Functional set-up sheets anyone?

[jackmasterx3]

Goal:

 

My goal is to create a program and set-up sheet that I can hand off to a CNC Set-up/Operator with explicit instruction to enable him to set-up and run good parts on a CNC machine.

 

Sound familiar?

 

I'm looking for a user friendly, customizable set-up sheet template that can be generated through the MastercamX4 software and applied in the real world. Every add-on that I have encountered either gives too much or not enough information. I have a template that I created in a spreadsheet format that I currently use that literally fits on 1 page, but filling in the blanks is very time consuming. I’ve seen the bells and whistles of Active Reports, but even my local Mastercam distributor (tech support) can’t figure it out.

 

Does anyone have a practicable solution?

 

Thanks

[BenK]

Do a search for X+ on the forum. It looks to be what most people use around here. Its a free download and it works great.

[Dave.L]

X+ is great to get you a tool list and a job operation list, however, it's not going to (and not intended to) give you setup information.

 

We make layout drawings to show the fixturing setup and the stock location, face amount, etc. Until a few months ago we did this with 2D ACAD and then took photo's of the job. Worked well but not great.

 

We now use Solidworks for this and it's awesome. Today I gave a set of intructions to a operator who set up the job 100% of the instructions and did it fast with no issues.

 

If your jobs repeat, no amount of documentation can be too much. If the job is a one time run then it's not worth the effort of what we are doing.

[Bruce Caulley]

quote:

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X+ is great to get you a tool list and a job operation list, however, it's not going to (and not intended to) give you setup information.

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Not 100% true. It won't give you extra views, but by using a manual entry at the beginning of the toolpaths group you are doing the setup sheet for you can add quite a large block of text to your setup sheet.

 

Bruce

[Chris Rizzo]

I've spent some time learning the new Active Reports set-up sheets. Almost infinitely customizable. You put on only what you want: pretty much every parameter, setting, and information is avail, including multiple screen shots.

[cunder]

jackmasterx3

 

Send Me an email and I can send you what I use. It may not be the most complete but it seems to work well for most programs I send to the shop.

 

[email protected]

[Zoober]

quote:

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X+ is great to get you a tool list and a job operation list, however, it's not going to (and not intended to) give you setup information.

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Gotta disagree there Dave......

Here is one of mine, right out of X+ with a couple of additional screenshots pasted into excel. All of about five minutes.

[Dave.L]

quote:

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X+ with a couple of additional screenshots pasted into excel.

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I love X+, my point is you still need other programs to interface for setup sheets, ie excel.

 

If I knew how to post an image here, I would put up an example of what we are doing with Solidworks, can't get that from X+ and I would not want to.

 

What X+ is designed to do works AWESOME. For us, tool list and operation sheets.

[Zoober]

I thought every bidness had Excel.

Can't imagine it getting any easier than adding a couple of screenshots....

But hey, we don't have SW (the other program to interface to)... so for the MC only shops, it (X+) makes setup sheets that have as little or as much info as needed.

[Dave.L]

quote:

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I thought every bidness had Excel.

Can't imagine it getting any easier than adding a couple of screenshots....

But hey, we don't have SW (the other program to interface to)... so for the MC only shops, it (X+) makes setup sheets that have as little or as much info as needed.

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It's all about what works for you.

[crazy^millman]

Dave go to www.photobucket.com and create an account. Then take the link they allow you to copy and paste right into the reply. It will have the correct code for images already embedded into it.

 

I only use Mastercam to make my set-up sheets using the solid layout. I use the X+ with a template to fill in our standard set-up sheet.

 

Easy and we may have 14 sheets in one folder for a set-up. We do per operation floor folders with only an electronic back up. Saves on paper and no problem finding things if they get lost. If things need a rev change again we just destroy the one on the floor and make a new one with the rev changes and life is good.

 

HTH

[Dave.L]

Ron,

 

I hope I did not screw this up, let's see.

 

The attached is a example and not the total documentation for the job. Also, this is not the best example but I needed to find something that I could share without violating NDA from customers.

 

[Ron Branch @ Verisurf]

I can create the same thing in Mastercam with no problem. I suggest you get a DXF of that sheet. Save it as a Mastercam file. Then you can replace the template file in drafting with this one and when you do solid layout it will pop right to where it is suppose to be. Save a copy of the Template.mcx file before replacing with the one of your choosing. Before X3 you could put the number of the view you wanted now it really is limited. You can just pick a view then go in and add views to your liking, you can add section, and detail views along with hidden lines and other things with no problem. When I get back from vacation I can give you hand if you get stuck, just email me a solid and I will help you make it up. If you can get a DXF of something like you posted I can help you make it a template file.

 

Oh yeah good job on the photobucket and picutre posting.

 

HTH

[Dave.L]

quote:

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I can create the same thing in Mastercam with no problem. I suggest you get a DXF of that sheet. Save it as a Mastercam file.

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Having the option to use Solidworks or MasterCAM for this purpose, I will pick SOLIDWORKS ALL DAY LONG. IMO, it's also MUCH easier in SW.

 

I have no desire to use MC for anything but creating code. We design in SW and when the customer does not supply a model, we create one in SW. Most of our tooling has been created in SW and what's not done now will be soon.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

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Having the option to use

Solidworks

CATIA or MasterCAM for this purpose, I will pick

SOLIDWORKS

CATIA ALL DAY LONG. IMO, it's also MUCH easier in

SW

CATIA.

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I think it's so much easier in ANY CAD system.

[Zoober]

While I agree with the "use the right tool for the job" as in SW or Catia, even when I was using Cat for my cad, I ALWAYS brought it into MC via dxf so that my program and setup sheets were stored in one place, easy to re-create a program and setup sheet if any changes were made to code. Document control is way easier to manage....

Now that I only have MC, I don't have to worry about it.

Although those variable radii are driving me nuts in MC. I sure wish I still had Catia.

[Dave.L]

quote:

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While I agree with the "use the right tool for the job" as in SW or Catia, even when I was using Cat for my cad, I ALWAYS brought it into MC via dxf so that my program and setup sheets were stored in one place, easy to re-create a program and setup sheet if any changes were made to code. Document control is way easier to manage....

Now that I only have MC, I don't have to worry about it.

Although those variable radii are driving me nuts in MC. I sure wish I still had Catia.

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I don't dare bring it into MC as the master since then I lose all the parametric association in SW. What I mean is, if we change one fixture component, every assembly, view, etc is automatically updated.

 

SW rules!!!

[shazam/TPP]

quote:

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You can access the X+ Setup and instructions here

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Is this the latest upto date version?

[Joe788]

I stay along the lines of what Dave is doing. Tool list from X+, setup info and pretty pictures from Solidworks. Seems to work well enough.

[X-L Engineering Corp]

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You can access the X+ Setup and instructions here

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I'm having problems with this link?