Curious: MasterCAM vs. WorkNC

[mig]

Hello!

We using them both WorkNC and Mastercam v9.1.

Both them good . We started use WNC and MC v6 .

In this time WorkNC was match more secure and better for 3d stuff for sure.

MC v9.1 looks like doing good job now, so we using WNC less and less for the cutting steel but almost always for the electrodes. Time calculation is issue and toolpath editing abilities. Also if I have to machine number of separated surfaces Mastercam start jump from one surface to another and I can’t find way to avoid it.

Regards

[crazy^millman]

quote:

---

Also if I have to machine number of separated surfaces Mastercam start jump from one surface to another and I can’t find way to avoid it.

---

This is very much a model issue as well as a gap setting issue. I use Mastercam on 3000 plus surfaces and do not get this problem with surfaces or solids which in my humble opinion is the only way to program Mastercam alot of people disagree which is fine but the proff to me is try making an STL from surfaces then try making on from soild the watertight error you get is becuase of the surfaces. THe kernal as it is called for translating Solids to what you see will heal most problems with models bcuase it understand that the oblect or part needs to be closed not open like you get with surfaces. A srfaces model is going to be also smaller file but then you most times have normals to deal with, gaps even as small as .00005 can give you problems. When I talk about solid I mean true solids not some surface model someone drew in Unigraphics, Pro-E, or Solidwroks and then tried to make a soild that is just sheet soild and they work good but no where as good as a true soild that was made from start to finish. I am not saying I do not work from surfaces but I can accomplish alot more with just solids and get it do very quick than trying to use surfaces as my start to accomplish a finished task.

 

I will repeat my first probelm with this whole posting. Take a 110 operation part that you are posting and it is doing a very complex mold or 3d surfacing you know have about 2,000,000 lines of code. With Mastercam as stated before I have no problem posting this code for a 5 axis machine, 4th axis machine, or 3 axis machine and feeling 100% cofortable with the code I have posted the way in which the Material is removed and the finish I am going ot get at the end of the process. Now let me say I want ot change soemthing for some strange reason do not like a fillet or want to do tigher details on one part of the mold I add an operation post it run it done!!!! Now if I have some hacked up edited to kindom come NC file how in the world with 2,000,000 line of code do you do this efficently. Time is money and money is time and if learning how to make my programs from the get better so I do not have to edit them is something I have to do then where in the world is that wrong. One other thing about this not having to edit method. We have 5 different machine here I can post the code with maybe a rpm change or feed change and run it on any of the machine can you do that with some hacked up program for a Fadal, Fanuc and intercahnge them???. If you are always looking to write a program to edit it after then to me that makes a person lazy and not fully use the true abilites of any Cam software out there. If they sell the software on the bases of well we lack in this area but you can edit your programs to the hilt then what good is that.

[Thad]

I've never used WorkNC but I've seen our programmers use this "trimming" feature back when we had a programming dept. I have to say that it's pretty slick! You click like using Window selection and that part of the toolpath is gone instantly. Need to shave off just a little bit more to keep from hitting your fixture? Window in again and it's gone. And, you're not left with rectangles on the screen. It doesn't create geometry, it just makes the toolpath disappear.

 

I think some of you are getting a bit too defensive. Just because we all use (and mostly love) MC, doesn't mean that other software doesn't have cool features. Would I switch from MC to WorkNC just because of this neat feature? No way! Heck, I would take Gibb's facing toolpath over MC's any day of the week, but I still wouldn't switch back to Gibbs.

 

Thad

[Fig sign]

Double OOPS :sorry:

[Fig sign]

~~~~~~~~~

These old guys around this place would have a cow. I can hear it now, "What the ____ do you think your doing!? You're gonna get somebody killed!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

i WOULD RUN THE FIRST PART MYSELF AND AFTER THAt WOULD ADVICE THEM to learn new ways of making things.

But the old machinists I meet and met personally mostly are talented ,gifted and without prejudice and I learn from them everyday

[Müřlıń®]

A guy that used to work for me, now works for a companny that uses Work NC.

 

I will have to say....

 

 

+1000 to Ron and the Owl dude....Mastercam all the way

 

Here are a couple good things about WNC.

 

It is very automated. Once you get your parameters and strategies worked out, it will make good dependable cutterpaths....never crashes. Crunchtime is pretty quick.

 

 

It is very, new user friendly.....in other words, someone with limited CAD experience can come in behind someone that already set the system up and have good sucess.....all you need is a little machining experience. You are less dependant on the human element.

 

a couple of downsides...

 

Mastercam can take any old ragged, hole filled, gapped out, facuted, half-assed corrupted 3000 entity surface model and make perfect parts. just as long as you can translate in most of it. WNC is kinda picky about the model.

 

There are thousands more people who know how to use MC very well. The MC work pool is VERY high.

 

You get twice as much for the buck when you buy MC. And in todays competive market, MC can and will make your shop more money.

 

And that's pretty much the bottom line....