Ahoy!, I need to resurrect this as I am tweaking a post for my new machine. I have changed the post as I thought I had done the previous Makino, but I am getting an extra D in the output. I know it is simple and is staring me in the face, but it is amazing how much stuff you forget when you haven't been using it for a while!!!!! code: Z10. G1 Z0. F1.5 G41 D#501 D215 Y25.933 <================ Don't need D215!!!!! G3 X-6.711 Y19.933 R6. G1 X21.771 G2 X24.771 Y16.933 R3. G1 Y-8.974 G2 X21.771 Y-11.974 R3. G1 X-35.192 G2 X-38.192 Y-8.974 R3. G1 Y16.933 G2 X-35.192 Y19.933 R3. G1 X-6.711 G3 X-.711 Y25.933 R6. G1 G40 Y31.933 Z10. G0 Z50. M9 M5 code: if prv_cc_pos$ <> cc_pos$ & cc_pos$, prv_tloffno$ = c9k sccomp if prv_tloffno$ <> tloffno$, "D", no_spc$, 35, no_spc$, "501" if cc_pos$, tloffno$ thanks Bruce

Found it! Bruce

Ahoy! Just getting back into MC after a while and have just loaded X2MR2 and installed X+ for X2MR2. Where is the icon to change the ops manager font and background colour? Am I going crazy??? Bruce

I am about to open my shop, so any head start I can get on procedures would be appreciated also Ron. Bruce

It is an option an pretty much all fanuc based machines. Definately ask about it when talking to a machine supplier. I know that Haas do not offer this. Bruce

Ah, I was talking about something slightly different. In a head-head machine Crazy's example is correct. In my case I was refering to a table-table machine. Bruce

Basically it means that the control monitors the position of your datum relative to its centre of rotation for each axis and compensates the motion to suit. Without it you would be required to have your model origin in MC as the centre of rotation. With it you can put your datum anywhere you want. One example would be machining a helix on a cylinder. In a standard machine you would need to make sure that the cylinder was concentric with the rotary axis. If you have dynamic comp, it doesn't matter if the cylinder is offset as the machine will use the other axes to compensate as it rotates. Dynamic comp allows you to put mount the part anywhere on the table without worrying where the datum was in the CAM file. Bruce

Thanks for the offer Alex, while the machine is there there is always the chance that I will get a trunnion for it. I'll drop you a line if I do. When we do get a dedicated 5 axis I will most likely look for something with Dynamic comp though. I know Haas don't have this and it is a real advantage. Once this batch of machines is worn out, they will be replaced with Mori's. Well, that is the plan anyway! Bruce

There is Ti and then there is Ti. The commercially pure grades like Gr2 and 7 are pretty easy going. Gr5 6Al4V is harder and work hardening is a pita as well. I did a fair bit or R&D with Ti and can safely say that depending on the setup the "book" speeds mean nothing. In some cases they can't be met, but change a few things and bingo, suddenly it is possible to do five or six times the recommended surface speed for that tool and still achieve good tool life. There is a wealth of info on the net about this. A few hours surfing might be better than a reference book anyway. Bruce

It would definately be a better ROI. IF I knew exactly the work mix and volume ahead of time, and I had the money for the deposit!. That was my point with it being a startup machine, it gives you an initial capability that you can let customers know you have. If it takes off and orders flow in, then I get the calculator out and find if the ROI and cost per part and stump up the cash for the better machine. If no-one is interested, then I scrape along and (hopefully) cover the lease on the machine to justify the floorspace. Something I couldn't do if I had paid nearly a mil up front!! These discussions always end up a Hass-bash and I think the reason is NOT that the machines are junk. Deep down my "problem" is that companies see them as a long term proposition and people who have used Japanese machines to their FULL potential (as opposed to just a straight swap) KNOW that once a company has an established cash flow that the calculator should come out and some figures done. Of course a company with all Haas will make money, but an all Haas workshop with a positive cash flow could probably, depending on how good they are with their methods already, either double their production with similar machines, or else trim the dead wood, get lean, and make the same $$ with less staff and overheads. My other machines are cheapies too, but they all have fanuc drives, controls, and motors, so I am a bit more comfortable with them. They will still wear out in a few years if I work them hard, but I shouldn't have to worry about electronics too much. Bruce

quote: work for shops with deep pockets There may be a reason they have deep pockets? Anyway, I am buying a Haas myself shortly, only because I am starting and a machine with an equivalent envelope to a GR-712 with extended Z is four times the price. The problem I see with shops that replace cheap machine with expensive ones is that they don't also change their methods to suit the new machine's capacity. Then when they compare what they are doing on their new "M" machine with what they were doing before, they think that they may have wasted some money. So to stay on topic, you would be able to run a Mazak at max Haas cutting parameters, but no chance in hell of running a Haas at max Mazak parameters. You get what you pay for. Bruce

