I just tore apart my trunnion to replace bearings and the design could easily be improved... They have been resting on the existing design for too long IMHO.

I'm not sure. It is the default setup sheet (shows pictures of the tools etc...) that comes with Mastercam, .set I believe

I recently upgraded to X3 MU1 from X2 and my setup sheet takes forever to load now. Is there something I need to do to speed this up?

Chris, I have a TR160 in my VF2 and it is nice to be able to remove it when I need the machine for 3 axis work. It is a tight fit and I need to change the toolchange position to avoid tool collisions with the trunnion during changes (side mount changer). This requires a one time setup in debug mode and then it is only two parameters when the trunnion is installed. Here is a video showing the fit. It is a much better fit in the VM3. If you are doing much 5 axis work I would highly recommend Vericut or Predator. MUCH goes on between the Mastercam's verify and the machine as there are two ways to get to every position.

So will uninstalling both and doing a clean install of X3 fix the lead out issue? That is the biggest gripe of mine right now. My lead out consists of an arc move followed by a linear move but it is only outputting the arc move. My machines stop with alarms every 30 minutes because all of my programs use a tangent lead in with cutter comp set at wear.

So I just upgraded Mastercam earlier this week because I had a nice chunk of time alotted which is what it usually takes. Well, I installed it and the migration utility DID NOT WORK so I needed to track down all of my settings from the X2 install and even then I spent an hour on the phone with my reseller to get it fixed. So now I am up and running with X3 and my setup sheet takes 10 minutes to display and I get an error on my machine every few minutes because Mcam is not adding the linear move on my lead out. I now get an error when my machine tries to cancel the cutter compensation (G40). Every one of my operation defaults sets my cutter comp to wear so this is a major time sink. So I could sit here and write a few lines worth of 4 letter words to convey just what I think of this but I think you get the point. I thought I paid $,$$$ per year for maintenance to INCREASE my productivity. I'm not sure anyone at CNC software gives a crap but this REALLY pisses me off. So how long do I need to wait until these bugs are fixed? Does anyone care about quality anymore? After these bugs are fixed I believe I am through with maintenance. It appears that all I pay for is the same old bugs plus a few new ones. The value of the new features comes nowhere close to ofsetting the cost of the bugs. You want to add value to the maintenance, come up with a release that fixes all of the bugs, then start working on new features. If anyone knows somebody at CNC please forward this to them. Thanks, Bob

I have a Haas VF2 with a trunnion and yesterday a friend asked me if I could match the spindle and B-axis rpms well enough for gear hobbing. What he envisioned is tilting the A-axis to 90 degrees, set the appropriate spindle and B-axis rpms and feed over with a hob in the spindle to hob the gears. I wasn't sure if the spindle rpms could be controlled accurately enough to get good results but I do know the machine is capable based on what I see during rigid tapping (perfectly synchronized spindle rpm and Z feed). Has anyone ever used a 5 axis for hobbing gears? Thanks, Bob

Still not fixed... But a Haas service tech is coming out later this week.

I have a few more questions regarding misc integers and posts. 1. What section controls what happens after a toolpath operation? It seems that the tool change sections control what happens before an operation. 2. G187 Pn Ennnn In a Haas control sets the default smoothness and corner rounding values. I am trying to set this up in my post as misc integer and misc real number and I am getting close. I want this feature to be operation specific and restore the default (G187 P2 E.05) when the operation is done. I added this to the null tool change (ptlchg0) section and it posted the G187 command at every depth cut and multipass. What am I doing wrong? I appreciate the help and as you can see I am pretty new to post development. I have the lines of code pretty well figured out and I move them around the post and check the results in my NC file, basically trial and error. Now that I have been programming and running my machines for a few years (3) I am getting a feel for exactly what I want and need in my post. Time to put in the effort and make it happen :-) Not always easy though... Thanks, Bob

I pay for maintenance and I am still using X2. I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE A NEW VERSION WITH FIXED BUGS THAN A VERSION WITH NEW FEATURES, AND BUGS!!! Do they even care about reliability? It is HUGELY important to most of us. Much more so than new features. "Unhandled exception" sound familiar???

