Lathe Library Tool #s

[chris m]

Before I get started on this, let me put out a disclaimer so I don't get torched immediately:

 

We purchased Mastercam a couple of years back [V8, Lathe, Mill 1 & Solids I think] with the intention of owning multiple seats, doing the full training circuit, custom posts, etc. Right after that we got very busy and had "no time" for new software and the like. Just after that our business took a header and we now have "no $" for these things.

 

That being said, I need to ask a [probably] silly question:

 

How are the tool #s handled in the "custom" tool libraries? From all we can figure out, I will need to save 12 copies of the exact same tool [one for each possible turret station] in the "master" library so that if I use 2 of the same tool in the same job in different turret stations it will work. Can this be true? If so, I'll need about 36 copies of every tool [3 insert radii x 12 stations] and that doesn't seem logical to me; hence the question on this forum.

 

Be gentle, I'm already having a lousy week

 

C

[Ed. R.]

Chris M.

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but

u sure made me smile with your comments....

 

Here's too ya.........

 

If we're so smart, how come we live in the

city, and cows live in the country

[Thad]

Chris,

 

What do you mean by "custom" tool libraries? Are you talking about a personal (or company) library that you create...something different from the tool library that comes with MC?

 

I'm not familiar with MC Lathe, but for our mills, we have multiple tools called the same tool number in our tool library. Certain numbers are assigned for certain tools and then we have some auxilliary collets for whatever else we need. For example, tool 27 is a drill chuck, but in our library, I have about 30 tools all labeled T27...1/4 ream drill, 3/8 ream drill, 1/2 ream drill...etc. When I need that particular tool, I just call it up and my speeds and feeds are there.

 

I'm not sure if this relates to the lathe at all or if I was even any help. Good luck.

 

Thad

[Andy]

I use lathe quite a lot.

I have a one library for every material I cut.

About 6 libraries.

All 6 have the same tools with different Speed/feed/etc.

So, the tool # problem can be handled like this.

When you start doing the CAM the FIRST thing to do is go to Job Setup and then lathe tools button.

Right mouse/go to your library/pick tool #27.

Now right mouse/edit tool/parameter page/and change the tool# to the turret position # say #1

Done

Now, repeat the above and pick the SAME tool from the library. Edit that tool (#27) as above to #2.

Now you have the same tool at Turret #1 and #2.

This way you can have one tool in the Library and use it as many times as you want at different turret poisitions.

[chris m]

Ed- I'm a better comedian than machinist this week

 

Thad- Yes, I mean tools that aren't in the "standard" libraries. We use Sandvik Capto quick-change tooling almost exclusively and build a lot of "special" tools for different families of parts. It is very important to us to have accurate representations of our tooling because we work VERY close to some VERY expensive workholding and bashing up $500 boring bars is no fun either; therefore we don't want to just pick a stick tool that is "close enough" from the libraries included in the software. [any MC tooling or setup sheets would also be worthless that way]

 

Andy- thanks for the info, I'll have my MC guy try that first thing

 

I know there are probably 20 ways to do anything in this software, so if anybody else does it a different way; keep the info flowing

 

Thanks guys!

[roy g. biv]

About half of the tools in my main library are custom tools. I don't worry too much about the #'s in the library because I typically do 2-5 programs a day and tools are moving all over the place on the turret.

Typically I change the tool #'s to what I need as I configure each toolpath.

[chris m]

quote:

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Typically I change the tool #'s to what I need as I configure each toolpath

---

That's the part that we're having trouble with; if the tool is saved in the library as "Tool #7" we haven't figured out how to use it as T05 AND T07 in the same job. If we change the tool# of the rough tool, it changes the finish tool # too. I think that what Andy suggested may address this, but we haven't had time; it seems that all of my machines had a meeting over the weekend and planned sequential failures to see how pissed off the humans could get...

 

By the way; do you ever get any slack for having Indigo or Violet in your name? Just wondering...

 

[ 09-12-2002, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: chris m ]

[roy g. biv]

chrism,

I don't think there was enough caffeine in my system the first time I read your post. Now I see what you are asking.

This is one of the reasons I like the mill tool library more.

Here's a way to do it:

Configure your rough and finish tool paths using the same library tool.(i.e. #5)

Go into operation parameters for your finish pass and with tool 5 highlited right click -> create new tool.

Change the tool #'s, offset, etc. to 7 on parameters page, rename tool to finish and click OK. (Do not save to library)

 

What this will do is save 2 copies of your tool within your mc9 file from one library tool.

I don't know how much easier than 2 library tools this is for you, but it is an option.

 

quote:

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it seems that all of my machines had a meeting over the weekend and planned sequential failures to see how pissed off the humans could get...

---

Maybe you should unplug RS-232's on friday night to keep the crosstalk down

 

quote:

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By the way; do you ever get any slack for having Indigo or Violet in your name? Just wondering...

---

Nah, I found people will tend to not give you grief when you walk around carrying a 1" 2 flute EM tied to the end of a stick.

[chris m]

quote:

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What this will do is save 2 copies of your tool within your mc9 file from one library tool

---

Andy / Roy

 

I tried what you guys are talking about and it worked perfectly; just the way we always thought it should work!

 

Thanks a million for the help; I was getting really ticked off at not being able to make this work!

 

quote:

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Maybe you should unplug RS-232's on friday night to keep the crosstalk down

---

That's a good idea!

 

quote:

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I found people will tend to not give you grief when you walk around carrying a 1" 2 flute EM tied to the end of a stick

---

OUCH!

[roy g. biv]

No problem, glad I could help.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Chris,

 

Kind of off the subject but not entirely. Do you have the Sandvik CD? If you don't get it. They have all of their tools in DXF format so you can bring them into Mastercam. Clean'en up a bit and you can use the geometry to define the tool.

 

HTH a bit.

 

James

[chris m]

James

 

Thanks, we do have a Sandvik CD that has many [though not all, as they have about a zillion] of their tools. We do use that quite a bit although a lot of their geometry is poor, layering and entity creation is weak, etc. The actual creation of the tool we are typically OK on, just the library / tool name and number management was croaking us. I think I have a good idea of what to do now.

 

C

[McRae]

James -

 

I am reminded of the saying - One size fits most... The Sandvik CD is limited in the tools that you need profiles for. The tool database inside of Mastercam is fairly comprehensive for ISO/ANSI holders and inserts.

 

The DXF profiles that I want are for the R300 Bull Nose tools and have had no luck. That makes me the poor fat shirtless xxxx that is on the fringe of the distribution curve...