Lathe only c-axis contour

[DavidB]

Hi all,

I bought another seat of MC Lathe only for our shop as we have alot of turning work to do.

On the Lathe only PC a C-axis contour toolpath with Rotary axis set to Y not C still turns the C-axis instead of moving the Y axis.

A 6mm wide slot running Parrellel with the Z axis cut with a 5mm cutter needs to move .5 above and .5 below centre in Y to machine the slot.

I can do this on my PC because I have Lathe and Mill3, but on the Lathe only box there is no Milling Toolpaths.

Is this a post Issue?

I can't believe with a full Version of Lathe that I can't machine a contour that is not on the centre line?

Thanks in advance

[gcode]

David, I've never run a seat of lathe only,

so I don't know the answer to your question.

 

I do have a dumb question though. DId you install Mill on the Lathe only PC??

C axis lathe work can use all the milling toolpaths. If you didn't install the mill module that might be the cause of your problem.

 

It could be a licensing issue. I bought my copy of lathe bundled with level 3 mill and I can use all the surfacing, 4 and 5X toolpaths inside lathe.

 

My SIM say's Lathe Level 1 . I've always wondered

what the "Level 1" was all about.

Maybe if you by a stand alone lathe seat, you have to buy "Level 2 or 3" to get all the functions you need. I really don't know, just thinking out loud.

[DavidB]

Gcode,

The Lathe seat is just Lathe in the Hasp utility it says Lathe v9 Leve 1.

My reseller says he has never come across this before.He seems to think it's a post issue.

Basicly on the Lathe "only" seat if I select a line thats not on the centre line of the spindle it rotates the chuck so it is rather than machining the line off centre.

I'm using C/plane and T/plane number 3.

 

I even tryed with the Fanuc post off the CD and it still rotates the line rather than cutting where it is with Y axis selected?

[gcode]

Are you able to access the milling toolpaths at

Toolpaths/Next Menu/Mill??

 

Did you install the mill module on the lathe only PC??

 

Try moving a mill/lathe SIM to that PC and see if the toolpath posts correctly.

 

I've got a bad feeling that "Lathe Level 1"

on your SIM is significant.

 

It could be that "Lathe Level 1" bundled with a milling seat has more features than a

stand alone "Lathe Level 1" ???

[DavidB]

Tooplath/Next menu /Mill not available on Lathe seat.

Toolpaths/Next menu/C-axis/Mill cntr Not availble on Lathe seat.

I will install mill onto Lathe seat and see what differance it makes.

[DavidB]

Mill insatalled made no differance to Lathe!

[gcode]

Now try it with a mill/lathe SIM

 

I think we have just figured out what Lathe Level 1 is

 

[DavidB]

I have Lathe level 1,Mill level 3 with solids on my PC all options in Lathe available.

When I purchased a Lathe only seat from my reseller he knew what I needed to do. All our Lathes have Living Tooling with C-axis and Y-axis.

Seems A Lathe only seat wont cut it?

Unless its a post issue?

[gcode]

quote:

---

Seems A Lathe only seat wont cut it

---

It looks like a Lathe Level 1 stand alone

is different than a Lathe Level 1 bundled with Mill

There must be a Lathe Level 2 or Level 3 that

your dealer doesn't know about.

I can't test it.

I don't know anyone who has a stand alone Lathe seat.

Hopefully, your dealer didn't get the proper codes from CNC Software and you just need a new

set of codes for your SIM.

[gcode]

quote:

---

Unless its a post issue

---

I doubt it.

I think its a SIM issue cause you can't access

the Mill menu.

[dan m]

You need to have mill installed on the pc also. I ran into the same problem a couple of months ago.

[dan m]

David if you installed mill level 3 make sure your target line in your short cut looks somthing like this

C:Mcam9LATHE9.EXE /M3

hth

[DavidB]

Gcode,

There are only 2 lathe options available Lathe entry and Level 1 which is the full blown Lathe option.

