OKUMA dnc link

[one shot]

Good morning all.

I am looking into having a dnc link installed into one of our okuma mills. I am wondering how well that works. Do you have to start the prog from the pc every time or will the machine call for the prog to be uploaed. The reason I am asking is I want to run production with this setup and I am wondering how much trouble it will be for the "chuck monkeys" to operate. If any of you guys have this, I would appreciate your input.

Thanks.

Jeff

[Psychomill]

Used to drip feed an Okuma years ago from a PC. Let me see if I can remember this correctly. You open the dnc link at the pc. You start the program from the machine (setting the machine to run from the dnc). Operators shouldn't have any trouble doing this... at least I haven't run into one who did. The only problem is that some (maybe most?) machines have problems restarting a program except from the top (can't or won't restart in the middle of the program. The one I ran couldn't).

 

quote:

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The reason I am asking is I want to run production with this setup and I am wondering how much trouble it will be for the "chuck monkeys" to operate.

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I'm a little confused here. Are you just asking about the general 'difficulties' in running dnc (ie: due to low memory?) or just straight up communications so the operators can load their own programs?

[one shot]

I'm just looking to run a large program due to low memory.

[Psychomill]

DNC is not a problem. Just have to be mindful of how fast your machine can read relative to how fast the data is being shoved. Newer systems can 'tailor' itself to keep the buffer under control (within reason). Older ones would either start dopping sections of code ( OUCH!! ) or the machine would get a buffer alarm or the dnc stops.

 

Is it possible to maybe split up operations a bit to run the part? On low memory machines (before i wised up to dnc) I'd split the ops to like rough ops, then finish ops. On some finish programs though, I would even remove the 3D work an create a seperate op for it. Definately not an efficient way of doing things, but it got the job done.

 

HTH

[mig]

We using this okdnc for long time.

This is grate software.

I am highly recommend for okuma users

[jeff]

We have a MX55VB and the Dnc-B option is outrageously overpriced!!!!

Something in the neighborhood of $5k.

And of course we have the lowest memory capacity available,max program length is 32k.

That sucks!

[RandleXX]

We have been using Xpert-DNC software and DNC-B.

Very expensive and it took Okuma over 6 months to get the parts and install correctly.

Xpert-DNC is a windows based program, unlike OK-DNC. It allows you to re-start at any line in the program and will call up the program from the control. Our operators prefer to start the program at the PC to get a preview of what the program will do.

Now we can run massive surface programs not just 32K

 

Randle

[one shot]

Randle,

That is what I am looking for, the ability to call up the program from the control. I didn't know if that was possible.

Jeff, is there another option other than going thru OKUMA? The price is now $6k and 6 months I'm dealing with 32k memory in both of my machines. I must say that MC likes to generate a lot of code. I'm getting real good at subs. But incremental can bite you in the but alot. Is it possible to modify my post so incremental subs will always have an absolute Z move?

[jeff]

One Shot,

As far as another option, I don't know. But if you find out,please let me know.

If your control is like ours, you have 2 different memory capacities.

One for program storage,and the other for program that will run.

Our max storage is approx 56k,but we can only run a 32k program max.

Stupid,I know.

If your entire program is less than 56k, you can split it up and make a schedule program.

OR......

It may be possible to run a program from the MD0: directory.

There is 125k on our machine unused.

HTH

I do know that it is more cost effective to spend the money on DNC-B than upgrade the memory capacity,because they think their memory is make out of a solid chunk of gold!

I think they wanted something like $2,000 for another 32k of memory.

[one shot]

Jeff, I have split programs between the two dir's before and I had to call each one up individually to run them. There is a way to select a prog and designate a path to the second dir and run the subs from there, but the program select is quite tricky and the last time I tried it I couldn't get it to work. Have you done this?n How do u do it?

[jeff]

Personally, I haven't done it, but it should be possible to do it using a schedule program.

Have you ever made a schedule program?

It's pretty easy,but tricky the first time you do it.

[jeff]

I just tried it on our mill,osp700m control and we ran a schedule program from our MD0: directory.

If you need help on doing this, let me know.

[John_Carpenter]

Hi Jeff,

 

The Okuma machines require the DNC-B option to be installed in order to truely 'drip-feed' This option can communicate using a couple different protocols. The A protocol does CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Checking) which several DNC vendors have integrated. OKDNC and Xpert/MultiDNC were mentioned above and work great. This A protocol is the safest way to connect into this machine and read while you are cutting metal. The B/C protocol uses Xon-Xoff and also works fine with virtually any DNC package on the market. The main downside to using the B/C protocol is that the data will only undergo a normal 'parity check' so cable distance, noise, speed of transfer, etc all play a roll in determining if the data actually makes it to the control proper.

 

Regards,

 

John Carpenter

 

www.WireFreeCNC.com

[Richard Houldcroft]

Hi 

Hoping you guys can help. Have recently hooked my okuma up to my pc using dnc. It works well on my fanc based lathe but the okuma is not working at all. Do you know where I can get a hold of a step by step set up of the Okuma connection to DNC?  It is using a RS232C hook up if that matters. 

Thanks 

[Greg Williams]

Does the machine have the DNC-B or DNC-DT option? If no then you cannot drip feed a program