Jason, in your Linking Parameters, check your "Leads" you probably have a larger than needed number in your "Horizontal arc entry/exit". Make it 0.0 if you can or at least a smaller number.

Crazy, hope you don't mind. I barrowed some of your example file and add my 2 cents. I made a peel mill toolpath and used it as a source for a projected toolpath onto the surface, as a rough operation with a ball endmill. One can use your flat endmill peel mill to rough the center and follow with a ballmill projected peel mill to clean it up before using flowline to finish the surface. Or just the projected peel mill as a rough all on it's own leaving stock to finish. I've used this on some softer materials. Would love to see if it would work on something like 1018. Hope this helps.

Had to do one like this not to long ago. I used a method like what JParis described above. Worked great. Just be aware that your tool may want to retract at some point while it's still undercutting so keep an eye out for gouging.

Cool cases Jay. Definitely makes sense for the wireless version. Might be in the market for one soon myself.

^^^ STL Compare would be quick and easy.

CJep, Just had to say...Ouch! Feel a little bad for you guys back there with those cold temps. The temp out here in SoCal hit a bone chilling 52deg. last night.

We just got rid of our last Fadal here a couple of weeks ago, but as far as I remember we never had the problems that you describe when doing HST paths. Can you share the file? I can run it through our post and give you some code to try out.

Sounds good, hope you get it worked out. HTH

You might be right, just took a quick look at a few things including the source toolpath but I only modified the 5-axis toolpath. Here's the file I worked on. Edit: Sorry, I did change the source toolpath. Changed the retract and feed planes.

Try this in your 5Axis toolpath in under the expended Linking Perameters. I took a quick look and seemed to work.

Seems to me like the Sorting, Sequence, By Slice is broken. I tried more than a few different scenarios and it just won't work the way one would expect it to. Weird thing is the program will repeat depending on the number of layers entered into the Pattern Layers field. So, if you have say 10 layers and Sorting set to "Sequence, By slice" you'll get a program that repeats 10 times. Only thing that seems to make sense if you were to use this only for 1 depth step at a time.

Agreed. I have this on a few of my multi-axis post for safety. It bugs the crap out of the setup guys/operators that it safety clears before each rotation, but it beats crashing the machine because I fat ginger a clearance height when making the toolpath in MC.

I use the Fanuc 5X and the Haas here. It's been a while but I believe I had to do just a little editing to the Haas post to get it the way I wanted it as far as vectors go. My Haas has the trunnion sitting along the X. Your setup looks like a RoboDrill, I'm I right? I'd go with the Fanuc. From what I remember the Fanuc should come out of the box with the vectors the way you need them. Might have to mess with the integers a bit depending on where you want the bias to be.

Since seeing this post, I've been trying to break mine just to see what happens and I'm always able to get it back by creating geo and re-docking it. I'm running two monitors and don't seem to have a problem with getting it back at all. My guess would be the video drivers too.

Don't shy away from those, you can learn from them too. I like to look at those as "What not to do" videos. You know, kinda like Scared Straight.

Bob, to me these two posts say a lot. Getting extra toolholders and designing, programming, and machining fixtures for all or most of you're new jobs is great, if that's the direction you want to go in. And that really is the thing here... which direction you want to go in. But if you're going to go in that direction than it seems to me that you're going to have bring on some support employees to help with getting all this done. If you have a lot of new jobs coming in and you're having a hard time keeping up, to me, that's a good problem to have. Maybe it's just time to bite the bullet and bring in some good help?

Compared to the painfully slow process of designing, programming, and machining extra fixtures... I'll take this little rotary any day. Yup, pretty cool.

Bob, first thing that comes to mind... reduce the need to design, program, and machine fixtures by getting as much of your part machined away in fewer setups. Think 5 sided machining. This might help getting you going in the right direction, idea wise.

This ^^^

Happy to help Bob. Again, building systems into your process will really help you with this. If you can program most or all of the parts that come across your desk then your next step should be building a tool library with your most commonly used tools, as well as building a Mastercam toolpath operations library for your most commonly used toolpaths. It does take some time to build these libraries but it's well worth the effort. If you constantly have part that take similar tools and toolpaths, this will eliminate a great deal of the time it takes for you to program any given part.

When you mentioned skills building, I thought you were talking about technical skills for operators or setup guys. Stuff like learning g-code, lining up a vise, or editing a program on the floor. But productivity is a hole other animal that involves more than just a technical skills. It involves building systems that control every aspect of production from the time a sales person takes the order, until the product ships to the customer and everything and everyone in between. And that hole can go very, veeeeery deep (ask me how I know...). If you're talking about serious productivity, the most obvious of systems are Kaizen, 6 Sigma, or Lean Manufacturing (as we know it). I've taken classes for this in the past through local colleges and private instructors. I've also worked with companies that implemented it successfully. These systems can work very well for individuals as well as entire companies. I'm a very strong believer in these types of systems. That being said, I have to tell you that most companies that start systems like this fail to do it right because the system requires 100% buy-in from the very top down.... for ever. Literally, for ever. You have to have solid leadership and bosses that are willing to build the system into the company culture. If this is what you're trying to bring to your work place, there are many consulting companies and contractors that will come to your shop and train you for a fee ($$$). Some local colleges used to offer training through state funded courses but a lot of those are no longer available because if cuts. But it's worth a look. Before going and doing all that I suggest you look into as many youtube videos and other online resources, so that you get a better idea of what it involves. Look up Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, 6 Sigma, 7 wastes of Lean. That'll get you started. At the very least you will get some good ideas to begin planting the seeds. I'll see if I can do the same as "Within a thou" and try to dig up all of the old documentation from my training. But honestly the literature is not enough. You actually have to see the difference by doing small exercises and compare them to what you currently do to see that they'll work in your environment. Long winded, yes, but I hope this helps.

I've heard good things about Striker Systems. I believe they partner up with others like SolidWorks and AutoCAD, so it could work as a plug-in to a software that you might already have in-house.

About 10 years ago I programmed an Amada Vipros 250 with AP100. That's the software that Amada provides. It work pretty good for us. I've heard of other software out there that will work but I haven't had any experience with them. Is AP100 just not working for you?

Another thing to look out for is, when your dealer switch you to nethasp they more than likely changed your license key number. If your posts are custom and are tied to the old key, you'll need to get those updated to your new key number.

Try this for some humor: Imagine a classroom boss, level 1 users. Me: "Ok everyone boss do exactly like it do. We are going to rename the .nc file. Everyone Boss right click in the white area of the Operations Manager".... Student Boss: Nothing happens. Did I click it? Better right click it again. Still nothing. Better right click it again. Still nothing. Ok now I'm gonna right click it like 5 times rapid-fire. Still nothing. Hey what the hells this menu? (toolbar selection). Dammit I'm gonna right click 10 times machine-gun style, maybe in a few other areas of the screen too. White screen............ HEY CHRIS OSCAR MY MASTERCAM CRASHED! (and I didn't save any of my work) Oh, and by the way when you were at lunch I went over to your computer to see if that would work and I crashed that too. (now two license are locked up) kill me!