# Cambam Problem - Need Advice



## TomS (Jun 22, 2016)

About a month ago I asked a question about work offsets.  I got a lot of useful feedback on how to solve my problem and a few recommendations that I look at another CAM program.  Well I followed that advice and bought CamBam.  I like the features and it was surprisingly easy to get up and machining again.  Made a couple of test pieces testing out profile and pocketing and island machining.  It worked greate and the parts were very accurate. 

My first real project was to make a sign for my grand kids and their cousins new swing set.  This is where the problems started.  I've spent the better part of two days trying to figure out why my cutter does not cut on the same path as that shown on the screen.  My drawing file is attached for reference as are a couple of screen shots of the CamBam file and my Mach3 screen.  Change the Cousin Sign file type to cb then open in CamBam.

I played around with the stock set-off settings, the start point settings, cut width, and a few others but nothing changed.  The cut path is still not concentric to the bolt pattern.  I even reloaded CamBam but nothing changed.  Checked my gcode and all looks good.   The problem is the cutter is not following the same path as the one depicted on the screen.  I spent another day trying to figure out the problem and got nowhere.  I manually offset the stock (.073 in X and .063" in Y) and was able to get the outer profile concentric to the bolt pattern within .005".  Good enough for a sign.  So I set up to do the pocket machining figuring that I've got my work coordinates dialed in.  No such luck.  I ran the gcode and I'm off center by 1/8" in both X and Y.  I double checked my work coordinates and they are at 0,0.  I'm at a loss as to what's causing this.  I didn't have this problem running parts with my previous CAM program.

Any ideas?

Tom S.

Edit:  I noticed what appears to be the word "DEMO" in the CamBam screenshot.  Thought I had entered the license key correctly but maybe not.  Could be the demo version is the culprit.


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## jbolt (Jun 25, 2016)

Did you ever get this figured out? I have Cambam but have never used it since HSM Express integrates with Solidworks. I need to get up to speed with it for some 3D parts I want to do in the near future.


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## JimDawson (Jun 25, 2016)

TomS said:


> Could be the demo version is the culprit.



Not likely.  I suggest that the problem may be in the Mach3 offsets.

Your attached file looks good in CamBam.  I'll run this on my machine and see if the actual tool path matches the predicted tool path.

It will be a couple of hours before I can get to it.
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## JimDawson (Jun 25, 2016)

It's running flawlessly on my machine, but I have no way to run it using Mach3.  But I did compile it using a Mach3 post, and that looks normal, but again, to run it on my machine I need to use my DC_CNC post.  Looks like about 200 minutes of run time.  I'm air cutting at 200% speed and it's almost finished at about 100 minutes.  The only thing I can see is maybe the Start Point for Profile1 should be set to 0,0,0, but it shouldn't really make any difference in the tool path.

The other thing that might help is setting the Velocity Mode to Exact Stop rather than Constant Velocity.

The roughing clearance of 0.010 is per side, so 0.020 total, just in case you hadn't figured that out.
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## TomS (Jun 25, 2016)

jbolt said:


> Did you ever get this figured out? I have Cambam but have never used it since HSM Express integrates with Solidworks. I need to get up to speed with it for some 3D parts I want to do in the near future.



Still working through it.  I also have a thread going on the CamBam forum.  It's rather lengthy but covers a lot.  I'll be home tomorrow so will be able to try out a few things.

Tom S.


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## TomS (Jun 25, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> It's running flawlessly on my machine, but I have no way to run it using Mach3.  But I did compile it using a Mach3 post, and that looks normal, but again, to run it on my machine I need to use my DC_CNC post.  Looks like about 200 minutes of run time.  I'm air cutting at 200% speed and it's almost finished at about 100 minutes.  The only thing I can see is maybe the Start Point for Profile1 should be set to 0,0,0, but it shouldn't really make any difference in the tool path.
> 
> The other thing that might help is setting the Velocity Mode to Exact Stop rather than Constant Velocity.
> 
> ...



Thanks Jim.  This has been a real challenge.  I reloaded CamBam today.  Back in the shop tomorrow and will give it another try.  Any chance CamBam changed anything in Mach3?  I really like the features CB has but as you can tell me and CAM software have a tenuous relationship.  Hope it gets better.  

BTW - I also noticed that the run time was huge.  So I modified the drawing to recessed letters.  That way I can use a much larger end mill to cut the pocket.  As I recall after the change the pocket machining is about one hour and the letters take about 2 hours.  

Tom S.


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## JimDawson (Jun 25, 2016)

The only change that CamBam can make in the way Mach3 cuts is in the G-code, and these changes are not persistent.  Only effective while the G-code is running.  Normally they are in the first few lines to set up the modal parameters:  G20 G90 G91.1 G64 G40   (Inch mode, Distance Absolute, Arc Center Mode Absolute, Constant Velocity, Cutter Comp Off) in this case.

I'll be interested to see how this works out.


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## TomS (Jun 26, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> The only change that CamBam can make in the way Mach3 cuts is in the G-code, and these changes are not persistent.  Only effective while the G-code is running.  Normally they are in the first few lines to set up the modal parameters:  G20 G90 G91.1 G64 G40   (Inch mode, Distance Absolute, Arc Center Mode Absolute, Constant Velocity, Cutter Comp Off) in this case.
> 
> I'll be interested to see how this works out.



What's interesting/frustrating is I ran a couple of test pieces before starting on the sign.  Both had profiles and pockets and one had text.  They both machined as expected.  I'm back in the shop later today.  I have a couple of things to try and will report back.

Tom S.


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## JimDawson (Jun 26, 2016)

I read through your thread on the CamBam forum.  Boiling it all down, it looks like a Mach3 setup issue.  Everybody there got the same result that I did when I ran the part...... It ran just fine.  I have not had the best of luck using Mach3, but maybe it's just my lack of experience with it.


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## TomS (Jun 26, 2016)

JimDawson said:


> I read through your thread on the CamBam forum.  Boiling it all down, it looks like a Mach3 setup issue.  Everybody there got the same result that I did when I ran the part...... It ran just fine.  I have not had the best of luck using Mach3, but maybe it's just my lack of experience with it.



Seems to be working, sort of.  Here's what I did.  Uninstalled CamBam then went to the system folder and deleted the remaining CamBam folder.  Downloaded and installed CamBam.  When opening CamBam for the first time it asked for my license key.  Input my license key and opened my Cousin Sign file.  Put a dowel pin in the lower left bolt hole.  Using a dial test indicator I dialed in the hole to the spindle centerline within .001.  Close enough!  Zeroed my Mach3 X and Y DRO's.  In CamBam I moved the machining origin "X" to the center of the lower left bolt hole.  Generated the gcode and ran an air cut.  Measuring with a ruler it appears that the end mill is now milling concentric with the bolt holes.  Success!!!

Evidently it was a CamBam download issue.  Someone on the CamBam forum mentioned that it could be a problem with the demo version being overwritten with a licensed version.  Who knows?  I've attached a screenshot showing what I described above as well as a copy of my drawing file.  The screen shot shows the stock at 0,0.  I changed the offset to X=-.375, Y=-.313 and everything lined up. 

Glad this is behind me.  Tomorrow I'll cut the pocket to confirm that the air cut was in fact concentric to the bolt holes.  Wish me luck.

Tom S.


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