Make sure peck first plunge only, is not checked and that your steps amount (aABS/INC) are set properly.

quote: No scaling option in the mastercam menu. When you hit print and it gives you the option to portrait or landscape, there is a scaling option. I leave it alone and just WYSIWYG. What you see on the screen is what you are going to print. If you want the whole part to the extents printed, then zoom all and hit print. If you want detail in a certain area, then make that area the view on your screen. WYSIWYG!!! If you need a bigger blow up, then start using the scaling.

quote: My shop will be getting seven new Mazaks by the end of the yearSorry. I feel for ya!! We have 4 here and I'm hopin they'll call for something to hold down the Queen Mary in place. Seems like a fitting job for 'em! Follow what Crazy said and you'll be ok. They take some getting used to. Start getting ready now. Did your boss/owner work out turnkeys on some of your parts? Forget Mazatrol use. No control with it and the operators don't like that they can't see where the machine is going to.

General Fanuc code works just fine. Make sure you change the file type to .EIA

Does either machine have USB ports? Make sure who is the responsible party before you deliver. You could end up liable for parts, tools, etc.

quote: I have never seen a shop in my area, that keeps the door interlocks on. I assumed that is the norm?Not in the states, especially CA. Most people still do it, but in this litiguous society, it's not recommended anymore. I have finally got in the habit of praying....alot!!! LOL! Especially with our 4 axis and lathe programs (nothing like arbitrary rapids to get to the other side of the part just to rotate). I started at a time when there were no guards, so it's always been hard for me to not be able to look at all angles when I want to. On our Mazaks, all we do is hit a manual button. The program stops at that point and you can unlock and open the doors. Can't move the machine, but at least you can clear chips, etc. We are running EIA programs on a Nexxus 640T, Lathes and Mills. To restart, just hit the memory button and then cycle start. Spindle starts back up coolant, etc and starts wehre it left at.

User Name and Password was my problem previously. Also the firewall has to be set correctly.

When you select a toolpath type, the icon to the write of the chain is the solid chaining feature. The solid will disappear while you run your chain. it doesn;t always work correctly though and many times you may have to create geometry by create curve, slice.

Your on the right path Jane. Mcam doesn't make lathe programming easy. I have broken surfaces all around my parts and end up having to rotate my models to get the full contour chape and end up erasing a ton of lines and arcs. I assume thats why you have the gaps because you have interupted cuts so you must make sure that the geometry is at its furthest point before create curve slice. Dragracer is right, if you have solids and a fuly round part always, it's very easy to program directly from them. Welcome to the forum!

I'm just going by what CIMCO told me!

quote: MultiAxGod -> As far as I know VoluMill is only 2D roughing so far. How can you then be able to do undercut machining?I am running a very simple 2-d contour with a lead in and lead out which counters for the undercut. Because the CIMCO looks at the entire model, it sees it as an undercut and can;t compute it. Volumill had to make corrections to their software for me (and everyone else now) to compensate for the cutter C/L being outside the boundaries because we use a 13.5" Slot Mill to get in and make the cut. When I get a few minutes I am going to try what Steve has suggested with CIMCO, to see if I can force it to work, but won't be able to get back to this until next week.

quote: Hmm, I have used Cimco for undercuts, esp 2D contours under a lip or edge..You must have a special version!!! LOL! From Rene Moller Fonseca at CIMCO 3-26-08 Paul, Yes, that is correct. The strategies only support flat, ball, bull nose, taper mill tools. Undercutting is currently not supported. René Can you show me how to manipulate it to do it since CIMCO says it doesn't support it? Generate and Accept buttons don't work with a slot mill described????? quote: Are you using the slotmill for all of the routine, not just the undercut? Yes, the slot mill is all that is used and generates all of the shapes down the part (envision a crankshaft being cut from the end)

quote: Report it to QC.Our dealer went to CNC with it, so they should know! from 2-25-08; Dennis, We are having some severe problems with a 4th axis programs "visually" rapiding through the part in various places. However, this is not reflected in the G-Code. The program for the machine actually goes out properly to the clearance areas before rotation, but in the backplot and in the simulator the tool seems to rapid to the next 'Z' level which before the rotation, is on the other sided of the part. However, it does not always do this. Some patterns one to the next work properly and some go though the part. All settings for clearance, planes, offsets, etc. are the same. These files have so many rotations that we cannot check through all of the program to verify that it is actually clearing and not crashing as the "visual" side of the system shows. Once I send you the file, you'll understand immediately. from 2-14-08 Another issue is sometimes when using a solid for stock, after selecting the solid, it will disappear and there will be no stock definition? The solid will have to be reloaded. from 2-29-08; Hi Paul, Sorry it took so long to reply. I'm not sure if I replied to this already. Yes Verify doesn't simulate the move from 1 cut to the next correctly when then the rotary axis is involved. This should be fixed in X3. Thanks, Dennis

