenance routine. Though it could be possible that I've missed something that needs to be cleaned during my routine, it seems odd though that it doesn't thread at certain heights at completely random times. Sometimes it'll go days with no problems at any height and then all of a sudden it'll start acting up for a few days. Turning down the jet pressure didn't seem to have an effect either, but I didn't even know that dial existed so that is pretty handy to know so thanks for that!

I pretty much did what you did and added manual Z moves to my code. It was a pain in the arse due to my code being ridiculously long but it ended up running all night with no problems. I just don't want to have to do that every time my machine decides to act up especially if my code is crazy long. I've started writing the code for the macro but we'll see if I can figure out how to implement in my machine.

Regards,
-AGMantz

Can you adjust your U and V locations for Auto Threading? Sometimes when you are at different Z heights and other variables, your U and V may need adjusted for it to be aligned correctly and to continue Auto Threading.

 

[AGMantz]

Can you adjust your U and V locations for Auto Threading? Sometimes when you are at different Z heights and other variables, your U and V may need adjusted for it to be aligned correctly and to continue Auto Threading.

I run a wire align with a gauge along with a taper-z align after every job to ensure that my machine is cutting as close to what it should be as possible. I always run both of these at a Z height of 2.5in. Should I be running the alignments at whatever height I am going to be cutting at?

Regards,
-AGMantz

 

[JZ.]

I run a wire align with a gauge along with a taper-z align after every job to ensure that my machine is cutting as close to what it should be as possible. I always run both of these at a Z height of 2.5in. Should I be running the alignments at whatever height I am going to be cutting at?

Regards,
-AGMantz

Im not familiar with your machine but I don't see what it could hurt, as long as your wire is square to the part your cutting.

On one of my machines I have a pipe tube that comes down thru the upper head when it threads, I have full control over where I want to put the U and V during threading.

On the other machine it is a fixed jet, so I still have control over where my U and V are during threading, but this machines U and V are always "0" when threading.

 

[AGMantz]

Im not familiar with your machine but I don't see what it could hurt, as long as your wire is square to the part your cutting.

On one of my machines I have a pipe tube that comes down thru the upper head when it threads, I have full control over where I want to put the U and V during threading.

On the other machine it is a fixed jet, so I still have control over where my U and V are during threading, but this machines U and V are always "0" when threading.

So when you thread at a lower height what do you usually change your U and V too? I've never really messed with my U and V while threading so let me know how much you change your U and V by.

Thanks,
-AGMantz

 

[Jim7511]

We have a MV4800, same issue as you. Been that way since new pretty much. I reserve the machine for taller work. We have 2400's for the small stuff. The feature to raise "Z" at insert is long gone. FA machines have it.


Are you using the 20kg unit for wire?? We have it, never tried it without the 20kg unit. Maybe it works that way.

 

[JZ.]

So when you thread at a lower height what do you usually change your U and V too? I've never really messed with my U and V while threading so let me know how much you change your U and V by.

Thanks,
-AGMantz

On the machine with the pipe tube, yes on occasion , I will change both my UV pos. for threading. I do this because the pipe tube can only travel a certain distance. So if my heads are closer together I am able to get the pipe tube right down to or pretty close to the lower guide. If the tube can't go thru a start hole or "im not threading outside of the part, I can set the tube right above the workpiece for when it threads.

Now say my upper head is 4+ inches above the work table, my tube can only come down so far thru the upper head. With this one using the tube and AWT jet (water pressure) while threading, sometimes the jet stream will need re-aligned. Depending on how far away the heads are, I either try adjusting the AWT Jet pressure to get a more consistent stream of water or I will move my UV slightly to achieve good AWT.
Changing the U and V for threading has no effect on your U and V while actually cutting, it's just to achieve reliable threading.

On the other machine with the Fixed Jet. It is has the tech that automatically comps for the alignment as you move the Z axis up and down, so the only things that really need adjusted are air flow and the jet stream if its being used during AWT.

 

[AGMantz]

We have a MV4800, same issue as you. Been that way since new pretty much. I reserve the machine for taller work. We have 2400's for the small stuff. The feature to raise "Z" at insert is long gone. FA machines have it.


Are you using the 20kg unit for wire?? We have it, never tried it without the 20kg unit. Maybe it works that way.

Yea we have the 20kg unit. Maybe if I have a job where it needs to insert 15+ times I'll try loading wire into the smaller unit but as it is right now using the 20kg unit is just way more handy. Still can't believe they would remove such a handy feature would save me a lot time if the raise "Z" at insert was a option.

-AGMantz