[orionstarman]

We have a Mazak 510c with a Mazatrol 640 controller. Right now we do all part programing at the machine. It's not even hooked up to the network in the shop. The boss is talking about getting the latest version of MasterCam for the EDM machines.

My question is, could we program the Mazak faster on a computer with MasterCam? Would it me worth the price to add the Mazak to the MasterCam pakage?

We are a in house tool and die shop. We make most of the dies that we use out in the factory right here. Most of stuff that we do is just one, two or three of this or that part. Very seldom do we do more than a half dozen of any one part and repeat jobs are few and far between. I know that I spend more time writing programs than making parts and I want to speed things up.

Thanks

[CNCRim]

From experience, if a job shop with few piece here and there..... I said Mazatrol/convertional program is the best programming way to go. Mastercam package with Mazatrol post processor will bite a big chunk out of your pocket. CAD/CAM is good if do something like 3D complex surface or master production, otherwise conversional program is a lot better.

[little bubba]

You should be able to just modify a basic fanuc post, or if I remember correctly, mastercam has a Mazak post. It will run G-code/EIA/ISO. Its just G-code, EIA/ISO should be included on your machine.

As for the conversational/Mazatrol vs G-code, it really depends on what you are doing, and how good you are at each.

[bridi precision]

camlink by griffo bros.

This is a PC based package that works just like the control. You can work from an office PC to make the program and still use the conversational language that you know.

If you go MasterCam it is another new world to learn. I would agree that the only time I relly ever used MasterCam was for coplex surfaces that I could not write by hand.

So in closing you have to look at all of your options and weigh out the costs vesus the gains to see if it is worth the investment.

I personally like Gcode for mills when I have alot of parts to run. I always hand write my mill programs so I can run the parts exactly how I want with out wasted time. But I have used Master Cam for complicated patterns and made them sub programs tha I recall when and where I need. I like the Mazatrol for smaller quanties on the mill.

As for lathes I need over 5,000 parts before I not use the Mazatrol. Their lathe programming is the fastest and the best out there. I rarely have a major gain on any of my other Gcode lathes the I can not duplicate with my Mazaks and the Mazatrol.

[orionstarman]

I understand that you can import dfx drawings into MasterCam, how does this help in programing?

[bean79au]

You could also look at MazaCAM. Allows you to program in conversational just like the control or you can program using the CAD/CAM side, import dxfs, iges etc and post to either Mazatrol or ISO.