Inch or Metric

[Dan_AKA_ROY]

Who does your boss think you are, an Aussie?

 

We don't do metric here in the U.S.A. And the toolholders, endmills, etc. like the guys say in here...Yuk!!

 

Here's a link to a metric converting site. Hope you don't have to use it much! LOL

 

http://www.convert-me.com/en/

[Rekd™]

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The big decision is in your tooling,tool holders, and inspection tools. Programming in metric does not make sense unless you use metric tooling and measuring equipment. You can use inch tooling and measuring equipment but a conversion is still being used. When I run into an ignorant boss, I like to base my argument on dollars and cents. Let him know the cost to tool up and train the machinists for all metric processing.

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[BernieT]

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Tell him the Mars lander crashed because people were measuring with 2 different standards. Pick your units (Inch if that's what you prefer) and stick to it.

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THAT is the best reason of all !!!! (May not be the one to convince him, though) Running two measuring systems in one shop is a receipe for large numbers of mistakes.

[MattW]

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Running two measuring systems in one shop is a receipe for large numbers of mistakes.

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At first, anyway, and it may well be a significant ongoing problem. On the other hand, it sounds like the decision has been taken away from you, and unless a big portion of your compensation is in the form of stock or profit sharing, The cost of these problems is coming out of the owner's pocket, not yours, and you probably don't need the headache of this battle. So state your case and then do as your told. You can then put on your resume that you are experienced in programming in both standard and metric units.

 

I had a boss once who would frequently ask me to do things I had reservations about. I would relay my concerns and then say something like "but if you still want me to do this, I will". He would laugh and sometimes change his mind, and say something like "no vicious obedience". Sometimes vicious obedience is called for.

 

MattW

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

[CNCme]

Good Day,

 

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It doesn't seem real that he would say do it, just because.

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I have many bosses who would do the wrong thing

just to be right.(not)

 

Frank,

just do the work and it will be new knowledge

for you...I have spent many hours learning (practicing) on production time, and using

double-triple the time, so I would benefit

and the next time program faster, and maybe

this is the only way to give your boss what

he wants...and you will become more proficiant.

 

 

Tony G

CNCiT Precision Machine - Hudson,NH

X Beta Site

Almost Employed Senior Programmer

N.E Massachusetts - Southern New Hampshire

_________________________________________

End mills and tooling are like The "AMMO"

And coolant and chips are like the enemy

Under your boots as you advance in the

Manufacturing Battle

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[Chris Rizzo]

Since he seems so brilliant, tell him that you've got to purchase the "metric" version of Mastercam.

 

Seriously though, show him a .250 inch cutter. Ask him how big it is in mm. Show him a .002 chip. Ask him how big it is in mm. Sure he won't know, and neither would I for that matter, without doin' some math. I sure as hell know what a .002 chip load is in programming, and know where and when it will work, and where and when it won't.

 

That's knowledge and "machinist inclication" just is'nt something that you can easily convert. Your brain (at least mine is ) has learned through experience in the imperial system, and would take XX years to re-learn the metric system.

M2c

[Frank]

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The cost of these problems is coming out of the owner's pocket, not yours, and you probably don't need the headache of this battle.

__________________________________________________ Absolutly right !

[Chris Rizzo]

Frank, I'd be afraid that that headache will quickly become yours when you start programming in metric, and stuff starts to get wrecked.

[Frank]

Well you guys must not have that majic wand, that you wave over Mastercam, and make it all better. IN METRIC

[Thee Cutterman]

Frank

i was lucky that when i started my trade and went to school, Aussie,s (roy23. ) were still getting used to metric but still teaching in inch. My first place of employment was a U.K. owned company. So all the drawing,s coming over were in inch. The biggest problem i had over the years were the operators converting tolerences for their offsets. The amount of stuff ups and scrapped parts over the years was beyond a joke.

If your tools are inch, programme in inch. If your measuring equipment is inch, i could not understand why your boss would be asking you to change in the first place

The "just do it" attitude sucks.

 

Lee.k White is on the right track.Document your conversation with him and look at it as a learning curve.If it goe,s the way that everyone here is saying,you will have something to fall back on. But with the sound of his attitude. He has already made up his mind

Good luck Mate

Darren

[deeherk]

stick with inch...maybe your boss doesn't realize how could he has it...

