I finally have the toolpath corrected to where it works, but I uploaded the file 3154 rough 6 stacked.mc9 in the mc9 files folder. WIth finish passes checked, it works fine. Right now I have them disabled and it does something goofy at the underside of the part on it's 7th operation. If you turn that back on and shut off the plunge outside containment boundary, you will see what I meant earlier. Any clarification on what I am not understanding I think mastercam should be doing is appreciated. Thanks all, Greg http://www.emastercam.com/ubb/ultimatebb.p...ic;f=1;t=006166 If I did this right, this looks exactly like the problem I am having. [ 05-14-2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: G Caputo ]

At home now, but this is just driving me nuts. Maybe I am going about it all wrong. To clarify, I want mastercam to determine what gets cut, by creating a containment boundary and me determining where I want the face mill to approach at each z depth. When I get to work tommorow morning, I will do my best to upload the file. This forum is the best, wish I could contribute, but for now I will read, read and read some more. Thanks for your help and again, any suggestions, I am all ears. Greg

Jay, When I uncheck the "plunge outside containment boundary" the face mill plunges on the centerline of the containment box I have drawn. My tool containment is checked as center, so that would make sense, but I don't want it to, nor will it plunge. Also the entry-ramp box is unchecked. So where is it coming up with to plunge anywhere other than the point I picked? I just don't understand. Thanks, Greg

Hi all, I am trying to do a surface rough pocket toolpath on a horizontal boring mill. The part is sitting on 2" parallels and clamped over the top. The toolpath looks fine. The problem I am having is where the tool approaches the part. I have set a point above the part and defined that as my entry point, by checking the box, prompt for entry point and allowing the toolpath to regenerate and then picking my created geometry when prompted. I also have the box checked saying plunge outside containment boundary. All goes well until it decides to plunge under the part right into the table. I don't want to ramp into the part, just plunge above it where I have told it to. If I tell it an entry point, why does it not use it at all times? Using V9.1 off of an Inventor 7 solid Any help would be appreciated, probably simple, but I don't get it. Thanks, Greg

litnin, All we have at the shop I work at are Heidenhain's. The difference though is all of ours use the conversational .h extension. No one here knows g-code, so they are not set up using the iso format. All ours use canned cycles and the post outputs everything great. I saw the post on this website and talked to my reseller, and however they do it... begged, borrowed or stole, (j/k) he got us the mpmaster post for the heidenhain conversational. I see they have the iso one also. We made a few minor machine specific changes to it, but it works great. I'd have to guess that this is the one Mr. Thomson suggested. Just my opinion, but I'd give it a try. Greg

Jack, not being rude here but do we mean 58? Could James' "it" possibly be a hairpiece so he doesn't have to wear the beanie? Anyway, it's getting late here and time to wrap it up. All I know is it is almost nascar time. With that being said, Miller lite... "It's it" and that's that. Have a great weekend all.

I just draw the toolpath I want and do a 2d contour. I don't know if it is the proper way, but it works for me.

Better to do? 12:30 here and still 7 people on... I can drink and learn..... Happy Easter all

Mick, Thanks for the reply. I did search around a bit in the website but I didn't see anything about the conversational Heidenhain control. As a matter of fact, I don't see a lot of people in here using them. I was just hoping someone else would be able to say yep, I use Vericut and it works great with the Heidenhain. Again, Thanks for the reply, gonna do some more homework on the subject. Greg

Hi all, I'm really new to this whole programming from a desk thing so bare with me on this... I am getting my solid models from Inventor 6 files to put toolpaths on in Mastercam 9.1. All is going well so far. What I have been doing is checking my toolpaths in verify using first a solid box, to check for any crashes. Then I create an stl off of my solid and verify that to check for anywhere I might have gouged the part. The problem comes from the stl file that Mastercam creates, (not a dig on Mastercam), walls that are supposed to be vertical, aren't. So what I am wondering is anybody using a verification program that works with Heidenhain conversational programming? We have 4 horizontal bar mills using tnc415 and 426 controllers and a floor bar that uses a 430 controller. I don't have the option to use g-code (ISO). Any info I could get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Greg

I especially like it when someone from the front comes out and tells you how to set up a part and cut it, when they have never made a part in there life. Or the salesman promising the customer the job in an unreasonable amount of time and then asking every 5 minutes..."How much longer?" There is an endless list to this topic....

