Or just move the machine up X inches to clear it and skip the G28 G00 G91 Z4. G90 A45. Z.100

You could write a .SSB or a G-code macro for each machine to go "home," then call that before toolchanges, so programs for all machines would be the same / similar

Not sure what you are trying to do, but you can write to Positive and Negative Variable Limits in your programs. We do this all day, every day, to make sure the machines are in a safe index position before toolchanging. If you wanted the machine to index in the same place all of the time, you could put the encoder values in common variables and then read those values into the Positive and Negative limits in the program. For instance, we use V181 for X and V182 for Z to establish index position; in the Common Variables for [1] machine, V181=961.4179, V182=639.5625 In the program, we set VPVLX=V181 and VPVLZ=V182, so when you send the machine home (G00 X100. Z100. or whatever you use) it always goes to the same spot; if the operator changes it for some reason, the program writes over it and goes there anyway. Not sure if this is what you are trying to do, but OSP controls can do damned near anything you want. C

We run Melin 4FL drill/mills all day long for chamfering in aluminum, stainless, steel, whatever. They are marginal for spotting/countersinking, and we only use them in soft materials for that. C

Call your Renishaw guy; they are typically quite helpful in situations like this because they know everything that they have available for your machine

We have used similar materials for filling a void (pocket, bore, slot, whatever) before machining an adjacent feature; does a pretty good job preventing vibration and keeping thin walls from collapsing during cutting. I would not think it would stand up very well to machining, with the melting point so low, and it is quite soft In addition, because it is not bonded to the base material in any way, you would most likely jack it right out of your part unless the low-melt was encapsulated by the part somehow (like a dovetail or a t-slot). Thinking way out on the fringe, if you need a threaded hole where you don't have any material; could you cast the low-melt around a Keensert, or a flange nut, or something like that? C

Interesting. I wouldn't run coolant in that application because of thermal cracking, but i am surprised you can't get the job accomplished I would think high surface speed, high feed, light DOC, and air blast if you have it; call your insert guy and say "WTF?"

304 is dogsh!t soft; not sure I see the connection That being said, I am also surprised that the tapping arm will do it; an M8 will pull a pretty good spindle load on a 10HP CNC spindle in material that hard C

Yikes; I would be surprised if a Bridgeport had the sack to form tap an M8 in 40Rc material

Excellent point! C

IMO, you are right on the borderline of un-doable with that hardness. We form tap steel and stainless all of the time, and I would suggest the OSG ExoTAP-NRT (NOT the Hy-Pro) for that application. In my experience, if those taps don't come out of the hole, no tap will. Watch the minor dia, the harder material likely won't flow down to the same size as softer material. C

Didn't realize eMC had turned into an advertisement forum The idea of having the first machine in the country would scare the crap out of me, BUT, if you have experience with the same style of machine from another manufacturer / distributor I would think you should be OK. Our Matsuura machines have required little or no service, including the ones we had for decades, and most of the service that was required came from Fanuc, not Matsuura. If you know the style of machine, once it is up and running I'd think you could handle most issues over the phone. C

In that case, if you have the money, I would suggest the Matsuura. Matsuura builds really beautiful machines, and they last forever; over the last [2] years we pushed a 1981 M760V and a 1990 RA-II out the door, still running, because we just didn't have the floor space anymore. I was concerned when Matsuura and Methods parted ways here, wondering what kind of service we'd get from Yamazen, but the machines never need anything, so it hasn't mattered. Is there a reason why those are your only choices? C

Let me preface this by saying that I think Mazak, as a company, sucks Now that this is out of the way; how do you like the performance of the Mazak machines you already have? How is their support for you? If you have a good relationship with them in your area, and the machines have treated you well, i would think they have the inside line on a complex new machine. I would think their machine is a damn sight cheaper, as well.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...that is some funny sh!t Does the Okuma store offer no help?

We run UAS Smog Hogs and they have worked well for us; we have some that are [20] years old and still work perfect. I would suggest not playing it too close on capacity; if they say "A" should work but "B" will work, buy "B"

We run Capto so all of the tools (500+) are built as custom tool files. It hurt at the beginning, but once it is done, it is done; buy a new tool every once in awhile and add it. Not necessarily the best way, but that's what we do C

YES! Didn't think about that, because it is just automatic, but you're absolutely correct. If you're using bar stock, MC needs to know that there is stock on the face. If you're using a casting / pre-machined blank, the stock should already be there (chain it).

As long as the stock and part geometry are properly defined, you shouldn't have to define anything, just select "Use Stock." Assuming you're already doing that, where do you think the stock is causing you problems? If you have a ton of stock on the face, Mastercam has never been particularly good at recognizing that, so Canned Rough is often better there. If the tool isn't turning down far enough in the X ( toward the bore / drilled hole ), which sounds like it might be the case, increase the Overcut Amount to bring the tool further down the face

That looks like nice stuff; thanks for sharing your experience I'm still on the fence, but will post my impressions if we buy one C

Word sto the wise on LAP cycles: 1) Don't mess with stock definition in canned cycles; if you aren't turning a bar, use a Roughing toolpath instead. 2) The "D" word on turning is depth of cut on the DIAMETER but for facing it is the straight-up DOC. The stock Okuma post used to be screwed up and post 2X the desired DOC on facing, so keep your eye out. "You don't know how this works, but tell us how to do it better" Tough position you are in there, man. Throw up any questions you have; somebody will get you going

You've got PM

Battling through every day lately, it seems, Scott; what's going on with you? Hope you're well. C

Don't understand this; canned roughing is your friend You have about 1,000 options for touching off tools, but the [2] easiest would be: 1) Pick a "master tool" or a "zero set tool" on your turret (we used the finish turn tool back in the day), and base the rest of your offsets from that tool. Touch the zero set tool off the stock in X, go to your Zero Set page, Calculate - Stock dia - Write. Move the tool to where you want Z0 to be, go to your Zero Set page, Calculate - 0 - Write. After that, zero is established by that tool, and you can just touch the rest of the tools off on the stock (or the chuck, jaws, wherever your Z0 is); the offsets will be relative to that tool, so the numbers are kinda meaningless, but it works 2) Just touch the tools off the stock (or the chuck, jaws, wherever your Z0 is); the offsets will be relative to who-knows-where, so the numbers are really meaningless, but it works We use neither method, but I don't have time to lay out the "right" way to do it. My suggestion is get the boss to call Gosiger (or whoever the Okuma store is in your area) and set up some training. If you have a bunch of Okuma machines, they should help you out as much as you need. C

We have Smog Hog units on all of our turning and grinding machines and it helps a tremendous amount; if we had coolant thru I would buy them for the mills also, but we seem to get away without it.