Mill/turn and Mastercam ?

[ALEX888]

Hello all:

 

We are using Mastercam for all our programming need and looking at adding a mill/turn type machine this year, Most likely a Mori Seiki NT 4250. Is anybody using Mastercam for programming their mill/turns. Is Mastercam capable of moving multiple axis simultaneously.

[Josh Kinney -Elite Engineering]

Nope, in the works....

[Mr. M]

There are a few of us running Okuma Multus', some folks running Mazak Integrex', and I am sure there are others.

It has some issue's but it does pretty good on the single turret machines I've run..

[Jrygus]

We have an NT5400. Had to make the change to Esprit. We tried Mastercam for Integrex and Mori NT mill-turn. Esprit has been much better for us for mill turn. Guys on this board have made it work. We could not. I like Mastercam much more than Esprit ( I am a mill programmer) but Esprit handles mill-turn better than mastercam in my opinion. I will get hammered for this i am sure, but i wanted to give you my opinion from my experience.

[Hardmill]

quote:

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but Esprit handles mill-turn better than mastercam in my opinion. I will get hammered for this i am sure, but i wanted to give you my opinion from my experience.

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Its been discussed before, no problem.

Im one of the ones whos used Esprit for mill turn.

 

I would love to see MC grow in this area.

 

 

PEACE

[gms1]

No hammering from me Mastercam falls ways short in the mill/turn department.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Esprit and Part Maker are your best bets. I have both. SHould be getting training this year for both sometime.

 

Who knows when/if Mastercam will have a viable Mill/Turn Option. They are too busy playing with fART and Router

[mayday]

quote:

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I would love to see MC grow in this area

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SAY WHAT? there are loads of new pretty eye candy in the multi axis operation pages. What more do you want? funtionality ? like morph between to surfaces to actually stay between the 2 surfaces?

[ALEX888]

Thank you all for the info. We were hoping that Mastercam was up to the task not just because of cost but also learning another software package.

[mayday]

no ploblem Alex, dont get us wrong, MC multiaxis does work, but it takes lots of work, I gram turbine airfoils non stop and just when you think you have a foolproof toolpath, import it in on a new model and if acts totaly lost

start over.

[Mick]

We have two Mori Seiki MT4000's, a Mori Seiki MT253, a Mori Seiki NT4250, and an Okuma Multu B400W.

 

Mastercam works fine for these machines, but none of our machines have a lower turret, and that is where I think the problems start

[Greg Williams]

I agree 1 turret and 2 spindles works OK.

[Goldorak]

quote:

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I agree 1 turret and 2 spindles works OK.

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X2

 

it works OK, just OK

 

just a turn->pull->cut->retract operation is a PITA.....even with the new C-Hook un X4....

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Yeah, I should have said that 1 turret and two spindles is fine, and actually, quite easy to use. But for us, nearly all of our machines have at the very minimum an upper and lower turret. Most have two uppers and a lower and some have two uppers and two lowers. You get into that and MC is just a nightmare trying to get things synced up. It'll get you code to run the part just fine, it's the synchronization and passing back and forth between spindles that MC just poops the bed.

[Hardmill]

Most of the problem lies in lack of support.

Having been the one who actually had to S/U

a few of Moris NTs its Esrits ease of use to create

the needed work planes and toolpaths.

 

Im sure its not so much an issue of dual turrets

on the NT since your running 2 separate progs

for upper and lower turret. Youd just have to

make sure the proper wait codes are in place.

 

JM2C

 

 

PEACE

[ALEX888]

Correct me if I am wrong but it sounds like we can get the machine and use Mastercam to get by and see if we need more later. We are also looking into getting a machine simulation software like Vericut , ICAM or IMS to check Mastercam’s G code (a must have for multi-spindle work). I don’t expect the Mori Seiki to be in house till late this year it gives us plenty of time to get ready and maybe Mastercam will add some turn/mill functionality.

 

Alex

[robh]

some ppl here have been waiting years for mill/turn functionality..like everyone says 2 spindle 1 turret OK but that's all, just OK..do not know why MC has dropped the ball when it comes to M/T..

[crazy^millman]

Well Mr. Negative the (John about M/T will chime in here. Mastercam gets the job done on 2 spindle single turret or 5 axis head Mill/Turns machines. I say gets the job done. Again other programs handle this a lot better with more bang for the buck IMHO. Mastercam is a great Mill Product, Ok Lathe product, and can get it done Mill/Turn product. I make some pretty off the wall parts on our Integrex and have some of our more complex parts being shown at the Mazak office not to far from our work.

 

Syncing can be done, but if you are looking to upper and lower turret work the Mcan editor has some nice feature built into thank to Greg at CNC for point that out to me. Camaix has a product to use with Mastercam that I would take a serious look at. These guys know their stuff and make very good world class products and from the sampling I have done would feel a lot better using their tool and anything I have seen out of CNC software to date. (To be fair I have seen nothing out of CNC software) Here is a link to their tool. Linky:

 

Here is a sample pic from their website:

 

HTH

[ALEX888]

I talked with ICAM today and they said they have software that runs with Mastercam making it easier to use Mastercam for turn/mill programming. Is anybody familiar with ICAM .

 

Alex

[RTcat]

Crazy,

What is this nice feature built into Mcam editor that you have been turned on to by Greg @ CNC?

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

In the MC Editor, you are able to see the multiple code streams. It doesn't take away the editing, but it makes it a little easier to see things.