O/T Anyone else program Hurco VMC's?

[kunfuzed]

The shop I just moved to has a BMC 4020 and a 30 both with Ultimax 3 controlles. So far I'm astonished at the lack of what would seem to be standard features on any other control. For instance if I'm running a G&M code program in it's "Basic NC" or "Industry Standard" editor, tool offsetts and work offsetts are both lost on power off. There is an offset page that appears to retain it's data(length only), but I'm having trouble figuring out the programming structure. Right now I just program for the Basic NC mode which doesn't require D-words or a G43 with an H-word. But it uses values in the Conversational tool setup. Any help would be appreciated. I'm also going to get on the horn and see if Hurco will give me any help to.

 

Thanks,

Chris

 

P.S.

Oooh... and I just got X yesterday!

[Richard Bechard]

We have a bmc2416 and a vm1 that we program in basic nc.I use the offsets in the conversational tool page.The offsets in conversational page can be retained from their g code to conversational side so you can go back and forth without resetting tools.

 

Rich

[kunfuzed]

Yeah, I've been told I can also save my offsets in a Conversational program and then use that to restore if the machined gets turned off. But it just seems that you shouldn't have to go through all that.

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

The O/S in the controller(s) might be a way outdated,you can do just about anything with them lately.

Email there customer support address from there web page and get it rolling from there.

All I ever get is an answering machine.

There gone at 4:00 cst.

[kunfuzed]

Thought about that too. Last time the Hurco repair guy came by he said they could only be upgraded to version 2.something from the current 1.71. But he said there was no real advantage to it.

[astrocncdept]

At our shop we only have hurcos, BMC4020, BMC3017, plus Hawk 30s and Hawk 40s. The best way to save your part setup and tool lengths and diameters is to set it up in conversational programming, save it then when in NC programming mode use your restore function to recall that data. The only problem with that is that if you make any changes to tool lengths, diameters, etc. When you shut down the machine or change over to conversational control again...it isn't saved.

[kunfuzed]

Hey astrocncdept,

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'd almost forgoton about this post. We've got just about the same setup here, a BMC4020, BMC30, Hawk 5M, and a really old blue one from like '84 that I don't even go near. I was wondering, do you use the "Basic NC" mode, or the "Industry Standard NC" mode for your G and M programs?

[astrocncdept]

kunfuzed,

 

We use Basic NC on all the hawks, and the BMC. And I use Industry standard for our BMC, only because it runs 4 axis surfacing. I also have to same problem as you do in your other post with the g54 line sending my Z down to a spot that isn't programmed. Still haven't tweaked that out. Still new to using/modifying mastercam posts and what our machine needs to run. I found that since it does it right at the beginning of our program. i just let it start to go to that stop, then abort the run and restart. Problem solved....kinda.

[Charles Davis]

The one I worked on, the Z up/down dial was reversed from any other machine I've seen.

 

If you twisted the knob CCW, the tool went down. Twist it CW and the tool went up.

 

It seems like a simple thing, but I chipped a tool more than once, and almost put a drill through my finger tip once.

 

Not a bad machine. The button WAS labeled properly, but old habits can bite you if you get in a hurry.

[kunfuzed]

astro-

 

I noticed a quick fix for that is just z your spindle all the way up before you hit cycle start and it will jsut do it's mojo up there, then z down just fine.

[astrocncdept]

Alittle off your topic, but we are looking into networking all the machines together with one central hub storing all the programs...NC and conversational. We use the Mastercam editor to send NC files to the machines now, anyone sending conversational files? What are you using?

I tried using the mastercam editor to send a conversational program but machine just errors out.

[kunfuzed]

We use a sophisticated "sneakernet" system hear (floppy transfer) I actually don't see any advantage to using the serial ports for data transfer, since you have to post your program, walk out, get teh machine ready, walk back, hit send, then walk back out to the machine. Where with the floppy you just post to it, and walk out to the machine and go. I think the real hot setup would be ethernet though, which of course would require a Hurco from this century to do. Then you could post directly to its hardrive and go.

[Richard Bechard]

I use Ultinet it works great.I hooked it up to our network and and from computer you can drag and drop to ie window.

[astrocncdept]

Thanks Richard, we saw that as an option so I guess maybe we will call hurco and ask. With that Ultinet does that use the hyperlink is that the same as the hurco hyperlink?

 

The only real reason we are looking to get rid of floppy disks is because some programs are to big for the floppy.

[Richard Bechard]

I haven't heard of hurco hyperlink.I got the ultinet option.

[Fred @ Slate Industries]

Astro

We had to try a few FTP programs out before we found one that could find All are Hurcos not just the new one. The kit they sell is alittle over a $1,000 each machine.We did three and they Cut us some slack, and you get 10% off

any hurco part if you use a credit card.

 

It is so nice to drag a file over the ftp and unto the Machines hard drive in seconds.

 

Tony