Slow down cowboy - I have acted as an advocate for all three pieces of software and for the benefit of the manufacturing communiuty as a whole, I will share my experience on the strenghts and weaknesses of the software that we currently use. I don't point in any one direction - only the right tool for the right application. If the right thing to do is spend $60K to solve a problem in the entire system then so be it.

For example, we are using Mastercam extensivly for the programming of simple contours and simple prismatic drilling, we are also using the wrapped tool paths for roughing complex screw profiles (and I might add that this function is not available in either Pro/E or UGNX) The contrast is that Mastercam doesn't handle multiple surfaces nicely and generate a nice clean tool path on a rotary part as well as UG does - but the UG algorythm - though robust - will take a month of sunday's to calculate.

I like the Parametric abilities of Pro/E and the way this flows into the manufacturing side to the point of the CLData - unless someone deletes a feature then the structure falls apart and you need to attach references like mad.

If you feel that my experiences is not warrented to the furthering of you own cause, then I will consider myself "Locked Out" of the community and ask to be removed from your forum.

Neil,

Give me a call and I can give you the lowdown, or if you want to see for yourself, pop over and we can show you.

Tom -

For what you are doing - Don't Worry about it. The edge frittering and thermal shock effects will only matter on the nth workpiece. This is more a technique for High Production metal removal where the edge temperature is quite substantial.

Milling what you do, flood your work and keep it cool. That will help you more.

Found an advertisement in Gear Solutions -

www.drewco.com

We use the DNC port to send out data all the time on our Fanuc, Tosnuc and Fusion 640 controls.

We just initialize the port, and keep sending it out, then at the end, close the port. The DNC program will capture any data that you send to it and you will need to adjust the timeout setting on the DNC unit to allow the machine time to do this. Then save the file in the DNC system and that will do waht you are asking.

With a Casting, Why don't you make your own adapter to fit on the mandrel unit pictured above. Use some carbide grippers on 6 Points (3 Top and 3 Bottom).

My suggestion anyway. There is an expanding 5C collet style of a tool from Royal Workholding and I think that Hardinge has some as well. 5C may not be robust enough to handle what you need though.

Look in the FTP for a map of the connections

On the file that you have sent from the machine to the PC - Look at the first line, and copy and paste these characters into the file that you want to send into the Machine control. This might work for you as the machine is likly waiting to see those characters before it will read the rest of the file. Another thing to do is try removing the Program Name line at the start and just jamming in the code. Our OT is finiky and by just messing around, we found something that works. (we relearn with each new operator as well...)

There is a connector in the cabinet where the drives are that you can just hardwire onto the network. The cards are on the front of the control and likely not a good place to want to attach a cable to.

If you have a probe, then you most likely have the capability to run custom macro b.

For that matter, with a program with 360 lines, probe along an axis and the program could either be configured to output the point to the RS232 or, you could write it down.

For the time it would take you to learn the custom macro B is the time it would take the guy to finish the "Manual" recording of the cam.

Are there a pile of Macros with your machine? I have the Renishaw book and that is how I learned the routines.

As Chris has stated - the Renishaw office is a good place to start.

Harry,

I want the 3D comp - what is you availability? I think I need to call you on that one.

On the parameters page, look for the cutting parameters for k1-96. In the column on the right hand side there are the parameters for k81-k88. This is where the g126 macro needs to be registered so that everytime you call a g126, it picks up the macro program. I suspect that the program is not registered. (This is an easy fix and I hope that this is it)

I have attached a file that I want you to load into the machine memory and call it

99999126

In one of the registers for k81-k88 (doesn't matter which one)

register 126 in the code column and the number column should contain 99999126

This should do the trick - by the way, you must call up the tool in a horizontal orientation - TXXXX.8 for this one to work right.

Look in the parameters for the K constants - The numbers for the programs that are assigned to the g126 code are listed in the K values and it looks as though the machine doesn't recognize the g code as there is no entry to correspond to the macro. Send me an email directly and I will forward the information in .pdf

The macro for the G126 is likely giving you the problem. What is the error line at the bottom of the screen? Should either be black line or a red line. I think it should be red with some text. We have gone thru this a number of times-

Chime in here Harry, you helped me thru this one once before and we are still using your macro edits.

Trick question - Food, Lead

These are some good questions - I like the 304 and 304L and to mix it up, ask what the 12L14 and 1214 differences are...

If I remember correctly, the 304 is a food grade series stainless and therefore the 304L must be the Food Grade Leaded series (for improved machinability... )

The file is not an executable or anything similar. It will open inside of Wordpad but most of the characters are quite hairy. I was hoping there was someone here that is using some kind of an editor like CIMCO or similar.

I need to give the machine a set of data points and was trying to avoid keying in by hand but so far I think that is what we need to do.

Thanks folks-

Anyone using some offline programming for this? I have a .exp file that will open in Wordpad but the formatting looks like schist (german for "Not so Good").

>>I've only been doing cnc for about 3 months now and still get cold feet every now and then.

Don't worry about it, there is nothing those factory service guys can't fix - the trick is to fool them into a warrenty claim...

These are available direct thru Mitsubisi as well.

Just replaced all ours in the tool changer plc units as well as the drive units.

I got one - Oops - that's a UGNX3 calendar, they give those ones out to all their users regardless of nationality, race and religon

Deep Woods.

If the Gem control will not accept a "Helical" motion, then suggest you use a point to point tool path. The K&T's I have used would do this. For the age of the machines, these things were slick for their time. Can you electronically transfer files into the control?? If so then the point to point should work well (unless you run out of memory - then you will need to use a BTR off of a DNC/PC to run longer programs)

Original pilot testing of Forum was done thru the Educational Group - which Mike was a part of I can only assume.

Different rules for you Mike, call IHS and speak to the Educational Group.

DIN standards are metric based. Look there.

If you are going to be spending money for coolant thru - why not look at the three flute drills from Guring. In aluminum, they will FLY!