Chris, The company I worked for just went from acad version ? to Autodesk Inventor 6 at the beginning of the year. I was fortunate enough to take a 2 day crash course in it and that was it. Then I was back on the floor being a machinist. In February they decided on an upgrade from version 7 to 9 in Mastercam and came up with the plan of me being a programmer only. Nobody in our shop used the Mastercam before. At first we had some issues converting the files, but our dealer was very helpful in getting us past this. It used to take some computer crunching to get the files converted, but now with 9.1, I have never had to wait more than 30 seconds to convert an IPT into an mc9. I have never had an error with the solid yet either in 9.1. The engineers seem to like inventor except for the lack of a great forum like this. They also have some time issues opening up there large assembly drawings. (up to 15 mins). But as for the model I get from them, they have been 99.9% perfect. The only time I had a problem is when the part converted, it had 4 extra arcs around a "spline" area on the solid. I just deleted them and all was fine. I personally like the models I get from them. Hope this info helps. Cheers, Greg

I took the beginner mill 5 day course, then the 5 day advanced mill/solid course at the beginning of the year from our reseller. The teacher was super and the second week I was his only student so I got his undivided attention, which let me fire off tons of questions. Then I found this place...and the learning just goes on and on. This is my "Mastercam bible". 2-1/2 months now and learning tons everday. Thank you all for a great forum. Greg

Tazzer, Under the Rough parallel parameters tab, the is an option for cut depths. I use absolute usually and adjust the minimum and maximum depths to cut. 2 months at this and I'd be lucky to know 2% of what I need to. Hope I'm right and it works.

Product Development Guy, quote: And I bet the V9 Autodesk importer brings them in fine. v9.1, one word.....Sweet.

Rekd.... The man with a quote for everything. You are killing me over here.

My dealer suggested to install over v9 sp1. I made backups of the posts, tools, etc.... but didn't need them. It worked beautifully this way.

Have had mine for 4 weeks now. Just wish I knew how to use it... Excellent forum, couldn't do this without you all.

Roger, Thank you very much. I had zero in the field you described. That was what it took to correct my problem. I have been programming at the machines for 14 years and I know what it is supposed to look like, but trying to get mastercam to do it are two different things. I miss my RND button...... Again, Thank You. Greg

Hi all, I am having an issue here and am not sure if it the post or my lack of mastercam knowledge.... hoping someone could point me in the right direction. When I do a simple 2d contour in mastercam, trying to use cutter compensation at the control, I get programming that is close, but not close enough. I need the guys out on the floor to have flexibility with the cutter comp on the machine, so turning on the comp in the computer would work, but it wouldn't be benificial to me, because of cutter runout, wear, reground endmills etc... I am doing a 2d contour with lead in and lead out on a straight line, cutter comp to the left. I get code that looks like this. 1 ; FINISH 3.490" WIDTH AT 2.625" DEPTH. 2 L X-2.25 Y+2.495 R0 F MAX 3 L Z+.1 R0 F MAX 4 L X-2.25 Y+2.495 Z-2.625 F20 5 CC X-1.5 Y+2.495 6 C X-1.5 Y+1.745 DR+ RL F50 7 L X+4.045 Y+1.745 RL 8 CC X+4.045 Y+2.495 9 C X+4.795 Y+2.495 DR+ R0 10 L Z+5 R0 F MAX 11 STOP My problem is the controllers (tnc415, 426 and 430) do not recognize going from a point and turning on the comp to a circular move. Line 4 is no comp to line 6 circular move with comp. Anyone familiar with heidenhain conversational that could steer me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all for a wonderful forum. Cheers, Greg

I am trying to rough mill the interior of a segment with the Surface > Rough > Pocket command. I am working off of a solid created in Inventor6. I have a containment boundary drawn so that it does not cut my clamps, and i am plunging outside this boundary. The problem I am having is that I am using a 5" face mill to rough out the part, but when it gets to an area roughly 18" x 8" x 3/8" deep, it continues on and plunges in that area. I can correct this problem by changing the depth i allow my face mill to cut, but i was wondering if i missed something that would not allow this tool to plunge at all. Basically what i am trying to do is face mill around islands, but i want to use the solid to do it with. Thanks all for a wonderful forum! This place is the coolest.

The best I can come up with is the series 1 is a smaller machine with dovetail ways and the series 2 is a larger machine with more travel and box ways. Hope i'm right.

WE HAVE USED THREAD MILLING FOR AR500 AND ALSO FOR LARGER HOLES ON HORIZONTAL BAR MILLS...1-1/2 AND UP. THREAD MILLING ALSO WORKS GOOD IF THE AREA AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE IS IRREGULAR WHEN BREAKING THROUGH. WE ALSO USE IT WHEN WE HAVE AN OFFSET SHAFT TO BIG TO FIT IN ARE 42" LATHE, OR SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DISSAMBLE THE SHAFT FOR DOING O.D THREADS. BIG PIPE TAPS TOO. WORKS GOOD AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR FLYING TAPS.

Distance to go used to be my best friend, we have always done are programming at the machines and we would generate anywhere from a 50 - 3000 line program using heidenhain conversational programming. Mastercam generally adds 5-10 times that amount, so single blocking won't be an option.... so it's gonna be full sequence, stand back, and order some extra face mills. How about doing a datum shift (offset?) and hitting the rapid overide button? That would allow you to run the part quick and see something out of the ordinary... Just a thought.

Inner expander that goes into a recoiler for the steel mills. 5 different set ups... first job....i'm falling into a bucket of drunk tonight. Cheers all