The size of the hole for form taps are much more critical. Even more so for small screw sizes. A little small and you will break taps. Too big and you will get almost something like a double start thread. Something to keep in mind are chips in the hole. Even a small sliver could break a tap. Not to scare you, just things to keep in mind. I love form taps in blind holes and have done 1000's of 0-80s just need to cover the details. Rick

#Rekd may have it. The max radius in the Fadal is 399.9999. Does strange things if that is exceeded. There used to be a place in the post to limit this number but maybe that is done in the control definition now. I also agree in using IJK. Rick

Can't help with that problem. It seems to me that you want to set tool lengths as the distance from the gage line to the tool tip as would be done setting tools offline then using the fixture offsets for the different jobs. Don't know if that can be done on a Fadal in format 1. Maybe in format 2. All of the Fadal manuals are available online and maybe somewhere in those there would be information that would point you in the right direction. There is a thread on the Practical Machinist where someone has a method of setting positive tool offsets. I didn't read through it so I can't comment if it would be what you are looking for. Sorry I can't be more help. Rick

The G43 is not needed in the Fadal using format 1. E1 is the call to use fixture offset 1. E0 cancels fixture offset. I usually run with values for X and Y in my fixture offsets with Z being zero. My tool offsets are always negative and is the distance with z in home position from tool tip to Z zero on my part. Press the manual key until "Enter next command " in display then type in DF for fixture display, DT for tool offset display, There a tool length setting utility Type UT and select option 1 and it will walk you through setting the length. If you want to set tools off the table you should be able to compensate to your part zero using the Z value in the fixture offset but I have not done this. More info on this is in the operators manual and these are available online but don't have a link in front. Rick

That looks very interesting. Will this work in MC 2018 ? Rick

Hi Pete The file has something in it. 935kb. I am wondering if there is some setting that the sender needs to select. I will send the file tonight. No NDA. I trust you to keep it among the need to know. Thank you Rick

Hi Pete I gave STPviewer a try and got nothing. It seems to acknowledge that there is a document there but nothing else. Just to clarify, I have a number files with the same problem. I will see if I can send you this file but it will be a day or two before I get to it or get permission. Where do I send it? Thank you Rick

I tried that first. I also pasted the header info from a good step file on to this file and got the same result. No errors but no entities. Rick

I forgot to mention that I know that the file came from ProE and a add on translator would be needed to read the native PRT file but this file was exported as a step file. Looking at the file in a text editor and comparing it with a step file I can open, it looks like a step file. Another odd thing, the file came without the STP extension. This is a new company for me and getting through to the right person to ask questions or to get another file format isn't easy but I will see if they will do. Thanks Rick

Hello I got this file that when I try to open it in Mastercam 2018 I get a blank screen. No errors and statistics shows no entities. I can not share the file but if I open the file in Cimco in the header the source is "CREO PARAMETRIC BY PTC INC, 2018010". I tried earlier versions of Mastercam , ( X6, X9 ) with the same result. I do not have Mastercam 2019. Has anyone else come across this and did you get a solution.? Is there something my customer needs to do on the other end during the export? Thanks Rick

You may want to look into electro-chemical deburring also. Special electrodes would have to be made for the different part numbers, but very controllable. Chemtool was the company that did it as well as selling equipment but they don't seem to be around anymore. Rick

Please share where you found these. Thanks Rick

That fixed it. I had to redo my RMB and ribbons but better than a reinstall. Thank you Rick

Hi I have the plane manager displayed on a second monitor and it is not responding to any mouse action. I also have the tool path, solids and level managers there and they all work as expected. If I change my planes using any of the other available methods the display will update. I have tried opening and closing the manager from the view tab, different files, rebooting the computer and uninstalling Verisurf Tools with no change. I am running Mastercam 2018 level 3 on Windows 7 pro. I noticed this a few days ago and updated from update 2 to update 3. I have not had any updates recently to windows or any drivers. I still have Mastercam 2017 installed and the plane manager works there. Any ideas Thank you Rick

That works. Thank you gcode. Rick