Like with any cutting operation you got to find first: what material are you cutting what is your tap made of is it a cutting tap or a form tap? For aluminum with a HSS cut tap I do about 50sfm or for tool steel I would use 5-8sfm. With these sfm find your RPM. I don't know if your machine needs inches per minute or inches per revolution. The sample below is for ipm. For 1/4-20 tapping aluminum (50*3.82)/.250=764 this is your RPM then divide by tpi to find you ipm 764/20=38.2 so your rpm is S764 and your feed is F38.2 In any case if you need the feed for ipr format is just a simple operation 1/20=.050 so your rpm would be S764 and feed F.050 There are too many variables to expect mastercam to give you the right feed and speed all the time. Just find the correct SFM for the tool you are going to use and for whatever material you will be cutting.

Some times that problem has nothing to do with the code but instead is your live tooling holder. Check how much play your cutter shows when you wiggle it., maybe the live tooling holder is the problem. That happened to me already couple of times.

What happened is the part is strong and well clamped on one end but the other end is a tall, thin wall so I get push of on that end. My options are to run it at normal feed but that will cause push off on the weak end of the part or I can run it slow to eliminate the push off but that will increase my cycle about 25 minutes which I don't have to spare. For the reasons above I want to start cutting at 72imp and gradually slow down to 24imp then on the back side start at 24ipm and along the cut gradually increase it to 72imp. and so on to all the 6 walls of the part going back and forth like that. I can do the variable feed manually on the 2d toolpaths but 4 of the walls require swarf application toolpath and on those I haven't been successful with the variable feed. Any/all help would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a way in the toolpath settings to specify a variable feed for a chain? for example at the start of the chain I want to start cutting at a feed of 24imp and gradually increase the feed so at the end of the chain the fee would be at 72imp or vice versa. I know how to do it manually by braking the chain in segments and then assign a feed to every segment but I want to know if there is a faster way as I am going to have to do this to a good number of toolpaths. Thanks in advance.

Same thing happened to me after a windows10 update. I just did it all again.

When using a chamfer mill mastercam uses the minor diameter to calculate the path. To avoid this start with a square endmill definition then under Tip/Corner treatment select chamfer option.

If all you need is machine this part then is probably simpler to just create a new plane. Otherwise if what you really need is to move it the I would use "Transform Dynamic" that is probably simpler and quicker.

I guess is a preference issue. I like to do exactly that, only because I don't like to see the G41 or G42 everywhere but only where is needed. So If I see a G41 or G42 then I know it is a finish pass. In any case with the machinist we are getting now it is safer to use computer or wear. Also and as a mater of fact many programmers don't know the difference between the compensation choices.

On the video that I watch, it was X7 and it was used to create wire or trim chains when in the middle of a toolpath without having to exit the toolpath window. https://cadcamstuff.com/262/how-to-pit-stop-in-mastercam/

I am using Mastercam 2018 and I can't find the icon for "Interrupted Mode" command anywhere. Does this command still exists? and if so please tell me where can I find it. Thanks.

I need to research into this function and my first thought was to come this this place and ask. Have anybody used this function of Okuma already and if so please share your experiences. Also is it something I would control via G|M codes or is it something with the machine parameters and a switch on the control of the machine, I will research also at other places but I am trying to gather all the info I can from all the good places I know of. Thanks in advance.

We just got an Okuma MA-500 Horizontal. We previously had 3 Cincinnati Horizontal 4 axis. Because this is mainly a job shop, the decision was made long time ago not to program from center of rotation, instead we do like in a VMC from a known corner of stock, then for the rotations we let the control to track follow the position of that corner. For this to work we need to input the shift amounts (distance from part origin in XYZ to the center of rotation) on the offset page and set the control to track the rotations. We were told that to do this on the new Okuma MA500 we need to use the following routine: CALL OO88 XX=00 YY=20 ZZ=0 BB=0 SBB=0 HH=1 PP=10. We have been trying to make it work like on the Cincinnati Horizontals but we are either doing something wrong or the machine is not calibrated because the tool is not following that corner. Does anyone knows and could explain to me how to make an Okuma Horizontal 4 axis to follow the XYZB corner origin at any angle. The goal is to have only one work offset and let the control figure out the compensation amounts. I think for Haas machines that will be G254 Dynamic Work Offset (DWO).

