Kudos - it looks really good!

That has absolutely amazed me that the tool never snapped like a twig within 3 minutes! And all testing i ever did comparing coolant to dry, was coolant lasted longer. And with facemill tips, when they started to go, if it was dry i'd better get there pronto! If wet, it was a long slow process where i could go and put the kettle on and have a brew! Then change the tips.

Tool holder gauge line....(but I know that requires a full system re-write to do this). Output to Excel and re-import would be nicer-errrr...!

Tom, My figures for my old machines (which were budget Chevalier #40 10k spindle belt drive...) :- 12mm 5 flute (16mm "hammered" the part where the 12mm was softer and quieter and a whole lot better tool life) Garr V5 gave best tool life for me with what i tried (being a pikey i never was too spendy on expensive cutters though ) 304 (very similar to 316) Short and stubby sidelock gave better tool life over a Schunk Hydraulic and a Showa Micron chuck Coolant running at 10% also made a very noticeable difference (over 5%). DOC 150% Toolpath Rad 3mm 10% stepover (1.2mm) S2555 F1500 (this gave a great tool life which is what I was after as we ran unmanned). I wouldn't up the RPM that much - that is what killed the tools in 304. The feed can go up (a little), depending on rigidity of part/setup. 303 which is a totally different beast, we'd be running all day on very similar parts at S5000 F3000 and same 10% stepover and with 3x the tool life....

When i jumped from X9 to 2020...i had hoped for a HUGE improvement in it. Being honest....it's a bad college project....

Personally....I'd have a directory structure of Customer Within this a folder of Part No with Issue No Within that folder everything to make the part including program and set sheet. Also within, an OOI (Out of Issue) folder which has within that, previous Issue number together with all info to make the part at that issue (including copy of prog and set sheet). Prog to have at the top....Part # and Issue #. Set up sheet too. Then...Cimco. With the production prog in there and the set up sheet (pdf) linked to it. You can then pull the prog into a machine and if you make edits at the machine, send it back for approval by "someone" who can then delete it or save it overwriting the previous. Nice and simple and excellent.

Lots in the UK too

+1 to what Bill said @Jayson Kramer-CNC Software It certainly was a heck of a help for me.

I've always found that men are like wheelbarrows, and need to be pushed Good luck Bob!

That 2147 blah blah number isn't cool for my OCD. I think an enhancement request to round it down to 2000000000 is in order!

While y'all talking levels....the ability to freeze levels (to stop accidental move or deletion) would be excellent...(for those of us with fat sausage fingers )

Right click in ops manager Select all and rename nc?

It'll be fubar'd by 2023....

Hahahaha - that's the yellow books for you! Ffffaaaaarrrrrrr better now compared to the 90s, but read and read and read again until understandy!

The AS machines are rock stable. But they're CY....

Being honest, you're using a basic 2axis lathe and 3axis mill. So std fanuc posts will be 97% there for you. I wouldn't bother about learning machine simulation etc at this stage or spend any time in configuring it. Gently gently catchee monkey. One thing at a time. As the guys have said, the videos are fantastic learning for the basics all the way to the advanced. And the archive help here via searching, is also massive. And yeh, Autodesk....!

There are a few makes and machine models that apply to what we're talking here, so it would need a regimented approach to dealing with each machine type (or model) "master configuration". But I've had VMCs delivered at the same time - same make model and near sequential serial numbers which have had many parameter differences. And i remember my old reseller (Hi Phil if you're reading) and him telling me of a couple of Integrex years ago. Customer received first machine and post issued. Customer receives machine #2 and spindle (c) is opposite to machine #1. Rather than change machine parameter, customer requests a new post which is issued so each machine now has an individual post and certain jobs can only be run on #1 and certain others on #2. What a ridiculous situation. But could be avoided with a "master configuration".

Colin - sweet call but would that not be better as an initial "set up" program? Surely the "important" machine parameters (specific model or machine series) can be decided upon (ie the functioning ones to check and not ones such as how pressing reset is configured etc) between the MTB and CNC, then a "master" set of those parameters can be run when installing Mastercam MTM? So there's a master post (Mcam) and master parameters (MTB) that are supplied together? I guess it's just an automation way of what James does when he goes into a company and configures the MAMs - but CNC will obviously always be on the backfoot if the machine is not configured as they expect. Same as Bob is on the backfoot because the post isn't outputting MCodes where the machine needs them...

777 had something similar...first fully CAD aircraft and the wire looms for the tail were outsourced to Germany (who worked in metric). When they were delivered for the first (5?) builds, they were many feet short (and not very stretchy ). Metric. Inch. I dunno the prob. It's just a 24.5 conversion....

...and I guess that the placement of said sensors, and how they're actually bonded to the iron, makes a HUGE difference too?

Bob If the machine from just sitting powered shifts 2 thou centreline of spindle bore, it has a HUGE fundamemtal instability problem. What is your tailstock/sub spindle like? Does the machine turn parallel day to day? ...and i would look through the books and confirm the parameter numbers and check for my own sanity...

Hmmmmmm......

Bob - donkey question....the 2 thou drift on X.... are the machine parameters set correctly? Is the machine actually using the scale for the X? Or just the ballscrew + encoder.....??? 2 thou on a foot long travel with a scale is monstrous...

^^^^my old 1990 Warner Swasey WSC6 i bought out of a college (hardly used but a bit abused) would hold 2 tenths without adjustment. Over night cool down etc and fire up in the morning no changes running barfeed too. Only 2ax but a turret (not platten). Unbelievable. But it cost me $7k...