I have year old machine with QUADRO P4000 8GB and 32gb memory so it should work.

It has been broken from the beta releases of 2021. I have sent several bug reports about this to QC but it is still there.

This happens so often that sometimes in a simple part I just create stock model from the operation and check if there is any problems.

Restarting all open Mastercam sessions fix it for a moment..

I have seen this in 2020 and every beta release of 2021. It happened every time I used stock model. I have sent the files to qc.

I just installed 2021 and for the first file I tried it seemed to work fine.

Im seeing this same problem in 3 axis work using WCS.

21 hours ago, Toy4mud said:

I thought it was 12%. We paid for 3 years maintenance to lock in the old cost.  

We got exactly same product licenses and services than last year, only the price went up!

We have paid the maintenance over 15 years so you can imagine how this felt.  

Probably just overflow of happy customer feedback after their latest increase on maintenance price. Mine went up 60%

I had the same problem of staining and we machine cast iron and many other materials with this machine. When I start aluminium job I will top out the coolant tank with high concentrate coolant and it has solved my problem for now.

I have a Fanuc controlled VMC that has side mounted toolchanger. The toolchange logic is different from our other machines so I have to make some changes to the postprosessor.

I have managed to edit toolchange when there is multiple tools in the program but in one tool programs I have trouble getting it right. What I would need is toolchange like this:

T1

M6 T1 <First tool posted again

I have edit the postprosessor so that stagetool posts to the same line after M6 but in single tool programs I would need it to post the same tool number like in the example. What changes do I need to make?

the main one that comes to mind that affects everyone often is that if a job is pathed for one machine with said machines tool numbering then at the last minute it is moved to a different machine with different tool numbering we cant just go into the path or the tool tab under the path itself and change the number ( used to be able to do this in X5  & X6 ) Now it will change to the number desired but will post out the original tool number it was pathed with. only work around that works is to change the tool number or reselect the tool out of the machines tool library its being run on and regening the path in order for it to post out the correct tool number in the NC code. there are problems with deleting tool out of the tool library when people try and clean out there tool library's of old tools no longer being used. only way to get around is to save all need tools into a new library then rename it back to the library name you choose.

 

also it seems like there was an issue with something when importing tool paths ops to use on new geo but that may have gotten addressed with the last update but the two above are just minor things unless you don't look at your code before running it then it can be major if you go to finish with a 1/8 ball endmill in the machine the paths were meant for originally but they get run on a different machine and the tool number gets changed but not updated when posted and you finish the piece with a 2 inch face mill. wouldn't be good on the operators end by any means. but IMO just minor things.

After changing the tool number you could try regenerating the operation even if it doesnt go dirty. This should update your tool numbers.

We have a vmc with 18i- mb control that randomly shut down when running programs from memory card. Fanuc tech changed all the hardware inside control cabinet effecting memory card usage but nothing fixed the problem. Last resort he decided to update the control software with a newer version that he happened to have with him. If I remember right he had backed it up from a newer same manufacturers machine that he had serviced. After the update we have had zero problems using memory cards in this machine.  

If you can't eyeball a pointer to a intersection point within 0.030 on a piece of RAW STOCK, you shouldn't be allowed near a cycle start button.

The idea that you need to pick up zero to a dead-nuts position on a piece of raw rectangular stock is just plain nonsense.

Besides, your next piece will NOT be the same, even with a part stop on the vise.

Band saws aren't precision cutting tools.

 

31 years old and you're experienced?

 

Please....

 

Kids

You dont know what kind of work I do or my background so please save you belitting attitude to somewhere else.

Like David Im also toolmaker so thats why this topic got me writing because we seem to share a same problem.

BTW. I have 18 years of experiece in machining, ten years programming with Mastercam (mostly one off stuff with mill and lathe) and almost all the machines that I have used have had Fanuc control. Im I qualified enough to write in this topic?

Did you miss the part where he said, "If it's raw stock that's saw cut to length, that should be sufficient." Why dial something in to +/-.001 when +/-.020 will suffice? If it's raw stock that's going to get cut on 5 sides, who gives a rat's a$$ if it takes .030" off one side and .020" off the other? (Unless your radial DOC's are critical for tool life, but in that case you'd take greater care.)  If the part is getting cleaned up and everything is in spec then you're golden.

I did not miss anything, I´ve just learned from experience that when you start eye balling your program zeros on easy parts and save maybe 5 seconds doing so,  sooner or later you scrap a part because of this. I prefer using one certain way of taking my work zeros that works almost every workpiece and its just happens to be the most accurate way also.

I dont even remember when was the last time I Scrapped a part because of wrongly placed program zero so atleast it has worked for me, everyone else can use what ever works best for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fuToCteErc&feature=youtu.be

Here is an quick and dirty example how I take X- axis program zero to center without calculator. Requires only pressing three keys and I dont have to input any coordinates. This software is made by the machine tool builder. Feature like this should be part of every fanuc control.