We just got an Okuma MA-500 Horizontal. We previously had 3 Cincinnati Horizontal 4 axis. Because this is mainly a job shop, the decision was made long time ago not to program from center of rotation, instead we do like in a VMC from a known corner of stock, then for the rotations we let the control to track follow the position of that corner. For this to work we need to input the shift amounts (distance from part origin in XYZ to the center of rotation) on the offset page and set the control to track the rotations. We were told that to do this on the new Okuma MA500 we need to use the following routine: CALL OO88 XX=00 YY=20 ZZ=0 BB=0 SBB=0 HH=1 PP=10. We have been trying to make it work like on the Cincinnati Horizontals but we are either doing something wrong or the machine is not calibrated because the tool is not following that corner. Does anyone knows and could explain to me how to make an Okuma Horizontal 4 axis to follow the XYZB corner origin at any angle. The goal is to have only one work offset and let the control figure out the compensation amounts. I think for Haas machines that will be G254 Dynamic Work Offset (DWO).

Talking about software, as anybody hear about CIMATRON... supposedly is like super good and easy to program anything with it. I just did a quick search and they are with 3dSystems and GibbsCAM. Just wonder if anybody had any experience with it. If anything I will try to learn NX since there is plenty of good jobs that require NX experience.

Any machinist can make that money in Houston. Very different from other cities in TX where wages are very low.

Comments are a must and my operators expect them. The machinist are constantly proving out new programs (we do very short runs) and it helps them to know what to expect when they read (SEMI-FINISH LEAVING .005 FOR NEXT TOOL) or final dimension range like (finish id .8748-.8753). For a shop that runs the same parts over and over the comments may not be of great help but for the small runs, of one-of's shops is a great communication tool. I am the only programmer for 2 shifts and I don't have a fixed schedule so I am here at different times every day and the comments eliminate a lot of the machinists unknowns when proving a program.

Any other thoughts or inputs on this issue, I am having problems again with my quality people rejecting material because the material supplier did not cut the long grain parallel to the third dimension on our PO even when is not clearly specified for them to do so. Our quality department assumes that the third dimension on a material call out is and shall be the Grain Direction. I have tried to explain them that it does not have to be that way if we don't clearly specify it on our PO but old paradigms prevail. I just need to find an aerospace document or material supplier document to support the material call out form and fashion. Please let me know if anybody as knowledge of such document.

The rule of thumb for me for material call out is thickness x with x length and this also translates into ST x LT x LG. Now when I order material I still have to describe which one of the last 2 dimensions is the Long Grain because I don't expect the suppliers to abide by the same rules I do and I have seen in the past that they don't. Is there a document in the Aircraft industry that supports what I described above? or in fact if you don't specify which one of the last two dimensions is the LG direction then the material supplier can cut the material blanks in what ever way is more convenient for them.

Glenn, I tried but it just uninstalled the X+ from my X7 installation. I still can't find the uninstall application for X8 and mastercamX8 still crashes every time I close the software. Please help

Yes, I did tried that JParis, I renamed the config file extension and restarted the software, got a new fresh file but still mcam crashed every time.

Hi all, I finished the installation of X8 and updated the machine & control definitions, ran the updatepost c-hook, etc. I was getting sporadic crashes when ever I closed the software. Then I download and installed the X+ add on for MastercamX8 and now the crashes are the rule. Every time I close the software (mcamX8) I get the Mastercam Crash Reporting window. I tried to uninstall the X+ but I don't see it at the Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features. Please help, any ideas are welcomed.

I used to spin the part on the screen (dynamic rotation) with Alt + the mouse wheel and now it changed to Shift + the mouse wheel. Is there a way to reverse that to what it was or should I learn to live with it the way it is now.

I would like a toolpath to deburr all the 3d edges in a consistent maner. Currently I have to do a 2d contour to drive a Surface Project toolpath, so two toolpaths to create one good deburr operation.

I am biding on a job for which the parts are made of MP35n material. This are lathe parts with little milling (a hex flange machined outside and a hex inside for an allen wrench). Picture a 3/4" dowel pin 2-1/2" long with one end tapered (about 1/4") and 1/2-13 thread x 1/2" on the other end and the hex flange at the end of the thread (in the midd-section of the body). Does anybody knows anything about the machinability of this material. The customers is asking only for 5pcs and I really don't want to open a can of worms for only 5pcs. Thanks for any information on this.

The ftp is asking me for a username and password which I don't have. Colin could you email me the sample file you made. or how can I request a username and password for the ftp site?