[jevs]

All makes sense.
I did a bunch of reading about setting up tools and stuff. This looks like it is going to take awhile. I still am not sure how I will set all the tool heights and stuff. I do have a 7 tool changer. I also have an electronic touch off plate and a probe. I was thinking to use the touch off plate and just have it touch off each time it changes tools or something.......lot to figure out still. My tool rides in a turret on a bearing, so drawing the tools is going to be fun to figure out. I think I will have to draw the turret as part of the tool holder.

I may need to suggest BobCAD make setting up those speeds for each axis separate. I know there are many machines out there that have Z different like mine. I looked up specs on various machines just to see.

[The Engine Guy]

All makes sense.
I did a bunch of reading about setting up tools and stuff. This looks like it is going to take awhile. I still am not sure how I will set all the tool heights and stuff. I do have a 7 tool changer. I also have an electronic touch off plate and a probe. I was thinking to use the touch off plate and just have it touch off each time it changes tools or something.......lot to figure out still. My tool rides in a turret on a bearing, so drawing the tools is going to be fun to figure out. I think I will have to draw the turret as part of the tool holder.

I may need to suggest BobCAD make setting up those speeds for each axis separate. I know there are many machines out there that have Z different like mine. I looked up specs on various machines just to see.

No offence jevs but I`m not sure you have it 100% just yet It doesn`t matter at all what speeds are the BobCAD for rapids, your machine control handles all that, if the max speed for an axis in your Mach3 controller is 300 inches p/m then that is what you will get when the control recieves the G0 command in the code, even if it was set to 1000 inches p/m in BobCAD it will not go faster than the axis setting in Mach3.

So best to forget about that side of things, I stopped messing around with the simulations a long time ago, as long as it produces a reasonable guide of machine time per operation and an overall time then that`s all I need/worry about
You will have to spend a lot of time creating lots of solids for a machine simulation but unless you have paid extra for the full simulation is will be time wasted because you won`t have it working on screen as per your actual machine

If you have any spare time at all then it would definitely be better spent working on your tool library, materials library and your cutting conditions, they are way more important to the smooth day to day operation of your machine.

I have a touch off plate system on one of my mills, what I have done is write a few toolchange programs that cover any amount of tools I need for a specific job, I put all the tools in the carousel and set one tool as the Master Tool, then I just run the tool change program and it runs through all the tools and sets the heights in my Mach3 tool library, unless you really want the machine to check each tool at every toolchange which takes a fair amount of time then I would advise you do as I have

Definitely easier/quicker

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

[jevs]

I do get it, it does nothing to the G code. Figured that out yesterday. I know it just uses it for time estimates, or simulations....However, if you want more accurate simulation and time estimates, you need different settings for each axis. I realize it does not affect how fast it moves on rapids

I do have the full simulation and also the predator editor which does a simulation. From what I saw, once you set up your tools for machining anyway, that the built in simulation just uses that info? I did not see where it was extra work to run the simulation as far as setup goes?

That sounds good on the tool changing. I still don't fully get that, but I am working on it. I figure I will make a new thread asking all my new silly questions.
I am not sure how to hook up my probe and my touch plate. I am wondering if they have to share an input and be connected in parallel, or if they can each be separate....trying to figure this out now.

Thanks.

[The Engine Guy]

I do get it, it does nothing to the G code. Figured that out yesterday. I know it just uses it for time estimates, or simulations....However, if you want more accurate simulation and time estimates, you need different settings for each axis. I realize it does not affect how fast it moves on rapids

OK, just checking Reason I and most others don`t bother about it is that the amount of time spent actually going up and down compared with back and forth is usually a very small amount but if you feel you need it then by all means send it in to BC for the developement team to look at

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro: