WIRE EDM

[awheeler]

I program cnc wire edm. I am currently using a fully operational demo version of MC 8.1 as I am trying to convince my employers that it is better software than Esprit X. I have two hurdles to overcome at this point:

1. When running a contour toolpath, at each new partial chain MasterCam programs the wire to return to X0 Y0 and then back to the last point prior to returning to zero. Our application is rather unique in that we tend to machine along an entity, shut off machining, and reverse back along the entity.

The following is an example of a partial program. I have included Mastercams zero return lines in parentheses which i have to manually edit out of every program.

(PARTIAL FANUC PROGRAM)

G92 X0 Y-.601

/M80 (EDM ON)

/M13 P1 (ALLOW FEEDRATE OVERIDE TO 10%)

G1 Y-.566

(G1 X0 Y0)

(Y-.566)

G2 X-.51192 Y-.24143 J.566

(G1 X0 Y0)

(X-.51192 Y-.24143)

G1 X-.35535

X-.11733 Y-.41444

M40 (EDM OFF)

M13 P10 (ALLOW FEEDRATE OVERIDE TO 100%)

(G1 X0 Y0)

(X-.11733 Y-.41444)

X-.35535 Y-.24143

/M80

/M13 P1

Y-.41444

X-.11733

M46 (FOUR CONDITIONS OFF-EDM, WATER, WIRE FEED, WIRE TENSION)

M00

M86 (FOUR CONDITIONS ON)

(G1 X0 Y0)

(X-.11733 Y-.41444)

X.35869

Y-.24143

X.40477

Y.27757

X.49327

M40

M13 P10

(G1 X0 Y0)

(X.49327 Y.27757)

G2 X0. Y-.566 I-.49327 J-.27757

ECT.,ECT.

I have not been able to determine why it is doing this. Another irritating problem is that no matter where I set my G92 Mastercam starts the tool path from X0 Y0 and then moves to G92.

2. Is there a way or a c-hook that will allow me to individually pick my toolpath entities using the geometry chain manager in the program operations manager and quickly establish the offset, power settings, feedrate, ect for each toolpath entity after selecting "done" on the toolpath contour selection process. (I hope that made sense).

Any help would be appreciated.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

In the Contour toolpath there is a "reverse" setting on the "Cuts" Tab. Open up the "Autobreak" sample file. Go to Wirepaths, contour, Window. Window all the blue entities select where you would like to start then select done. On the last tab (Cuts) is where you select reverse. As for how the code will look, Demo is very limited in what you will see. First, It only posts to 1 or 2 decimal places, second usually it will not post the complete program so seeing how it deals with Starts, Threading, and Cuts will need to be done in backplot.

Hope that gets you started. Also, use the help. It was a tremendous help for me when I was(still am) learning Wire.

------------------

James M.

Mastercam Enthusiast

[awheeler]

The demo version I am using is the full mastercam dealer demo which includes everything up to level two. It posts out to millionths of an inch.

I tried that method but I am still getting that return to zero. I noticed if full chaining is selected in chaining options, two arrows are used, the green one to show startpoint direction and the red one to show current position if the green arrow can somehow be forced to stay at the initial start point it appears the problem would be solved since the return to zero seems to always occur at a chaining direction reversal or partial chain. When using the single option during contouring the return to zero occurs at each selected entity (each time the green arrow moves to another entity). If anybody would like to take a look at my geometery and desired tool path I could email an .mc8 file.

[tgrammer]

Try selecting STCW before you chain and set your start thread and cut positions. We have both EspirtW and Mastercam 8.1 so for Espirt is over all better.

[david]

Hi awheeler,

Dont know if this will be helpful to you but this is the way I program our wires with version 7.2.

First I choose the post processor for the machine I am programming. Then I set the STCW position. For a circle, like a punch retainer, I will set the start, thread, cut and work origin at the center of the hole. Then choose wirepath, contour then select the chain I want to cut( if you choose wirepath, contour, chain, partial you will need to select the first part of your chain then click on the last part of your chain and set the start, thread and work origin close to where the start of the chain is and set the cut position close to where the end of the chain is). Then set the parameters in the prm file. Post it and start burning.

I hope this helps. Good Luck!

I would be happy to look at your file if you want to email it to me at [email protected]

David