Looking for help and advice

[Randy Wolff]

I am new to Mastercam (using X MR2 for about 2 weeks) and haven't programmed in about seven years. The programmer we had moved on and I got volunteered so I'm learning on the fly. I am looking for some books or advice to guide me in the right direction. Granted this is a wide open statement, but that is where I'm at right now. We do some surfacing and 4th axis vertical work but mostly straight forward bar and vertical work. I have noticed some post problems for the rotary work on the bars, but fixing that manually at the moment. So much to learn and try and keep straight. Here's one question: Is there a way to build a standard tool list for a machine or a family of parts and bring that into the job without always going back to the tool library and recreating it each time. Thanks in advance for any advice. Hopefully the head won't explode before it all sinks in.

Randy

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum

 

 

quote:

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Is there a way to build a standard tool list for a machine or a family of parts and bring that into the job without always going back to the tool library and recreating it each time.

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There are a couple of ways you could do this.

 

I have a machine table all defined, vises, fixtures, standard tooling all in one mcx file. I open this file and then do a save as, my new file name and then import my geometry into the newly saved file.

 

You could also export your defined tools into an OP file and then import the OP's with or without geometry that into your current file. I have things like O-ring grooves, certain openings I machine all the saved as OP files, I simply import the tools and then associated them with my geometry and then I can use the same tools and the same methods on similar features all the time.

 

HTH

[crazy^millman]

Another thing you can do it save like tool for like materials that you have the same speeds feeds and depths of cut for as a Material in your Tool Libary.

Then every time you use that Materail and pick that tool pretty much set to go.

 

There are also operation defualts you can change which will set up the operation to what you want them to be for a spefic machine. If you always program one machine from the table so to speak and your parts are never higher than 6 inches then ni the defaults you can change them to always be an absolute 6" for clearence. If you are alwasy doing surfacing and like a certain setting you can change the operational defualts to alwasy be that. The true power of Mastercam is it's true power of customization, not just it's true power in making toolpaths. We have a mill/Turn that I have a seperate libary for. I also have made speical tools I keep in my Libary for port tools, probe, form tools, and etc... Again trying to use the full power.

 

The biggest thing from what I just mentioned they take time to build up and some of us have been building these things for a long time, but time saving they are and will be once you get time to customize them to your needs.

 

HTH

[Randy Wolff]

Thanks guys. I'll keep this in mind and keep trudging ahead.