Jim, Try activating the breakage cycle for every other tool and see if it gets it correct when posted. Bob

Here is my pretract section: code: pretract #End of tool path, toolchange phsm_off sav_absinc = absinc$ absinc$ = one sav_coolant = coolant$ coolant$ = zero # if nextop$ = 1003, #Uncomment this line to leave coolant on until eof unless # [ # explicitely turned off through a canned text edit if all_cool_off, [ #all coolant off with a single off code here if coolant_on, pbld, n$, *sall_cool_off, e$ coolant_on = zero ] else, [ local_int = zero coolantx = zero while local_int < 20, [ coolantx = and(2^local_int, coolant_on) local_int = local_int + one if coolantx > zero, [ coolantx = local_int pbld, n$, scoolantx, e$ ] coolantx = zero ] coolant_on = zero ] # ] #cc_pos is reset in the toolchange here cc_pos$ = zero if convert_rpd$ = one, [ gcode$ = one feed = maxfeedpm ipr_type = zero ] else, gcode$ = zero pbld, n$, sccomp, *sm05, psub_end_mny, e$ pbld, n$, sgabsinc, sgcode, [if gcode$ = 1, sgfeed], *sg28, "Z0.", [if gcode$ = 1, feed], scoolant, e$ #if lock_codes = one & rot_on_x, pbld, n$, *sunlock, sunlockcomm, e$ #pbld, n$, *sg28, "X0.", "Y0.", protretinc, e$ #if lock_codes = one & rot_on_x & cuttype = 0, pbld, n$, *slock, slockcomm, e$ if abs(fmtrnd(cabs)) > 360 & nextop$ <> 1003 & not(index), [ if lock_codes = one, pbld, n$, *sunlock, sunlockcomm, e$ rotretflg = 1 pbld, n$, `sg28, protretinc, e$ rotretflg = 0 if lock_codes = one & cuttype = 0, pbld, n$, *slock, slockcomm, e$ ] absinc$ = sav_absinc coolant$ = sav_coolant if mi5$ = 1, n$, "G49 G65 P9023 A24.", *prv_t$, "H.003", e$ Produces this: code: N100 G00 G17 G20 G40 G80 G90 N105(.375 CARBIDE MILL - MA FORD TOOL-4 DIA-OFF.-4 LEN.-4 DIA.-.375) N110 T4 M06 N115 (MAX - Z.1) N120 (MIN - Z0.) N125 G00 G90 G54 X0. Y0. S12000 M03 N130 G43 H4 Z.1 M08 T8 N135 G94 N140 G98 G81 Z0. R.08 F140. N145 G80 M09 N150 M05 N155 G91 G28 Z0. N160 G49 G65 P9023 A24. T4 H.003 N165 M01 N170(3/32 END MILL TOOL-8 DIA-OFF.-8 LEN.-8 DIA.-.09375) N175 T8 M06 N180 (MAX - Z.1) N185 (MIN - Z0.) N190 G00 G90 G54 X0. Y0. S12000 M03 N195 G43 H8 Z.1 M08 T6 N200 G94 N205 G98 G81 Z0. R.08 F20. N210 G80 M09 N215 M05 N220 G91 G28 Z0. N225 M01 N230(3/16" MA FORD END MILL TOOL-6 DIA-OFF.-6 LEN.-6 DIA.-.1875) N235 T6 M06 N240 (MAX - Z.1) N245 (MIN - Z0.) N250 G00 G90 G54 X0. Y0. S12000 M03 N255 G43 H6 Z.1 M08 T10 N260 G94 N265 G98 G81 Z0. R.08 F60. N270 G80 M09 N275 M05 N280 G91 G28 Z0. N285 G49 G65 P9023 A24. T6 H.003 N290 M01 N295(.125" SPOT DRILL TOOL-10 DIA-OFF.-10 LEN.-10 DIA.-.125) N300 T10 M06 N305 (MAX - Z.1) N310 (MIN - Z0.) N315 G00 G90 G54 X0. Y0. S6000 M03 N320 G43 H10 Z.1 M08 T4 N325 G94 N330 G98 G81 Z0. R.08 F30. N335 G80 M09 N340 M05 N345 G91 G28 Z0. N350 G49 G65 P9023 A24. T10 H.003 N355 G53 G90 G0 X-15. Y0. N360 M30 % For this I had tool breakage enabled for the second and last operations (T8 and T10). James, I tried what you suggested and the results were very similar to above.

