They have a Few spindle Otions I think. We always op for the Two speed Gearbox that maxes out at 10000 rpm

Also Using MAsking to cut to on the router works well too. THat way it gives you .005" or so before you break into your MDF and start loosing Vacuum.

SCM makes a pretty good router. I used to use Record 125's at the last place I worked. You could program simple parts at the machine. and they offered 3,4,5 axis machines. You could do wood, plastics and aluminums on thier machines. I think they were pretty versatile.

Nawww, just cover the rest of your table with some sort of polycarbonate or other sheet that won't bleed air through it. Tape any seams that are bleeding vacuum with masking tape. It works sweet!

2L Inc. makes chamfer Mills that I use all the time when trying top do critical chamfers. The tip is guranteed to .01" diamter. you would have to have them coated though.

Something else you could do is mount your vise to an aluminum plate. and suck the plate down to the table. I used to Run SCm routers and there were times we did things like that. Setup time would be almost null. especially if your Router uses Pods to set your sheets against.

We actually use harvey most of the time. I use the pilot Dia for the definition of my tool so that it makes the proper tool offset in mastercam. That is what I was having trouble getting straight. Mastercam was using the largest diamter of the tool and not the pilot diamter.

I was wondering how people explain corner rounding tools or other special tools like tapered endmills to Mastercam. Most of my tool paths are 2D with these tools. What I have been doing is defining the tool with the tip or pilot diamter. Any more that that and Mastercam thinks the largest tool diameter is the actual diameter. so then it machines with the largest diameter and not the pilot diameter. This is crappy because it doesn't always verify correctly, and the tool paths are not comped correctly. Just curious what other people are doing. Thanks.

My company has talked with Haas Sales person about leaving off the fron of the machine. We are waiting for a response back from them.

We just ordered a new CNC mill A Haas VF-9. We got to looking into the actual size of the machine the other day. Then we looked at the overhead door that it needs to come trhough. The door measures 119 1/2" the machine is 125" minimum width. Has any one ever had this problem? The machine is the smallest we can get. so The actual size of the machine is set. Brick on either side of the door 5 courses up. We asked Haas if they would build the machine and ship it without the fron paneling on it. It was a bit funny.

I was at a shop running a Mazak cnc lathe with live tooling. It had an 8" chuck with live tooling and "Y" axis. I didn't think we needed it at first, But it ended up really helping out a lot. Also, we ended up getting a demo machine for way less than new. with factory warranty. It was at Hendrick motorsports as part of Mazak's sponsorship. I liked the machine a Lot. It was envolved to program at times though.

It looks as though the subs are +1000 to your origional program # that is why I have over written subs. Thanks.

Typically if you name OP1 program name O1000, the subs will increment from there O1001, O1002 and so on...

 

So if you name OP2 program O2000, the subs "should" be O2001, O2002

 

or am I missing something?

well I name my programs 1,2,3 and so on. Maybe that is why... I am new this year to mastercam and have never used anything remotely as nice. So multiple ops are very new. I will try that.

I have a question reguarding subprograms. I just recently started using them. I checked that as I added further operations the subprogram numbers would assend. I need this to be the case because we will load ops 1-3 all at once. what happens is if the subprogram in op 3 reuses p1004 again it will over write what op1's p1004 subrpogram was. I emailed my reseller, who is usually not that great at getting back to me. So in the mean time I thought I would ask here. I can get it to do the assending subprogram numbers about 50% of the time. The rest of the time it re uses a subrpogram number from one other operation before hand. I know it is probably something I am doing. I just don't know what.Just curious what other people seem to run into with more experience than myself.

Thanks,

Would any one happen to know how to get X+ to name the html the same as the current machine group when you generate code for the toolpath group? I had my reseller alter my post so that it would trigger X+ when I generate code. That way I wouldn't forget to make a setup sheet. The operators like X+ setup sheets. everything they need to know on one HTML page.

We have an old Vf-1 that has an over ride in the parameters we change that daily. and we also have two new VF-2's that have the door interlocks on them. They have to be cycled every morning along with the e stop button when we turn the machines power on. There is an over ride key on the end of the control. It limits your spindle to 750 rpm and 25% rapid. I hate the interlocks. You have to wait for the machine to allow you to open the door on M00 commands when tapping and we want to use some taping fluid on the tap.

I agree with you 100% about the designing and machining of parts. I am just trying to come up with a fast way for us to machine parts. Also being able to program them fast. I think my next step may be to look at importing and exporting tool paths for particular size holes. If I can get engineering to standardize on slip fit or press fit sizes.

the guys and gals programming and running the machine tools are the people who imprint their intelect into the parts by actually making them. Its often easier to dream up a design than it is to make it.

ASHM,

We are making on off parts all day long. there is rearely any production here. If there is production it is less than 20 parts. that is why i would like the hole at the meadian value. The only problem with using only one d offset is that if i have a +,+ feature, and a -,- feature, and the operator wants to adjust one or the other by a little bit, say it is deeper and may have some spring. It's easier to have multiple d offsets so they can adjust them individually.

I was just checking to see if any one has tried going the route that I would like to see things done. I think if engineering would draw what the finish product should look like and also factor in for paint, coatings or what ever else they want done to it. Then I would be able to machine with the same d offset and material left with out ever having to do much else, drawing extra geometry or what have you. Just an idea right now...

Our engineers here draw every thing on size for holes or toleranced features. Is there a way for them or myself the MasterCam programmer to machine these holes with out using multiple diamter offsets for the tool? I am looking for a way for Master cam to recognize tolerances. Unfortunately we use Solidedge, not Solidworks. Does any one have any ideas? I am new to mastercam this year, and have never gotten too deep into any other cam packages that I have used in the past.

Thanks.

Can you use a blank vacuum table and take a bunch of material from one side and pre-stress your part?