We had this discussion before and back then James you agreed that all models should be modelled to mid-limit and the 2d drawings only to reference critical features. Has something made you change your mind? Personally I would prefer it as I just described. If a feature is say 12mm +.2/-0.0 then the feature should be modelled at 12.1mm. If this tolerance is below what is stated on the title block, or geometric tolerancing like MMC comes into play, then it needs to be dimensioned on the 2d. There is nothing more painful than having a group of pockets/holes/features that are all modelled nominal, but have different tolerance bands. If they are modelled to mid they can be chained in the one operation (assuming same depth) and all controlled together (again assuming they are equally "critical" features. Bruce

quote: Now they're listening to more input, and X3 is better yet. When you say "finish X2 before making X3", what exactly do you mean? I understand his point. Pity the poor buggers that are stuck at X. It was bought and paid for, but is next to useless. Service packs to fix the bugs should not be dependent on maintenance. It should definitely not be good enough to say to someone that they need to go up a version to remedy stability issues or bugs that stop features of that version being used. A couple more points: Beta testing: I have just written to CNC and asked that I be taken off the programme so there is now a spot available. It must be noted that beta testers are not responsible for software development. Yes, once a bug is found it is recorded and a workaround is found until a fix is made. If a beta tester actually stopped every time a bug was found and didn't resume testing until it was fixed, then we would probably still be on V4. If CNC don't fix the bug, the beta testers are not to blame. MC development in general: I am just about to open my new workshop. If I was able to afford to employ another programmer from day one and they used a different package, I would probably have dropped Mastercam. There are a few reasons for this, but since I am familiar with it and will be wearing the programmers hat for a few months at least, I am sticking with what I currently know. All other new features aside (and there are many good ones) I still cannot believe that there is not a holder library for ALL tool paths.(just one annoyance of mine) I am also planning on having a multi-tasking machine by middle of next year. If MMT isn't up to speed by then I don't know what I will do. Marketing driven: I definitely would agree with anyone that stated that CNC marketing's drive for new sales is having too much influence on development direction. (some is required, but where to draw the line?) It may or may not be true, but I would need some convincing. Bruce

http://www.horst-witte.de/ These people do wet pumps as well as separator tanks with auto drain. Bruce

UG Catia Pro-e Solidcam and Camworks (Or any of the SW add ons) Possibly Powermill (not 100% sure) Visi I have used UG for a while. The others I have either tinkered with or saw a demo. Bruce

I do that same as Alex. Manual entry with exactly the code I want. eg, enter and exit hole in S50 M4 at slow feedrate, rapid to start depth, M3 to correct speed and feed to depth, rinse and repeat. I did look at doing a custom cycle once, but never got around to it. Bruce

Every other package I have ever dealt with has this feature. Bruce

One way around this is to call your offsets with a sub. In the sub you have for example G92 XYZ At the top of the programme you call that sub and then your datum is set. This way you can have your offsets numbered as per job# or QC fixture location. Just one way to do it. Bruce

What do I expect it to do? From a toolpathing point of view, everything it does now. From simple countour ops driven by a sketch or solid edge, to full 5 axis. Needs to work in assembly and part mode. Machine simulation driven by solidworks models not STLs. Support WCS/stock rotation/multiple setups/multiple machines in simulation. My biggest fear is that some of the 2d functions will be lost because they work best with wireframe geo and everyone wants to go straight from the model now. My next biggest fear given I am about to buy a seat of MC myself and get back into it, is how pricing/licensing will be handled. Bruce

The sales blokes can't have too much say, where are the tool holder libraries for ALL tool paths? I imagine that one gets thrown in their face a lot. Bruce

WOW! lots of numbers!! So, am I better off with a dual core 3.16Ghz with 6MB cache, or a 2.66Ghz quadcore with 12MB cache?????? Bruce

http://www.technigrip.com/

You can still have multiple offsets with dynamic comp, if you really want. All it really does is allows the machine to know where the part is relative to centre of rotation by only setting one offset instead of one for each face. A good example would be a box held in a vice where you are going to machine 3 sides. Without dynamic comp you need to set say G54 on the front and take a cut to reference the other sides. Then rotate 90 and edgefind a corner for G55. Rotate to -90 and do the same for G56. (If you vice is in a known location this process can be shortened.) If you have dynamic all you do is set one offset say G54.1 on the first face. As long as you have the toolplanes in MC and the post setup correctly this is all that you need to do. Best thing is you can set this part at any position on the tombstone and the machine knows where the part is in space and compensates accordingly. Bruce As long as the calibration is maintained there should be no real need to move things around unless the temp of the machine keeps moving dramatically.

Contracting work in a legacy programme? That is odd. Bruce

BTW, don't overtighten them. Let the dowels and the dovetail do their job. Bruce