your opinion on lathe

[3R!< W3NG3R]

We are looking at adding MC lathe to our shop.

 

Is it just me? It seems so out dated. Even BobCad-ish. So finicky and way behind mill. Maybe I am so used to mill and need more time on lathe. We g-code all our lathe progs now at the machine, but with lots of new work coming in we are spending lots of time at the machine just programing. But on the machine we can tell it exactly what to do and it is so easy.

 

Anyway, whats your opinion?

[Guest]

What kind of lathes are you programming for Eric?

 

2 axis

 

C & Y axis?

 

Multi spindle multi turret?

[ReDEyZZ]

I use lathe for our 2-d lathe work, I found it very easy to learn(I am more of a mill guy)and I can put out quality programs in short order.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

we have one 2 axis lathe (for now anyway).

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Jarret, I have no dought that good quality programs can come from it. It's probably more of a learning curve thing for me.

[Guest]

quote:

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we have one 2 axis lathe

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IMO, Mastercam Lathe would make perfect sense for this application.

[Philcott]

This is my opinion and not representative of anything other than my opinion. Using X2.

 

Lathe has been left to rot on the vine of neglect. We have seen very few (but some nice) improvements to lathe's abilities.

 

I program our C axis machines with it but am disappointed that more focus is not directed here even with many requests for added functionality.

 

There have been lots of threads on this in the past so I will babble no further.

 

I'm sure Ron could have a few thoughts to add.

 

Phil

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Phil, that is more of a maintenance question for me. He is trying to sell it to me too, but I keep asking what it will bring.

[Chris Rizzo]

Upcoming release has some nice lathe features added.

 

IMHO, Lathe is well ahead of mill in alot of regards. In particular continual stock recognition, efficent cutting, and stock flip scenerios. I really have no complaints (and I complain alot) on 2 ax turning and a good portion of the live tooling functionality. I can get a od/id part programmed in about 10 minutes. Threads, drilling, boring, contouring of most shapes, all that. Can't do that at the control (well at least I can't).

 

The stuff that Crazy Millman has issues with for the most part is advanced mill-turn machines. Those applications it's a whole different ball game and he's absolutly right.

 

Another thing to consider for multi-op parts is the ability to have a lathe AND a mill machine definition in the same mcx file. No need for a mill file, and a seperate lathe file. You can verify all ops nicely that way too.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Thanks for all the responses

 

Now I have to decide to go with it bundled or a separate seat.

 

Then I have to find the $ as things are very tight right now.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

For a 2 Axis Lathe, or a single turret lathe with milling I would have no issues getting good gode in short order with. Like Ron has said multiple times, multi turrets, multi spindles... You are FAR better served with either Part-Maker or Esprit.

[Mick]

We programme our two Mori Seiki MT4000's, one Mori Seiki MT253, one Mori Seiki NT4250, and one Okuma Multus B400W with Mastercam. It works really well, but I struggle with part transfer. I continually get the "Stock Defined in Both Spindles" error, which can ruin the stock transfer operation, and result me have to delete it, and recreate it.

 

Also, working in the right hand spindle isn't exacly clear cut either

 

I agree with most, the multi spindle, multi turret, and B axis programming in Lathe could really do with some improvement.

[DavidB]

Lathe has been left for far to long.

quote:

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Lathe is well ahead of mill in alot of regards. In particular continual stock recognition

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This is a joke.

 

Do a Mill drill toolpath on the front face at X0 and watch how MC can NOT update stock of amill toolpath in Lathe!!!CNC know about this.

Sent this in years ago still NOT fixed. We have to do a Lathe drill toolpath and gohst it just so MC can recognise stock.

 

We have 2 x 2D Lathes, 3 Lathes with C and Y-axis

and an Integrex multi tasking Lathe with twin spindles and twin turrets.

 

The maintanence for Lathe is a total waste of coin in my opinion, what was the last update for Lathe????????

 

I'm currently looking at a swiss sliding head machine twin spindles 4 turrets and Part Maker software

 

[ 03-12-2009, 05:14 AM: Message edited by: DavidB@Rosebank-Engineering ]

[Mike S @ S4A]

Eric I think I'd go for the bundle; that way you can look at milling and turning in the same file/session...

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Mike, yes, that is the way I was thinking too. Cheaper also.

It would be nice to be able to prog a mill on one computer and lathe on the other at the same time too. Pros and cons either way.

[crazy^millman]

Well I will chime in here. For simple lathe stuff you have a very good product. Has it's quirks, but if you already have Mill it is a no brainier IMHO.

 

I think I have made it pretty clear with regards to Dual Turrets and Syncing. Now for simulation forget it. Mastercam is light years behind the competition. I will leave MMT out of this discussion. If I were you I would look at keeping them separate. I never program my mill operations and lathe operation in one file. Just not our way here. We name each file the operation per our procedure here. So it would not really matter. Also then one person could be programming on one machine and someone else could be programming on another. You can easily move files and save files. Just when it comes up it will say this product is not enabled on this sim.

 

Just my thoughts on it.

[generaldisarray]

If I remember right Lathe was only around ** bundled.It was definitely worth the money for us.We do some fairly complex 2 axis lathe parts.

And you can program something fast in lathe!Way faster than by hand.And there is zero guesswork.Unlike canned cycles,The machine will do what Mastercam shows.

 

Mod edit, no pricing discussions Thanks

 

[ 03-12-2009, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: JParis@CNC Programming Solutions ]

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Note about pricing discussions: Don't think that CNC is trying to hide anything. Because of export controls, tarriffs, taxes, trade agreements, currency fluxuation, etc... pricing can be SUBSTANTIALLY different in different areas of countries and the world. We want to prevent the pissing contest about why this guy paid a lot more than this guy.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

It's not just about the cost. The new jobs coming in would probably pay it off in little time. In the past we got mostly repeat jobs for that machine and the progs were tweaked very nicely. It also sat around alot, so MC didn't seem like $ well spent.

 

Now it is lots of new parts and only 5,10 or 20 of each. If these keep coming, then MC will have to be purchased.

 

BUT, my wife says I can only buy it once I bring in a pay check.