hey everybody hows it goin? i found this site a few days ago and decided to join. i'm trying to get educated in this field and like every noob i need a little help. i'm trying to learn all i can on my own but i'm not making much progress.


a friend of mine who works at a local machine shop is allowing me to get experience on his machine at work. its a haas vf-2 with all the goodies. i'm trying to figure out how to transfer my solidworks and .igs files to the mill and control it with my computer. thats called dnc right? (remember i'm a noob) they only program with g-code but told me if i could figure out how to transfer my drawings i could use the machines. (i thought that was friendly of'um) right now im using a evaluation copy of solidworks 2005 on loan from a professor that was looking it over.

if somebody wouldn't could you explain what i need and what i need to do to start? i can tell you the haas has the network options and extended memory. [thats what i was told anyway] thanks in advance for any and all help.

Gump,

Welcome to the forum..

First off..Solidworks is a Cad program..you will need a Cad/Cam or Cam program to generate G code for your solid model..

Software that that you can import your model into.

Then apply tool path strategies too it.

Then that software will turn those tool path strategies into G code, (with a Post Processor), that the Haas control will read and machine your part..

thanks for the welcome....

software i can import into... do you mean something like mastercam?

so after that software converts my drawing to gcode can i hook my laptop to the mill and see the process on my laptop as its machining it out? or just a simulation? thanks for the help

Yes..or something like OneCNC..my personal favorite..

Actually the software doesn't really convert your model to G code..it allows you to apply tool paths, with different cutting tools and speed and feeds, to your model..then it converts those tool paths into G code..to be sent to the machine.

And yes most cad/ cam programs have a simulation or verification feature included in them..but they vary in quality..to say the least..

ok i really appreciate your help. is it better to hook to the machine via serial cable or rj45? it has the ability to do both. can i give it a ip address then log into it like a network drive? thanks again

Gump,

The Cat 5 cable would likely be better than the serial cable..faster, no length restrictions,(well no practical ones anyway)..

As for being able to give the machine an IP address and logging in, I can't comment with 100 percent certainty as none of my Haas's have the Ethernet option..I would think it would be more like a local network..like two PC connected together with NIC cards..

Maybe one of the other guys here who have this option installed on a Haas can comment on this with certainty..

little update on my ongoing pursuite for cnc knowledge. i got to go play with the haas today and at first we ran into some trouble with the settings but worked through it. i borrowed a copy of bobcam from the shop and ran it on my laptop. i never ran a part but the machine picked right up on the code and made a 3d model so im guessing its goin work. bobcam is kinda hard to figure out (especially for someone like me who knows nuthin) but i'm goin keep digging.