Usually not the case as you are aware. But this concept certainly get lost on some folks. The key to the "one part at a time" methodology is that you finish parts frequently.... You end up making parts that can be turned into billable sales instead of a pile of scrap sitting around gathering dust as in-process whip with potential defects yet to be found in them. Batches within reason are perfectly fine within most if not any properly implemented lean program. Ohhhh, lean manufacturinging... Cell methodology and the likes are great if all you make is one part or a family of parts. Many times have I heard of shops going under when they adopted the cell philosophy to the nth degree because some lean consultant told them it would be better. Lean is not one size fits all. It must be tailored to each and every users unique and individual needs. (speaking about a shop as the user here not individual people)

Also look at the back clearance angle in the above screen. Then also look at the tool clearance angles in the tool definition. If they aren't set properly no amount of changes in the toolpath will help....

I'm guessing there was a programming error...

My take on this subject is to do some testing and find out. You won't be able to do anything super tight, but chances are you can manually align your probe such that you get somewhat acceptable results. Z will calibrate fine. XY will basically have the error of the combined stylus/trigger point runout. In theory you should be able to adjust it to near zero error, but in practicality it will be a very tough process to achieve. Will you be able to get it to a sub .001" level. I think without a doubt yes, and likely pretty easily/quickly. Sub .0001", maybe not, unless you have a strain gage type probe, then I don't see why not. What will happen is you will end up with an center offset of 0,0, and all you will end up calibrating is the probe radius, and and offset length

The other thing I have found that happens, with weird disappearing geo is when section view is turned on.....

IIRC, you can.... PRM [1,2] where the number after the comma is the bit number you want to query. Read Mike Lynch's article on it. It gives a good basic overview. https://www.mmsonline.com/columns/accessing-parameter-values-from-within-programs I have seen the Fanuc documentation for this function somewhere at some point in my life, possibly in one of the robodrill books. I can picture it, just can't place where I had access to it at one point in time. It's not in the standard 31i pdf manuals that I have on my computer at the moment... Just a note for everyone who isn't fully up on this subject but are curious, and will start poking around. Not every parameter has a numeric variable associated with it. Notably, I don't think the kinematic offset parameters above that Colin as referring do. Maybe the do and I just haven't ran across them. But using the PRM[] function to query them is a much less confusing method as you are querying the parameter itself and not a # numerical variable with a different number that references the parameter you want to adjust.....

They won't agree to MSC's terms, which as a vendor, typically includes bending over and taking it in the rear with no lube. MSC is good a providing a service to their customer and making the customer pay for it. Suppliers/Vendor, make very little margin on sales through MSC typically if there is a stocking agreement or national agreement in place. It's not a bad thing if you can support them, but for small companies say like Royal it means it is tough to do business.

I try to helical ramp at cutter diameter x 2 - corner radius. Then unless I am dropping the feed rate to say 40% of my normal feed, I will try to ramp at less than the gash dish angle, which in most cases will be less than 2 degrees. Some endmills can handle more aggressive ramping parameters, but this would normally be a pretty safe bet. If ramping at less than the diameter above you will need to back off on your feed some depending on the diameter and angle as your typical 4,5,6,7,or 8 flute tool will not be that many effective to the center, and will have more effective flutes the further you get away from the center. Remember the tool cuts on the front and the back edge of the tool, so the effective torque and forces are greater than when cutting normally in plane.

Vericut is only as good as the inputs it has been given. They really need to make it such that the basic Vericut setup based on a parameter dump, then write the added PMC type functionality for a machine in the vericut "post".

All I see is a work holding dovetail base. Nothing else.

Unless you have a really light edge prep on the insert, you are just barely feeding enough not to rub. I'd be starting at about 0.004" - 0.005", and trying not to exceed about .008" in 316. But that will depend mainly on the insert. There will be a sweet spot with the feed rate that will be recognizable by the way the chip curls. You surely know what to look for there. If it isn't breaking you need a different insert topology. Life will be dramatically better regardless of surface footage if you are making a proper chip. Once you get a good chip you can start to tune the spindle speed for productivity. JP's recommendation to slow down is a good one. But depending on the insert grade, 85sfm is too slow and might cause built up edge. I'd start at 125SFM. I've found if you can't get a reliable process at least 125 SFM in most of the common stainless materials with carbide. Something other than the tool and its parameters are the problem and you need to start looking for a workaround... Unfortunately, the tool and operating parameters are typically all you can change..... so after you have verified your setup is good and your turret is running on center (drilling off center on x is ok, but excessive y will blow it up every time) then it's time to go hunting for parameters that get the job done. Take a cut, and get it out of the cut before it fails. Examine the inserts for signs of chipping or excess heat. If too much heat and you are say around .006" ipr, slow the sfm down. If it's chipping, either it's instable and bouncing around and you need more feed, or it's not hot enough and you are getting built up edge at which case you need more sfm and very possibly a little more feed to generate just enough heat in the cut. Ideally with a insert drill like that you want to create just enough heat that the center insert doesn't chip out, but the outside insert isn't burning up. Typically I will spec a tougher grade for the inboard insert and a more wear resistant grade for the outboard insert. If you are using the same insert for both, lean toward the tougher grade, all you will sacrifice is life and overall productivity, but it should be stable/reliable. Oh, one last thing. You can't have too much coolant with these drills. Higher the concentration the better typically. They typically have large coolant holes and most pumps / delivery lines don't do them justice to get any pressure at the flow rates they allow. At 3/4" it shouldn't be bad. But when you start getting around 1.5" and larger, a 3/16" or 1/4" copper line isn't really optimal.... Happy holemaking.

