Sorry dude, I'm useless with mpgen5ax. I'm out.

DavidB, I just talked to Makino here. You can definitely purchase the datum track (Dynamic Fixtrue Offset) for your machine. It may be a hardware upgrade though. Good luck. Brett

Slavetothemetal, Allan's trick works mint...if you only have solid drill toolpaths. It pukes if you're posting any other toolpaths. That's cuz the WCS changes for every toolplane that solid drill creates as opposed to keeping top WCS and changing the toolplanes. Should be fixed by CNC soon. Brett

David, The datum track feature would be killer for you. Makes part setup so much easier. If not available, you could try the following as an alternative. Setup your part on the machine, probe for the features you want to pick up. Add that B-axis value to your datum. In mcam, output your toolpaths with respect to those datum points using that toolplane as your WCS. So, you're effectively getting code output that is consistent with your backplot (with respect to that plane). When you call G54 B0, your part indexes, and the code comes out in that spot. You can even get your post to do a G10 parameter load that will tell the machine that G55 position in coodinates with the angular component. Kind of like getting the post to do your 3+2 datum tracking for you. That's the best way to work with off-centre datums if you don't have the datum track. Slightly tougher to program in mcam, way easier to setup on the machine. Brett

I'll chime in from a post standpoint. In-House has posts for both machines. We also work actively with Mazak and Okuma to learn the machines/controls and produce the best post products possible. We are stronger with the Integrex machines as they are generally setup more similarily and we see them more often. We find the Okumas use a lot of custom subs/macros which can make post implementation between customers a lot of work. Both great machines and great companies. Just my 2 cents.....interesting reading everyone else's comments on this thread! Brett

Hey guys, I was recently in at a local machine tool OEM and tested every one of the drilling cycles (and a bunch of the probing cycles)on the 530 control. Our mpmaster_TNC post should be giving the correct code output for all of them. Beta of the post is available if your looking to get reliable drilling/probing output. Brett

Henk, Not sure exactly what you've got for a post there but I can send you the new beta version of our mpmaster_TNC post. It's rewritten for X with full machine and control def integration. Just finished it off last week. And it's free......so you might as well try it. If anyone is interested in helping to test it out, please drop me an e-mail. Brett

We're working on it and should have it up on emastercam sometime soon.

Molson, Download mpmaster for version X and set the haas_drill to 1. It's on the emastercam posts page. For the SL machine, have your dealer contact In-House and we'll hook you up with mplmaster. Brett

Walter, Select wear comp as you normally would. Are you using the most up-to-date post? I will call you this afternoon. Brett

Walter, Please read John Summers' reply. This is not a post issue. This is an issue inherent with 5-axis machining. You're having problems because you have a vertical tool and there is no possible way for the post to calculate a C-axis value. In this situation the post will keep the previous C-axis value. This is why the post is prompting you for your starting C-value.....so you can begin and end with a vertical tool. Take a look at your code. One of the nice things about M128 mode is that your coordinate output is identical to that of the backplot in mastercam and intuitively shows your tools position in space. Check out the X axis values. You're starting in the -X, leading in and making contact with the part right around X0, then finishing in the +X for the lead-out. This means that you have made more than a 360 degree rotation. The XYZ shows your tool position, not the C-axis output. Also note that I was at DMG the week before last and we have developed a method for tool diameter comp on the control to be used for swarf cutting only. I have added this to your post. Brett

Hey John, There was a related issue that was previously cleared up. I believe it was put back onto the the server for download but we'll confirm on Monday. To attack your part from the back with a horizontal machine you need to use the regular back toolplane. If you are looking at the back toolplane from the top view and you rotate it 180 deg, just as the table on your machine would rotate, the coordinate system should be the same as your machine is setup. Brett

Neanders Valley, I might be able to help. What sort of elaboration are you looking for? An interpretation of the code snippit from above? Brett

David, If you go into your machine def and then into the general machine parameters, you will see a tab for coolant. On this page there is a check box for "support coolant using coolant value in post processor". If this is checked, it means your coolant must be setup in the post. If you uncheck this value it allows better control of the coolant using canned text, the catch is your post needs to support coolant in this fashion. If you have updated a version 9 post, this won't work, but if you are working off a new version X post, the coolant should be setup this way and will allow you to turn on multiple coolants at once, either before, with or after an operation. Chris

gti_jay, Check your email, I sent you the bit of code needed for signed direction, absolute position. Let me know if you need anything else. Chris

I think NURBS support is overrated. It's the same thing as applying a linear/angular tolerance to your existing linear data. eg. Heidenhain TNC cycle 32, Siemens G641 My wishlist: 3D arc filtering in 5-axis paths Brett

David B, We are having success with the stock transfer misc op and a little post magic. It is possible to do a synched transfer (both spindles holding the part) with a cutoff then return to home by the sub. It's also possible to mill clutching the part with 2 spindles. We've done it on Mazaks, Mori, Hardinge, and Daewoo to name a few. We've done this by adding a synch mode to the post that changes all of you code output based on that req'd for two spindle operation. Please let us know if we can help out. Brett

You doing this in your post or on the control? The calculation needs to rotate using the full distance (30 inches for the head plus .25 inches for the dist to material). It needs to base it's rotation calculation on that point at the material, not at the tool tip point. That is where your problems will arise. Brett

From what I understand, Matt and some of the other guys have given up sleeping in favour of working on MATSS. Hang in there because it will be awesome! Brett

Slavetothemetal, Again, you should e-mail me. Brett

kman1293, Mark is right. Sounds like your post or control is comping for pivot length about the "tool tip" and not the entry point of the water? How are you doing the comp? Brett

Slavetothemetal, Please e-mail me. I'm currently working on the MT machine with several other companies. This post has support for full 5-axis, upper and lower turrets, main and sub spindles, synched spindles for milling and turning, part transfer. I can probably hook you up with them as a reference so you can ask them how it's going. Brett

Thanks Glenn, I guess that would be the ideal starting point....not sure how far that is from the end of the road though. It's a big job so manipulating to code may not work. The TNC conversational isn't very "Fanucy". Brett

My bad. Hoping not to get flamed, just wondering if such an animal exists! I'm only good at posting one way....this reverse thing is tough. Brett

Anyone ever hear of a reverse post for 3-axis Heidenhain TNC? I'm not really expecting this to work very well but would really like to help out a customer. Thanks! Brett