Hi All, been a while. Been working my @ss off I am looking into getting a new cell and the only machine I have come across that does what I need is the Mazak Integrex i630/6. This is a large 5-axis mill with turning capabilities. The main requirements are: Able to put in a cell 5-axis milling turning My questions are: How are Mazaks as far as reliability? Are there any other manufacturers that make a machine that will satisfy these requirements? How is Mazak's control? I do a lot of probing where the probe is updating control parameters and I also do a lot of macro programming. Does Mazak's control support these features well? Obviously I will be hitting up the sales rep and getting in touch with an AE but I figure I'll get a faster answer here.

.....If we could get a real visual representation in backplot or verify of the actual feedrate of a toolpath. Like if we were to hit play in backplot and we would see visually exactly how fast the cutter would be feeding in real life. For the most part knowing the sfm and fpt is good to go on. But sometimes it would be nice to see that visual. For example if i'm circle milling a bore and the diameter of that bore is not too much bigger than the cutter i'm using. If i use the normal sfm and fpt for that cutter it will whip around that hole too fast. I know there are calculations for this exact scenario but i just think it would be awesome to have a way to select a "visual actual feed rate" in backplot. Especially in my case where i'm a remote worker and i don't get to see the machine running. With my many years of setup and operating experience i many times go by visual and sound of a cutter instead of the actual numbers. Don't worry i'm not going to ask for Mastercam to give me sound feedback. haha

Hello, I finally took the plunge and learned how to use Active Reports Designer which comes with Mastercam. Originally I started using X+ for setup sheets. X+ isn't bad to use but it wasn't very easy to change the layout without knowing basic webpage design. Active Reports Designer is very easy to create a layout, even from scratch but it is cumbersome to learn the basics behind Active Reports Designer. Once you get the basics under your belt its not too bad to use and its definitely more powerful than X+. You can pull almost every parameter from a toolpath, work offsets, tools, you name it and it can probably be pulled into a report. Having said all that, I did actually enjoy creating my reports and made 3 different reports. 1st report is just for tools and meant to give the tool kit guy enough info to assemble the tools. 2nd report is for the setup/operator and has basic info so they can setup and know what the program does. 3rd report is an in depth report which includes things like all operations using a specific tool, all operations using a specific work offset, ect. . . Contact me to discuss having a custom report created. I will be happy to answer questions or tweak reports to your liking, THAT I CREATED FOR YOU. Sorry I don't have enough time to take on everyone's general tech support questions. I have included PDF files of my 3 reports to show the info captured. Dave Tooling & Design Concepts [email protected] Tooling.pdf Simple Report.pdf Detailed Report.pdf

We only have an i300-ST mill/turn machine so I can't answer to the mill but Mazak uses a Mitsubishi control and you can do full macro programming with the exception of the "IF THEN" statement. If you do use that statement then you would need to modify your code with WHILE DO loops or IF GOTO statements. I've just had to update my routers for this reason for our new Kitamura machines which also uses the Mitsubishi control. I seem to remember that you can go 27 levels deep with the WHILE DO loop with Mazak.

It would have to be a big cell.. these machines are huge. We have a VTM1200.. with a Capto C8 spindle. It is an amazing machine. I hindsight we should have put it in pit.. It's so tall our crane barely clears it. https://www.okuma.com/vtm-2000yb

The way I avoid this is to pay close attention to the toolpaths in backplot. I have gotten in the habit of checking the toolpaths closely to make sure they are doing what I want and I catch it there 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time Vericut catches it for me.

Whoops!!!! Radii not dia. That's what I meant. I just don't understand why that option in the control definition would only apply to control comp toolpaths and not wear toolpaths?!?

You got it except its accounting for the radii of the cutter not the Dia. Mike at Cam instructor whom makes really good training courses and videos had described the differences in his blog/video here https://blog.caminstructor.com/mastercam-cutter-compensation in a really easy to understand manor. they have great vids and training

***Removed false information Thanks for the dynamic option, Old Bear!

Click on the Geometry from the operation group. right click on the chain,Click start point...there's a dynamic option in there where you can set the start point Caveat, if you use Solid chains, this is not available

That's the right window in the screen shot.

Great idea! Maybe I should start charging people for the help that I give here at the forum.

Like I said, to view your thumbnails is a simple checkbox that IT has left uncheck in it's recent update. You can access advanced systems settings via >Windows Key + X >System >In the search bar type, "advanced" >Select "View advanced system settings" >Select the "Advanced" tab >Find the "Performance" region and select, "Settings" >Select the "Visual Effects" tab >Check the box labeled "Enable Peek" >Click Apply >Click Ok This will enable thumbnail previews and desktop peek at the far right of the taskbar. This works on my Windows 10, did it work for your 7? You may not have access if your IT has restricted it. Also, are you in MC19? We can still right-click rename on user created planes. Remember that no one can rename MC default planes.

