Stop machining to measure part

[lzerroug]

Hello everyone,

this is gonna be my first post ever so bear with me if you find my question kind of obvious.

Is there a way to stop the machine before it does the finish pass?

i'm using 2D pocket for an open pocket and i use the finish option in the toolpath on which i added a wear control. i was wondering how can i add a M01 within the operation to verify the amount of wear i should add? 

should i create a new toolpath just for the finish and add a manual entry between the two or is there a way to do it in the same toolpath. 

thank you for your help.

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, lzerroug said:

should i create a new toolpath just for the finish and add a manual entry between the two or is there a way to do it in the same toolpath. 

There is your winner right there

 

[lzerroug]

okay, if that's the way to do it then, i'll get to it. thanks

[Guest]

Also, don't forget your "Force Tool change"....and using canned text you should  be able to get an M00 in there as well

Edited November 14, 2017 by Guest

[lzerroug]

that's another problem i have, when i go on canned text, ihave no texts to add, is there a place i can go look for them on the computer? and what does 'force tool change' really do?

 

[Guest]

Text missing is indicative that your control def is not correct......you'll need to check that....that is likely more in depth than can be explained via a forum, a call to your reseller should get that pretty quick...

A force tool change when between 2 operation using the same tool will send it home just like you are doing a tool change... it gets the tool out of the eway and also does all the proper calls to restart the tool for cutting

[Colin Gilchrist]

The "Canned Text" mechanism is a Post Function, that ties "options" in the Post, to the Operations in Mastercam.

All "Operation" types in Mastercam have "Canned Text" options. Normally, these are output "at the Tool Change event". There is a "Before", "With", and "After" option, which is generally "Before, with, or After", the Tool Change.

What you want is a Stop "in the middle of the program". This can be accomplished a couple different ways.

1. The most obvious is -> Make separate Operations (Rough Pocket), followed with a Finish Pocket or Finish Contour OP. With this method, checking the "Force Tool Change" option tells the Post to output an "Actual Tool Change" event. So you get the "T# M06", but you also get the "start up line", Spindle Speed, Spindle On, Tool Length, ect. With this option, you can use "Manual Entry" to output whatever you want, between the Ops, but you can also use "Canned Text > Option #1 or Option #2, Set to "Before", and the M00 or M01 will be output "before" the Tool Change for the Finish Pass.
2. You can use the "Toolpath Editor", to "modify" the toolpath motion. So after the tool "retracts" to re-position for the finish pass, you can use the TP editor to insert Canned Text on that "move" of the individual Tool Path. The issue with using TP Editor, is your changes aren't "associated" back to anything. Using the TP Editor will "Lock" your Operation when you are finished, which reflects the fact that you made a "manual" edit to the path. If you then have to regenerate the Path, your TP Edits will then be lost, and you'll have to use the TP Editor again to make the same changes.

I think Option #1 will suit you best, for what you are trying to accomplish.

There is a 3rd Option for "chain based" toolpaths. You can use the "Change at Point" function to make "associative" edits to the Chain of Geometry, which allows you to do all kinds of cool things in the middle of a tool path. For example, you can program "Clamp Jumps", where the tool retracts to a safe Z height, moves past the clamp, then plunges back down to the original depth, and continues cutting. You can manipulate Coolant Options, use Canned Text to trigger special functions, or modify Spindle Speed, or Feedrate, all along the path that is being cut.

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By Default, the Canned Text mechanism is setup to control only 4 options in Mastercam, OOTB. (Out-of-the-box).

These options are:

1. M00 - Machine Stop
2. M01 - Optional Stop
3. Block Delete - On (Enables the "Block Delete" function, which puts a "slash" (/) in front of the line, so you can skip it on the control.)
4. Block Delete - Off (Disables the Block Delete function.

If used to be you could only add up to 99  Canned Text options. Mastercam X Series added the option to use up to 200 Canned Text commands.

NOTE: To "add" a Canned Text option, you need to modify the Text Strings in the Post Text Section of your Post Processor. This is usually done with the Control Definition Manager. But this only edits the "display" of the Canned Text Options in the Tool Path Operation. In order to get the Canned Text to actually "do something" in the Post output, you need to edit the Post (pcant_out), to make those options "work" for you.