Chris, OUCH quote: That would be because Fadals are best used as boat anchors or elevator counterweights While I would really love to have it, I couldn't afford a high-end mill to put in my garage and the FADAL does a very nice job for what I use it for. Bearing in mind that I am not doing work that requires a .0001 or better tolerance all day long. I have done the same work with a coping saw and files, but I certainly can't recommend it......and the FADAL IS paying for itself and getting the job done (while I am not even there). What more could you ask from an elevator counterweight?

Jack, I just noted in the preparatory block the use of a G95 (per revolution feed) - apparently this option is not available in the 4020 or 3016L FADAL controls.... I can definitely use the G94 (per minute feed) but this is already the default for the control and a G94 is not normally coded. The exception is when a G93 (inverse time) is used, then a G94 MUST follow on the next line. Apparently FADAL didn't think a G95 was necessary!

In the FADAL controls on the 2000 vintage 3016L and the 1996 vintage 4020, using a "0" rather than an "O" in the "O-word" results in an error every time when downloading the program to the machine. It doesn't tell you what it didn't like - it just errors out on the "TA,1" download.

I also have been crashing when using verifier on a very large set of contours - about 45 megs of toolpath. Using Windows XP, MC9 SP1.

Chris, I will be doing as you suggest - hand coding a series of test cases to see what the variables appear to be. I will let you know the results. Also, I managed to get folks to agree to finally migrate to MC9 SP1 (we have owned it at work for months now.....). Yeeeeehhhhaaaaaaa

Keith, the program does have 12 lines of commentary after the "O" word, but removing the comments has no effect on the problem. Putting any other non-canned type cycle in advance of the canned cycle makes the problem go away. n_tydingco, I will give that a try.... Chris, that is a good point on the G99. On my system at home, I post a G98 rather than the G99 and the order is G81 G98 rather than the G99 G81 that I get at work. However, I had previously dug out my FADAL 3016L books at home and thoroughly modified my home post to output the Gcode as shown in the manuals for my 3016L. I also modified my home post to output all of the proper preparatory codes for the FADAL Format 2 and to output the codes in the order shown in the manual. Unfortunately at work, I am only a dumb engineer who couldn't possibly know anything about post processors.... Management doesn't want me messing with the post, hence the need for an outside agent (which may end up being our distributor) to fix the problem. One bright point is that the machine tool distributor and the Mastercam reseller are one and the same. Mostly, I am just interested in trying to understand the problem (if for no other reason than to NOT repeat it on my own equipment). Cheers,

I have a slightly weird problem at my day job. Using Mastercam 8.1.1 and MPFADAL2.pst, if I create a drill cycle as the 1st operation, the FADAL 4020 continuously runs the canned drill cycle over and over and over. It never gets to the next line that cancels the drill cycle. If I post another operation in front of the drill cycle, the drill cycle operates perfectly (and only once!). The FADAL is runing in Format 2. The posted code is: N1 G00 G17 G20 G40 G49 G80 G90 N3 T1 M06 N5 G00 G90 S6000 M03 G54 X.32 Y-.2 N7 G43 H1 Z.025 M08 N9 G99 G81 Z-.03 R.025 F6. N11 G80 M09 N13 M05 N15 G91 G28 Z0. N17 M01 If I post an operation in advance of the drill cycle (in this case a contour) I get the following which works properly: N1 G00 G17 G20 G40 G49 G80 G90 . . Code for a contour . N151 M05 N153 G91 G28 Z0. N155 M01 N157 T1 M6 N159 G00 G90 S6000 M03 G54 X.32 Y-.2 N161 G43 H1 Z.025 M08 N163 G99 G81 Z-.03 R.025 F6. N165 G80 M09 N167 M01 My question is - am I looking at a post/programming problem or a FADAL control problem????? I can consistently repeat the problem. If I create the same condition at home and use my personal copy of MC9 SP1 and my customized post the only real difference is that I get: G81 G98 Z-.03 R.025 F. instead of line N163. BUT it works........ Any help would be appreciated.

Rats.............. I knew about the post mod and I know where to put it, I just didn't want to output an M92 except where I specifically wanted it. That changes with the geometry and tooling I am using - no need to bang the axes about at a higher gain if it is not necessary. Currently, I enter an M92 in the comment field of the op I wanted to change the gain on. Then of course I have to find it. Not a real big pain, but was hoping for a simple but elegant approach like putting "*M92" in the comment field.......... Thanks for the response.

On the tool parameters page in Mastercam 9.0 SP1, I want to enter an M92 and have it show up in the posted code without the "comment" parenthesis. As it is, I have to track down the "(M92" and remove the "(". Is there an easy way to "force" the output of the "M92" without the "(" while using the comments section of the tool parameters page?? Regards,

Kathy....... LMAO - almost fell off my chair - good one.