Here's a down and dirty method that works well.

 

Scribe lines from corner to corner with a scribe or pencil.

The intersection of the lines is the center of the stock.

 

On the machine, eyeball the position to the intersection point.

Highlight the X Register area.

Enter X0, Press 'MEASURE'

 

Highlight the Y Register area.

Enter Y0, Press 'MEASURE'

 

If it's raw stock that's saw cut to length, that should be sufficient.

 

If you need to dial it in,  pick up the left and right edges to get the deviation.

Use the INPUT+ button to enter the amount of deviation in the offset.

Do the same for Y.

 

No calculator needed.

 

 

PS-

You might want to try using a bracketed expression when trying to get the control to do math.

eg. X[12.5346/2]

Isnt this kind of primitive in a high end machine tool? BTW You only have to be on the right work offset and enter for example X0. press measure and it will automatically update the right axis

What I'm saying is I don't know the overall sizes of the block. I touch X- direction I then touch X+ direction. I get a relative figure of 100.256. Now I have to use a calculator don't I?

The controller will not do X100.256/2. "measure"

Majority of my parts are like this and also too big to measure with caliber. I like to put my part zero in the center so I have even amount of stock on both sides of the part.

Since you are not setting your x/y at the edge of the part you need to measure the part to get the radius. Either before placing it in the machine, or after as you are now. Without a touch probe, there is no way around this. Although, you can skip the incremental movement to part center because once you know the radius of the part you can touch off on one side and type X±Radius and press measure (X±501.162 to use your example above). I know what you would like is to type X±1002.324 / 2 measure. A touch probe and Macro B will allow you do do all of this automatically but manually I don't know of a better way. 

This is what I was after. Thanks.

Im glad to learn. Please show me a video where program zero is set to center of a work piece (X or Y axis) and where I dont have to use some kind of calculator to get the coordinate. 

I have one machine with Fanuc control that has feature built by the MTB that makes this procedure easier by letting you press a key at both ends of part and it records the position, after this you press calculate and it updates part center point to desired work offset automatically. This feature should be standard in every fanuc control.

I have the Haimer 3d taster that can be dialed to the rotation center so setting program zero at the edge of part is not the problem. Here is a scenario, I have part about 1000mm in X direction, I want the program X zero point to exact center of the part. What I do now is touch one end of the part and zero relative display, then I go touch other end of the part, look the number in relative display (for example 1004.324mm) and use calculator to divide it by two. After this I jog the machine to relative 501.162mm and dial x0. then press measure.

The style showed in the video does not eliminate touching of both sides of the work piece and dividing the number by two.

What if the x+ and x- distance is 101.287mm and i want my x zero at the center? Usually i use calculator to divide it 2 to get center point. It is amazing that fanuc does not have easier way to calculate this.

Great machines. Currently programming NTM3, Super NYT3, and will be programming a Super NTY3 250. Half index like Doug talked about is great. Also make sure you get the Touch Screen 31i since it supports Jump Programming and the older style 31i does not support it. Also if cutting a lot of aluminum or using smaller tools make sure to get the 2:1 speeder live tools for the machine. If going with the Standard live tools go ahead and ask for the Heavy Duty bearings. Alberti normally makes the live holders with Standard bearings, but you can special order them with higher RPM bearings. I like to them at the 6,000 rpms and problem is that are not made to run at RPM for extended periods of time. By asking for the higher rpm bearing you are not pushing the limits of the rated bearing to their limits. Most people are not aware you can order them that way and never think about it.

 

Here is the link to their site for the Nakamura machines:

 

http://www.komaprecision.com/Alberti%20Live%20Nakamura.shtml

 

Download the Catalog and you will see the 2:1 speeders I am talking about. Remember to use Dynamic toolpaths with these holders to never worry about overloading them to shorten the life of the holders.

 

HTH

This machine has Fanuc 0i-td control so no touch screen. It has NT airbag and work navigator like the higher end models. I will be testing dynamic toolpaths when it comes for sure. 

Thanks for the info.

Has anyone any experience of this new Nakamura Y-axis lathe? We are getting this machine in near future and I was wondering how this "attractive priced" Nakamura compares to other machines.

Machine has also half indexing turret. How usable is this feature in the real world?

You should have raster to vector C-hook in Mcam 9 that will do this conversion for you.

I´ve been using X7 about year now and still dont like the new verify. I see no benefit of it opening in a new window. It is slower to open that old one and not so well integrated. 

Looks like X8 has also integrated backplot to same interface..

I use both Mastercam and Solidworks for designing. If I just need 2d-sketch for machining, I dont bother lauching Solidworks because Mastercam is faster for me in sketching. Bigger assemblies and solids, I do in solidworks.

There are also things like offsetting a complex surface where Mastercam is less "picky" on small surface defects and gets the job done where as Solidworks just gives me an error and a headache.