06-18-2010, 07:13 PM
|
| | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: USA
Posts: 193
| |
Some Comments:
It is my understanding that on Mazak's, in order to to do this, all parameters calibrated in inch (imperial?) units, have to be converted to metric units. And vise-versa. I know on Fusion, and perhaps earlier and probably later, the machining centers had an option called "inch/metric switchable". It was one softkey inside the tool data page and it would swap out all parameters from one series of units to the other. I do not think this option is a big seller, though? The basis of how this works is that two entire parameter file sets are kept inside the machine, and these files are simply the unit conversions for the two systems. I've seen it work and it is pretty beautiful. Even changes all the tool data and tool offset numbers correctly!
The inch/metric switchable parameter I think only changes the justification of a program number and the placement of the decimal point. Example: INCH X12.3456 would convert to METRIC X123.456. I think that's all G20/21 does in the program, also.
Here in the states, most people run in inch, and convert metric drawings to inch units before programming. There are some shops that stay in metric and therefore buy machines set to metric as new.
I always found it ironic that, here in the states, machines designed and built to metric standards, are then converted to use in inch and converting them back to their "native" metric is a tedious chore!
Lastly, the thing that makes all these conversion calcs even more dangerous is that most if not all parameters do not allow the use of a decimal, and the resolution of the number is right justified. Very easy to have your converted number off by one decade of magnitude!
Post lastly, there are some parameters in inch machines that are always metric, regardless of which system the machine runs in. Not many, but some stay metric no matter what!
-jim  |
Similar Threads 
Linear Mode
