Help a Neophyte?

[JGruberJr]

I'm new here, and pretty much new to parametric programming (probably know just enough to be dangerous).
I've been writing G & M code for years but find myself needing to program a family of parts with 8 different threadforms (SAE -12, BSPF & JIS).
I know I could write a bunch of different subprograms and swap them out, but that would get too unwieldy too fast for some of my less experienced set up people.
I'm thinking a macro would be the way to go, considering all other machining on these parts is the same.
My biggest problem is most of the examples I've found don't explain too clearly what the different variables address (not for this newbie anyway).
I'm working in cast aluminum on a Mori Seiki SH-400, with an MSC-501 control (Fanuc 16i/18i/160i/181i Model A).

edit: I should mention I intend to use multipoint thread mills and not single point for cycle time.

I have a few sample programs from a Chiron machine the parts were run on before, but haven't been able to find anyone that could help me translate them to Fanuc.
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Jim

[christinandavid]

So you want a threadmilling macro example? If you can post the Chiron macro we can attempt to translate it - or we can build a new one/modify an existing example to suit your needs...let us know what arguments you want to specify.

DP

[JGruberJr]

Thank you for the response. I've attached the Chiron main program and 3 of the subprograms for this size family. (It's 2 different castings with 8 - 10 configurations on each) I've also included the Toolmac & Workdat files.

The arguments I'd need to specify would be diameter, pitch and depth to the best of my knowledge.

Any help, or information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[christinandavid]

Right, after trawling through what appears to be nonsensical gibberish gobbledygook to my eyes, is this the bit you want to emulate? But you don't want it in longhand you want a one-liner yes?

7/8" x 14 UNF
G0 G90 G54 G95 X-22.89 Y0 Z80 S2600 M3 M8
Z3
Z-22
G1 G64 G41 X-25 Y9 F0.15
G3 X-34 Y0 Z-21.662 CR=9
G3 X-34 Y0 Z-19.848 I11.11 J0
G3 X-22.89 Y-11.11 Z-19.395 I11.11 J0
G3 X-13.89 Y-2.11 Z-19.057 CR=9
G0 G40 X-22.89 Y0
G0 Z100
G0 G53 Z0 D0 M95

I have a helical macro but it will need a bit of tweaking to ramp on/off in at the helix angle (which I'm guessing is important due to the tool/hole size ratio), at the minute it just approaches and departs with no movement in Z...

Let us know, and in the meantime I will study it at work to see if I can work out the rampy bit (I didn't write it but have hacked into it to get it moving in all directions, ie upwards in Z, which appears to be what you're after).

DP


Note that if any of your Fanuc controls have manual guide i, you could try G1010 threadmilling cycle (try it even if there is no menu option for it). If it is recognised you should be able to 'Alter' it. It would then be possible to 'NC Convert' it to suit the other controls.