[mowzer]

We have an Okuma MB 8000h machine that is not getting used to it's full potential as the operators are struggling to learn using IGF or the OSP 200m control.(everyone prefers the Mazaks)
Is there any info or websites out there that would be any help?

[deadlykitten]

this is common in the world of cnc : buy lathes from different companies : they look the same, they work the same, except the control-panel

so you know how to work on them, but you can not, because you must setup "same work/tools/everything" in different manners

also today all mobile phones look the same, have similar capabilites, while only finding the virtual keyboard from one phone to another takes a while ...
when you buy a phone from another company you must learn it's own interface to do a simple call ...

so what you gonna do ?

learning the machine takes a while ...

in the most happy case, find someone that knows the machine and can help you, can instruct your operators; so you reduce the duration of learning

find a programer that is capable of handling all your machines ... so you continue your activity without lagging, and in meanwhile, instruct your operatos

this option is a bit different, because if you have a programmer, your operators can be less-qualified, so you can only teach them the operating/standard buttons

if someone seems capable, only invest in that person(s)

it was a book called "how to become an igf programmer in 40 hours" ... kindly !

[deadlykitten]

also, about programmers, is a bit nasty thing : inside a company is an official hierarchy with it's manager on top, but in reality there are more piramids

i consider that a piramid is defined when there is no one else that can control that piramid, so to add a layer

so, if human-resources is not going well, maybe you can leave with that

if acquisition is not going well, you will just wait a bit more

if production/core activity is not going well, than ...

In most companies, there are few persons that verify or have time to verify the programmes, so they may develop different working styles, with different impact into production

Programing is easy, but how/what you program is an issue : is more important to know the tools/fixtures/operations/control than programing.
Programing/machine movements can be learned pretty fast, while tools/fixtures/operations/control is a long-term-comitment.
I don't have master skills, i don't have programing speed like i wish, but ...

And you may hear that thing that drives me crazy : "The machine / the software does this, i can not do it another way" ... so few people see or have the oportunity to see the bigger picture, while most become not programees, but CAM-CAD-slaves ...

So you just get a programmer, or someone to train your people, and use that person skills until you/it's students/one student raises above, so he can say "you are wrong/lets do it this alernate way"

However, with no experience, you can mechanically learn everithing and consider is good, and after some time you may see that it was wrong ... is nice to learn solid from start, instead of made-in-china skills

When i say "you" i don't mean yourself ...