Setting Soft Limits for Your Industrial CNC Router

When you're getting started, in order to make sure that your Industrial CNC Router doesn't run into the side of the table, it can be a good idea to set up limits in your Mach 3 software for safety. In this post, I'll you how to set your soft-limits, which means that the software will stop the table automatically before this occurs.

*Please make sure that your motors are properly tuned before setting the limits or they won't work properly.

Step 1:

1) The first step is to go to CONFIG/PORTS and PINS/INPUT SIGNALS. Make sure that all of your limit switches are disabled. (a red X for each row) See attached picture.

If you're using your Homing Switches, you can ignore that, and simply "Reference All Home" so that your "Machine Coordinates" Home is set automatically at Zero.

Step 2:

2)Jog your Router to its home position. (We'll call the end of the table with the inverter and cabinet the front) Jog your spindle as far as it will go to the left, front (stop at the edge of the table)and all the way up on the Z axis.

Step 3:

3)Select the button beneath the DRO's (Digital Read Out) marked MACHINE COORDINATES
A red border should appear around the button (see picture below)

Step 4:

4)Select the Vertical REF ALL HOME button to the left of the DRO. This should set all axes to 0. (see picture)

Step 5:

5)Go to Config/Homing Limits. Enter in the cutting area dimensions for your Router.

Make sure to use Zero as one dimension and the width/length as the other. Note that the Z axis is set opposite from the others. See picture.

Step 6:

6) Select the SOFT LIMITS button to the right of the MACHINE COORDINATES button. It should now be bordered in green.

Step 7:

7)Select MACHINE COORDINATES button again, so that the red border goes away, leaving the SOFT LIMITS button on (Green)

Your soft limits are now operational.

Comments

[Legtos ventures]

Hello I am new here I am operating a plasma rotary device I.G.P -4A machine while the controller is f2300 a but I am having serious issues on the soft limit alarm left it only move front and light but doest move left and backward and precise it arc but doest cut as well and it's my first time operating such please any idea to clear away this issue I will be very glad and appreciated thanks

[tammam tabbaa]

Thank you, it was very useful

[racabike]

Do we need to set switch limits off? I would like to keep them on, for safty few cm outside the soft limits. Especialy during the setup process

[marc erasmus]

Nice one, thanks for taking the time to make the tutorial. big thumbs up

[ronald44181000]

I must have asked this question a couple of hundred times over the past 3 months on so many forums that I've lost count. Finally, everything has been answered. Maybe now I can actually cut something on my CNC Router.

[hotaml]

10q

[MichaelR69]

I have done everything as shown, but my DRO will not set home at zero(s). If I turn off the machine coordinates, then I can zero, but it goes right back to diff. readings for each axis.

[PålK]

Thank you for sharing. This was very helpful!

[djgriff0001]

Nice post. i'll have to try and configure my software tomight. you don't by any chance know how to set up mach3 for an uneven work surface?