Details: Okuma Space Center MA-400HA with OSP E100M control. Two pallets. First let me say Okuma and I have never been buddies, so I am a little weak in that area. We are trying to find out how to get the program to run continuous, obviously once the "load pallet" is ready and that button pushed. We have only been able to get the machine to respond to M60, can't specify which table. Not a huge deal but on all our Fanuc controls we block skip the pallet change so once the program is proven all the operator has to do is load and hit the set-up button and the machine runs continuous. We are currently hitting cycle start every time to keep it running. We inherited the machine used from a sister company but as far as I can tell it isn't screwed up. Any Okuma guys that can offer help?

Yes to the above! quote: Operating System Win XP Dell Factory Load I don't know what that means, but I would always opt for XP-Pro over Home

I was told probably October. Could have been being conservative so nobody started jumping up and down early in Sept.

Actually several of you guys are talking about thermoforming. this may be what they are looking for, but it could be they just need a simple vaccuum tool. I guess a part shape and material is what is needed to determine process.

Snap Server Net Gear iOmega Also have a WD Passport USB drive that I use to back up my laptop. Sweet. The size of a deck of cards, 80gb, one cord, no extra power supply.

Yes and no. We had a problem when the router and storage device were both using DPHC and trying to assign dynamic IP addresses. We disabled it on the storage drive and I think that solved it, if memory serves.

We use them both as file server and storage and usually once set up they work pretty reliably. Is the file really there, or can it be seen from another box?

quote: If you're working for a dinosaur shop that doesn't have EDM machines with orbiting capabilitesHEY- I resemble that remark! However I have built electrodes for several different brands of CNC sinkers with different controls, and I would concur with the advice above, but remember there are always exceptions, especially in mold building. No need to confuse lowboy with anything else now, just my .02

X user The direct answer would be "no". Put it on a list of things you would like from CNC and send it to them. Have you tried the search function in this forum? Many issues like this have come up since the X release and MR's, and I for one cannot remember all of the issues.

I guess you got it, but have you tried ramp contour?

Granted this guy probably didn't understand how MC handles this, but logically, why would you just give a view a number? It obviously is relevant to or linked to some feature of your geo, so why not give it a name that best describes it, so you aren't working from memory or a list of numbers. Just my .02, and you get what you pay for.

Oh yeah, since we got a little O/T.......... Congrats Bruce!!!! Stick it to 'em!!!!!!

quote: We all know that North America has the best quality Manufacturing in the worldSorry Joel, but there are several other places in that race. Germans, Swiss, Croats, Aussies to name a few. Now as far as the level of productivity, compared to the quality of the product output, you are right on with that. As priden said, the crumble may be upon us. But that is not necessarily all bad. Some times things need shaken up a bit.

happy birthday to you...emastercam!!!!!!!! thanks to all at IHS and to Jay for hosting, and to all the helpful posters

Well Chris I don't know about "carbon fiber" molding, I have only seen that used as an additive to some type of resin. If that is the case then what we call "renwood" is often used for thermoforming molds and would probably do the job. It is considerably softer than MDF but I guess it depends on your needs. It may work for you. HTH

Pin makes a good point that I didn't really finish above when I said "if you have the right equipment". A Toolmaker/Moldmaker will get it done with what ever he has to work with. The better the equipment, the less time it takes (usually). And oh yeah, the just pay me part is classic!

My my some of you boys are sensitive! There are, in our area, some shops that are trying to do 100% COMPLETE mold designs, then have an operator/machinist build the parts to print and just "assemble" the pieces into a mold. To some degree it works, if you have the right equipment and the design is 100% and all tolerances are done on the prints. But it fails enough times to say it doesn't really work reliably. The problem is economics. The time it currently takes to do a 100% mold design and all the prints with all the tolerances eats up too much of the lead time, and if EVER there is an error in the machining process, the part is scrap unless the ENTIRE design and prints and everything else is changed. If a Moldmaker (Toolmaker) is building the mold, then all parts can be made to work as needed, and save time and (= money), and if there is a slight error in a part, often it can be used because the Moldmaker knows how to change the other fits to compensate for the error. Remember there is ALWAYS a tolerance. The smaller it is, the more expensive the part will be. If there is not a good reason for the tolerance to be seven decimals, then why spend the time/money to hold it? After all that, I have seen excellent machinists who were not good Toolmakers/Moldmakers, and excellent Moldmakers who were ok machinists, but not the best by any means. So if you are a machinist and you have the knowledge and ability to make an entire mold work, and take responsibility for it getting done on time, and fixing designs that aren't 100%, then you should get a job as a moldmaker and make more money.

How's that for service?

Best wishes for your future Chris! You will be missed, but not forgotten. Unless of course you need comic relief and stop in to say hey to us peons.

Welcome aboard!

There is much discussion of this in the archives. Have you done a search and looked at the posts from the last 6 months or year? Take a look at those and see if you have any new questions.

Ron- Thanks for bumping as I missed this the first time around. It is very good and I was definitely missing out on some functionality. CNC- It would be great if these were downloadable. I really don't have time to wait on things there is no need to wait on. That is what technology is all about.

No offense, but it does sound pretty cocky. As long as you have humans involved in the process, there will be errors. You can trade some of that check and re-check time for cut time on styro or renwood or whatever. I'm not saying do everything twice, but hedge your bets. I can think of a hundred instances over the years where either a spare saved the job due date, or a practice cut save a piece that would have to be remade. Granted it depends on what type of work you do, and in what materials, but sometimes it is warranted. Why do you think things are prototyped? Because the first item doesn't always work like its designed is one reason. If you live in a world of very similar parts and pieces, it may seem silly. But sometimes it isn't. If I have a mold that needs 20 1/4" ejector pins, I don't order 20 pins, because the speed of delivery can't wait for more pins to come if one gets scrapped.

$16 a pound sounds kinda steep, must be a special alloy aluminum. If you aren't 100% sure, cutting some machining wax or renwood to prove out the prg seems to make sense. With the right tools, roughing passes can be minimized or eliminated, and feed rates increased to git-r-done quick. You would have to glue pieces of renwood together to get the length, but it glues well and would work fine.

Installed and will use soon. Thanks Gunther & Andreas!!!