Steve, Volumill was the program you were thinking of. Discussion was heavy on it because it was a web based software not an owned license. Unusual for this day and age. It was created by the guys that created Surfcam Velocity and worked beautifully. I tried it on several unusual parts and it worked great. Took some getting used to though, waiting for the file to go back and forth. Do a search on Volumill and you will find a couple of threads where we discussed it. Never got Mcam to work close to what I wanted. Cimco was good too but Surfcam and Volumill are better. Good Luck Neurosis!

Not quite sure why you would want to do this, but an easy way is to multiply by -1 which will switch your sign (x*-1). Easier to move the part to right quadrant. FYI:If your mirroring a part, this will change your cut from climb to conventional. The system handles rounding by the number of places after the decimal that you signify for output, if your question is about posted output values.

Wow! Definitions all over the board. I agree with each and every one, but still say a "programmer" only generates "G-code" for the machine. While in many small shops, yes, you have to wear many hats and do all types of "classification" jobs. I know most have swept floors, emptied trash, cleaned machines, cleaned toilets (especially the owners!), like I have. Alot of the definition has to do with size of facility. Large aerospace, medical, automaotive giants, a programmer just generates G-code and hardly ever sees the machines. Mom and Pops Job shop might have the same guy quoting (sales), ordering material (purchasing), reviewing specifications (contracts administrator) designing the job, tool selection, picking the machine, order of operation (Manufacturing Engineer), Programming (PROGRAMMER!!!), Set up (Machinist), running (machinist or operator, another big definition of debate!!), debur (debur labor), inspect (Quality), Assembly, if there is any (assembler labor), package (Shipping), billing (accounting). It really depends on the size of the facility and the approach that each company uses. Some have programming at the machine, some have seperate programmers, some just buy programs. Do I agree that you can't be a good programmer without serving an actual machining apprenticeship? You bet! I don't know how many times I wanted to put one of my programmers out on the floor. Unfortunately, you also end up with guys that have a general background and don't have a solid machining background or understand alot of the necessary principles. Now alot of guys are going to realize just how much work they actually do for a programmers wage! LOL! Which isn't that bad unless you are doing all the work for cheap. I have seen shops out here offer $12 an hour for all of the above.

A "programmer" generates "G-code" that makes a CNC function.

THank you gentlemen, I appreciate the input and feedback.

Hey general, you don't work at Creative Blow Mold do you?

Thanks Brian, Mike and JParis, I need more people to input!!! I agree about the fixture work also! C'mon CNCApps, Hardmill, Crazy! I need lots of input on this one!

I have a need for you guys' response for an in house debate on where to set the Z0 for lathee programming. In all of my experience, Z0 has been the face of the part at finish. Regardless if you are roughing or finishing. The set up sheet and notes reflect how much material if roughing is to be left. The machinist then sets his tools to be at Z0 for the finish face of the part. If you are leaving .03" on the face for a finish operation, the program shows a Z value of .03". How do you do it?

They used to have a $5 buyout lease that ran for 5 years. I'm sure they still do since they have their own financing arm.

I never tried the method in the video above. IT looks like it would work well too.

It will work Ron as long as your fixtured solid. You are right, run the tool off center, cutting with the leading edge half of the tool. We used this method all the time for crankshafts and it worked great. We had a 4th axis and a slave 4th which wasn't powered.

Have to agree! There ain't nothing down San Diego way, at least thats not just simple work that pays McDonalds wages. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these socalled "recruiters" have no idea what they are looking for or at. I spend more time educating them as to what a CNC does and what multiaxis is then anything else. They are typically a waste of time and are just paper pushers getting multiple resumes in front of HR people (Aerotek, and Cybercoders seem to be the worst). These guys are ruining the industry and killing it for people who actually know what they are doing. Again, unfortunately, most of the HR people have no clue as to what the company is looking for and they will usually go to a cheap inexperienced person who has never even ran a machine much less seen one! Sorry, but that's the typical of what I have been finding. If anybody knows of any real jobs, let me know! My Two Cents Worth! LOL!!!

just change your M30 to M99 and it will run indefinetily until you stop it.

First true 5 axis simultaneous, K&T Moduline with an AB control 1978. Horizontal with a rotary table. Only problem is pivot point is between table and column so every single movement has to be recalculated. Currently retrofitted with Fanuc motors and control and resides in Wichita, KS. The price has gone down significantly since it's inception and CNC Apps is right, alot less setups and work. Plus very few parts are "true" 5 axis. Most are just positional and the 5 axis makes it easier to get to maore "sides" of a part. I am currently getting a new Haas VF-8 with a Tri-tech head to do engine castings for probably 1/3 of what a dedicated 5 axis would cost. Plus it will have an additional rotary for positioning. The majority of the work will be positioning, not true 5 or 6 axis work.

quote: The original cad model was imported from Pro/E Wildfire as an iges file. There's the reason. Try a .stp, they seem to be better, but not much. If you happen to have access to Rhino, try it. It has simply the best file transfer I have seen on any package. Just bring in the ProE model and save it back out thru Rhino and your results will typically be many times better. I have never seen a good file yet from ProE. We have it here and our models are progressive. As they get more detailed, the model (at least to Mcam) gets worse and worse and we can't use them for stock models. We end up redoing alot of stuff and making another file in Mcam to use. Tremendous waste of time!!!

