Lathe Mill/Turn RANT!!!!!!

[micr0]

quote:

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I've come across this even when stock is defined. Several times in fact. I am absolutely religious about defining my stock and my tools as accurately as possible. I've got a nice part in my "special part collection" from when the boring bar tried to go home through the part.

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I lost a borrowed $600 Sandvik solid carbide boring bar the exact same way (right in front of the owner of the bar too). Stock defined, recognition on, tool defined. Taught me to use ref points it did.

[Rob Peirolo CNC Software]

George.

You wrote:

"It`s discription as an inside dia tool should give it a clue !"

 

O.K. so it's an I.D. tool. give it a clue to what?

Without Stock and/or reference points defined, All there is, is a line in 3D space.

Mastercam gives you 2 ways to define where the "clearance" is.

Do you think it should rapid back to the beginning of the chain?

[chris m]

quote:

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All there is, is a line in 3D space

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We're talking about turning, so it is a line in 2D space, but I get the point. That being said, with stock defined you can still get Mastercam to rapid right through the part. Since there is no reason that you would EVER want this to happen, it would seem the software would not allow it.

 

quote:

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Do you think it should rapid back to the beginning of the chain?

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How about allowing a preset Z position that tools rapid to? If I want to approach to .100 in front of the stock condition and retract to .100 in front of the stock condition, I fill in a little box in Job Setup and then check a box in the individual tool definition that says "Use Job Setup approach / retract point". Seems to make more sense that having the same reference point [25] times in one program...

[Don S at Barefoot CNC South]

If you use the lead in lead out and set the lead out angle at 90 degrees it will go through the part, set it at -5 degrees and it will retract properly.

[George Hardwick]

Don

I hear what your saying,but if its a deep hole with little clearance your method will retract on a -5 degree path and collide on the way out.This could be overcome if you had ID Rough and ID Finish Paths.As Chris said it`s a lathe and the software should never allow this to happen.Yes Rob its an ID tool,defined to be Inside a diameter there is only one way out,if your happy that it can even try and go home throu the side of your part then thats your choice,all I say is that I did not think it should happen, but as normal it looks as if it is my fault not the software.

George.

[TK-32™]

Thank Yoda for this thread!! I'm gonna show it to my boss.

Dang, and all this time I thought I just sucked at MC Lathe...

[chris m]

quote:

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I thought I just sucked at MC Lathe...

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You still might, but the software isn't necessarily helping your image

[George Hardwick]

Also this is missing the point of what this thread is about. The area of machine development at the moment is in Multi tasking process intergration. Mill/Turn multi spindle multi axis.Put simply and quickly.If MC cant get simple 2axis lathe right what chance have they for future programmers Machinists using the software? I am well aware of the fixes and workarounds for 2 axis stuff,I use it all day.But the bottom line is that MC lathe is not good and lathe maintenence is a waste of money.

Maybe I will pack it all in and buy a seat of MC Art.

George.

[mastermatt]

i have been thinking about getting lathe for my zl35 mori ( 1 spindel 2 turrets)(i have had for 3 years and programed manually ( g-code)) ! but doesnt sound like it going to save me any time?? i have mc x4mu1 3 with solid.and it works good with my vf4 hass ! any advice???? thanks matt

[chris m]

I program a twin-turret, twin spindle machine with Mastercam and it works a heck of a lot better than calculator and pencil, just not like it "should."

 

You can still use the software to program your parts, you'll just need to do some cutting and pasting of the code to get your synch codes and whatnot in the right spots.

[Ron Branch @ Verisurf]

Well I wanted to share something I learned. Yes CNC I know you would love for this thread to do like all the others I start about Mill/Turn but this is a positive. I was talking to Bob and he pointed me to something I have never used in all my years of using Mastercam. T-Plane use for Mill/Turn. I always thought this was something that was there without need, but I can see now where using this verses WCS for main and sub spindle locations is a good things. The stock Definition is locked to one WCS and by using T-planes you get around this. By doing my Mill/Turn programming this way I think this will help solve some of the problems I have been seeing.

 

If you are not currently using T-planes with Mill/Turn on 2 spindles give it a try and see if helps solves some of your problems.

 

Thanks to Bob and CNC for pointing me in this direction. We all can learn something and folks I am here to tell you I learn something everyday with Mastercam.

[mayday]

BUMP

mill turn NEEDS repair.

TC planes wont stick among many other things already mentioned

I'm going back to long hand for this part. what a waste

[Philcott]

We have been thinking about adding another seat of Mcam for Lathe.

 

The boss just talked to me about where we should put our money and I had to tell him we have not seen what I would call "a commitment to the lathe package" from Mastercam. Because of this we will probably have a look around and see what is out there.

 

I'd hate to go away from Mcam but advances in lathe just haven't been coming fast enough.

 

I just don't see a 6 year old being able to do too much in the lathe package.

 

CNC please let me know (PM me) that some some good things are in the works for lathe. We have been waiting and paying maintenance for a long time with the hope of seeing some focus on our package.

 

[ 11-20-2009, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: PhilCott ]