Has anyone here had any experience machining Pyrolytic Graphite? How does it compare in machinablilty with something like poco? I understand it is layered like mica or slate. Is it hard to drill small holes along or with the layers?

In order for this to work for our HAAS machines, I had to use these settings: Transform Toolpath, page 1 Type-Translate, toolplane origin only,Method-ToolPlane, Group Output by-Operation type, Copy source operations, Disable posting in selected ops, Work offset numbering-Assign New, Start 0, Increment 1,- Page 2 Translate-rectangle, X spacing 1, Y spacing 0, X steps = number of offsets you want, Y steps 0. I hope this doesn't create any confusion, it's just how I had to do it.

Under "Arc breaks", if you put check marks in the "Allow 360 degree arcs" boxes, you will come up with something like this:

%

O1( HAAS HELICAL MILL )

( DATE - 06-17-09 )

( NC FILE - HAAS HELICAL MILL.NC )

(T1| 1/2 FLAT ENDMILL|H1)

N1G20

N2G0G17G40G49G80G90

(HELIX BORE)

N3T1M6

N4G0G90G54X0.Y.25S3000M3

N5G43H1Z.25

N6Z.1

N7G1Z0.F25.

N8G3Z-.25I0.J-.25F20.

N9Z-.5I0.J-.25

N10Z-.75I0.J-.25

N11Z-1.I0.J-.25

N12I0.J-.25

N13X-.125Y.125I0.J-.125

N14G1X0.Y0.

N15G0Z.25

N16M5

N17G91G28Z0.

N18G28X0.Y0.

N19M30

%

This is set in the Control Definition, on the arc page, not in the post.

If you try to print with shading turned on, you will get that error, even if the shaded part is on a level that is not currently displayed.

You may have duplicate arcs in one or several places. When you think you are chaining one, Mastercam will chain both and cause an error.

Thanks, Trevor that was it.

According to the "What's New in Mastercam X3 MU1.pdf", X3 now has the ability to import STL files as STL meshes or lines. When I use "File Open" and select the type of file as STL, the options button stays greyed out so I can't import it.

Anyone else having this problem?

I cut threads, in neck inserts for extrusion blow molds for years, with a three axis Haas VF-4. The threads always in tolerance. I never had the need for tilting the cutter. Are you working on injection blow or something?

There is a c-hook called Arc multi edit which does what you are describing. You will need to download it from the ftp site. It will be under X2 add-ons or X3 add-ons.

Check this link.

Robert Brunson Hanard Machine one provides a link in the second to last post.

http://www.emastercam.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...t=030174#000002

Oh man, I stand corrected. I went back and changed the setting on my control def. It doesn't do anything. I guess just being aware that Haas doesn't like anything over 84 characters, I shorten any line that looks too long.

The Haas control doesn't like anything more than 84 characters per line(at least the ones in our shop). That includes spaces.

True,I don't use the MP Master based post. I use the generic Haas post that comes with Mastercam. If I need anything more, I edit it.

I used to have to edit almost every heading in our gcode, until I changed that setting.

I still have to edit that occasionally, but I just make sure there are no more than 84 characters in the line.

In the Control Definition, on the NC Output page, is a "Comments output to NC file" section. Set the "Maximum characters in NC comment" to 75 or less.

I never have any trouble with that problem anymore.

Thanks for your suggestions, all. I may have found a Benz that fits our needs. Not real sure yet, but keeping keeping my fingers crossed. I just have to wait for the distributors tech people in Germany, to get back to work in the morning.

Thanks for the reply, robk. That looks pretty cool. I need a head for a HAAS Cat40 taper. I need to be able to drive er32 collets. I also need thru tool coolant but, the caveat is, I need to run only air thru. So far, all of them with thru tool coolant,that I've found, must run coolant thru at all times. We machine graphite, so we can't run coolant.

Does anyone have any recommendations for any good right angle heads? I can only find a few manufacturers and they don't have the particular options I need.

Turn off setting #23, with it on it locks the macro programs and hides them.

A0. is the code for the fourth axis positioning. it seems like you are using the Generic Fanuc 4x mill.pst .

Make the rough contour operation with a tool of one number, then make your finishing operation with a tool of different number. Your post will automatically write the tool change code.

Thanks for the reply, John. Lots of info. I have an idea I'll have more questions as I try to figure out the hows and whys of these cycles.

I've been searching the forum and reading all i can about custom drill cycles. I am starting to understand them but, I wonder if someone could give me a kick in the right direction. I'm trying to figure if I can make a drilling cycle that will; rapid down inside of a previously drilled hole, then turn my spindle on, drill to depth, turn spindle off, retract, go to next hole and repeat. Will a custom drill cycle be able to do this, or should I use a sub-routine or both? Oh and this is for a HAAS VF-3.

You don't have to switch it off in config. You can switch it off and on with ALT-G.

mtnflyer and JParis,

Thank you both for your responses. They got me to try using the custom drill cycle tab, to see what the NC file would look like. The NC file that resulted was a normal cycle to prepare to drill and then after each position line was a comment in parenthesis. It was easy to then replace all the comments in the editor with M98Pnnnn or whtever I wanted.

Thanks,

Bill

Thanks for the welcome. Actually, I'm not talking about Circmill, I have a pretty good idea how to use that one. I'm talking about any cycle. Suppose I want to cut a square pocket at each of these points?