Powermill trims are associative only if another toolpath is referenced off of it. Think rest roughing or stock model. However, there are 2 different ways around this. You can copy that toolpath and then trim or edit it then it wouldn't be associated with anything technically, so it wouldn't screw up any previous operations you created. You can also just edit the original, but you might have to recalculate the other toolpaths that follow that particular operation.

Actually nothing trims toolpaths better than Powermill. And I've tried a few different packages too.

We are in the process of reorganizing the entire shop floor starting with the lathe department. The plan that the Plant manager has come up with seems to me to be a bit of a waste of space. He is arranging the machines in squares with them facing inwards towards each other. I was wondering what others ideas on machine arrangements could be more efficient.

Indexable for most roughing operations and floor finishing, and solid carbide for wall finishing and such. Indexable ballnose for contour finishing too. Although we have started doing dynamic roughing with solid carbides in certain situations. Depends on the part really.

I got so tired of trying to get my current machine to cut the grass the proper way with a lovely 2D high speed spiral from the exact center of the lawn with 2 staggered finish passes along the borders that I gave up and hired the kid next door to do it with his package. Unfortunately due to some kind of misunderstanding he didn't cut it for 3 weeks and still demanded I pay the invoice !!

- Do a dance around my desk and pray to the CAD/CAM gods for no crashes - Hit the save button constantly ( this has become such a severe habit for me that it has filtered into every other thing I do on the PC ) - Simplify all curves prior to toolpath creation - Select all and hit delete duplicates These are just a few things. I imagine I do a few more but have ingrained them so far into my soul that I just can't remember, I just do them !

Oddly enough, whenever I tried to apply a contour toolpath with compensation type switch to off, the stockmodel just wouldn't calculate or would give some crazy result.

Morning All I was having a conversation with a few of the guys on the floor the other day, and we started talking about what makes a good supervisor. So here's the question for the moment, what qualities do you think makes a good supervisor? Additionally, if you were looking to hire a CAM dept or Shop floor supervisor, what qualifications would you be looking for in a guy ? Cheers

Buddy, I have not yet met anyone that can properly explain WCS and views to me in a way that actually makes sense. Its just the way Mastercam is, and you get used to it eventully.

Mine is kind of funny. I was working at a place that made die cast moulds in the late 90s, and the programmer at the time was a complete moron. So one day the boss walks out and fires him on the spot. He looks around and I'm the first guy he sees, so he tells me I'm the new programmer, and training starts tomorrow. We were using Mastercam v7 or something at the time, and he hated it, so he bought Powermill instead. It was totally out of blue. I hadn't even asked about programming before. Guess I got lucky.... sort of

Why you ask? Because it's Mastercam. No other explanation is required, other than telling you to make sure you re-check all parameters every time you make a change to a program. Especially such a drastic change as a different size cutter.

I can quote you a firm price for a complete project if you like. Set-up sheets and everything included. Let me know.

Its the same here in the GTA. Everytime I see one of those HGTV shows about house buying in the states and watch the people complain that the 3000+ sq/ft house for 250k is just too small for them I want to reach into the TV and strangle them !!!! 250k might buy me a nice condo apartment the size of a minivan around here somewhere. Maybe

Well thats the kicker now isn't it. If you actually lived in Toronto, 30/hr probably isn't gonna get you much. But it depends on your situation I guess. I live just outside Toronto, and my wages barely cover my bills. But I pay for everything in my family, mortgage, food, utilites, 2 cars etc etc. Houses around a 15-30 minute drive from Toronto will run you about 300k for a small townhouse and it just goes up from there. Gas prices are a killer too, so for example if you drive 30km one way (about 19 miles) and you drive a small SUV then expect to shell out at least $250 month in gas easy. Now, if you don't mind the drive and the gas prices, then if you move just over an hour outside Toronto in any direction and house prices drop dramatically. That same 300k townhouse near Toronto is now about 200k or so. But your cars gas and maintenance bill will sky rocket, so its all relative really. Also jobs outside of the GTA are not exactly easy to come by, and they don't pay near as much. Clear as mud ??

Here in the Toronto area 30-35 an hour is great money for a programmer, but it really depends on the industry you are working in. If all your doing is milling out profiles and drilling holes in aluminum plate, then don't expect to make anything more than low 20's. If on the other hand you are doing multi-axis aerospace parts with thin walls and tight tolerances, then yes you can expect to get paid in the low to mid 30's. But you need to produce good stuff. Usually

Hi Mic, Yes, it does sound extremely time consuming, and I certainly am not interested in picking up multiple offsets for each rotation. Any chance you would happen to have that macro hanging around that you could send me?

They better not. They can be darn usefull every now and then

Done. Hopefully something good comes from it.

Thanks Mic, I figured it was just a 3+2 set-up, but the way the previous operator is explaining it to me is that he was picking up a different fixture offset for each angular rotation. ie. OP#1 no rotation is G54, OP#2 Rotation is A90. B90. is G55 etc etc. This didn't make any sense to me being as the boss is insisting the thing is a 5 axis positional machine. I've looked at a few of his previous Mastercam files, and to be honest they make no sense to me. I guess I will have to experiment a little with the machine and see how it behaves.

Hi all. My boss in his infinite wisdom has decided to move me to a different machine. It is a Brother TC-22B-0 5-Axis. When I say 5 axis, it really looks to me like a 3 axis with a small trunnion set-up on the table. I am not even sure if it is a true 5 axis. I have never used it before, and the guy currently operating and programming it is a dumba$$ that can't seem to properly explain it to me either. That or my ukranian is a little too rusty. Anybody have any experience with Brother machines?? And not just the photocopiers either Do I program it like I would any other 5 Axis machine or is there something else that needs to be done? Cheers

If you find out let me know, It's been bugging me too

Yeah that is pretty high. It's even worse when you take into account the fact he got the "End of Year Special" too. I'm pretty sure he got screwed, and I have no sympathy for him.

In Canada here it was about 425k.NOt sure if that includes taxes. No spindle thru coolant, no CAMplete, but it does have a 20k spindle and tool setter. Also a 60 tool ATC By comparison, a DMG 50 Evolution comaprably outfitted was 325k

What are the machines being used, what are the materials being cut, and what are the tolerances like?

Hey, I'm not knocking the machine at all. I think it's a kick a$$ machine myself, but for what we do here I think it is total overkill. He could have gotten away with getting something alot less expensive, and I told him so, plus I gave him several different alternatives. Not that it mattered in the end anyways. Hey what do I know right, I've only been doing this for 20 years after all.