I live in this camp... When I prove out a file I go delete all the backups except one from the end of each day, usually cuts it down to about 5 files. Then once a year, or as soon as I run out of space.... I go kill all but the last one. It's amazing how quickly this function can fill up your drive. But it has saved my butt so many times, it's not funny.

I bet we see a push for the optipath and force products. Being in the tooling industry I have always seen these as underutilized and understood tools. With some horsepower behind them they could do a lot of good out there in the field. My feeling is that someone who is well trained in how to use those tools could very easily make a living just running around optimizing regular gravy programs for shops. Couple what with a good foundation in tooling knowledge and it'd be dangerous.

James, This was also a great read.... You can't train the above, it's a personal desire. The only thing that will help those of use with this desire is the opportunity to gain the EXPERIENCE with that function or type of problem that we are so well suited to solve. I love it when a customer tells us there is no way to make something in a certain amount of time with one spindle and a stable process. It becomes my #1 problem to solve and after many hours of my own time (plus company time), I usually come out ahead. The only thing that makes it happen is the desire to learn, which usually through brute force and time we will!

Very good insight. I had a good understanding of that prior to your wise words, but you summed it up very well! What frustrates me mostly is the lack of standards from one product line to the next, even within the same builder. Forget about the dealer being able to successfully get a machine up to par (if options were not configured properly) without tons and tons of post sales support, whether it be from applications, service, or the MTB. I have seen it take years to get things fully squared away due to machines having been "reconfigured" at the factory last minute to make a sale.

The worst is machine tool builders that don't set these parameters the same from serial # 50 -> 51, one day to the next on the production line for the same machine model and option spec.

One key to turning on G43.4 before, or making a preposition move is the parameter that controls if TCP is turned on before movement or at the end of the block. Either way, I do believe it lands a the same spot, but it certainly effects the machine motion getting there, especially if there is rotary movement involved. If it activates at the end of the block G43.4 can be a very safe or very dangerous means of doing a rapid pre-position. It all a bout awareness of how the machine moves around. I prefer to have G43.4 active at the start of the block on a HH machine, but would think it might be better the other way around on a table/table. H/T, probably active before.

You just program it from wherever you want your zero to be. No need to visualize cor unless you need to worry about making a smooth resulting kinematic toolpath. Understanding the basic offsets of the kinematics of your machine help here.

Under approach moves in the roughing tab, helical dropdown? Then under links between slices, uncheck use default links, and then change the dropdowns to use ramp and whatever retract setting you want. You still running 2019? This was for 2021 (pocketing, old roughing) since I had it open...

He's running the program from the card calling an internal sub. Done this many times. You are best to split up the subs into separate programs on the card, and execute the main from memory calling the subs with M198's. The search time is what is killing you. I don't know of any way to speed that up. I have ran into the same thing doing mid program restarts. It used to take just as long to search the restart line, as it did to just execute code and cut air up to that point. Just an idea, if you are running from the card, and the programs can be posted without edits, ditch the subs and just run it from the card as one long program. But if you would like the flexibility to run it however, you will need to split it up into individual subs for each operation.

Calculate things for as fast as you can feed. Then increase the radial until you run out of horsepower. I am guessing your sweet spot will be about 15%-20% RDOC, at full depth. The tool will gladly handle 40% stepover at full flute length, but your setup and tool holding need to be perfect to make that work long term. Make sure you use dynamic tool paths, or if not be very conscious not to create radial engagement spikes. You will be limited more by the machine than the tool. A half inch KOR 5 is plenty of tool for a Cat 40 spindle. It is a very stiff tool and will absolutely match or beat the performance of what you have ran in the past. What do you plan to hold it with? If you plan to max out what your machine can handle you will need to be in a Hyrdoforce HT chuck or equivalent milling chuck. If you grind a flat and put it in a weldon holder, that would work as well, but is not recommended due to balance issues. Avoid ramping into a pocket without internal coolant. If you do, don't exceed a 4 degree ramp angle. With internal coolant you could go 8 degrees, but doesn't sound like you have it. Full slot don't exceed .5xd depth. Oh and if you do load it up through poor coolant or unintended misapplication. Drain cleaner (muriatic acid, drano or zep work well) works very well to dissolve the aluminum and make it good as new again. Just drop the tool in a bucket of that stuff for a little while and then knock the pieces out, rinse it off and get back to work...

Probably windows related....

Have you installed the updates? I don't recall if it was update 1 or 2, but IIRC it made a big difference on the NCI generation time. Therefore posting took much less time once it was fixed. What other slowness issues are you having?

I have found on production machines that frequently run prototypes programs or variations to have all unused tool and work offsets to have "safe" default values in them. By safe, I mean values that will force the machine into a safe over-travel condition. It's saved my butt many times.

It has a $. By definition it's a predefined variable. Not sure if that one exists.... I'm guessing he should possibly be using depth$, but given it's a 5ax post, it's likely not that simple due to mapping....