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Mostly done in extensive upgrade in our use of Mastercam


sharles
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/6/2019 at 8:21 AM, Thad said:

Why stop at editing your toolpath defaults? Make an operations library. With toolpath defaults, you can only set the parameters for a single pocketing operation or a single contour operation. Don't you want different defaults if you're using a 3/16 end mill versus a 3/4 end mill in a pocketing toolpath? Take lead in/out, for example. Percentages can be OK for some of these settings but I like to define constant numbers for most of those things. You can do that with an ops library, but you can't with the defaults file.

Here's a few shots of my library. I have pocketing, contouring, finishing operations for each tool that I use. I also have groups of ops to perform common tasks like reaming, tapping, c'boring. I have all of my spot drill ops go a little deeper than actually needed so that when the hole is complete, there's already a chamfer on the hole. 95% of my programming is covered in my library so I just import the ops and go.

 

 

Well dang, Thad, I had never even thought of that! That is a great productivity tip. I will probably save 80% in productivity just by implementing that technique. The legwork will be there, but this summer I should have time to work through it.

 

Cheers

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1 hour ago, Metallic said:

Well dang, Thad, I had never even thought of that! That is a great productivity tip. I will probably save 80% in productivity just by implementing that technique. The legwork will be there, but this summer I should have time to work through it.

:thumbsup:

Another tip for the contour parameters...even though you may have separate ops saved for the various options (2D, remachine, ramp, etc) within contour, go into each option and set each type's parameters the way you like them, then disable the option. To clarify, say you have a plain old 2D contour op saved. What if, after you import it, you want to change it to contour-ramp? When you select ramp from the drop down, all of your settings for ramp should be set already. Same with remachine, etc. Every contour operation in your library should be saved so that you can change contour types and those parameters are already setup. Does that make sense. I'm not sure if I'm describing that clear.

 

contour options.jpg

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I have done exactly what Thad is saying with the ops libraries.  But i got sick of going through the import process and searching for the correct toolpaths i needed to import even though i had them labeled good like Thad's examples.  Once you get all the toolpaths for all the different scenarios it can get into the 500 - 1000 toolpaths if not more.

So what i did was design and code a window that sits in the levels manager with buttons and drop-down menus to automatically import what i need.  I also made it for different materials so i dont have to mess around with changing tools or speeds and feeds.  I pick to material i want, pick the operations i need and BOOM its imported at the red arrow and i just pick geometry.....Done!   I just click and in seconds what i need is imported.  I also use same window for doing other common everyday tasks as you can see in the pictures.

It took many hours of work and coding but i'm so glad i did it.

 

 

level1.png

level2.png

level3.png

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55 minutes ago, Programinator said:

I have done exactly what Thad is saying with the ops libraries.  But i got sick of going through the import process and searching for the correct toolpaths i needed to import even though i had them labeled good like Thad's examples.  Once you get all the toolpaths for all the different scenarios it can get into the 500 - 1000 toolpaths if not more.

So what i did was design and code a window that sits in the levels manager with buttons and drop-down menus to automatically import what i need.  I also made it for different materials so i dont have to mess around with changing tools or speeds and feeds.  I pick to material i want, pick the operations i need and BOOM its imported at the red arrow and i just pick geometry.....Done!   I just click and in seconds what i need is imported.  I also use same window for doing other common everyday tasks as you can see in the pictures.

It took many hours of work and coding but i'm so glad i did it.

{Images cropped for brevity}

Holy sh!t!  :unworthy::unworthy::unworthy:

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On 6/14/2019 at 8:34 PM, Programinator said:

I have done exactly what Thad is saying with the ops libraries.  But i got sick of going through the import process and searching for the correct toolpaths i needed to import even though i had them labeled good like Thad's examples.  Once you get all the toolpaths for all the different scenarios it can get into the 500 - 1000 toolpaths if not more.

So what i did was design and code a window that sits in the levels manager with buttons and drop-down menus to automatically import what i need.  I also made it for different materials so i dont have to mess around with changing tools or speeds and feeds.  I pick to material i want, pick the operations i need and BOOM its imported at the red arrow and i just pick geometry.....Done!   I just click and in seconds what i need is imported.  I also use same window for doing other common everyday tasks as you can see in the pictures.

It took many hours of work and coding but i'm so glad i did it.

 

 

 

SO uh....that looks pretty advanced. Forgive me for not knowing but what language did you code that in? Is that like a Chook you custom created or...

Im not necessarily a coder, but this would be interesting for me to attempt some work on. It looks like an amazing feature you have created!

 

Thanks

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  • 2 weeks later...

I thought I'd give a quick update as we've really begun to use machine simulation since my original post. Man, it's a really awesome tool. We have 3M and 4M long mill machines with 50-70 inches of travel in Z, and I've been doing engineering changes on parts that only allow me a small window within our total Z travel because the parts are 25" deep and they are sitting on frames another 18" or so. But with machine simulation I'm able to choose my holders and extensions and set my safe Z so that I never exceed the Z travel of the machine or hit the part. In the past I would have 'hoped' my programs were good, and then the operator would have to struggle to find tooling that worked and watch it like a hawk in case the holder or machine hit the part. Now with machine sim it takes all the guess work out. Of course, it takes me a little longer to figure it all out, but once I send it to the floor, I have a high degree of confidence in my programs and my tool-build sheets!

This addition of using machine simulation was definitely worth all the work to get there by building the library (with holders, extensions and customizing the tooling) and paying our reseller to build us an exact model of our various machines so we can simulate with confidence.

 

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9 minutes ago, sharles said:

it takes me a little longer to figure it all out, but once I send it to the floor, I have a high degree of confidence in my programs and my tool-build sheets!

I always hear programmers talk about how they need to program faster...to an extent, I get it.

The reality is though, if the programmer takes a little more upfront to get everything done and can be confident in what is being sent out, to the point that the vast majority of questions are already answered, that leads to faster setup times. Frankly, I'd rather see a little longer program time and start saving on the setup times, especially in shops that do many setups per week...that will translate into real dollars very quickly.

 

 

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Just now, Old_Bear said:

I always hear programmers talk about how they need to program faster...to an extent, I get it.

The reality is though, if the programmer takes a little more upfront to get everything done and can be confident in what is being sent out, to the point that the vast majority of questions are already answered, that leads to faster setup times. Frankly, I'd rather see a little longer program time and start saving on the setup times, especially in shops that do many setups per week...that will translate into real dollars very quickly.

 

 

We are a proto-type shop. We are constantly doing setups on every machine. Often multiple setups per machine per day.

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