I tried putting it in pretract but it still posts it in the same location in the program. Could the stagetool command have something to do with this?

Well, I figured out that I put the probing routine in the wrong section of the post. When I put it in the ptlchg section it executes the probe routine BEFORE the machine loads the tool to be probed. I need this routine to come at the END of the operation before the tool is swapped out. So basically if I do contouring (T4) and then a drill cycle (T10). If I turn on probing for the drill cycle the macro call comes at the very end of the contour cycle. Where do I need to insert my line to fix this? The code goes something like this... if mi4$ = 1, n$, "G49 G65 P9023 A24.", *prv_t$, "H.003", e$ Thanks, Bob

Colin Gilchrist helped me out and inserting the line if mi5$ = 1, n$, "G49 G65 P9023 A24.", *prv_t$, "H.003", e$ into the ptlchg and peof sections of the post it runs the tool breakage routine with a simple selection of a misc integer (#5 in this case). This makes it really handy to incorporate detection into programs. I have read elsewhere that custom drill cycles are handy for probing but I don't even know what those are. How are they implemented? Do you have any examples? Thanks, Bob Thanks, Bob

I have a Renishaw probe with my machine (Haas VMC) and I would like to use misc integers to add tool breakage macro routines after an operation. The macro is already written as included with the probe package so the line would look something like: G65 P9853 b1. Txx Hyy 9853.nc is the macro tool breakage routine, xx is the tool just used in the operation, and yy is the desired tolerance where breakage is assumed if it is exceeded. How would I go about doing this? I have been playing around with these macros and I have the tool setting routine also setting my programmable coolant position at the same time. Nice time saver :-) Thanks, Bob

Got it. Thanks.

How would I go about determining the value of variable #2000, or any given variable (#xxxx) that is in the machine? This is a Haas VMC. Thanks, Bob [ 11-22-2008, 04:32 AM: Message edited by: Bullet Bob ]

"is your machine capable if recognizing a block number over four digits?" Not sure on that one. It is a new Haas VM3.

The code was posted directly to the machine through ethernet. This is the first time I have posted large programs like this so I think it is machine/ communications related.

This is what the original post output that caused the problem. X6.7148 Y-3.1212 Z-.8611 X6.7141 Y-3.1254 Z-.7826 Z-.7824

I was running a surface finish - parallel toolpath and right in the middle of the program it went off into left field. This move the machine made did not show up in the verify and I have used this post for a few years and NEVER had a problem. I changed my machine definition to one with a more current post and it posted this line right in the middle of the program N51250 X6.955 YY-2.5468 Z-1.4635 This caused the machine to produce an error (multiple codes). Any idea what might be going on? How do I prevent this sort of thing in the future? Thanks, Bob

I have a 5 axis part that required extensive surfacing and for ease of programming I opted to rough it with a few orientations in 3+2. How much more efficient would it be to rough it with full 5 axis? I know this is pretty general but is it typically much more efficient to use multiaxis roughing versus 3 axis with a few different orientations?

They are still trying to fix the problem so there is hope. I am so frustrated with the issues I have had with the VF2 that my patience is VERY THIN! I am not prepared for three more years of the same. I must add again that Selway's service has been excellent. Now if only Haas had a little better QC. This is the third and only the first was problem free (Mini Mill, the cheapest of the lot)

I should also mention that both Selway and Haas service techs have paid visits and no amount of parameter adjustment would solve the problem. That was when the extended warranty offer came about. They adjusted parameters, pulled the way covers, tinkered, and then said 'it probably isn't a problem, how about we extend the warranty'. They might be right but with a new $110,000 machine should I have to settle for that? In all fairness they are still trying to resolve this issue and hopefully they will. I am just trying to determine my options if they can't come up with a fix.