[tryon]

At our shop it was mandated that all new machines brought into the shop would be in metric. So now all the old guys dont want to run the brand new equipment and the younger more open minded people get to work on some cool stuff. whats more precise .001mm or .0001in? isnt that enough reason for some? I came up using inches. After one or 2 jobs using metric i never want to go back. And thats how most of my coworkers feel once they actually go for it.

 

I say screw all this inch fractional garbage. It almost seems like once this inch system is out of the way that a quarter of all math would be obsolete.

 

sorry for a rant

[Psychomill]

Used to work at a shop that did a lot of medical work. Everything (print and model wise) was metric. On models I'd convert to inches and for prints I'd draw in metric, save it to its own level for reference, then convert to inches and program it. Boss asked once how everybody is handling the "metric issue". I said, "what issue?". We program, make chips, inspect, clean, pack and ship. Whats the problem? He shrugged his shoulders said "not a thing" and went about his buisness.

 

On the floor, we'd use converted prints. In inspection we'd have the CMM inspect in metric as well as print out the dimesions for FAI to submit. I have the confidence in what I do that I just 'do'. Thats what I'm paid for. I don't ask the boss if I should program in metric or not.

 

By the way, I have programmed and run machines in metric. Numbers are just numbers to me. I can see some struggling if you're trying to make an adjustment and your checking with an inch gage. I have a lot of digital equipment though too, so I just change the resolution to metric and adjust. Not much thought to it ( no more so than inches ). But on a machine that runs in inches in a shop that manufacters in inches.... convert it!!

Otherwise...

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While you're programming metric, use metric tooling, metric stock, after all that's on the print too.

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Tell him "I can't run the part the way you're asking because we don't have any metric inspection equipment, metric machine and a metric operator. Kind of like buying a car without wheels, 'I can get in, start the engine... just can't go anywhere'.

 

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whats more precise .001mm or .0001in?

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In all honesty, I debate whether or not a machine ( in an open shop atmosphere ) can actually hold/adjust to .001mm ( which is .000039 for inch guys ). Thermal deviation alone can cause a machine to move that, much less adjust for it. The only time I've seen it done is in complete environmental control... beyond most shops I think. Even if you bored a hole to a tenth (inches now), hold it in your hand awhile and it changes. Imagine trying to hold profiles and contours to .001mm on a machine thats just sitting on 3-6 inches of concrete, concrete lag bolts if you're lucky (some shop owners call that a foundation ) near to an open shipping bay door. Program shows .xx1, machine says it went to .xx1, but did really? Yeah, right! I think not.

 

Frank, go with what you feel. You'll make a better part I think. It's alright to walk through a dark forest but the least he could do is give you flashlight. So far you don't even have a couple matches.

 

Sorry guys, went off on a tangent.

JM2C x 200 yen

[Bruce Caulley]

Frank,

Just to clarify, is your boss changing the parameters at the control on all the machine to metric?

 

The US is still officially imperial right? (Why, for crying out loud, is a different topic) So presumably the majority of your work is in inches.

 

Tell him that from now on all conversations on the shop floor are to be conducted in swahili and see what he says.

 

Bruce

[Kannon]

In our business the "Bossman" thinks it is as pushing the green button on the machine and the machine pops it out perfect and done within 10 minutes. I try to tell him we arnt making pizza!

Many times the bosses are qualified for there jobs because they have good leadership skills, some have found there way to the top in different ways To me I dont understand the forcing of using the two units. We write down the conversion on the print before we draft it and go in inches. Everyone may draw or machine things differently, the importance is the end result. It all comes down to the finished product, and if your a part of that, your input should be important, and what is the easiest way to get there. Unless there is a real valid reason for the power play, whats the big deal. Your the professional in what you do, he just needs to trust your input more seriously.

 

good luck,

Brian

[Frank]

Thanks all for the replies. Yeah Brian, if there was some kind of reason for it, I could maybe understand. As of right now and always, if the print comes in Metric, I draw it in metric,save it as a metric file for reference. Make a copy and scale the part, and run it on the machine. When inspection gets it they check the part to the metric print....everybody's happy To me this is just a power play, and he has all the power. My advise means absolutly nothing.

[foolsh]

why can't the U.S follow the rest of the world and use the S.I units?then there won't be any confusion anymore

[Psychomill]

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why can't the U.S follow the rest of the world and use the S.I units?then there won't be any confusion anymore

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Logistics, stubborness, hard headed,....

and its down right unamerican!

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

If God would have wanted us to use the Metric System, Jesus would have had 10 disciples instead of 12.

 

James teh stoking the fire....

[Rekd™]

LMAO, James!