Do you have lines? If you click on the options tab during file open you can choose whether or not your solid comes in with edge curves. Or you can create them after import. Create curve edge and then only make the geometry where you want it to drive your program.

For situations like this I am a big fan of the quick mask toolbar.

Can you take a small program you know will run and try to drip feed that? This should tell you if this is a error in the program or with your dnc interface

Have you plugged the cable and moxa adaptor into a box you know works? Could be a faulty cable or adaptor. ut I would also take Minion's advise. I run the same setup as you to a Haas and had to turn the com baud rate down but my adaptor isn't a moxa.

We just had one of those. It was actually a lot better than I thought it would be and really saw the class (all of our department heads grow through out it. The basics of the course was to eliminate steps in everyday procedures that we do. So what we were asked to do was to write every step of a said process and then try to see which steps are redundant and where we can reorganise to be more effective. I will dig up my cheat sheet of the basics and type it out to you if you would like and can also put you in touch with the guys contact info but I am unsure if he goes as far as cali sincce he may not have the work permits and is based here in Canada.

Where are you located?

Because you say most will be medical which to me means small parts make sure if you go the root of a mill that the spindle has high rpm and get yourself a deckel cutter grinderto start grinding carbide blanks to suit your needs. Sink edm is awesome for cavity work though and cleaning out corners but cutting your electrodes will screw with your coolant tank ball screws and ways in a new york minute. If you are going the route of sink edm I would just throw it out to your bosses that they should dedicate one of your smaller haas vmc's strictly for electrodes and replace it with the high end mill than you may end up with best of both worlds. Even with the haas's slower spindle you will still spit out electrodes quicker than you can burn them so this won't create a bottle neck (no pun intended since you talked about blow moulds). My $.02 (Canadian funds of course but umm we got rid of the penny and $.02 actually gets rounded down to $.00 so take it for what its worth lol)

Ron, I chickened out using your code as I only had one bar big enough to hold a 4TPI insert. What scared me was the number of cuts and stalling out the machine. It is taking me 40 passes to cut this thread and my X is set at +.02

I will give it a try and let you know thank you. As for trying the other cycles no I have not. there was a sample threading in the control along with notes showing other cycles but all for a Fanuc 11 and I just went with it what was in the control.

I am manually programmking on a 1981 Fanuc 6T control. The only threading cycle I know that works on this is G92. I will attach a proven program I used for a 1.5"-6UNC internal thread. If anyone knows a better way I am all ears. As for what I am about to start now it is a 3"-4NC internal x 4" deep. Yes I know my sfm is way low but the machine is 32 years old and doesn't move very fast if my rapid hits 250ipm I would be surprised. O1020 G28 U0 W0 T1200 G50 M41 G50 S300 G97 S300 M3 G90 G0 T1212 X1.25 Z.25 M8 G1 X1.28 Z.2 F.1667 G92 X1.3 Z-2.25 F.1667 X1.31 X1.322 X1.33 X1.34 X1.35 X1.357 X1.371 X1.385 X1.399 X1.413 X1.427 X1.44 X1.45 X1.458 X1.465 X1.471 X1.477 X1.483 X1.488 X1.493 X1.499 X1.502 X1.506 X1.51 X1.51 X1.51 X1.515 X1.515 X1.52 X1.52 X1.525 X1.525 X1.53 X1.53 X1.535 X1.535 X1.537 X1.537 X1.537 X1.54 X1.54 X1.543 X1.543 X1.547 X1.547 X1.55 X1.55 X1.553 X1.553 X1.553 X1.556 X1.556 X1.56 X1.56 X1.56 X1.564 X1.564 X1.564 X1.564 X1.564 X1.564 X1.564 X.1564 X1.564 X1.564 G0 Z2. M9 G28 U0 W0 M30

I am new to lathe I have always been a mill guy so please bare with me if this is a stupid question. When using full topping inserts is there a formula for min (on external) and Major (on internal) to compensate for the form of my insert. I use Coromat 266 bars and external holders with the 3 sided single point inserts. Usually I trial and error where I set my X offset go to what nominal size should be and keep adding cuts till my guage or pitch mic reads properly. There has to be a easier way to do this. Thanks in advance for any help.

I use to work for a major aerospace company that is worldwide and their QC department consisted of a guy who's background was as a landscaper who ran the department that included a gentleman who's previous experience was checking the threads on pipes used for plumbing. One day he came and asked me how to use a go no go guage. (which is fine when you don't know but when you tell me that this is not a good way to check a thread because you can't input a size on the QC report) This guy also was responsible for the calibration of all of our personal measuring tools and when he noticed I didn't hand in my telescoping guages to be calibrated he went to upper management and tried to have me written up saying I was jeopardizing his job hiding these from him. I politely told him I wasn't jeopardizing his job but he sure just did. At this said company we did a lot of positioner bases for final body join assembly lines. A lot of our parts were upwards of 200" long with flatness specs for rail faces for linear rails and trucks. He would check the flatness with a 6" vernier and a tape measure. He was actually quite fun to watch and came in quite handy to break up the stresses of the day.

Run it incremently as a sub.

