VF-2 pro's and con's

[mattpatt]

Hi Guys,

I'm just about done with my Fadal 3016. Stress stress stress!

Looking to order a Haas VF-2 and I'd like to ask you guys what you think.

I use Solidcam to generate my Gcode, and now after a couple of years of continual messing about, my posts are fine for my Fanuc 0i control. No need to edit anything, just generate and stick it in the machine. From simple 2D to complex 3D surfaces and HSM.

Recently, when my Fadal spindle called time, I needed to do some urgent jobs so I begged my friend to get some time on his VF-2. After an hour or so fettling the post processor my posts would run on his machine, but they weren't particularly complex, so I didn't encounter any problems.

Having read through snippets of the Haas manual it seems that most of the info is there so that I could rewrite the post processor and get a reliable code for the machine, whatever the situation.

Have any of you changed from Fadal/Fanuc to Haas? If so, what are the benefits and the downsides. I'm very interested to hear what you have to say.

[l u k e]

I ran into this a few weeks ago>>
http://www.cncreport.com/haas-speaks-fadal/

[mattpatt]

Luke,

Thanks for that.

I read my post again and I probably wasn't clear, but my Fadal uses Fanuc 0i control.

I think most of my programs will be ok if I regenerate them using the post processor I wrote, but I'll ask the blokes at Haas here in Thailand.

I could also send my chum some test prgrams just to see if they'll run on his VF-2.

Cheers,

Matt.

[Excelmachine]

Rigid tapping code will probably be different going from a Fanuc to Haas.

[mattpatt]

Yes, I saw that rigid tapping is different. I'm sure there are other differences that I'll stumble across.

[Mike xyz]

Mattpatt,

If you have a 4th or 5th axis the rotation commands will be different and a few of the macro commands will be different but other then that it should be a smooth change.

The Haas control is easy to use and they are great machines for the price.

Best regards.

mike

[mattpatt]

Mike,

I'm not into 4th or 5th axis machining yet, but do have a vision for the future.

Thanks for everyone's comments. I reckon it should be a breeze to cross over.


Matt.

[Pondo]

I used to program a Fanuc control Daewoo and a Haas with the same post. The only difference was that I needed to remove the M29 in the G84 tapping cycles for the Haas.
Going from the Fadal controller with the PC would be a bit tougher, from the E offsets to the G54 and the canned cycles are different.
I would be interested to hear what you think about the Haas Vs. your Fadal once you run it for a while. I know I liked the Haas machines very very much better. The shop I used to work at that had 3 Fadals and a Tree back in 2000 now has 100% Haas. The shop I am in now had Fadals 7 years ago and now has 4 Haas mills, 4 OKK's, 3 Mazaks, 2 Kurakis, a Stinger, and a Makino. No Fadals at all anymore.

[Pondo]

And adding a 4th axis to a Haas is extremely easy. Plug and play.

[mattpatt]

I do actually like the Fadal with Fanuc control, but I can't say I've had much to compare against. It does what I want and in the way I want. The only issue is the lack of reliability and the total lack of support.

In the Haas I'm not so looking to upgrade the machine as much as upgrade the service and support backup. When I have a problem, I want it fixed.

Like I say, judging from what I saw with my friends Haas, I think the transistion will be smooth.....hopefully.

[Delw]

Matt
the only thing I found so far is the way the rigid tapping is done. it wont allow the g84.1 you will get an error when sending the program.
everything else is pretty much the same.
I dont use line numbers in my Haas like the fadal, you cant use "N" numbers on the program number line in the haas.

Haas as a editor to transform the programs however I am leary on editors in making changes especially to very long programs(1-10 megs) I cant nor have the time to double check.

the front part of my programs I changed a little differently for the haas, I can generate a fadal program then make the minor changes for the haas.
one other thing haas on a drill program will drill on the first points called up, were as Fadal uses the first points for positioning points

Fadal way

N1 O1111 N2 M6 T1 (0.375 DIA. END MILL) N3 G0 G17 G40 G80 G90 E12 N4 M3 M8 S8000 N5 X-18.1875 Y-4.0 N6 G8 N7 Z0.1 H1 N8 G1 Z-0.45 F50.0 . . . end of block N38 G0 Z0.1 N39 G40 M5 M9 N40 G9 N41 G49 Z0.0 N42 M01

haas way

O1111 M6 T6 (0.250 DIA. BALL MILL) G0 G90 G55 X0.8715 Y-1.7676 M3 S8500 G43 Z0.2 H6 M08 . . . end of program G0 Z0.1 M09 G91 G28 Z0.1 M05 M30 %

drilling example all canned drilling/reaming/tapping cycles

Haas spot drill example M6 T17 ( 0.500 DIA. SPOT DRILL ) G0 G90 G55 X0.35 Y-0.35 M3 S12000 G43 Z0.3 H17 M08 G98 G82 Z-0.1 R+0.1 F15.0 X8.05 X9.35 X17.05 Fadal Spot drill example N101 M6 T17 (0.313 DIA. SPOT DRILL) N102 G0 G17 G40 G80 G90 E11 N103 M3 M8 S8000 N104 X0.0 Y0.0 <<< Position points N105 G8 N106 Z0.3 H17 N107 G98 G82 Z-0.15 R+0.3 F15.0 N108 X-17.25 Y-0.3 <<<< actual spot drill point N109 X-15.5 N110 X-13.5

[Pondo]

You can use N line #'s in a Haas program.
You don't need to, but you can. You can use them on every line, just at tool changes, at internal subs, wherever you'd like.
Going to a Haas from a Fanuc controlled Fadal is not much of a change at all, not like going from a Fadal with a Fadal PC controller. You should be able to run the exact same programs in the Haas except for the M29 in the G84 tapping canned cycle. I ran a Fanuc and a Haas control for 2 years that way.