C-axis engraving backwards

[Roger]

Our shop just got in a used lathe (Viper) with live tooling c-axis, I'm the programer here and also have to run the parts. I've never used a lathe with live tooling and have been playing with this one now for a couple of days. I'm using version 9 mastercam the control is a Fanuc 18T. The post that I've used is MPLFAN.pst

When I tried to engrave the on the face it was cutting the letters mirrored i.e VIPER was cutting REPIV.

Also trying to use wear comp on the face of the part I can only use positive values. If I use negative values it errors.

Can any of you send me nc examples briefly explained.

I have more question to come. PLEASE HELP!!!

[kinglouie V]

check your tool/construction plane for starters....

[Roger]

I've sent the MC9 file to the ftp site. It's under MC9 folder named viper test 3.

Could someone look at it?

 

Thanks, Roger

[Roger]

ttt

[Tim Simmermon]

Roger,

 

When I verified it, it looks right. Have you run this on your machine? Are you concerned because it engraves the word from right to left instead of left to right?

[Roger]

Hi Tim,

It backploted and verified just fine. Ran it on the machine, and it was a perfect mirror of the lettering. So I'm still confused!!!

[Tim Simmermon]

Roger,

 

I wish I had a secondary verification software to check this to make sure your post is ok, but I think the problem lies in the control. When I worked with live tooling, it was always on the OD, never on the face. Here's what you should check on the machine:

 

On our milling machines we are able to mirror image the program about the X or Y axis. If someone previously setup the parameter this way and I ran an engraving program I would get what you are seeing on the machine. I'm not sure that this is even possible on a lathe, but it's worth looking into.

 

If this doesn't work I would check with your reseller about the post to make sure it is setup correctly.

 

HTH

[Roger]

Just got to work and checked the machine. Mirroring is OFF in operators panel and in the parameters page.

 

I could put the post file that I'm using on the ftp site for someone to look at.

 

Or any other ideas fellow mastercam users have?

[Allan]

Sounds like your C axis moves are backwards, simple post fix, talk to your dealer.

 

Allan

[Roger]

Allan,

Just called MCAM NW today. I'm waiting to here back from them. Also on this lathe when you are c-axis face contouring it errors if you enter a negative value in wear offset menu. Do you think this is related?

[Allan]

I do not think the negative cutter offset is related at all. That is a control limitation (could just be a parameter), but that is why they made a setting in Mastercam for reverse wear (it comps to the oppsite side G42 instead of a G41 for example then the positive number is a minus offset)

 

Allan

[Roger]

Thanks Allan.

 

Tim called me back and said that it should be easy to change the c-axis direction in the post, so I'm going to look at it now, and see where I do this in the post.

[Allan Brown]

You have a CW/CCW option under the axis rotary settings for the toolpath. You can't really tell in the post which you've selected, so we always say to stick with CW, otherwise it mirrors.

 

If you're set to CW, then you need a post hack for the C-Axis direction.

[Roger]

Dave,

 

This was a c-axis face contour in lathe that I was doing. It's on the ftp site under MC9 folder, named viper test 3.

 

I looked at the rotary settings and the c-axis is checked and the CW/CCW options are greyed out.

Was this what you where talking about?

[Roger]

ttt

 

Where's all the lathe people?

[Allan Brown]

Face contour isn't a wrapped rotary substitution, so that's not the issue. C-Axis needs to be flipped in your post!