We used to make our own and called them flip out back spotfacers. I would agree with Jaz, that's a pretty small hole to do this with and if your material is hard, it seems like it would brek the joint off. Remember to reverse your spindle when cutting and then reverse it back to retract or ......oooops

I liked the CIMCO look and feel but it wouldn't work on our cuts (slotmill and undercuts). VoluMill did. http://www.emastercam.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...=1;t=026782;p=2

Correct the problems on Verification for when you are doing things like 5 axis machining. Tool goes through part to get to the other side, when in the code it doesn't. And get steady rest working and stock working properly without problems. I know these are bugs, but they are a pain.

Just a quick update. We cannot use CIMCO or Mcam HFM because neither support slot mills or undercuts. VoluMill did and supported the centerline of the cutter outside the boundary. Thanks Evan.

Don't have as much time to comment as I would like because I have to get some work done!!! LOL We tried VoluMill here on Proprietary steel similar to 4340 @ 45R on a Makino HMC. The cut was a periphery cut going in and out of material thickness. Volumill saved time from 2:45 min to 2:30 min per revolution around the part and from 4:30 to 3:15. We are attempting to not only save time, but more so of insert life, which are currently changed after every part (26 inserts).The feedrate does change and is not constant. HFM would not do the cut period and never got a response from CNC. Sorry Evan, we are also trying CIMCO because of the Internet connection issue, but your software and the algorithms do work well. VoluMill was also very responsive to our needs and communications and resolutions were typically in minutes. If I can get more time I will add more information as to what we did and how it all worked.

Yes, it is an issue. It should work in X(insert number wanted here!!) LOL! Like Michael said, easiest way is to bring it in as surfaces or make surfaces and then it tends to work ok. I usually only get points, no lines or sometimes lines are skewed and non tangent to arcs, etc.

Put your part with the rotary in "X". Move your WCS to wherever you want the zeroes to be. Use Advanced Multiaxis, 5 Axis Multi Surface. Machine it in lanes and climb mill in one direction. Go thru the screens carefully, like most features, it has a tendency to bomb, but when it works like it's supposed to you don;t have to worry about a million work arounds and creating a bunch of geometry to do a simple cut. Play with the lead in and lead out, it's not quite what it seems in verbage. If your flat ends up in front, just change your plane to front and cut it normally with no extra work to do, the code will be right. Use simple roughing and contouring and all will work easily.

Make sure it has a green check in the box. Sometimes when I post it will pick/check everything but the manual entries for some reason and I have to go select them manually.

Do they allow you to override the door? Program Restart is on the same page, if I remember right? Just turn it on and run what you need. It will move to the last Z level before moving, so be careful, but it will initiate all the tool settings. Be careful with the comp too. If there are macro calls and it can't find or evaluate what it needs to, then it will alarm and won't work anyway. Make sure to turn program restart back off again after using it or the next time you jump down to a tool to start from, it will read thru everything before it and possibly send Z somewhere you don't want it to.

I have found that when I use an .STL file, it just gives me the periphery/countour of the stock and does not use it as for verify. For verification, bring in a solid (it will automatically import to a different level) and go into the verification, pick the yellow file folder with the exclamation on it, then pick the solid radio button and then the arrow to select your solid model. Save the file before doing this as sometimes it will delete the solid. We don't start from a forging, but start from billet and go thru several steps. At each successive step, the model from the last step is used as the stock model for verification. Sometimes, on the parameter screen for the solid selection, you may have to unselect Truesolid. Ours works sometimes and otehr times it doesn't. Also look to see wether you have Translucent Stock selected on this screen. Welcome Hope this helps!

Just because you CAN force a code on to it, doesn't mean that it works nor is a good idea!