Productivity + posting issue

[Roger]

Anyone running Productivity + on a Haas mill?  We just purchased it and I was wondering what you have to do to get it to post code using the default Haas post.

The follow jpegs show what I get when posting, and I've attached the NC file also.

When I try and run it at the machine, it loads several sub programs, but I get an error with the probe.

I am in contact with the local Mastercam dealers post guy, but so far no easy answers as what to do.

ddd.NC

[LA CAMmer]

I'm running Prod + on a Haas VM2.  Been using it for two years.  I remember it was a struggle at first.

When we purchased it we got a RenMF file (which it looks like your have), a Control file, a Machine Def file, and a new Post file.

In your first pic above, check "Run Macro File Wizard" and then hit "Process".  You only have to do this one time to make sure all the macros are loaded into the control. So uncheck "Run Macro File Wizard" afterwards.

Hope this helps.  I'm trying to remember if there was anything else.  It took us a while before we got it working. 

I'm leaving work in a couple of minutes and I will not be back until next Wednesday, so if you have more questions, I won't be able to help until then. 

 

[Colin Gilchrist]

1st thing to determine is if you have "existing Probing Subroutines" on your control. Prod+ is configured by default to output the full 'Probing' subroutines after the main program. If you want to use the existing Macros on your Control, you need to configure your RenMF file to do that.

Like LA Cammer mentioned, there is an option to have Prod+ run the Macro File Wizard. I believe this outputs the Macros separately and may have some configuration options as well. Let me see if I have any documentation available...

[Greg Williams]

The error says Circle 1 and Circle 2 are not referenced in the probing cycles, Looks to be a problem with the probing operation

[Roger]

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 2:58 PM, Colin Gilchrist said:

1st thing to determine is if you have "existing Probing Subroutines" on your control. Prod+ is configured by default to output the full 'Probing' subroutines after the main program. If you want to use the existing Macros on your Control, you need to configure your RenMF file to do that.

Like LA Cammer mentioned, there is an option to have Prod+ run the Macro File Wizard. I believe this outputs the Macros separately and may have some configuration options as well. Let me see if I have any documentation available...

Yes, they have "existing probing subroutines, (Haas VM2).  Do you have any posted code from P+ that is proven on a machine?  The code I get doesn't even have a tool change command in it.

My local MC dealers post guy is working on this, so I'm sure things will get resolved soon, (After the holidays), I'm one of "those" guys that's wants to play with "new toys" ASAP.  LOL!

[dougm]

Roger we have lots of problems with ours too

you need to make a calibration program first

the probe needs to be calibrated with the productive + macros first

our biggest problem is ours is on a tr160

and wants to put every thing on the backside of the trunnion

dealer is still working on it

i have a calibration program that i know works

 

Doug

 

 

 

[Roger]

39 minutes ago, dougm said:

Roger we have lots of problems with ours too

you need to make a calibration program first

the probe needs to be calibrated with the productive + macros first

our biggest problem is ours is on a tr160

and wants to put every thing on the backside of the trunnion

dealer is still working on it

i have a calibration program that i know works

 

Doug

 

 

 

Doug,

Are you saying you need to run a calibration program before you can run other probing cycles, ever time????

[dougm]

no just first time

the control saves the calibration values in  different locations for the mastercam version

than the machine version

 

 

[Roger]

On ‎12‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 12:14 PM, LA CAMmer said:

I'm running Prod + on a Haas VM2.  Been using it for two years.  I remember it was a struggle at first.

When we purchased it we got a RenMF file (which it looks like your have), a Control file, a Machine Def file, and a new Post file.

In your first pic above, check "Run Macro File Wizard" and then hit "Process".  You only have to do this one time to make sure all the macros are loaded into the control. So uncheck "Run Macro File Wizard" afterwards.

Hope this helps.  I'm trying to remember if there was anything else.  It took us a while before we got it working. 

I'm leaving work in a couple of minutes and I will not be back until next Wednesday, so if you have more questions, I won't be able to help until then. 

 

I've made some progress on this.

What you suggested here (In your first pic above, check "Run Macro File Wizard" and then hit "Process".  You only have to do this one time to make sure all the macros are loaded into the control. So uncheck "Run Macro File Wizard" afterwards.), didn't work, in fact it messed up the machines probing.  (Had to run calibration on it again).

I do have a question for you.  The machine is a Haas VM2 with the next gen control.  When programing tool length probing using P+ if you have 0.0 in the machines offset it errors out, but if you have an approximate (scaled measure) in it works fine.  Have you experienced this on yours?  Can you have 0.0 in there and get it to work?

[LA CAMmer]

Roger, I was out Friday so I just saw your message.

We are not doing any tool length probing (if you mean Broken Tool Detection) using P+ because we could not get it to work.  This was at the very beginning, that we could not get it to work.  Once we got the main portion of P+ working I just never went back and pursued getting that part working.  Seems like it should be pretty simple though.  Guess I'll start looking at it again.  To answer your question I would think that you would have to have an approximate offset and not 0.0.  At least that's how I would have started out, with an offset. 

