Just sent some inserts there. Will check out this company also. Thanks folks!

Anyone know of reliable sources for having PCD tipped cutting tools resharpened? Preferably in the North East United States. I recently inherited a graphite machining department and have a collection of dull PCD tipped milling inserts because, apparently, no one took the initiative to find a place to have them resharpened. Thanks.

I started my Pattern Maker apprenticeship in 1980. Prior to that was a part time grunt in a tool and die shop for a year while still in high school. Started CNC machining (foundry patterns) and using CAD/CAM in 1989. The first CAD/CAM software I used was Acu-Carv by Olmsted Engineering on a 386DX / 16MHz / 4MB ram / 30MB HDD with dual monitors. Started using Mastercam v3.21 in 1992. Used both for the next decade and Mastercam exclusively since.

Yes, that's normal. If you want to run a stand alone Design seat in addition to your machining seats, you'll need to purchase a license for it.

5) Nothing. As a Mastercam user since version 3.21 in mid 1992, I have found the best way to avoid disappointment in new releases is by not having any expectations to begin with.

Yep. Win XP 32 & 64 bit Win 7 32 & 64 bit Win Server 2008 64 bit No issues here.

Do not remove and reinsert the hard lock, it's not necessary. All that's needed is to restart the hard lock server service. There are several ways to do that. The easiest (my preferred method) is from the command prompt by entering the command: net stop HLService && net start HLService Use the Microsoft Management Console. Start -> Run services.msc or services.msc from a command prompt. Scroll to HL-Server, right click and restart. Use the Aladdin Monitor program I mentioned in my previous post. To repeat, I've never needed to restart the hard lock server service to release hung licenses. I always use the Aladdin Monitor to determine which workstation is hanging the license and deal with it on the workstation. The only time I do restart the hard lock server service is after updating license renewal hasp codes even though I'm pretty sure it doesn't need to be done.

Download and install the Aladdin Hasp monitor. It can be installed on a workstation and doesn't need administrator rights to use. When installed on a NetHASP server and run with admin rights you can control the HASP services as well as monitor with it. http://sentinelcusto...ort Tools&l=all Once installed you'll be able to determine which workstation(s), via IP address and hostname, has the Solids license(s) checked out. Launch Mastercam on that workstation, then Settings -> NetHASP Licensing -> Select the Solid addon -> Release. Edit: Also, make sure Mastercam users exit the program cleanly. If it crashes, it'll hang a license. If users log off Windows without exiting Mastercam first, it'll hang a license. If the computer crashes, again, a license will hang. Re-launching Mastercam and cleanly exiting it will release it.

Same here. Same thing here.

We've been getting away from building custom PC's for CAD/CAM and have been purchasing HP and Dell workstations to replace the ailing PC's. All our non-CAD/CAM machines are Dell products. The reliability of workstations built from server class hardware wins hands down over the bit of performance gained by building gaming PC's with professional graphics. YMMV.

I've done it myself!

LMAO! You laugh so I take it you're unfamiliar with coaxial indicators?

I've finished parts like that with 2D swept tool paths. In some situations offsetting and translating the wire frame geometry to the center of the tool and writing zero tool diameter tool paths is the best option. Years ago in many instances it was the only option.

MC Machinery has expanded its product lines over the years. http://www.mitsubishi-world.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1060&Itemid=1859

Anyone have anything good, bad, or ugly to say about MC Machinery Diamond Cut Series Mills?

When using Windows remote desktop, disable printing to a local printer (is enabled by default) in options before logging in.

I started my CAMing with Acu-Carv in 1989. Started using Mastercam v3.21 in 1992. Used a combination of both through the early 2000's and only Mastercam since. Market share is the main reason I stick with Mastercam despite having the ability to use Cimatron any time I want. Good employers are extremely difficult to find these days and the few decent companies in the area I'd be willing to work for for any length of time all use Mastercam. YMMV.

We have customers who use Esprit exclusively to program their multi axis Integrex's. They say they've tried everything else available and nothing comes close. We use PC FAPT plus Okuma One Touch IGF for lathe programing and have more seats of Cimatron than Mastercam for milling. My $.02 FWIW.

I run into this occasionally and am unable to reliably reproduce the problem making it difficult if not impossible to diagnose and report as bug. Since it's intermittent and doesn't affect toolpaths, I typically ignore it.

Anybody got anything good bad or ugly to say about these machines. They look fairly stout and we machine a variety of materials from high temp nickel base, to stainless, to hardened mold steels, to aluminum and am looking for, hopefully, opinions derived from real world experience as opposed to what the salesman was trying to sell us one half hour ago.

We've got a Roku-Roku with a 16i and "bought" that option too. The Mazatrol Matrix's when using MAZACC /and/ High Smooth don't like arcs at all, hence my prior post about configuring to linearize HMM arcs. It works well.

Windows Control Panel -> Mastercam X applet -> Toolpath Support -> HMM Kernel Arc Creation Style -> Linearize All HMM Arcs.

Well colour me silly! Since I haven't had the habit of locking operations in many versions of Mastercam now, I never thought of it. And you're absolutely right, it's an ugly work around since geometry selection in the original operation still gets hosed. But it's a work around. Thanks!

When I copy a HSM operation that uses a STL file for geometry and I either delete or select a different STL file in the new copy of the op, the original operation goes dirty too with either an absent or different STL file. WTF? There's obviously a parent <-> child relationship that should not exist bug in Mastercam causing this and it has been around since at least version X5. Since I refuse to believe I'm the only person running into this I never submitted a bug report in hopes it would eventually get reported and fixed. Sorry for having better things to do with my employers time than chase software issues, my bad. Said bug report will get submitted to QC, hopefully soon. In the mean time, anybody got a work around for this?

I doubt going much over 20x dia on anything with only having 250psi coolant available would be successful. I hope I can do 20 .343 dia holes 15x dia deep in the pre-hard 2714 with two drills because that's all they ordered. Titex's recommended strategy is very close to what you're using. I haven't modified a post, yet. I manually wrote a sub program and called it at the hole locations. If we start doing more of this type of work consistently I'll write a macro instead. If it starts to become an everyday thing, then customizing posts would be justified.