Build Thread- Requests for Small Enhancements

[Ed from NY]

I'll jot down a few small requests and perhaps someone at BobCad will pick it up

1) Allow us to specify the center-drill depth in the Drill Feature which has 2 steps/tools: center-drill and drill.

Current workaround: change the tool angle and recompute the tool path till you get the depth you want.

2) Add a "Straight" Drill Feature which does not do the center-drill operation.

Current workaround #1: edit the Part/Tool Pattern and permanently remove the center-drill operation. The issue is that when you want the center drill you would need to do a separate center drill feature.

Current workaround #2: edit the g-code and remove the center drill section.

3) Add a Coolant Yes/No option per Feature or Tool. For example, I use air when milling steel with Carbide and oil when drilling it with Cobalt. The oil gets controlled by g-code and the air manually. There are a lot of situations where you drill and mill in the same workpiece.

Current workaround: edit the g-code and remove the M08 on the operations you do not want it.

4) Allow a Comment Field for each Tool in each Feature. I calculate the speeds and feeds with a spreadsheet. It would be a nice if I could copy and paste the calculation for each tool in each feature so that if I need to revise it I known how I arrived there.

Example:

                                  XY Cutting   Z Plunging
Cutting Speed (FPM)                      400          400
Cutter Diameter (inches)                 0.5        
Number of Flutes                           4        
Tooth Feed Rate (inches per tooth)   0.00165      0.00033
Width of Cut (inches)                 0.5000        
Depth of Cut (inches)                 0.1000        
Spindle Speed (RPM)                     3056         3056
Feed (IPM)                              20.2          4.0
Material Power Constant                 0.74        
Metal Removal Rate (inches per minute)  1.01         0.79
Tooth Feed Rate factor                  1.47         1.87
Operation Kind Tool Wear                1.10        
Power at Cutter (HP)                    1.21         1.21
Machine Drive Type Tool Efficiency      0.90        
Required Power at Motor (HP)            1.34         1.34

Current workaround: print the calculation and hope not to loose/misplace it.

5) Make the Tool Label available at the post processor.

The best we can do in the post now is:
T7 M6 (C ENDMILL FINISH , Diameter=.5 , Length=3.3125)

Using the Tool Label as proposed you get what you type:
T7 M6 (SGS 1/2" x 1-1/4" 4FL 0.030 CR Z-Carb-AP AlTiN)

Current workaround: study the setup and make notes on a piece of paper so that you know which 1/2" end mill it means for you to use.

[1234567]

also add a button in the tap section for fixed or floting tool holder

[southernexplore]

For #4 you could rename the feature to include tool size and maybe some other info.
but I am not sure if there is a limit to how much you can type in the feature field when renaming it though.

Tommy

[GaryCorlew]

I would like threading in lathe fixed, as of right now the crest height is wrong. I will be glad to give them the correct formual.

[dcskid]

I would like to be able to program a tap to 1 inch and have it post 1 inch. Sometimes you can change the inef length, sometimes you can't. Just ditch it. Let me tell it how deep to go.

David

P.S. This is way better than 22. Thank you for getting it to where it is today.

[Keep_Learning]

What type of spreadsheet program do you calculate your feed rates on? Did you develop it yourself or buy a commercially available product?

[Ed from NY]

Originally Posted by Keep_Learning What type of spreadsheet program do you calculate your feed rates on? Did you develop it yourself or buy a commercially available product?

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...479#post641479

[Ed from NY]

Another 2 small requests

6) Have the tool database in plain text, tab separated would be an idea. It would make it much easier to add tools and to back up and restore things.

7) In the tool maintenance dialog box, have the Tool Label appended to the Select Tool DDLB so that it is easier to locate a tool. For example my "35 DRILL" Tool Label is "USA "D" 135 Screw Machine Cobalt #327-3561". When I go to the Tool Maintenance all that is displayed in the Select Tool DDLB is "35 DRILL". It would be nice to see "35 DRILL - USA "D" 135 Scr..."

Thanks.