5 Ax positional

[Rstewart]

So the company I've been working for, just a few months now has decided their first machine tool is going to be a Mazak VCU 500 lol.    I did try and explain they may not see the outside expenses that comes along with multiaxis.  MasterCam+Post+Verification costs some serious dough.  My recommendation was to start off maybe with a 3 axis machine then move up.

I've been programming for about 8 years (MC the whole time) and I'm pretty confident with most everything minus 5Ax (never had the chance to learn).  Have done a decent amount of simultaneous 4th.  

I'm going to be "the guy" so I need to not look like a goob when and If this Mazak hits the floor.  Just  how much more difficult is positional 5 over say positional 4th axis?

Does MC have a decent post for this machine, or is it a call to Postability or such?

I say 5 Ax positional, just because 95% of parts we would make doesn't require simultaneous.

Bad part is I currently don't have MC or even access to it, and won't untill at least 6 more months....

 

Thanks guys

[Leon82]

Once you get the hang of the wcs and planes  it is easy for 3+2.

 

 

A good post will be needed as well

[Guest]

Let me put it this way...

I maintain all of our posts....that said, they are finally looking at a 5 axis machine, though I don't know which they will settle on but if it's like everything else we have around, it'll be anything so long as it's a Mazak...

My 2 suggestions, plan on buying a post....and verification...

I get paid to design tooling and program, I don't want to take the time to develop a post for a machine....I will leave that to the experts on this one and I'll maintain it...

[Rstewart]

Thanks JP

I would have thought you guys already had numerous 5AX machines....    

Yeah I kinda figured a purchased post would be one of the main priorities.  I need to present a ballpark price this is gonna cost them, cause the last thing I want is "we already spent 200k and we can't do this and this & that"???

I know how much MC multi-ax is roughly, but is a decent post 3k, 5k, 10k?   I do know that Vericut is super $$$$ like 25k?

I'm just not sure how this is very feasible for one 5axis machine in a prototype shop?

 

Is it sad that I'd just rather have a decent vertical with a rotary 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Rstewart said:

I would have thought you guys already had numerous 5AX machines....    

Integrex's, this will be the 1st 5 axis Mill

[jeff]

18 minutes ago, Rstewart said:

I know how much MC multi-ax is roughly, but is a decent post 3k, 5k, 10k? 

Vericut isn't cheap, and iirc it's about that price give or take.

As far as the post goes, for our 5ax Okuma post, it was less than your minimum guess. (I know we're not supposed to talk $,but that's the best I can do to avoid the price talk lol).

If you can do 4ax, then you can do 3+2 without much problem. There might be a little bit of a learning curve because of multiple WCS and such, but that's about it.

I'm still learning 5ax stuff mostly because we don't get a lot of work that needs 3+2 or 5ax simultaneous.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

Three years ago I had only done VMC's up to 4 axis, horizontals, and live tooling lathe.  Switched companies to start inside machining for a small medical devise company.  We bought a 3+2 VMC for our first and only CNC so far, Mastercam 5 axis, and Vericut single Platform.  Post from Postability worked well out of the box, had a couple tweaks done for preferences.  Hit the ground running and been making bone plates and the like ever since.

[Colin Gilchrist]

I would highly recommend Vericut, although the cost is pretty high.

The do offer a "limited" version, which is essentially "half price", but it is limited to a single machine. Since you'll only have one machine anyway, that's a good way to save 50% of the cost. The bad thing is that if you decide to expand in the future, I don't believe they give you any credit when you have to purchase a "full license". Still, for shops with a single machine, it is a good option.

P.S., I offer Vericut Training services (online), if you need to learn the software. I also do Vericut Machine and Control Building as a service...

[Colin Gilchrist]

For anyone new to 5 Axis, you should buy this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-5-Axis-Machining-Karlo-Apro/dp/0831133759/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537472735&sr=8-1&keywords=secrets+of+5+axis+machining

Karlo does a great job of explaining how to setup a 5X machine, find the centers of rotation, and also how to drive a 5X toolpath...

[mike93]

We got are 500 vc-500a/5x this spring, with one tweak are postabilty post, and some parameter changes, has been working great!! the full 5 axis paths and also 3+2 positioning paths work perfect. just pick up part and start cutting it works great. pick up the part center top in machine,  have center top wcs in mc. its way better then a 4th axis. All we do is molds and prototypes, i hope you like it. We also bought the simulator and it has also worked vary well, now you can check holder collision on legacy ops also, it seems to be working vary well what you see is what you get. It is worth every penny (i do not Know how much it cost?) But the post and the simulator was less then the cost of the holders and insert cutters to tool up the machine. we already had a 5 axis hasp  (from upgrading from v9 to x1) so theirs that. Have fun you will like it. And for us center of rotation dosn't matter, it will if the machine moves (hopefully not).

[mike93]