Break-in program is outside of machine bounds

Software FireControl
1

I’m trying to run the break-in program in FireControl but it’s showing that it’s out of bounds. The lower right quadrant is the table, but the break-in program tool path is in the upper right quadrant. I know this is something I’m doing wrong, but I haven’t figured out what that is yet. I’m using the instructions from the Limit Switches Installation, and I’ve read through the FireControl User Guide. There’s nothing I see about needing to change the origin or the 0,0 or whatever.

Obviously I’m new at this, and I assuming I’m missing a key concept about what to do after loading a program.

Thanks!
–JC

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The break in program is designed to run from the lower left corner. Jog your torch to the lower left corner and zero your work axis there.

If you try to run it from the “home position” the program will be off the table.

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Did you zero all axis?

4

Hey JC,

Since the break-in program is designed to reach the absolute limits of the machine’s travel distance, I usually recommend running the break-in program before setting up the soft limits. You can disable them in the “Machine Settings” window, run the break-in program, then re-enable them in the same window.

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5

Thanks, got it. The coordinate system is a little unintuitive to me. If I’m standing at the machine such that the electronics, Y axis motor, and Y limit switch are closest to me and on my left and the cable support tube is on my right, the positioning in the CrossFire program is rotated 90 degrees. It’s odd to me that when the home position is up against the limit switches, that’s not machine 0,0 (basically the Y axis feels inverted).

As far as the soft limits affecting it, the break-in runs from 0,0 to 23.0,23.0. With this being an XL table and the Y axis being 25.3, it didn’t come close to absolute travel limits.

I do notice that the Y lead screw appears not to be perfectly straight. Not sure if that’s something I should worry about or not. The XL Y axis rail arrived with a ding in the end, where I couldn’t put an end cap until I straightened it (all the bearing surfaces were fine). Perhaps the lead screw was slightly bent when UPS bounced it around.

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Thanks. Having to jog to the lower left and zero the work axis was the part I was missing. The coordinate system doesn’t seem natural with the machine zero being X=0, and Y=-35, instead of 0,0 being up against the limit switches. I’m sure I’ll get over it :slight_smile:

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@JC_Wren We’ve got an XL with limit switches. Keep in mind there are 2 coordinate systems in use, machine and work. When you look at the DRO (upper right in FireControl) you should see a machine tab and a work tab. The machine 0,0 (X,Y) is up against the limit switches, as you suspected. The work coordinates invert the Y axis, so that once work zero is established, travel towards the Y-axis motor / limit switch is a positive move. (Our Y limit is aproximately +32 depending on how close the the edge we start.)

Hope this helps.

1 Like
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What’s the logic for inverting the work Y axis? As a newcomer, it’s counter-intuitive (at least to me).

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I’m just guessing that they did that to allow loading of material with the machine “homed”. If it homed to the front left, the Torch would be in the way.

I have never had limit switches and don’t see the value for the work that I do.

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