I use wear comp in my Haas with a renishaw TS27R probe. when you call up the macro you have to preload the cutter diameter. I can't remeber which one it is but it is either the S or I value in your macro call. should look like this for .25 dia cutter. G65 P9853 B3. T1 D1 S.25 I.25 Q3. The o9853 macro needs to be modified to load the value from S, or I into the offset table, then after the tool is touched the macro subtracts the measured diameter from the preloaded dia. resulting in a wear comp. this is the beginning of our o9853 code: (PRELOAD TOOL DIA.) #[#20+2400]=#19 I also have my post in MCX set up to use misc interger 5 to add tool setting to my posted program. I enter a 1 (in misc5) to touch length, a 3 to touch length and dia, or a 4 to touch lentgh without offsetting tool for large diameters ( for drills bigger than 10mm). this is what the posted code looks like. (/block delete so you can skip tool setting after first piece) code: ( 1/4 FLAT ENDMILL | TOOL - 1 | DIA. OFF. - 1 | LEN. - 1 | Dia. - .25 | | ) T1 M6 / g103 p1 / G65 P9853 B3. T1 D1 S.25 I.25 Q3. G0 G90 G54 X-.9829 Y-1.4234 A0. S7500 M3 G43 H1 Z2. Send me an email if you like and I can help you with the correct changes to your macros.

esherbro, Have you done any testing of your tool paths in hard tool steel. That's where i see a problem with taking smaller axial depths to open a channel. If i am going to mill hard tool steel at small depths i would use high feed cutter geometry, for deep axial (peel milling) i use a different cutter. trying to do both with the same cutter is not a good idea. Also, spindle speed has a great affect on the ability to mill hard steel and small depths. One other thing to note. We paid less money for our 1 network license of Cimco-HSM + 1 year maintenance than your cost for 1 a year 3-d subscription. The Cimco also includes many great high speed finishing passes also.

The hasp should not cause your computer to lock. I think that Mastercam only looks for the hasp at set intervals, and if does not see the hasp it will give you one chance to save before it closes. Your computer locking up is probably another problem. What OS are you running, how much ram, what type of operation in MCX causes the lock up, etc.

I finally had some free time this afternoon. This is a video of a 2d adaptive clearing toolpath from Cimco HSM. It looks just like the ones on the Surfcam website.

We just purchased Cimco-hsm for mastercam. I would put the Cimco adaptive roughing against Truemill any day. The first production job we have used it on we saved 50% roughing time. $4000/yr svaings plus extended tool life. The part is 416T SS 28Rc, we now rough at 125 IPM, .75deep cuts, .015-stepover. There is a free trial download from Cimco. You will be impressed. We have one floating license on the network to share among three programmers. Well worth the money.

Rotary axis positioning moves are driven by toolplane. if you create a new WCS and use the corresponding toolplane to that WCS you will not get the axis rotation. If your toolplane does not mach your WCS it will post axis rotation within limits set by your machine def. There are a few really informative WCS tutorials on the FTP site.

The ftp kept saying I didn't have permission, but it appeared to have load the jpgs.

Randy, we just had a demo on Verisurf last month. They are officially still in V9, but they had the beta version for x2 on the laptop thay did they demo with. I think I remember hearing Dec-Jan from the sales guy.

Still breaking tools, any suggestions?

I am having trouble with tool life on a small groove, I am looking for advise. The groove is .346 minor dia, .473 major dia, .08w, material 303ss. I have tried between 160-250sfm, .0003-.001 feed, and as small as .01 depth cuts roughing, and we only get up to 20 pieces per solid carbide tool. Thanks in advance,

We use the Chook everyday. For a one wcs program with 1 stock piece and up to 10 tools I can go from MCX to set-up vericut (ready to verify) in 10-15 min. For set-ups with multiple stock and wcs it takes a little longer, but usually no more than an hour. I have starter vericut files for each of our machines. We also run auto-diff on most parts that go through Vericut.

Rick, what was the cause? I have had this problem also and not been able to figure it out.

Caimax machine sim still uses Mastercams NCI. That's like letting your kid check his own homework. Until it checks the posted gcode I don't trust it.

+1000 to Ron. Tool runout has a huge affect on finishing in aluminum. I just finished some aluminum compression molds for some prototype parts that needed a fine finish. I used an 1/8 ball mill with a .001 step over, .0001 cut tolerance, and 7500 rpm/15 IPM. I let the finishing passes run over night. The finishing passes took about 10 hours ( 6 by 6 by 2 inch molds) but they didn't need any hand finishing.

quote: trying to hold .0003 on a .456bore in titanium. Asking a lot in an uncontrolled enviroment. We hold .0004 (.312 bore dia) in titanium all day long in our Haas and Kia lathes. However we do keep the shop at 72deg all year long.

We cut 416 condition T alot. Its about 26-28Rc. Forms chips pretty easy. You should be able to cut it a little faster than 300SS.

Did you buy the high speed machining control option in your Haas? When I post programs that have a lot of very small moves (high cut tolerance) along with high feedrates the movement is jerky. This is because the machine can move faster than the control can process code. The Haas high speed option gives the control about a 40% gain.

Anybody test this yet? I am very hesitant about upgrading until I know if this Chook works.

Yes you can solid toolpath imported solids, but it does not always work. Typically the part geometry has to be symmetrical and continuous or you will get that error. Really complicated parts that have a lot of mill features will get this error. When this happens I just use create-curve-slice to make a wireframe section of the part.

Aluminum dust is also highly explosive. If you do fine finishing, buffing or grinding of aluminum be careful of collecting dust.

I gave up on Mastercam stock pull toolpath along time ago. I just have a text file for our bar pull routine that I copy/paste in to a manual entry tool path and edit the new z-x.xx value for the length of the part. May not be the answer you are looking for, but its a work around, and as anyone that runs mcx lathe knows - work arounds are key.

Does anybody know If the "peel milling" in MR2 is the same as CIMCO Adaptive Clearing C-hook for mastercam? We are thinking about buying the Cimco-HSM Chook but I don't want to if MR2 is going to have the same Adaptive clearing toolpaths under the name of peel milling.

I have my Haas post set up to output Renishaw toolsetting macro calls. I enter a 1,3, or 4 in misc5 and it calls a tool length + dia(3), tool length only for rotating tools(1), or tool length on center for drills or odd taper tools(4). It also post a block delete so you can skip the tool setting after the first piece. code: G20 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90 ( 1/2 BULL ENDMILL 0.0313 RAD | TOOL - 1 | DIA. OFF. - 1 | LEN. - 1 | Dia. - .5 | | ) T1 M6 / g103 p1 / G65 P9853 B3. T1 D1 S.5 I.5 Q3. ***** renishaw macro G0 G90 G54 X-1.9455 Y-1.2324 A0. S2500 M3 G43 H1 Z4. M8