Ok, I found the admin guide. Thanks

that is correct. you can also create shortcuts and change the target line of the shortcut, more info on both methods can be found in the Administrator guide, typically located in the documentation folder for mastercam here "C:\Program Files\Mcam2019\documentation\en-US\Administrator_Guide.pdf" pg 13 for the launcher or page 18 shows details on the target line shortcut method.

Everything is difficult to start with but we discover problems and find solutions. Before vending machines there were drawers full of stock that needs to be managed and sometimes isn't. Before cadcam like it is today there was cnc hand written. Before dynamic milling we were all doing plunge and plow cutting with a lot less reliable toolpaths Someone will be the pioneer..

Easiest way, use perpendicular entry.... I also built a check into my post that errors out at the position of the move so I can trace the path and change what needs changing

I am a reseller and fanboi - I hate them. They mess me up because if I'm in wireframe I pick that tab then create or select my geometry. Close arcs is on the right and on the tools tab it is on the left so I turn them off. That's part of what I love about Mastercam - I can set it the way I want it. I don't even use any personalized tabs because I see so many different installs and the tools tabs get me every time. I have 10 left thumbs when I try to use some one else's computer. Except for you guys still hating on tabs... I like the tabs but I want Microsoft to kill the stupid little boxes when I use Alt+ keys.

Should be able to throw a quick .003" chamfer on them with a ball endmill.

Mcfish, this is an update and improved function. It allows more control over your backplot appearance. You can play with these settings to get what you want:

Soft it machines like D2 but It's a pain to grind after hardening.

I will try to explain further ... In step 1. you create letters ( 1a. or fonts ) and then project them onto your solid or surfaces your created ( 1.b ) In step 2. you create surfaces from your solid ( 2.a ) then trim the surfaces to your letters or fonts using their wireframes ( 2.b) you then create solid sheets ( 2.c ) from the trimmed surfaces you made from your letters or fonts. Then you thicken the sheets to the desired heights and direction you wish ( 2.d) I hope that helps explain myself better. I don't have time to make a video today, if you need more help I could make one in the future.

As bad as I hate to throw this out there, I have had to do it. You can set an offset for every rotation and sneak up on it. I used an Excel spreadsheet to trig out the deviations and then plugged the data in a file I had a ton of G10s in. It got me close but if there was anything tight or critical I always snuck up on it. Let them see the cost of that for a few months vs just having the machine dialed in. You can likely get the procedure from the manufacturer to find center yourself. If not, get them in, watch and take notes. Then you can do it.

Simple test block or anything you can get to from different angles. What some people do it mount a sphere on the machine. Sweep it in and then move it to many different places. If it doesn't repeat then that confirms your correct the machine's parameters for controlling the G68.2 position are wrong. When they are wrong your best programs will not make a good part. I have had this happen about a 1/2 dozen times over the years. Chase and chase parts and then they get the correct parameters in the machine and guess what programs originally made were good after all. What is really fun is when people think your time is free and all that chasing you had to do that was extra shouldn't be paid for. If you suspect the machine is off then you stop everything and you make sure it is not off. You never keep running a machine with a problem, but like most places your place is doing what they do. Put their fingers in their ears and sing sounds to drown out the noise. Should start calling you a stinky head and arrogant know it all and many other choice names before the light bulb goes off. Well we always did it this way why are you trying to do it easier and faster? Just because we are losing customers and our quality is going down hill why would even suggest methods and processes to make us more productive? Your not a company person trying to make us more money. Quit and just do your job and be happy you have a job. Any of that sound familiar? No your thinking is not off and that is the problem. Your thinking and when something is beyond someone else grasp to understand it always easier to call them names or pick on them or even threaten their jobs than try to get to the bottom of the problem and get it solved. We don't have time for this and got a good example over the last 2 weeks. Simple parts and found a major problem with a post. No one ever took time before to solve the post problem. Chase issues for 2 weeks that with a good post would have never came up. Cost them a late delivery and some scrapped parts. Now we are closer to getting the post issues solved, but if they had been solved originally then it wouldn't have cost me so much extra time and customer extra time and created such havoc, but this is what seems to be the normal course of action in Manufacturing. No time to get it right from the get, but plenty of time to keep doing it over and over and over. Press on and hopefully you can get the machine rep to come in and talk some sense into management. Even then it normally takes a couple more failures before they stop and listen to what your really telling them. Please keep us posted.

Bob, We thought you were dead! ( ) Glad you're stacked out and good to hear from you. Would a cublex get near what you want?

...and 2 of them are selling his services.