Welcome ! You have to create custom tool geo.I have not done much of it myself. Use the MC help to see how this is done. I'm curious. What kind of CBN machine are you programming ? 3,4 or 5 axis ? What wheel diameters are typical for the types of parts you make. I programmed a 5 Axis Campbell using Catia V4. At the time MC wouldn't alow me to use multiple iterations of depth of cut in Swarf or Curv 5 axis mode so we stayed with Catia. I couldn't define the wheel geometries exact either so there was no verifcation before cutting except for back plot. We didn't stack the wheels. They were typicaly 6 to 10 inch in dia. We were grinding Rene 80 gas turbine vane segments for Siemens Westinghouse Berlin. Almost every feature was full 5 axis motion. That was the most fun I ever had programming. What type of parts do you grind ? Sorry for all the questions but CBN grinding is a fascinating process to me. Good luck !

------------------------------------ This post is the shizzle ------------------------------------ ak762 you can learn more here. www.gizoogle.com

------------------------------------ This post is the shizzle ------------------------------------ ak762 you can learn more here. www.gizoogle.com

We have a Centurion 6 and havn't experianced any CDC problems. I usualy only program and design here but personaly ran two short run jobs myself recently and they went well. I use a modified version of MPFAN.pst Only major changes I made were for drilling cycles. The x,y, position needs to be on the same line as the cycle command or it will skip the hole. The machine has it's quirks and I cursed it to hell the first couple of days but for the money it's ok. It's the tool room mill with 10 pot tool changer.

I just remembered what I used. It was Procom Plus on a laptop to put the EIA programs in to the Mazaks. At my current job I'm using a Palm Pilot and it works great. No DNC here. I thought Griffo Bros was pricey too. I din't have the ability to program Mazatrol with it just View and manage the files. Most of the Mazaks at that place were lathes and the guys programmed them at the machine. Only problem was nothing got saved. That's why I bought the Greco Box and Camlink by Griffo. I met with a lot of resistance the first time I went out to the shop to pull programs out of the machines. After a while the guys started depending on me so they didn't have to rewrite programs and make mistakes on the parts they were making for years.

Skir, Are you talking Mazatrol or EIA. I bought the Griffo Bros software for saving the Mazatrol files in their native format from the machine to a Greco box but used a laptop with a shareware comm program to go into the machine with EIA programs. Yoe can even use windows Hyper Terminal to communicate with rs-232 if you want.

Thanks Ron, What I'm doing is using some long roughing mills and I don't want to use the Speeds and feeds from the material database. I'm reducing the SFM by by about 2/3 on those tools only. Everthing else seems to work good right out of the box for the standard length end mills. I'll try what you sugested. Thanks again !

I'd like to be able to change the speeds and feeds for one tool without effecting the rest of the tools. I've tried editing the tool in define tools/current but it doesn't seem to work. When I go back to the operations manager the change didn't take place. I know I can do this manualy at each operation then lock it but I'm calling this same tool up multiple times and want to make a global change one time. Can this be done ?

--------------------------------------------- Everyone here on this forum has seen a job that could have been designed/marketed/made better --------------------------------------------- +1000 Bruce. My Brother has been in the Machine Business for just over 20 yrs and was getting fed up with the B.S. Along comes a poor inventor knocking on his door and offers him a partnership in something that he made better. 1 year later and they have a product that's generating interest from Sears, Black and Decker and QVC. They just havn't decided who they want to licence it to yet. They are going to be at the National Hardware show in Las Vegas in May. Take a peek. www.twist-lok.com

Welcome ! Try create/surface/trim extend/fill holes. You could re create the surface fairly simple if the part geometry is not to complex. HTH !

I guess mangagement would be the next logical step. I would like a position where I managed a team of programmers/designers. A position with a budget to work with to stay current and cutting edge. To many places have managers that didn't come up thru the ranks and can't appreciate the tools we need to be successful. Lets see now, I would have Mastercam's latest and greatest. Vericut's latest and greatest. 3D printing and or some variation of rapid prototype technology. Ooops ! There goes the budget !

Stevieboy, File/merge or Converters/Read file. HTH.

------------------------------------------------ Anyone know of a post I can use to get programs into this puppy from MasterCAM? ------------------------------------------------ Don't think he was asking for a post but if anyone knew of a post that would work.

Mick, I know it's another step but how about running the chook stl2srf ? Then ceate/curve/slice.

The CODEIGS.exe is uploaded to the Apps_file directory on the ftp site. It creates center line geometry which can easily be xform/offset back. To run this app the NC code must have the extension .cod After double clicking the app from windows explorer you will be prompted to enter the file to be converted just type the file name without the .cod extension. The app generates several files including the .igs in the folder where the app resides so you might want to create a temp folder for this stuff. HTH !

-------------------------------------------------- Paul, will your app generate the geometry at the tool's center or the actual pocket walls that it cut? -------------------------------------------------- Good question ! It's been a long time since I used it and I think I only used it once or twice. I believe it's tool center though. There are no prompts for the user to enter in tool dia and it can't determine tool dia from the code. I'll bring it to work with me and try it out when I get the chance.

------------------------------------------------- Is there a piece of software anywhere that will take the tool characteristics and the .NC or .NCI and develop the original geometry or something that I can edit easily back to my original geometry? ------------------------------------------------- I have a dos utility called "codeigs" that will generate geometry from the NC code. I recently shared it with another forum member and it worked just fine. I will upload it to the ftp when I get home today. I can't access the ftp from here due to fire wall restrictions. E-mail me and I will send it directly to you as well.

Just a tip for open pocket. If the cutter plunges into the work instead of outside the open pocket just change the rough angle from 0 to 180 or which ever angle suits your geometry when not using open pocket method.

+1 to crazy. I use it all the time too without problems. Follow his method.

Got ya !

Home is safe. When I was programming lathes that's were I liked it to go for tool changes. A few more seconds was wasted but at least I knew I wasn't shearing off tools with the chuck jaws. Been there done that. Is it a large machine ? The machines I programmed were mostly small so home wasn't to far away.

Try to convert the iges surface model to a solid first. solids/from surfaces. If that works convert the solid to .stl. How complex is the surface model ? If you still have trouble I can try to create the .stl file for you. Just zip it up and e-mail it to me.

If it's a surface model than yes. Read it in to MC and convert to .stl. Good luck !

still open ?