Use super sharp cutters. This is probably obvious, but I've seen guys reach for the dull ones when cutting plastic.

Dave Thompson's hard work on an Integrex post

True cost of Mastercam...Some how this is still on topic. quote: I dedicate my life to other peoples companies...at 7:30 on sunday night when the rest of the shop is...at home with thier children, where am I. ...I have a tremendous amount of learning...a good 5 years if not 7 which will still put me only at 35 years old. Four years from now, when your 34 year old wife has full custody of the kids, in your own shop you'll wonder if it was worth it; in The Man's shop you'll know for sure that it was not. The Man doesn't love you as much as the wife and kids do. Shut the Man's effing computer off some time.

Priority list for your molds in aluminum. 1) Size 2) Speed 3) Accuracy If you make them in steel, 1) Size 2) Weight capacity 3) Speed 4) Acurracy The first two priorities are the cheapest. Cost rises exponentially as you add priorities. Find a machine that is big enough to reach your whole job, or it will suck to be you. It's one thing to make a part now and then that hangs over the table, but planning to buy a machine that you know ahead of time will require you to make multiple repositions in surfacing...Perhaps your boss should be running a nice insurance agency or hair salon somewhere.

I agree that the common center drill cannot be defined without drawing it in it's own .MC9 file. I'm certain that I was told during the sales courtship that MC handled them easily. When they are drawn with holder and defined fully, they back plot accurately.

"Yahoo" That's funny. Anyone's dictionary have "dehorn?"

Elad, I'm kind of a beginner at MC, so perhaps someone else will help refine my suggestion. I'm using Lathe so my Top Cplane is DZ, and my rotary Axis is C, not B. Hopefully the method will work for you. If you have identical features at, say, B0, B120, and B240, create only the geometry at B0. Create the required machining operations, also only at B0. Set origin at center of part / center of rotation. Create the operation, "Transform By Toolplane." Type and Methods tab: Type: Rotate Method: Toolplane Copy Source Operation: Check Disable Posting In Selected Source operations: Check Rotate tab: Origin: Check Rotation Veiw: Help Oldtimers! For my C axis, the correct rotation view is 5, or Side. It is the Cplane from which you'd look directly at your rotary axis from. Number Of Steps: As required Start Angle: Rotation Angle: This method allows duplicating the machining without duplicating the geometry and then still having to create Cplanes at each new B angle. Hope that helps. Harry

quote: Am I scared? Hell no Am I placing an order? Hell no. That gadget might work on simple holes and pocket features in rectangular aluminum plates, but I got plenty of time to retire B4 it works on an Integrex in nastanium. The Bosses out there though that view blue collars as pet by-product on the corporate boot might listen to a sales pitch. Keep your eyes open. Harry

Wow, do I feel old. I started trade school almost 28 years ago. Been making parts for special machines ever since. Started hand writing G code lathe programs in 1990. Studied 12 quarters of math at community college. Studied custom macro programming in four and five axis. Have machined all materials from plastics to refractories. (What's the dog years ratio for tantalum, platinum, or quartz?) Have drilled .008" holes in quartz with 5 axis positioning via macro read spreadsheet data on Mazak Integrex. Mastercam beginner; Lathe / Mill 3, 9 mo. Go nubies! Best thing you can do for the trade is keep learning and doff losy employers; don't give it away.

Hey Travis, Welcome to Integrex land. Business is business, and your local reseller is the guy you need to work through, but all posts are not created equal for the Integrex. I have been working with Dave Thompson on a post that I belive is pretty first class. Certainly Dave's knowledge, attitude, and efforts have made this post development process one of smooth steady progress. Different programmers want different features and there might be something else out there that works for you, but I guarantee there's been a ton of thought put into the "Dave's post" and I hope he can sell some more. I should add that there is still some work to do, but another tester would in my opinion be a good thing. This Integrex has been a 3 1/2 year project that has touched all the bases and Dave's involvement has been among the most consistantly willing and helpful. Atta Boy Dave!

Atta Boy for that extreme parameter detective work, Jack. (insert Hat's Off Smilely here) I hear you on the complexity for the post writer, hence this thread on losing the diametrical X baggage for milling, eliminating duplicate G codes for unique B angles, and providing a chip break G code. If we can get the train of thought away from the cross drilling mentality of the gearhead live tool lathe days, then it's a short hop to use G130 for helical work in all directions rather than long code. (I'm not a fan of the long code) Offset tweaks for accuracy on multiple features using a single tool ,horizontal, can be accomplished with G50 shifting. G50 shifts operate cumulatively and are cancled by G53 or reset so they are pretty safe to use and can be used in combination with the G50 calls made by G125.

Are y'all suggesting that you think you could get the macro into the beast's belly where it would behave like a "real" G code? On my machine, K81 is set to Code 130 and Number 100009114 which tells me that G130 is only half "real" and Mazak stole one of the "user" G code assignments to run G130. Find 100009114 and you've found where to implant the chip break G code.

The variables passed are: D, F, Q, R, Z, M, It behaves exactly like G83 and uses the same variables. I set common varibles from the original locals. G83 requires Q at each location ? ? so any post processor already forces Q output. The only added burden to post processor writer is to force G(alias) in addition to Q. I wrote the macro assuming that it would always be posted by CAM and therefore did not include additional positioning capability, or repetetive function. It just breaks chips.

I surely know better than waste time asking Mazak for assistance on something like this. I wrote the code. And since it runs as a sub program, rather than as a true G code, it must be called at each position. The pecking parameters, however, are common variables and so are more or less modal giving you one place to change peck depths and simple places to resume drilling any of many holes, something that is much tougher if you are running long code to peck many holes. I'm simply suggesting that if we can get Mastercam to aggree that this is a reasonable workaround for a Mazak omission, we can have a way to chip break peck without long code, or the Mazak solution, programmed parameter change. The macro can be aliased to any available G code via K81-K88.

Good day fellow Mazochists. We are currently running the first 300Y in North America, with considerable success. We have been using Mazatrol (not the source of success) and hand written macros. We tried to find a usable CAM system very early on, but I tired of being the guinea pig for everything, and sort of sat back a couple years to let others in on the fun. Dave, the good administrator of this board, is working on a post for us right now. He has been a truly good sport. There are a couple issues that I'd like to raise here though, that I'd like other users to comment on to provide support for, or not, some features that I pose should be included in a new post that CNC Software promises to write some day. 1 Let's lose the gearhead lathe bagage and use G125, some folk seem to have G124, for milling and drilling at all B angles including 0, 90, and 270 degrees. (I don't have a sub spindle so I haven't tested G125 at 270. I will post the needed repair to the Mazacode for 90 degree case if there is interest.) This will allow a single Tool Data Page discription for a drill or end mill rather than two or three. It will also eliminate the need to use "cross drilling" G codes, such as G87 for "cross peck drilling." 2 Chip break pecking anyone? Mazak provided P10 bit 6 to toggle G83 between chip break pecking and full retract drill pecking. Now I know I'm the only one on earth that wants to make that call in the program rather than a machine parameter, but I wrote up a little user macro that emulates a chip break peck (G87 on most mills right?) and if we can get CNC to force output of G81 (unused on our Integrex, so used by me for my macro) at each position, we can have something close to mill style chip break pecking via G code rather than long code. I'll even post my macro. And combined with sugestion #1 only one aliased G code is required. Huh?, Huh? (insert Marge Simpson Smiley here) Enough typing for now. I've got a few other ideas if anyone is interested in this train of thought.