I can't say I've done a hole @ that diameter but I have used Mitsubishi's 15x MWS internal coolant drill line and it worked like a champ (hole size was .300"). I've used a lot of their drills in 7050,7075, 2024 and 15-5ph ss. They all work great. They do have drills down to 1mm in diameter and lots of 20x+ drills.

I lock toolpaths because of the toolpath editor only and I really wish I didn't have to do that. After editing a toolpath (say changing the feedrate on a second pass for a simple contour) and it locks there is no way of knowing what exactly is changed in the toolpath. So... 3 years and 1000 jobs later I am back in this program trying to process a rev change and trying to figure out what I changed in this pocket toolpath

If I were making it I would push that outer vacuum chanel closer to the oring groove (.125" max), create a grid centered on your feeder hole every 1/2" or so.

I have no doubt that kind of task would be monumental.

For breaking consistency what I mean is say I post a program for one of our OSP100 controls. The diameter offsets has to match the tool number of course. Now, fast forward 5 hours later and they want to run it on the early 90's fanuc 15m. The diameter offsets have to be 50+tool number. If I just go in and change the machine, the diameter offsets will not change automatically. I go into each one and update it, and regen.

I could just set up the logic in the post to do this addition for me, but I want to see that it matches in my mastercam file. I wouldn't get that if I just set up the post to do that. There are other examples this is just the easiest one.

As far as setting the defaults go, every time I upgrade to a new version I always do the defaults by hand. I know I could do this a different way but I like to think of it as a rehashing of what I used for defaults in the previous version. Should I change things or check out the new stuffs put in the defaults. Its kinda weird I guess but I don't mind doing this.

 

When it was originally conceived, the CD was created with the ability to link and control multiple post processors, and have separate settings for each one.

Thank for this Colin!

Do you do this with your setups now? I really like the idea of having one post and just have different machine definitions. We change machine setups daily so I am forced to constantly change machines, update parameters and repost. My problem is I am sitting in a shop with control over 17 machines with practically every Fanuc controller known to man (0M,15M, 16M, 16i, 18M, 31i) Okuma OSP100, 200, haas controls on routers and tool room mils, mazaks with 640 fusion, cam m-2. All of these have different settings because my machine tools span from like the late 80's to early 2k. Some m codes work on some machines, some need different m codes. I know I could just modify the individual posts for each machine but then it breaks consistency with my mastercam files.

When I go to accurate zoom, I still have to wait for a few minutes til the screen resolves to the view. Then I can't step thru the path until I reset the zoom, which entails more waiting for multiple minutes. What I really wanted to know what video card will give the best performance.

I run a Xeon 3.6ghz proc, 12gb of ram, an ssd and a quadro 4000. Quality and speed are still bad and its even worse in X9. I just refuse to go recommend anything else to my boss to try and fix it because I really dont think there is anything to make it faster. I just deal with it and file down my "accurate zoom, reset zoom" trigger finger when the callouses build up.

I make my own prints inside of mastercam.

Rich Taft,

 

Can I get a sample .dxf of a custom tool?  One picture is worth a thousand words . . .

 

Thanks.

SAMPLE.zip

That was the file Rich sent me when I originally posted this thread.

Kinda funny about that tool manufacturing list thing still being an open issue even when it was being worked on in X7.

Hmm I think I had something with this a long time ago. The machine definition and control you are using for this.. do they have spaces in the name? That may be the culprit. Did you try to preview it with the default mill?

nah this has been going on for so long I just started using a workaround to get it functional again saving a stock model or stl before each and every rotation and only check the toolpaths after that stock model.

Can someone point out what the 2 settings are? That web site is blocked.

Harvey does have some good stuff but I am just partial to Vardex. They have some really nice 3 flute threadmills that use 1-64, 6-32, 10-32, 1/4-28 on daily in 7050 alum and 15-5ph ss. Its the millipro style threadmill

I threadmill a lot with tools smaller in diameter than that. I use the toolpath program from vardex to figure out my feed rates for all my materials. We almost exclusively purchase their tools so your tooling may require something different.

http://www.vargus.com/vardex/template/default.aspx?pCatId=9&pageId=75

Another question came up yesterday - what brand of 5-axis machine would be a good fit for mold machining (cores and cavities hard milling)?  Heard some good things about Fidia, Makino, and Hermle.  What are other good machines worth looking into?

As others have posted there are far to many good choices for 5axis machines to list. I think the better question to be asking would be how good is the support for the machine in your area. You don't want to have a problem one day and find out it takes a week + $$$$ just to get a guy out there to fix something.

I have used SECO multimaster stuff for some 3" reach with 1/2 ballnose before but I don't know if they can go that far. They do have a ton of that screw on stuff though.

G you guys should really consider using one post for all of those machines and use the machine control definition to trigger what machine it needs to output for. Would make updating your Post pretty straight forward moving forward. I seen talk of that in a topic recently.

Funny you mention that. I am sitting here staring at the new x8 mpmaster post thinking about the work I need to accomplish to change all my crap from 1cd/md/post for each machine into 1 post.... as a new years resolution for myself

Omg sign me up for that.

This is just a guess on my part but I suspect most people that feel the new verify isn't a step forward, likely aren't doing any heavy duty 3D  milling with small ball mills, .020", .015" and such

 

In the old verify, you could just about forget it if you had a ton of 3D surfacing, especially will small ball mills......

I really do wish I was making small parts. This software seems only made for them. My old workflow with the old style verify was somewhat painful because I too had to break up slices to get it to run all the time but this new verify is more work to get what I had previously.

Oh the amount of threads I could link to with those same words in them... kinda makes a grain of salt seem special.

I don't really have nice things to say about the new verify so I won't go there. I, like everyone else, prefer the old backplot as well.

Most high-feed tool makers will give you a radius to program with. For instance that Iscar helido can be found on their website using the cms tool finder. If you click through all of the pages for cut data (I believe it is the "more info" link on the left side) it says "radius for programming". That is what you tell mastercam to use as a radius to program with.

Keep in mind though, it will not be a perfect match. The best way to go is to make a custom defined tool and the extra work you have to do to get it defined.

WTB tool manager that supports mill insert bodies.

That could be any number of things as its hard to tell from looking at that pic.

Did you cut your part and the results were poor? Are you just zooming way in and seeing poor mismatch from loose screen tolerance settings? Is that trying to cut lines without filter settings turned on?

edit:: geez im slow! posted after

zip it up then add it to the post.

http://www.7-zip.org/

We are trying to tackle the paperless shop floor here and we are going through a lot of what you are talking about Ron. Our problem is our mom and pop IT is a couple of us dudes who run home networks lol. My buddy likes billions of clicks/folders all over the place. Im in the "if it aint there in 3 clicks yer doin it wrong" camp. Trying to figure what to use to have secure access to programs/pdfs/pics and communications, while not have seperate "rights" folders all over the freakin place is fun.

In our paper filled shop at the moment I use a customized active reports setup (something similar to the one thats floating around I uploaded a while back) that gives me tools, setup pics and a coversheet for basic info all in a 8-1/2 x 11 package. I used to have to deal with letter, legal and tabloid sized paper for every job then I threw it all out and condensed it down into a nice active reports setup.

Yeah I had it installed on my old computer and it worked great for that, I didn't even think to try it out for this.