And that is harder than all the work it takes to define tools, create geometry and so on? I get once it is created it is there forever but especially with tapered threadmills it is a lot of work to get the proper minor at the proper height where as the thread generator takes out all the guess work for you. To me seems a lot easier especially when you have multiple ones at differnt heights and levels to create points and run the generated code as a sub. I am not trying to argue this point I am interested in why people do it with mastercam when the other tool is there already set up to go. To me a couple CTRL+C and CTRL+V is a lot easier than the alternative and it will be done right. Look through this entire thread their are more who are doing it wrong than right. Some can't even come to the agreement on whether the taper is needed or not.

The reasoon why you don't see the error is the sine of 1.79 degrees x pitch = .0017" You should be putting the angle in like Ron suggested because on the larger threads you will get burned. Not sure why you would even want to use mcam to draw and define the tool then make a operation when most thread mill manufacturers offer software that will write the specific code for you based on which of their thread mills you are using.

Talk to your reseller about in shop training so the training is specific to your work flow. Going to a class you will cover a lot of things that other students may neeed but you won't which will only convulute your mind when it comes time to cover your topics. this also keeps you in the shop. My other suggestion would be to grab someone off the floor and give them a list of G and M codes some basic training on the machine (while you are proving your first off) to help burden the load. To take on self learning to program while also keeping up with work flow on by your machines will be a daunting task.

I am solely in charge of programming (we don't even have mastercam yet),quoting,setup and some times operating training and discipline of operators all while dealing with all aspects of managing and procurement in a machine shop with 4 cnc's 2 sink edms and many manual machines. This shop was bought at a auction where the past owner ran it so far into the ground it is unreal.When I started back in february there wasn't one holder or cutter that wasn't smashed or cutter missing screws insert seat no inserts and so on. Needless to say that we haven't always worked with a monthly profit. Through this time I was never told what my monthly budget would be up until monday after my little flip out on the owner that got me sent home on friday about if they didn't let me know what they would invest there is no way I can turn this all around. With the exception of the new lathe we got delivery on about 2 weeks ago. The newest cnc was a 1998 vf2 haas (with no balls) along with a 1990 Mitsui seiki twin pallet HMC (that leaks 1.5 gallons of hydraulic oil in a 8 hour shift that had a crayon tapped into a broken switch on the control that if removed or falls out the machine goes into single block with a tool changer that fingers are so worn out that it throws tools that are more than a couple lbs out of it) along with a 1981 Hitachi 2 axis lathe (that has to many issues to list) all wedged into a 1200 sq ft space And for the last couple months trying to build a new bigger plant where the building is nothing more than a old stock warehouse with nothing more than one light in a 5600 sq ft space. This building doesn't even have running water nor a washroom. I am so thankfull my company uses a pop3 email account and for my smart phone (this current shop also doesn't have phone or internet) which has allowed me to search and research everything I need to build this shop from the comfort of a bar stool or my couch if I would have to do this on site I would have given up months ago).

Have you looked at master 3d guage which integrates directly into mastercam? Not sure if it does your reverse but your reseller should be able to help you out. http://www.master3dgage.com/

But think about how cool the length of a home run ball is hit would look

Anyone who deals with this should download the MITCalc. It is a spreadsheet that you input your feature size and class fit tolerance and it gives you low and high. You can do this in metric or imperial http://www.mitcalc.com/en/download.htm

I just received a email from LNS. Here is their response in regards to the bar feeder. Yes we need to bolt this to the floor. This maintains alignment and prevents the unit from tipping over when the loading rack is loaded with bar

I never thought about that my shop is located in a seismic zone although in the 6 years out west I am yet to feel even a tremor.

2 year warranty was one thing I negotiated in. Covers everything but the damage from crashes but I have no idea how a bent bar would fly as who is responsible to cover the costs of damage. I asked the reseller to get second third and forth opinions because I am with you i think it should be bolted but have them telling me not to. I haven't unboxed the feeder yet but the linear rails and trucks should cure the tipping due to the long thin footprint of the actual feeder but I have no idea what kind of forces the pusher has nor if it would be enough if the bar ever hit the back of a jaw that was set inproperly. I doubt it could push the machine you would think it would have a load monitor that would alarm out before that would happen.

Cons you will be replacing all your measuring tools and will run into a tonne of resistance from your old school machinists. Another con would be having to convert your tooling. Pros... And this is from a Canuck who was raised learning both. When I went to trade school in the 90's my instructors stressed that we need to learn both because when the baby boomers retire the imperial system will retire with them. His logic was they are to stuck in their ways but by the time they are ready to retire then everyone will make the switch. I asked him well if it takes them 20 years to retire won't us Gen X'ers be stuck in our ways and the cycle will continue? My instructor had no answer to that question.

I just bought a Okuma Genos lathe with a LNS bar feeder that arrived 2 weeks ago. Both the Okuma rep and LNS rep I spoke to said they advise against bolting them down which I thought was odd especially on the bar feeder with a tray design that takes the weight of the material for the feeder all hanging off the back. Neither rep gave me a reason as to why it shouldn't but this conversation may lead me to be asking more questions.