New to CNC need advice and help

[mx450rider]

I'm 19 and I want to become good with designing and CNC'ing parts. I'm in my second year of college and I'm really starting to like the idea of starting my own fab shop. My family recently purchased a 1996 or 1997 Haas vf-0 that was at a high school and its virtually brand new. I'm starting to read the haas manual for the machine and I'm downloading the version 9 mastercam that came with it. I have a few questions before I start getting too far ahead of myself, though. Are there any certain issues with the haas vf0 such as noises to watch for or leadscrew issues. Would anyone suggest me upgrading to a newer version of mastercam or perhaps a different program? Any input would be much appreciated!

[sansa]

try mastercam x4 or catia if u have the patience, version 9 is still based from dos while x4 is more like windows with alot more functions. it takes some getting use too.

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by mx450rider I'm 19 and I want to become good with designing and CNC'ing parts. I'm in my second year of college and I'm really starting to like the idea of starting my own fab shop. My family recently purchased a 1996 or 1997 Haas vf-0 that was at a high school and its virtually brand new. I'm starting to read the haas manual for the machine and I'm downloading the version 9 mastercam that came with it. I have a few questions before I start getting too far ahead of myself, though. Are there any certain issues with the haas vf0 such as noises to watch for or leadscrew issues. Would anyone suggest me upgrading to a newer version of mastercam or perhaps a different program? Any input would be much appreciated!

Running the machine is one thing. Designing what you want to build and fixtures is another thing. If I were you I would aim for my own custom product that is designed by yourself. Geof on here is a great example.

http://www.solidworks.com/sw/esp/eng...s_package.html

[lkenney]

Welcome, take it slow, learn the basics of machining;

materials, feeds and speeds, tooling and above all else fixturing to hold parts.
Feeds and Speeds are

Read all that you can and practice on the fixturing. I would download every thread that Geof has posted as a start and read them until they make sense.

I would find an area of manufacturing that you are passionate about and have knowledge as a consumer about. Look at that market for small parts that you first can duplicate and then improve on.

Learn to measure and draft the parts you are going to make from manufactured parts, set your tolerances and then hold to them.

In my case it is firearms, so I make parts for rifles that are not available from the manufacturer any more. First parts need to function correctly and then eventually I look first at improving my machining process and sometimes the part it’s self.

I would also learn a 3d modeling program like SolidWorks or Alibre.

Good luck and stay connected here, there is an awful lot of knowledge shared here daily.

[mx450rider]

Thanks for the replies all! I will definitely be looking up Geof's posts and I've been studying up on speeds and feeds and materials like a mad man! lol I think my first few attempts will be at parts for my four wheeler and I'm currently designing a gsxr1000 powered offroad buggy. I've been using Autodesk Inventor 2009 the passed couple months in a class and I like it. Is there any way I can take the drawings I make from there and post process the g and m codes for my CNC?

[lkenney]

I am not sure about Autocad's Inventor, I have never worked with it but I am sure someone here has and there may be a forum on the CNCZone for those that use it all the time. Your off road buggy is exactly what I was talking about. I just went and looked at a forum and slipped into another website showing all the parts they were making. Passion and skill is what it takes.

I use a program to check my feeds and speeds against called ME Pro, they used to have a free version of it floating on the web but I could not find it.
http://closetolerancesoftware.com/About.html is the website that you can purchase a copy. It will save you the cost in broken end mills in a very short time. There are other parts of the program that I don't use but you might find interesting such as job estimating and management.

Good Luck

Lowell

[DRD]

The cad/cam world has many software packages out there. All in all, look at the big picture,it might be hard at this point, but look at were you want to be at in 10 years?
The Haas machine,is an excellent machine, not the best, not the worst for sure. The spindle bearings are probally the most failed item. In time any machine will need repair, and most likely when it fails, you can fix it yourself.

I went down the cnc road for 20 years, buying machines, and software, and not being happy with the end result with the design and maching process.
Long story short, at the end of the path, a Haas cnc mill, and mastercam was purcahsed. I could not be happier with the end result of these products, they have some bugs, just like all products, but the support is there to resolve the issues.

I would stay away from stand alone cad programs, with no cam intergrated in the cad, get a package that can do it all. The bottom line, is you want to make parts, like most people do. You will find when your in businees, time is money, I can't stress this enough.

Start learing master cam 9, if that is what you have to work with now, and down the road up grade to the X platform if you can. Or , if possible start off on the X platform, it's a much better the version 9. Master cam has the most seat installed in the world for a reason. Master cam is not be the best software out there, but all in all, you can design and make any part you want with it . My business is designing and manufacturing high performance race engine parts,mostly 3d machining, and machining cylinder heads and ports, using 5 axis tool paths. The 5 axis stuff in whole new world for cnc porgramming.
Good Luck with your venture!

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by DRD The cad/cam world has many software packages out there. All in all, look at the big picture,it might be hard at this point, but look at were you want to be at in 10 years? The Haas machine,is an excellent machine, not the best, not the worst for sure. The spindle bearings are probally the most failed item. In time any machine will need repair, and most likely when it fails, you can fix it yourself. I went down the cnc road for 20 years, buying machines, and software, and not being happy with the end result with the design and maching process. Long story short, at the end of the path, a Haas cnc mill, and mastercam was purcahsed. I could not be happier with the end result of these products, they have some bugs, just like all products, but the support is there to resolve the issues. I would stay away from stand alone cad programs, with no cam intergrated in the cad, get a package that can do it all. The bottom line, is you want to make parts, like most people do. You will find when your in businees, time is money, I can't stress this enough. Start learing master cam 9, if that is what you have to work with now, and down the road up grade to the X platform if you can. Or , if possible start off on the X platform, it's a much better the version 9. Master cam has the most seat installed in the world for a reason. Master cam is not be the best software out there, but all in all, you can design and make any part you want with it . My business is designing and manufacturing high performance race engine parts,mostly 3d machining, and machining cylinder heads and ports, using 5 axis tool paths. The 5 axis stuff in whole new world for cnc porgramming. Good Luck with your venture!

I have never ran Mastercam.

If you are going to design one part to fit another, solidworks or another parametric 3D design program is what you want.

[mx450rider]

behindpropeller why would you want solidworks if you were wanting to make the parts fit together?

I've talked to quite a few teachers up here at Akron and they all say I should update my cad/cam to either the new mastercam or solidworks.

Also, has anyone tried gibbs cam and have input on it?

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by mx450rider behindpropeller why would you want solidworks if you were wanting to make the parts fit together? I've talked to quite a few teachers up here at Akron and they all say I should update my cad/cam to either the new mastercam or solidworks. Also, has anyone tried gibbs cam and have input on it?

When I design stuff in Solidworks I design with several "parts" all parts are related to one another. So essentially I can make the bolt hole move on one part if I change it on another part.

For prototyping on our HAAS I use the VisualMill plug in for solidworks. I also demo'd HSMworks, which was another excellent program. In another month I will let you know which of the two is best.

Tim