If it's like APT it should be vector values. Calculate one motion/position angle out and check the X,Y,Z and the U,V,W. The points should rest on the vector angle. One would assume, but that assume thing has caught me more than once!!! LOL!

Get it man, it's 2008 already!!

+1 for Dell refurbs. You can't get a better deal. go to their website and then go to the outlet. Bought my $2700 laptop for $1400 and a $250 printer for $90. They are not all refurbs. Some are made to order and then the order gets cancelled so they sell them at a highly reduced price to move 'em out.

Just like there's no substitue for cubic inches, there's no substitute for insert drills. Use a large (depending in corner radius size) dia. insert drill (thru the spindle coolant if you have it) and drill the holes as close as possible to each other (don't know if mcam has a drill roughing routine or not, sorry). Then knock the stand offs and walls down with any good shell mill. Very quick, very efficient. Much faster than milling.

No, I actually move my part in space to where it will be machined. I always left it on TOP just like Z going into the part. If I want to machine on the left side of the part, I change it to LEFT. As if the part is sitting normal right hand rule. The output will be A90 (or not, LOL!) depending on how your machine definition is set up. Been awhile since I've done a horizontal, but this is the way I do it for my Vertical Rotaries except FRONT and BACK instead of LEFT and RIGHT.

1. Haven't used a 5 axis, but their 3 axis were always good. Plus they always have a perty pink booth!!! 2. To get any high speed use the machine will have to be efficient with its motors, bearings, processing. They always used Fanuc in the past so I would assume that they would have current Fanuc Controls with high speed processing. If you still plan on using traditional machining methods of heavy cuts and feedrates, then make sure the column and supporting structure is stout and rigid. True you typically lose torque in the higher speed motors. 3. True 4. One would assume that if Methods gives you a post to work with their machines that it would be set up to take advantage of the machines capabilities. 5. I think they use Kennametal here, some contract for total supply or something. Get a tool presetter, offline and in machine (laser) and a probe. It will forever make life better for programmers and operators.

If your control is newer, you can use GOTO routines and skip over empty stations/offsets.

quote: Now with the 5 axis I would like to be able to utilize it and cut with a ball endmill on the radius more than just with the tip. I think it will leave a better surface finish.As a general rule of thumb, this is true since your SFM is actually zero at the tip. You need to control the tilt and angle of your head. Use advanced Multiaxis and take some time to read through the screens. Do some experimenting and watch the verify to see the changes in your control of the parameters. If you are cutting conves surfaces, you would need less finish work by utilizing flat end mills or bull nose. Cut to the center or close to it, not the front as it has a tendency to scallop in beyond the finish surface. If concave, bull or ball, but bull might not get down into smaller concave areas. List your version and features so we know what to suggest to you, i.e.; Multiaxis, solids, etc. Is your machine from Northwood Designs? Welcome.

You can just change the WCS/Plane under View Manager and by picking where the center of your rotation is from the part is you have it drawn correctly. If not, you can enter the values. I have always just picked front, back, etc. for whatever side I needed to machine. I forego using any "special created" planes unless I absolutely have to have them for something I am cutting that is not "normal" to one of the natural planes. 3-D surfacing will turn the rotary for you if you program it using multiaxis or advanced mutiaxis. Watch your control of vectors. It can waste a heck of a lot of rotary motion that really isn't necessary in most instances. As for programming from the center of rotation, it's the best way to go. To do that place your part in space where it should be on the machine or on a template. It takes a little more fore-planning on your part but will make your job a lot easier and the operators as well. Make a quick template of your tombstone or holding method to save to use on all your parts instead of trying to draw something or move something in space each time. I'm sure many others will chime in with advice. There's many ways to skin a cat! Welcome and good luck.

It's the flame cut what made em hard. You won;t get a combination that will give you good tool life because of this. The money saved for the cheaper flame cut has now cost you in inserts, so the company didn't save a penny and the parts will probably cost more overall now to make. If you have to do more, get them waterjet cut. No material distortion, case hardening, jagged edges, etc. Tool life will increase dramatically. Good Luck. I hate flame cut material. It should only be used for +/- a football field, finish cut, farm parts.