Pretty aggravating when you can still get parts and service for your i80 huh?

You could do the same in Gibbs, as any software if you want to use a Macro for that. Our internal policy is that only full fixtures/tombstones get loaded. We don't run partials as we had a few incidents where screws and such from fixtures backed out during machining and caused some problems. We just buy a little more material to fill the tombstone, or save the remaining stock for the next run.

Stress relieve it and you will be fine.

You will need to put a large pry bar near the top of your tombstone and mount an indicator on your spindle or something separate from the B axis assembly, measure the deflection. I've seen big heavy box way machines have over .015" deflection. I'd correct anything over a few tenths if it were my decision. Depending on your axis configuration and B axis assembly, the deflection can come from the B axis it self, or the X or Z axis (depending on the axis configuration). If you or anyone in your shop has experience squaring machines, aligning turrets etc it could be done in house.

I'd check to see if you have B axis deflection, along with deflection on your Z axis. It's common for the gibs to not be properly adjusted on boxway machines and this causes rigidity issues when using tools that create axial forces.

The Chinese bases are cheap, but you get what you pay for. I think you might have problem somewhere, but I would have to see your setup. I've found hmc's to be MUCH more rigid than verticals, even when using a 2" drill 27" above the pallet and at the max X travel.

No, the issue is that Matsuura uses Yaskawa drives, motors etc while using the Siemens control, it is a integration issue. When you call Siemens tech support and they hear Matsuura they are not going to want to help. If you call them for tech support for Siemens components on another brand that is pure Siemens (control, motors, drives etc) it is not a problem. The issue is that Siemens wants to blame issues on Yaskawa, and Yaskawa wants to blame the issues on Siemens, and Matsuura doesn't have a good understanding of the machines that were built this way. A pure Siemens build is an extremely reliable control system, likewise with a pure Yaskawa system, and I'd say either are more reliable and more capable than a Fanuc. But mixing the two together was a very poor decision on behalf of an otherwise excellent machine tool builder.

Let's see some bases!

This is my method: Program your unique part (or multiple unique parts if you are running more than one part # on the tombstone), I create one tool group per unique part and keep all if its respective tool paths in it. Then create a new tool groups for each tool # you are using in the program (this is not necessary if each tool only does one operation, but if you use a tool for multiple operations, or if you have more than one unique part on your tombstone this is necessary to create an efficient program). I usually just copy/paste the tool paths from my previous ops for this, but be warned, Mastercam likes to get really buggy the more you copy and paste stuff. Then I create my my transform and/or translate tool groups. If there are multiple parts on each tombstone face then I create a new translate tool group that translates my desired pattern in the XY plane using all my previous tool groups. Then I create a new transform rotate tool group that uses the translate tool group to rotate around the tombstone. If you have one part per face of the tombstone then you can skip the translate step and just transform rotate. This method offers good efficiency and flexibility, particularly when running multiple parts on multiple faces, even more so when you have multiple unique parts on a face with shared tools. In House was working on a tombstone c hook a few years back, I don't think it went anywhere. In it's last configuration I saw, it wasn't going to solve any problems or do anything remotely close to the Gibbs system.

Same, but I would say almost the same results, and it takes 10x as much work. If you watch all three of their tombstone videos it's kind of depressing thinking about how hard it is to do the same thing in mc. You just select which parts you want to run and repost the program. Doesn't even matter if you have different parts on different planes, or a mixture of different parts on the same plane, it will manage all of your tools correctly. As well as having a slick tombstone management system, Gibbs also had multiple stock and functioning machine sim for hmc's, 13 years ago:

Ok, this sounds like a simple tolerance issue. Add D.5 to your G65 P9301 line, to test. After confirming it works select a more suitable D value for the type of tool you are using.

IIRC to specify tolerance you use D, and if you want to update the tool length you need to specify the H. What really matter is how 9301 is configured. Try G65 P9301 D.5 (or whatever value you want) M1 Hxxx ( H only if you want to update the tool length) If you kind find the manuals for the machine there should be a TLM one somewhere.

I don't have your control or any experience with it. I do have experience with multi pallet Matsuuras and this: G65 P9301 B1. M1. Is a regular program # for tool breakage detection for Matsuura. Usually you specify the tolerance on that line. Unfortunately I am away from the shop and my manuals for a week, so I can't look it up for you. Just to make your situation clear, are you saying that the tool doesn't actually touch off on the sensor, or that it does and the control "thinks" it's broken? The latter is usually a simple tolerance issue, the former could be some more interesting problems.

It depends on the type of work you do an how you process things. For what I do DFO is worthless, for the next guy he might not be able to operate without it.

I understand that, but someone either pooched the ladder in his control, or made a custom G code out of G28, both are completely insane. My point was, if someone is stupid enough to make a custom G code out of G28, they are stupid enough to make a custom G code out of G53.

Not unless the same d1pxxxx that setup civicegg's controller setup the control you are working on It's always a bit "interesting" to see how some controls get setup.

No. This is basic stuff, you need to learn to do it yourself. Having Mori come out to dial in your 4th (including or not including storing the position in either the offset register, parameters, or variables) is a waste of resources.

So Zero Return activated G54? That would require some interesting ladder modifications. So this machine must have also defaulted to G54 every tool change as well. You might not have noticed if your post always called the correct offset at each tool change.

I'm just using G68.

I can't say I've ever seen that. By 'cancel" do you mean calling G49 and switching to G91? I can't see how you would actually clear the work offset register without making a macro to do it, which would be insane. I just double checked some of my programs and I am definitely calling G68 while G43 is active. Sounds like it's something you should be able to change with a parameter. Well the first machines I was using G53 on were early 80's. The machines I run now are much newer and certainly capable of using G53, I think I have G53 in the pallet and tool change macros. I might not have had a good reason for switching, I'm not sure if I will be able to remember or not.

Why do you cancel at a plane change if you are using the same tool? I've always kept G43 active until a tool change. I used G53 when I first started programming (which was mostly by hand), but for some reason when I switched to Horizontals I switched to G91 G28, emphasis on the G91 part. But now I can't remember why?

Sounds like you weren't canceling the length offset (G49). I don't have a problem with reset erasing G43, but if you are going to keep G43 at reset then I would highly recommend using G49 at the end of a tool. Which is good practice anyways.

It sounds like the real problem is your lack of experience with rotary machining. Who cares that your rotary is keyed? Take the keys out and indicate it in properly. Making multiple workoffsets is easier for the operators to follow, because it will read like a normal "3axis" program. If your operators are just button pushers and they don't actual watch the code or machine then it really doesn't matter at all anyways.

For such a small distance there is no reason for that to be out more than .0001" Even 1tenth over 8 inches is weak, a small flat surface should be easy to get in the 2micron or less range.

A lot of the reason why screws will wear from short movements on newer machine is the insane accel decel values. Turn you accel decel down to half and watch your ballscrews last as long as the rest of the machine.