We purchased MC Lathe Level 1 for our second seat plus Maintenace. Which I can't see what we get for a Lathe seat only in the way of updates and patches but thats another story.

 

The sim is correct for what we purchased.Lathe Level 1.

 

So what we have is a full blown Mastercam Lathe seat that want do milling ops.

[Harryman]

Check for post switch

 

# --------------------------------------------------------------------------

#Machine axis switches, initial

y_axis_mch : no #Machine has Y axis, 0=no, 1=yes

[Todd Tracey from Fastech]

You have to have both Mill and Lathe on the SIM to run milling toolpaths. It's not a post switch issue.

[DavidB]

Yes checked post switches even the MPLFAN of the CD is a mill turn post but won't Y axis machine with my Lathe Only seat of MC?

[gcode]

I dug out and old price list this morning .

It says

Lathe-

"Complete associative turning apllication

including Multiaxis( when combined with mill)"

 

This means you need the mill module to do Y axis

(multiaxis) work.

 

I have to call my dealer this morning on another matter. I will ask what level of mill is required.

[P_Scott]

DavidB,

 

The last reply gcode made is correct. In essence, you must have Mill licensed with the Lathe module to be able to produce any true milling (y-axis) output. With a Lathe only seat, no true Mill toolpaths are available. The selection for Y-axis should be "greyed-out" if you only have Lathe and not Mill with Lathe bundled to it. Is your lathe machine capable of Y-axis motion? If so, you may want to speak with your reseller and get Mill on the same seat with Lathe. The level of Mill that Lathe is bundled to will determine the type of toolpaths you're capable of outputting from Lathe. HTH

[gcode]

Peter,

David has a seat of mill/lathe and has been doing Y axis stuff for a while now.

He just bought an additional seat of lathe to program out on the floor and it cannot do

what he needs it to do.

Do you know what mill level is required to enable

lathe Y axis features??

[gcode]

I asked my dealer about this.

Standalone Lathe can do C axis milling

Simple Y axis milling requires Mill Level 1

For surfacing, the same rules that apply to

milling apply to mill/turn.

[DavidB]

Guys thanks for the replys.

 

Milling aside,in a MC Lathe seat I should be able to do Y axis cross contours! It's not a milling Toolpath.

 

In Lathe do this create a line 3mm off the centre line running in z direction. Now Toolpath/Next menu/C-axis/Cross ctr.In the Tooplath tick Rotary axis,now select Y

 

How do I get the tool to stay at t/plane 3 and the Y move to Y3 not rotate the job so the contour selected is at C0.In backplot the C is rotated which is not what I want,the tool should be moved off centre and C should be Zero.

 

Yes all my Lathes have Y axis.

I have a mill/turn post with y_axis_mch : yes.

I have Y axis over centre on as well.

 

 

[gcode]

David,

My dealer was very clear on this.

You need the milling module to do Y axis milling

in Lathe. It is concidered a mitiaxis toolpath

and the lathe module does not support it.

Try running the above mentioned toolpath on a

Mill/Lathe seat. It will run properly.

[DavidB]

Gcode,

Thanks for your help.

Im trying the same thing on my PC with Mill Level 3 and Lathe Level 1 and its the same.

I can't get the Tool off centre.It keeps rotating C insteed.Even with Y axis selected as the rotation.

I must be missing something.

Wish I could get the same help from my reseller as you semm to be.

[gcode]

David.

On your mill/lathe seat

try

Toolpath/NextMenu/Mill/Contour

chain your cut

make sure rotary axis is set to Y axis

and TP and CP are at 3

Keep in mind that if you are looking

at you part from an ISO view,

the spindle will be parrallel to the Y axis

at C0

 

[ 06-01-2005, 06:51 PM: Message edited by: gcode ]

[DavidB]

Gcode,

What you are saying is a Y-axis toolpath can only be done with a MILLING toolpath and not a Lathe toolpath?

Therefore I can only create a Y axis toolpath on my MC mill-lathe seat,and not a Lathe only seat.

 

If this is the case my reseller should have known this agreed?

Once again Thank you