X3 tool library improvements?

[P_Scott]

Hey All,

 

For those who have installed X3 I'd like to know a couple of things. Are there any tool library improvements? Have they added thread mills? What about drill mills? I know the High Speed toolpath interface has a page for holder definition. This even allows the user to build a custom holder to be used with the project tools. Have they included that with any of the standard tool definition pages? What about including probes in standard tool definitions? How about making a mass change to speeds and feeds for all the tools in a single library at once? I know stock can be selected to help with speeds and feeds but if I just want to build a library of tools for a specific material, I don't want to waste time defining stock in the Machine Group Properties. What about simply taking an existing tool library and converting all the speeds and feeds instantly to be used for a certain material? It's very time consuming when you have to select ONE tool in the library, adjust the speed and feed for material and save that tool before going on to the next, which may be just a little bit larger than the previous one.

[gms1]

Unfortunately they haven't touched the tool library for mill in ages. Wish they would do something with it.

[P_Scott]

-BUMP-

 

gms1,

 

I know what you're saying. I've been thinking the same thing now since V8. They've added some tools since then but not much. How long have thread mills been in use?

 

[?Mark]

Have you checked fbm tool table?

Hopefully all the tool libraries will go to this excel format.

[NeilJ]

"It's very time consuming when you have to select ONE tool in the library, adjust the speed and feed for material and save that tool before going on to the next, which may be just a little bit larger than the previous one."

 

Agree strongly. Do you think an Excel type spreadsheet or an Access type database interface would be better? What exists now I find very time consuming and very frustrating to use.

[P_Scott]

Mark Banaszak,

 

I haven't installed X3. I was asking to find out if it's worth it to download and install it or would it be wise to wait a little until some issues are dealt with. Things are working well with X2 so I need to justify the downtime of installing X3 and getting familiar with the new stuff. Hope this clarifies what I'm looking for.

 

NeilJ,

 

Excel spreadsheet might be better but I don't know enough about the formulas to make a feed/speed change to a selected group of tools at one time.

 

 

[ 08-15-2008, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: Peter Scott ]

[Henk]

quote:

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"It's very time consuming when you have to select ONE tool in the library, adjust the speed and feed for material and save that tool before going on to the next, which may be just a little bit larger than the previous one."

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You can convert the tool library to an txt file.

Open that txt file with an editor.

Make you changes, add tools.

Convert an library from txt.

 

Exel would be better

[gms1]

A lot of the mill tool library stuff has been around since v5. This is one of my only gripes with mastercam right now. It should at least function "something" like lathe with insert categories, tool bodies, holders, proper sfm/ipt calculations etc...

 

It just needs work