Tool Library - Which way to go???

[Newbeeee™]

Hi All,

OK, been playing with tool librarys as we always create new tools for new jobs. Yeh, I know...

 

Anyway, what's the best way to play this as we don't want a million tools to search through every time. I have seen the filter, but will it work for what we want?

We have tool step/peck/coolant now activated, and mcam loads/renumbers next tool sequentially. So we're (slowly) getting there.

 

We have had some excellent results using dynamic milling and peel milling in steel, but the majority of our jobs are ally, and some are deep box work (electronic enclosures with 12mm tools 100mm long for example).

 

So, thoughts are to produce a standard library with 'aluminium' tools, including a few extra long ones (6, 8, 10, 12mm,) and then load/modify as required on the fly for the specials.

But can we also have a 'steel' tools library that can have all the standard steel tools in we use, together with say 12mm variflute for peel milling with all it's defaults saved (max doc, stepover, etc). This would then save keep looking to see what speeds/feeds we ran 'last time'.

 

Can we have 2x library,s with the ally library as default, and load the steel when required?

What's the best way to edit the library's? I did a search and didn't see much?

 

As always, thoughts and comments greatly received

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

These are some great questions. I'll tackle a few.

 

You can have as many different tool libraries as you want. I have probably a dozen or so for different types/materials of parts, and by project as well. On occasion I do turn-keys for customers and I'll create a library for that machine, then the customer will add from that. Tool Library management can be a complicated issue when starting oFf but once you figure out what you want to do, it's easy from there. As far as editing libraries, I find it simple. But then again, I switch between "sequential" the other method for tool numbering several times in a job depending on what's in the machine.

 

I would recommend you keep some common, often used tools in tour tool magazine wherever possible. Do that for all of your machines. It takes Some discipline but it can seriously help cut down programming and setup time.

 

I know that doen not answer everything but that should give you something to chew on for a bit.

[Newbeeee™]

Thanks James - I think I'll back up everything and have a play.

Ally and Steel separate library's are what I'm leaning towards.

 

I thought I saw a thread a while ago where someone had an excel convertor or some software to allow easier editing / creation of libraries. I searched but could not see

Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

 

Cheers

[frostfritt]

Hi,

 

 

Write in your toolsuppliers tooldata at the inputsheet, save the outputsheet as txt and import that in your mastercam. Then you have a new toollibrary with individually calculated cutdata.

Support both mm and inch. Works with X4 and X5.

 

You need excel 2010.

 

Mastercam_forum/Tools/ToolLibmaker.zip

 

 

/frostfritt

[MotorCityMinion]

A little OT here and sorry about the hijack, but speaking of tool libraries, I believe that Ingersol ? has developed a library that comes with X5. How is this working out? I know there are a lot of variables but are speeds and feeds at decent starting points for a given tool? Are there multiple libraries for different materials relative to these tools? Any thoughts?

[rocheey1]

Hi,

 

 

Write in your toolsuppliers tooldata at the inputsheet, save the outputsheet as txt and import that in your mastercam. Then you have a new toollibrary with individually calculated cutdata.

Support both mm and inch. Works with X4 and X5.

 

You need excel 2010.

 

Mastercam_forum/Tools/ToolLibmaker.zip

 

 

/frostfritt

 

"at the input sheet" ? what input sheet is this? Ive wrestled a few tool suppliers catalogs into spreadsheets, but im always open to an easier method ...

[frostfritt]

rocheey1,

 

 

Did You opened the ToolLibmaker.zip file from our ftpserver?

 

Inside the excelfile there is a inputsheet for you to write in your toolsuppliers or your personal tooldata and cutdata. There is outputsheets as well. Its for you to save the textfile you need to import your new lib to your Mastercam.

 

Example: You have mm drills from dia 1 to dia 13 in step of 0.1. that is 130 drilltools, Personal I use six different materials. 130tools x 6 materials is 780 tools individually calculated and separated in 6 libs. 780 tools done in 15 minutes. Then you have the other tooltypes to do the same with.

 

Lets say one of the new libfiles need some adjustments after a tryout. Open the excel again and make that adjustments, save txt, import to MC and try again. 130 tools massedited in 5 min.

 

I think its nice to know that drill length is right when FBMdrill pic a drill from your 130 drill library.

 

Help.txt inside the file.

 

/frostfritt

[Newbeeee™]

Frosty - thanks for this.

I have downloaded your file and will give it a go. It looks very promising from what you have said.

 

Cheers

[rsc]

Hi,

 

 

Write in your toolsuppliers tooldata at the inputsheet, save the outputsheet as txt and import that in your mastercam. Then you have a new toollibrary with individually calculated cutdata.

Support both mm and inch. Works with X4 and X5.

 

You need excel 2010.

 

Mastercam_forum/Tools/ToolLibmaker.zip

 

 

/frostfritt

 

 

Hi.

 

Could you point me to where I can find toollibmaker.zip? I tried ftp.emastercam.com & ftp.mastercam.com and had no luck. Ftp.emastercam.com requires user name and password. I tried my emastercam.com user name & password and had no luck. I tried to log on anonymously and had no luck.

 

I would like to try toollibmaker.zip if I can find it!

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

Bob

[frostfritt]

ftp://mastercam-cadcam.com/Mastercam_forum/Tools/ToolLibmaker.zip

 

login: mastercam

sn: swiss

 

..and please, give me some feedback on this. Thanks.

 

/frostfritt

[JasonAKoger]

Hi,

 

 

Write in your toolsuppliers tooldata at the inputsheet, save the outputsheet as txt and import that in your mastercam. Then you have a new toollibrary with individually calculated cutdata.

Support both mm and inch. Works with X4 and X5.

 

You need excel 2010.

 

Mastercam_forum/Tools/ToolLibmaker.zip

 

 

/frostfritt

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm brand new to the forum so I hope this is the correct way to reply with a question... if not please correct me.

 

I am trying to find this .zip file you recommended to check out but struggling with finding it. Please help.