[Danskimanuk]

Hi,

I've just started a freelance job
Designing wall panels at a company
Where they have the above machine.

I model in 3d and would like to
Be able to generate g-code or .mpr for it
Straight from solidcam.

Does anyone know if there is a post or otherway
To achieve this?
I/ or the company can't afford the cost of getting a post
Made as they are not willing to invest as they have woowop already. I on the other hand would like to be able to go straight from solidcam to test my designs.

Would really appreciate the help
I'm completely new to cnc BTW.

Thanks
D

[Brakeman Bob]

From looking at the Weeke website it looks like you're stuffed as they don't list the control which makes me think the CAM software is dedicated.

If you can find out the control and get a manual, it shouldn't be too hard for you to write your own.

[Danskimanuk]

Thanks Brakeman.

So I'm after the control software manual
To see what commands it excepts, right?

If I could get this manual, are there any sources of information that could help me right the g-code for solidcam to the homag?

As I say I'm a complete noob to this!

Thanks again
D

[Brakeman Bob]

You really need to thoroughly understand CNC code and ideally get some machine time to grasp how things work. It is one thing to write G code to make the machine cut but completely another to change a tool without crashing the machine for instance.

Resources for this Homag / Weeke might be a bit thin on the ground as in my experience woodworking machines are nowhere near as well supported on the internet simply because they are a small sector in a big market.

[Danskimanuk]

So, getting machine time there is out, as my time
Is taken up with designing. I could do the odd Saturday, but am ideally looking for
A quicker solution like either finding another CAM
App that does support Homag/weeke or a resource
Where I can find a pre-written one.

I have Solidcam, and can get rhinocam. And have also looked at alphacam, but as far as I know, none of them have the posts I want.

Looks like I need to become wealthy designing something else, so I can afford to pay out $1200
everytime I need to use a different machine...



Any help on these matters d be great?

[Brakeman Bob]

Can you get CNC code from one of your customers for something you have designed? Then you could have a go at reverse engineering a post processor.

As regards Homag / Weeke, they haven't developed WoodWop out of the goodness of their hearts, have they. It's a niche market and so ripe for a monopoly.

[Danskimanuk]

No, no Free giving of goodness, that's for sure.

Don't really understand, by what you meant about customers who I have designed for giving me g-code?

Haven't had any customers yet, as I have been there just 3 weeks designing wall panels and am only getting round to actually thinking of producing them.

I wonder if there is a converter to translate .nc files to .mpr /.ply files accepted by the homag?

Other than that I think I am stumped. The company either, pays out for a post, changes their machine or they give me a hand held router!

[Brakeman Bob]

Sorry, I thought you had existing customers who were creating their own code for your designs and you wanted to offer a programming service to new customers. Can you get a couple of programs for parts already programmed by the panel maker and the drawings of the finished part? Then you can deduce what code does what and from that you can start to build a post.

What does the panel maker use to program their machines? Is that a purely CAM package or is it a design tool as well. If it is the former then perhaps the way to go is find out what format the CAM package likes its models and convert your designs to that so that the maker can program them.

[Danskimanuk]

The current workflow is this:

Designers submit 2d drawings as .dxf.
The panel maker runs them through a Woodwop
Dxf to CAM cnverter that after his setting up
Outputs .mpr files that the homag/weeke
Vantage 43M excepts.

The problem with this is, he/the software
Only seems to be able to process prismatic cuts.

I would like to go from 3d model to generated code and part.

I'm currently looking into finding a copy of bobcadcam to see if this has anything...

Cheers
D

[Danskimanuk]

To elucidate, I want to process contoured curves.

Now I guess if he had the knowledge I could output a succession of curves for the contoured edges and he could program the order with differing tools for each toolpath.

However this is a longer Job, and it's only a small workshop with no dedicated cam programmer as such.

The 3d model to output file is the best route..

[Brakeman Bob]

You need to get a .mpr file to look at. This will yield at lot of important information regarding the structure and syntax of the code. From that you might be able to build a post - as the machine is 3 axis (I'm assuming that) things should be straight forward.

[Danskimanuk]

Thanks bob.

That is a route...
Just discovered that stiles software have a converter
From G & M codes that creates the needed .mpr
Files. This could be a worker if the
Price is right for the company!

And yes, it's 3 axis with the potential
For 4 with an aggregate so I'm told.