What's your depth of cut? How many flutes? Type of tool path (rough or finish)?

quote: I'd like to put the print in the front and have the part fall out the back... Yeah, the machine tool manufactures need to catch up too....I still want a machine that requires no set up and simply has a "make my part now" button...

Good, just wanted to make sure you received it from the home addy. BTW, I don't know how to play golf so the handicap ought to be easy for me.

Keith, I sent you an email the other day from home. DId you get it?

You've got mail. Hope that helps.

I've ran Sodick,Agie,Handsvedt(p.o.s.) and Charmille. Programmed the Sodicks,Handsvedt and Charmille with MC but not Agie (used some plug-in for Autocad...sucked). I liked the Charmille with the Fanuc control the best. At one place I worked, we had a salesman come in and try to sell us on Esprit. To be honest, I really like their software for wire from what I saw. Easy to use and alot of settings and posts for specific machines. We didn't buy it because we already were using MC wire anyway. Where I'm at now, the toolroom has Mits wires and program with MC. They seem to do a great job. A guy I use to work with that now works for Motorola is using a Fanuc machine and likes it (he also ran the Sodicks too). Just passing on my expriences and opinions.

What type of geometry is it (splines/lines/arcs)?I remember something one time about the control not being able to read a spline maybe but that was a few years ago at another shop where we ran into that. I'm currently at a different place so can't verify that. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Probably not much help but....

Thanks, Good info to know. Maybe I'll give it a try. My iges files always come in real clean with good wire frame too (which comes in handy...instead of create curves from edges) but I'll give step a try. I guess I've just gotten so use to doing things a certain way that I never really investigated other options.

Hey John, Yeah, I don't have the solids part of MC (note siggy and post) so I was just offering up an alternative that has work for me for years. I have brought in step files (now that the mr's have that for free) but usaully all our stuff comes from our engineers as prt files so I just iges out. My theory "if it ain't broke..." Al

I don't have solids in MC so I iges out surfaces from Pro-e. Never really had a problem with it. I have a pdf on exporting out of Pro (config settings etc.) to various CAD/CAM packages. It's a few years old but I believe the settings are still valid. I'd be happy to email it to you. You might also want to check the PTC web site.HTH

Thanks Thad. Clear as mud....yup. I'll check it out before install.

Ah, good point Thad. Anybody else know the answer to that one? and whether or not I'd have to install the original CD first and then update to Mr2. I'm thinking that might be my "safest" bet.

Thanks guys. Time to take the plunge. Actually I already installed over Mr1 myself but we're setting up a new pc for some one and I wanted to get it right.

I did a search but couldn't really get an anwser. Is the Mr2 download from the website a complete "stand alone" install? i.e. If I install it on a new pc, do I need any previous versions of X to be already installed? Do I have to have Mr1 already installed etc., etc.,?? Probably a dumb question but I'm under the impression that it's "stand alone" from what I read on the Mastercam website. Can anyone tell me yay or nay?Thanks.

quote: Hey Pete et. al..., 99.999999% of us around here appreciate all you do and are doing to improve our lives as programmers. Keep up the great work. As a business owner, I'll say SOME CUSTOMERS ARE NOT WORTH HAVING Randle is one of them. +1 to James

Ghuns got it covered for the shrink factor. I'd look into Moldplus if you are going to be doing lots of mold design and electrode cutting. On a side note, I see your in Turtle Lake. I knew/worked for some folks from there. The company was Hartzell and they had a location down here in Florida for a while. We used Mastercam there too for design and programming. Sorry for the hi jack but just being friendly.

I might be wrong (I haven't cut any glassfilled PEEK in a while) but that might tbe a bit fast on the RPM. What kind of cutter (solid carbide, indexable carbide,HSS,Cobalt?) are you using? From my experiences, the abrasiveness of the glass will break down the cutter quick. I would you carbide if you can. HTH

I've noticed that if you have the "at surface edge, roll tool" setting in the advanced settings dialog box (under rough contour parameters tab) set to automatic or over all edges, it makes a difference too. Try setting that to "only between" HTH

quote: It is scary to think that some of these up and coming Engineers (and i use that word loosely) are in charge of designing the cars we drive around in. I gotta agree here. Our company brings in interns from some of the colleges."YIKES" is about all I can say. Bundles of book knowledge but on practical skills. There are, on occasion, an indiviual who took a machine shop class as part of his mech engineer training but few and far between. Sorry to hi jack thread but had to comment here.

quote: Call me what you want just pay me... Amen to that one!

OBO Modulon (polyurethane board like "renwood")in a heavy density might work well. There's a few suppliers of this type of material. Google search it:)

Yeah, that's sounds about right from what I remebered. The guys at MOto were looking to get better finishes on the deep ribs and hard to polish areas. Good luck with your "engineer/toolmaker" guy. Some people won't listen even when it's in black and white right in front of them. Martinis for all.

Yeah,it was something like that with the Mits but I still wouldn't call it "mirror" finish. It was darn good though. Took alot of time too but like I said it was 5 yrs ago so I guess maybe they have improved on it. I guess I also souldn't have been so quick to jump at the "engineer" thing but....we've got a few "Einsteins" around here that love to tell me how I should do my job when they have no knowledge of what's suppose to be done and think every job "should be a 5 min job, simple right" .......ahhhh.....yeah

If your "engineer" really was a "Toolmaker" then he would already know that a "mirror" finsih won't be acheived with EDM. It's been a while since I ran EDM (5yrs) and unless someone has come out with some new technology since then I don't think you can make it happen.I know when I worked for Motorola, they had Mits' that could leave a really good finish with a special EDM solution (big money for it and the machine to use it)and lots of time but it was still far from mirror. There was still a light recast layer that if you chose to you could polish to a better finish. Maybe he had run into this and that's what he was hoping for. My .02

Hey Ocean, Who you using for a tool rep? We use Southern Tool & Machine down here. Their pretty helpful when you ask.