Thanks for the feedback. Yep, fingers crossed for X5!

Hi All, Ref dynamic mill. Going say 2" deep, with 1" depth of cuts (ie 1x pass at Z-1, 2nd pass at Z-2). 1st pass works well, Z starts spiralling at Z.1 down to Z-1 and runs. 2nd pass starts spiralling at Z.1, (cutting lots of air down to -1) and then down to Z-2 and runs fine. So question of the day: is there any buttons I'm missing to have the 2nd pass start at say Z-.9??? Cheers

It is a nice cycle for roughing and it would be nicer if it had the option to turn off for a finish pass.

Sounds like the servo's need their parameters tuning. The machine probably left the factory with a 'standard' set of values in the parameters. Standard (non G05) machining uses one set of parameters, where lookahead (G05) uses another set. Depending upon how confident you are, you can do this yourself in an afternoon.

Colin, Thanks for the tip

You can hard code info into the pcomment area. We did to allow the table to go to X0 and home in the Y (as we only use manual entry to add clamps or flip a part over). pcomment$ #Comment from manual entry [must call pcomment2] if gcode$ = 1005, pcomment2 else, [ if gcode$ = 1006, [ if g28commsw = 1, [ pbld, "X0.", e$ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< pbld, "G28", pfyout, e$ <<<<<<<<<<<< g28commsw = 0 ] scomm$, e$ ] if gcode$ = 1008, surcomment = scomm$ if [Comsw = 1], pcomment3 ] HTH

All, I haven't 'played' with the active reports and all of our set-up sheets (tool lists really) are produced in word. Hence me saying it would be nice to be able to open them in word. When editing the active reports can you change colours for instance? Again, sometime things need highlighting and bold red seems to do the job! Cheers

Dave, a bit OT but is this driven by your machines struggling to accurately contour? If they're fanuc you could look at G05 options? As for highfeed, we've never tried it but our re-seller said it is very good. We better start looking into it by the sounds of it.

I would like it to output to a MS Word template. Easypeasy for adding info then - even photo's of set-ups if you want to.

I believe it is a paramter option. You need C-EXT by memory. This then works as a soft key. I'm not sure if you would need hardware - I don't think so. Give fanuc a call. HTH

Dave, We did something similar recently. Run 1xD DOC. 150m/min surface speed 0.1mm/tooth feedrate Radial cut of 1mm Rounding radius of 1.5mm We prog back feedrate the same value as the feed. This way the post doesn't output feed on every line. This is better for experimenting and trying/editing at the machine. I've never used microlift. The post here ref false brinelling has frightened me to death... If you're in any doubt, throw a bit of ally in the vice and get a feel for what the machine will behave like. If your machine parameters aren't set well, it will bang around and you won't want that. HTH

I'd be cautious cranking it up, depending upon the tool. Some of these lolypops have to be very long, and have a small dia shank (so read weak). You don't want to be in the same factory if that snapped spinning at 10krpm...

Out with the yellow books and http://www.dncsetup.com/fanucoi.html HTH

Ron, Rolldie worked but not as configurable as 5ax. No multicut/leadin-out etc. Curve 5ax looks good with point at centre as you suggested. Having never 'played' with this path before I needed pointing in the right direction. So thanks for that.

JD, Please can you save that back to the FTP so I can look at it in the morning? There's nothing like a practical example! BTW, ref your earlier comment - how do you break the spline into segments and what size did you do to make it run? Many thanks again.

Many thanks for the pointers guys, I'll have a look when I'm back at work in the morning. BTW, the part shouldn't be undercut - it's badly modelled. Cheers

Hi All, Newbeeee by name and by nature... I've uploaded a file to the ftp called NewbeeeeHelp.mcx in the X4 folder. Please can someone have a look and advise the best way to cut the form? It's a VMC with a full 4th, and the file is (hopefully) set-up correctly but I cannot get it to work. We have Curve 5ax but no luck there... Many thanks in anticipation.

I must admit, I tend to do all my drawing creation in autocad because I've been using it for what seems a billion years. Autocad has a shortcut file within it called acad.pgp. This is a (so so very so) easy customisable file where you can set up comands like L = Line CP = Copy ER = Erase MO = Move MI = Mirror OF = Offset Oh it would be good for all us cad jockeys to have this ability

I know you don't want to thread mill, but if you tap by hand, at the point that you stop there will be a vertical line up the flanks because it's cutting on the full engagement of the tap (unlike parallel tapping where it's only at the bottom/start of the tap). We couldn't get around the line whatever we did (different oils/taps etc), so had to end up thread milling.

7075 lasts well. 2014 is also ok. T6 for both. 6000 series sucks.

thanks for the replies guys.

there's gunna be a lot of stress machining it if flatness is required...

FBM Anyone using it successfully and for what applications (11 year old's asside!). I know it got slated when 1st released and I haven't been near it, but is it worth the configuration and learning time??? Cheers

@dfehrman Just 'cus it looks good in verify means nowt. Never underestimate your post. It clearly needs customising to meet your needs. This is one thing that is superb in mastercam - you (or someone cleverer than me) can make it do exactly what you want it to.

That's a cracking 1st post! Playing devils advocate, CNC are obviously working on MTM hence the Mazak they bought (pictures on the website etc), and it obviously isn't ready for realease yet. Whether that's because of lack of resource, priority, or difficulty/problems is anyones guess. With the regular slating that they get on here for bugs, the last thing I would think they would want to do is to release some buggy software that causes the odd expensive train wreck, especially as the US of A is the king of the no win - no fee culture! I believe X5 is the longest release ever in the Beta phase which I personally welcome. The more testing surely the more robust the product. However, I do believe that CNC owe it to their customers to make a statement just so everyone knows where they stand. Burying ones head in the sand is not a good look.