no experience/need advice on okuma cnc

[porkface]

hello-first, I AM NOT A MACHINIST! i'm an out of work mechanic, helping a friend who owns a cnc shop. her cnc guy left. my job has been to cut 6" circles out of 3/8, 1/2 and now, 3/4 alum. plate on a vert. metal band saw. the results then have to chucked into a lathe and the REAL machinst makes them round. this was usually done in 1 step on the cnc.

the okuma is 20 years old and the pc interface is missing. i can get the model number if it's important. the cnc guy would manually program the cnc on it's keypad. done it for 15 years and he could make the cnc sing. loved to watch him work.

the 3/4 alum plate is 7" sq. i don't know what alum. i can get this if it's important.

i'm a smart guy. but not smart enough to learn on the job, too expensive for the shop owner-who, is just an owner, nothing else.

can someone hold my hand and tell me how to make a circle out of a square-online or on the phone-on this machine. it's not cost effective to let this machine sit while the machinist and i knock these out the hard way. if i get instructions, i'll practice on wood to make sure.

if, i'm in over my head, say so. the cnc guy learned on the fly over the years, but he had some machining experience. me, i've machined brake rotors on a brake lathe, that's it. so, no offense taken if y'all say forget it. if the pc interface can be found, i'll update.

btw, the owner is interviewing potentials but this job has to get out before they get a new cnc guy-or gal.

trust me, this is not how i learned to fix cars. i hate to ask, but i gotta try something.

thanks for reading this. got my fingers crossed chuck.

[Al_The_Man]

Okuma often used Fanuc controllers on the m/c's, is there a model number?.
By 'PC interface missing' do you mean the PC cad program and cable or does the machine have interactive programming on screen? Such as Fanuc FAPT?
If the machine was programmed off line on a PC, then you will need to obtain a CAM program and learn how to use it.
Al.

[porkface]

al-thanks for the note.

as far as the controller, if you mean the keypad approx. head high where all the xyz plotting is entered, i can look on it for the model number.

pc interface-the port is on the mill, the cables pc and possible programs or discs are mia. the screen on the controller/keypad is 6x6". i assume it's not interactive. having never seen the unit used WITH a pc and a program, i'm only guessing. i've gotten into the 20 or so manuals that have okuma in the title. some, i'm sure, belong to the cnc lathe in the shop.

i realize this is a long shot. thanks for the post, chuck.

[porkface]

update-the mill is an mc4 va, built in 87. i did find in the side cabinet, next to the paper tape reader, 8" maxell floppies. i don't speak pc, either, but i've never heard of floppies this big. there is a port, rs232, i'm guessing. never having seen this thing used with a program, i'm sure what i need done can be punched in on the keypad. every time the cnc guy used it, he punched it in.
apparently, the previously mentioned controller brand is internal to the machine. i see nothing but okuma on it, outside or in.

plodding through the manuals, i find it overwhelming. again, if i'm over my head, say so. i'd love to hear from someone who does this day in, day out. either i get it done or i find another way to do this. seems a shame this job is done the hard way.

if i was asking for a globe out of a cube of aluminum, i wouldn't be asking. TOO many variables. i know x will never change, except to ease the cutting depth. y and z are the things i need to make a circle.

my specs were worng on the size----9 1/2" circle out of a 10" sq, 3/4" thick. thanks for listening, chuck.

[neilw20]

Are there any programs left in the machine, from previous jobs, or have they been cleaned out.
What controller OSP???? then someone might tell you which buttons to start with.

With a bit of luck you should be able to fumble through some menus, or are there no menus and all is done by function keys. Again OSP ????

Or give me a holiday and I will make it go for free...

[ctate2000]

Where are you?

[neilw20]

Originally Posted by ctate2000 Where are you?

I am here to be precise.

neilw20 or porkface. and why do you ask?

[MrWild]

Where is porkface located? If he were close to me, I'd show him how to enter code. I sure don't want or need his job though. Just retired and bored.

[neilw20]

According to member info porkface is at
Orlando, Fl.
Nice place in winter. I spent a week there 3 months after 911.

[skullworks]

I'll take a shot in the dark and say that if its a 1987 MC4 VA then it likely has the Okuma OSP5000M control on it.

That would be a 3 speed geared head ( 6000 RPM auto gear slection ) and likely a 20 pot ATC.

G15 Hxx calls your work shift number (1-20?)

G56 Hxx for tool height offset #

Use M2 for end of program.

Most all other G/M codes are standard RS-274D

I could whip up a program, but its kind of hard without knowing how you intend to hold the part and what you are using for tools.

[ctate2000]

I was going to offer my help if you were near.

[karlbushnell]

our machine (cadet vmc with osp700m) as i just found out....for some reason when i use the g15 to call up the next vise, stops the spindle and the coolant....? i'm confused by this. i am milling at g15 h4 lift up 1.0 call g15 h5 and it stops the spindle and the coolant but keeps moving to the new coordinate. Am I missing something or is our machine have a glich? we are not the original owners so I have no idea what might have been altered. Thank you.