I also recently acquired RAS2VEC and have been happy with it. It does work best on black and white, but color can be done with relative ease. Regards

After reading the ensuing responses, I went back to confirm that my VMC will not accept a G95. After checking with my dealer, I have confirmed that my 2000 vintage VMC will not accept a G95 - a little surprising since I can Rigid-Tap and I can re-enter a tapped hole as many times as I want without buggering up the tapping (as long as I start from the same z-height every time of course). My VMC is one of the entry-level systems however and a G95 just wasn't included.... Cheers.

It would be nice to program in IPR since the mill tools are generally specified that way, but my VMC will not accept a G95 - only a G94 so the direct IPR method is not available to me. Thanks for the history.. I have always wondered how some rather strange ways of doing things have come down to us. Regards

I have finally made a full transition to V9 SP1 from 8.1.1. It took me a while due to the problems I had with my post processor and with an upgrade to WinXP Pro, but all of the issues that I had with V9 seem to have been fixed with the SP1 release for Mill level 3. I am a happy camper now and use it on a daily basis.

Me 2, Me 2!!! Sounds like a really fun 4th axis project for a slow period (training).

Personally, I end up changing the coolant about every 6 months. Not really because of the coolant, but because the coolant tank starts filling up with very fine swarf that is almost impossible to scoop out with the coolant in the tank. I also am finding that the lubricity of the mix seems to be substantially reduced if I run the coolant much longer than 6-8 months. Probably due to the lighter fractions of the soluble oil being vaporized during machining and not being fully replenished when adding make-up coolant (just a guess).

In use, the IPG SemiSpar HD folks have told me to use a mix for make-up (for evaporation) that is approximately 1/4 the strength of the mix that I have in the machine. That is of course only a starting point that gets adjusted depending on the refractometer reading on the coolant in the tank. If your reading is low (rarely) you use a little stronger mix for the make-up and less for a tank that is rich. It seems to be working. However, when I changed coolants the coolant guys recommended a thorough cleaning with "The Cleaner" from IPG, an antibacterial cleaner that mixes with water. It was a pain to do it by the numbers since you have to drain the tank, refill it with a fairly strong mix of "The Cleaner" and wash everything down, drain it, fill the equipment with plain water and rinse it, drain it, and refill with your new coolant. The machine looked like new and the bacterial problems seem to be licked. It does strip everything soluble but the paint - the exposed metal in the equipment will rust in a heartbeat so you need to get the new coolant mix in and circulated in short order. As I said, it was a pain (mostly in the back) but it did do the job.

I DO like your avatar, James. Had me ROFL the 1st time I saw it.

As you can tell from the number of posts that I have, I don't often have something to add..... Having said that, I enjoy reading this forum several times a week and have done so for a fairly long period of time. It is a very rare week that I don't learn something new that I can profitably apply to my programming or machining skills. Unquestionably, I have learned to tweak my posts and more efficiently program my parts by paying attention to the various threads - many thanks to those "Masters" that post with frequency in this forum. Keep it up! With regard to the "levels", there has just been too much really good info flowing through this forum to pay any attention to those statistics.

I had a pretty bad reaction to the coolant you are using and changed to IPG SemiSpar HD at a 15:1 ratio in my mill - no more problems with skin reactions but I do have to watch the coolant for bacterial growth now. I also use the Mobil Vactra #2 waylube. Still looking for something that I can use and not have bacterial problems or skin reactions. I have tried a couple of full-synthetic products but had problems with my Stevens plate rusting (can't have THAT!!!).

ARGHHHHHHHH. I read this thread. I thought I understood it. Then I went and used cutter comp in control in MC9SP1 and DIDN'T set the diameter in the control. NUTS - $45 of 6061 in scrap pile when the cutter went down the center of the geometry. (picture me beating head on wall on spot that says "pound head here in event of stupidity") I can't say that this thread didn't warn me....... Gonna switch to wear comp... I wish I had paid closer attention to this (and other) threads. Thanks for all the good info over the years,

What can we (legit users) do when we run across a website advertising hacked (un-protected) CAD/CAM software - MasterCam in particular. Ran across a thread when poking around for various Raster to Vector S/W options. www.ifps.org/wwwboard/messages/2262.html Really frosts me as a paid user!!!

It does teach you a measure of respect for those little gelatin orbs, tho.....

It is loads of fun - but you do tend to come back with all those quarter-sized bruises.

Just had one go off to college (21yrs) and have another going to be a senior in High School (17 yrs). Just to top it off, got a boy who is 14 and getting phone calls from girls all the time. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH Do they make solid aluminum bats?????????