[Roger]

55 minutes ago, LA CAMmer said:

Roger, I was out Friday so I just saw your message.

We are not doing any tool length probing (if you mean Broken Tool Detection) using P+ because we could not get it to work.  This was at the very beginning, that we could not get it to work.  Once we got the main portion of P+ working I just never went back and pursued getting that part working.  Seems like it should be pretty simple though.  Guess I'll start looking at it again.  To answer your question I would think that you would have to have an approximate offset and not 0.0.  At least that's how I would have started out, with an offset. 

Thanks for your reply.  My testing is now on hold.  After trying what you had suggested (loading all the macros into the control), the probing cycles on the machine would not work.  So I had to remove all of them and recalibrate the probe with the cycles on the machine.  After that I thought I needed to recalibrate the probe in P+ (That didn't go so good....I had the ring gage set on the back of a vise jaw and the code from P+ SLAMMED THE PROBE DOWN IN Z INTO THE VISE JAW!!!!, hence end of testing...)  New probes on the way now. 

I was talking about tool length probing, (Not tool breakage) So in the machine cycles it can have a 0.0 offset length, so I would expect it to be the same when using P+.

What all are you using P+ for?  Do you think it's worth having?  (PM me if you don't want to openly throw P+ under the bus). LOL

[LA CAMmer]

Sorry to hear about the troubles you are having.  It was like that for us in the beginning.  It went on for quite a while for us, maybe a couple of months.  I was very frustrated and ready to throw it away.  Finally we got it working and really no trouble since.  There's been a few glitches here and there that I have reported to CNC Software and they got fixed.  The 2018 version seems pretty good.  I don't think I've had it crash at all.  I've had no training so it's all been learn-as-you-go.  Try this, doesn't work, try something else. 

We are a mold shop.  We use it for setting work offsets and measuring machined features (pockets, shutoff faces, etc.).  It really saves us a lot of time.  My setup sheets show the operator which fixture/vise to set the plate/insert in, he puts it in and hits go.  The probe measures the plate to make sure it is the right plate, then it sets the work offset.  He runs the main program.  Then he runs a measuring program to check dimensions, which are reported back to the machine control (let me know if you don't know how to do this!).  It is worth it when you get it working.  But I definitely could use some formal training.

[Roger]

57 minutes ago, LA CAMmer said:

I was very frustrated and ready to throw it away.

Where I'm at now....LOL

58 minutes ago, LA CAMmer said:

I've had no training so it's all been learn-as-you-go.  Try this, doesn't work, try something else.

Is there ANY Training available, literature, online, etc.

[LA CAMmer]

On Mastercam's webpage under Support, Tutorials, there is a PDF for Prod+.  I haven't checked that one out.  I have the one from X8, June 2014.

As far as training, ask your Reseller.  I asked mine a while back and he said they had nothing prepared.  I was only one of two companies in his region that was using P+.  I believe he said they could come in for some on-site training, but I think it was a "We will be learning with you" kind of thing.  Haven't checked with him lately.

[Roger]

1 minute ago, LA CAMmer said:

On Mastercam's webpage under Support, Tutorials, there is a PDF for Prod+.  I haven't checked that one out.  I have the one from X8, June 2014.

As far as training, ask your Reseller.  I asked mine a while back and he said they had nothing prepared.  I was only one of two companies in his region that was using P+.  I believe he said they could come in for some on-site training, but I think it was a "We will be learning with you" kind of thing.  Haven't checked with him lately.

Yes, I already have that tutorial.  Not much better then the quick tips help that appears on the screen in P+.

I don't think my reseller has much experience with it either, but I'll check.  If so, it would definitely have to be on-site, so that I could post the code, and see what it does on the machine!

Have you tried to send a measured report back to the server/computer??

[LA CAMmer]

I just send the measured dims back to the control in macro variables and the operator checks it there.  You can actually configure your Current Commands screen on the Haas to show some of the macro variables (we have the old control, not the next gen control, so we can only display two at a time), so if we're only using a couple of them, he doesn't even have to go to the macros screen to see the dims.

[Roger]

1 hour ago, LA CAMmer said:

I just send the measured dims back to the control in macro variables and the operator checks it there.  You can actually configure your Current Commands screen on the Haas to show some of the macro variables (we have the old control, not the next gen control, so we can only display two at a time), so if we're only using a couple of them, he doesn't even have to go to the macros screen to see the dims.

Thanks, I was wanting to generate a report using P+ and send it back to the network, (which is one of the features).  Just wanted to know if you had tried this?  All the articles I can find on the web about P+ are 3 to 4 years old.  If anyone knows of a really good resource, please........ let me know. 

[LA CAMmer]

Never tried to send a report back to the network.  I was going down that route when I started P+ (yes, having heard it was one of the features), but when I found out I could send to macro variables to be viewed on the control, I abandoned the report and do it this way. 

[Miki67]

Check this on YouTube 

 

[Roger]

Thanks,  I had already subscribed to that video.  Although, someone else might see it now!!