MULTI-MACHINE PROGRAMMING

[almo0797]

Has anyone setup SolidCam so that the programs can be easily modified to run on different machine tools. Our company uses several machine tools with slighty different setups; but a programm could be used on any of them depending of machine availablity.
Hope that makes some sense

[Brakeman Bob]

Originally Posted by almo0797 Has anyone setup SolidCam so that the programs can be easily modified to run on different machine tools. Our company uses several machine tools with slighty different setups; but a programm could be used on any of them depending of machine availablity. Hope that makes some sense

You do this using the post processor files, the *.MAC file which is where you set the different settings for the machine and the *.GPP file where you make the changes to the code (the GPP file is referenced by the MAC file). For example, say you had a machine that required the G83 call to have a dwell variable called P instead of Q. Simplely make a copy of your existing post files and rename them. Edit the MAC file to call the renamed GPP file and then find the bit in the GPP file that deals with G83 and edit accordingly.

Then when you want to post an existing program to your different machine, just edit the CAM settings in the part file.

[almo0797]

Thanks Bob

Can this also deal with changes in tool parameters. For example most of our machines run identical tool cribs but with different power ans speed capacities.I want to vary the speeds and feeds for each tool to suit each machine without editing every tool individually.

[Brakeman Bob]

Originally Posted by almo0797 Thanks Bob Can this also deal with changes in tool parameters. For example most of our machines run identical tool cribs but with different power ans speed capacities.I want to vary the speeds and feeds for each tool to suit each machine without editing every tool individually.

Would the best way of dealing with that be using a local variable in the program for speeds & feeds (presuming that your machines are running a flavour of Fanuc or similar)?

You can also set your machine post (MAC) to reference a particular tool library and when you create copies of a tool library SolidCAM will offer a very crude method of altering speeds & feeds. I dream of the day when I can make a post reference a look-up table for machine dependant speeds & feeds.

[almo0797]

This would be a great enhancement. Hope SolidCam are taking note.