Reply with QuoteI'll let you know in about 30 days when my NL-2500 SY and NL-3000/1250Y comes in. I can hear the chips right now!
Caps programming.....
How many of you Mori users are using the Mapps/Caps programming to make your parts??? I find that I use it for almost everything lately! Sure saves time.....Anyone using it for turn-mill applications? I gotta belive its similer to mazatrol as far as speed goes, print to part......anyone use both for comparision?
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I'll let you know in about 30 days when my NL-2500 SY and NL-3000/1250Y comes in. I can hear the chips right now!
i program usig the caps on our turn mill center. Its a ZT2500Y. It takes a little getting used to, but it works pretty good.
Cool! so it works ok for say y axis pockets??? does your machine have interference check? Lots of stuff moving around on the ZT machines!Originally Posted by Sam L
I like it for simple quick items, but when it starts getting complex....I run to Mastercam!
You CAN do anything, if you REALLY want to, but how many people really want to?
Kyle
I work for a Mori dealer and I teach CAPS programming. It can do anything Mastercam, PartMaker, Esprit etc. can do. I haven't found any feature I couldn't program with it. Works great for turn/mill as well.
It may be ABLE to do anything that the higher end CAM packages will do, but you would have to be a calculator wunderkind to start doing complex pocket work. On our MT2000SZ, I have pockets on compound angles, and I know that isn't in the manuals...I haven't even heard of CAPS being capable of outputting double coordinate rotation values. If this is possible, I will be the first in line for lessons...
You CAN do anything, if you REALLY want to, but how many people really want to?
Kyle
Did you write your MC post or did you buy it? How clean is the code?
just wondering, sounds kinda tricky!
For the MT, we bought the post, for mill work it is near bullet proof. The part where CAPS takes the cake is the sync codes, and Mastercam may be there by the time the decade ends, but not now. On our NL, I am using the MPLMaster post, slightly modified. Both produce clean code, just need to be willing to spend a little time up front getting it how you want it. Where Mastercam absolutely glows is the Users Forum. There are some VERY TALENTED individuals out there willing to help with about anything.
You CAN do anything, if you REALLY want to, but how many people really want to?
Kyle
Good info Kyle, I had heard that the sync codes were an issue as far as code output from MC........The MT machines look very intimidating!
I have my 2 NL's powered up and trying to figure out how to use CAPPS while waiting to set up training with Ellison. The manuals have confused me to no end. I don't know if it is the Japanese right next to the English or the example parts in metric or those stupid arrows for the direction. I hate learning new software to begin with so this is going to be a chore. Would any of you be willing to share a few sample programs so that I can see how the machine takes the code? I don't need anything fancy just simple. I think I know my problem. I am still thinking like a Haas. I'm screwed ain't I?
Check the box that your manuals came in, mine had a supplemental green colored manual "AN introduction to conversational programming" It has several programming examples in it complete with the keystrokes required to do the part.......I have used this for reference several times.......It should get you started...
good luck!
I see that your company has a Mori MT200SZ. We have a 2004 that has never been used that we are going to be selling. It has 180 Capto tool ATC, main and subspindle, lower turret, and a 12,000 RPM Y/B spindle. Is this something your company would be interested in purchasing?
if anyone has any CAPS questions, ask me. I'm something just shy of an expert
We have an NL1500SY (INCREDIBLE MACHINE!). We also have several Mazaks w/ Mazatrol. I feel Mazatrol is better since it's fully parametric and does not need to be posted. On the other hand, CAPS needs posting and then you can edit the code which is cool. This past year we added MasterCAM (mills now, lathe coming soon) and for us, we will NEVER program on the floor again. Our posts are almost 100% (will be 100% very soon) where we need ZERO hand editing and we run programs right out the gate with high confidence.
I feel CAPS is powerfull but also very confusing. When working on the sub spindle, you need to think backwards sometimes but no all the time so it makes things very nuts.....
I also realize that if I spent the time to become an expert at it I am sure things would be much easier but we choose to invest our time in CAM and that way we know one package for ALL machines.
That just our experience...
PS, if anyone has a good MasterCAM post for the NL1500SY, I would appreciate a copy if you are willing to share.
when programming the sub spindle you program everything as if it were programmed on the main spindle. turning profiles are simple and easy because you always program to the left. sometimes the milling can get a little confusing depending on what you're trying to do and C will swap 180 degrees when you post a program to the subspindle so you have to take that into consideration.
you dont HAVE to post the code on an NL1500... press the setting hard key, go to (5) operation mode and switch from NC mode to "conversational program direct". Once you do that, in "memory" mode, the "Prog" screen will change from the G code/modal/position screen you're used to seeing to a screen that has a CAPS operation screen with a position window and a little screen in the bottom left corner that if you press the left shift key and hit the "program" button, will open a small program window. press the prog list button and the caps program list will pop up, select the program you wish to run and it will come up on the program check screen. Once you press cycle start, the little bottom left window will fill up with G code but it will not HAVE to post the code - it will just create it so you can see it but run directly from the conversational data.
if you want to edit the code, then you have to post it. if you're unhappy with the way certain things post, there are conversational parameters you can adjust... press the caps button, press the "conv param" button, and screens 70 (system), 71 (machine), 72 (nc spec) and 73 (default data) are the ones that you want to look in. once you enter one of those screens, press the help key and a parameter list for each section will pop up
Thanks for your reply and help. Unfortunately I cannot site a specific example at this time, but from the best of my memory I don’t believe that it’s always viewed as if you are programming on the main spindle. Correct me if I am wrong, but are there not times when the Z dimension or depth is reversed?
Again, I am sure if you become an expert and truly learn CAPS it can be very useful, but I just feel that that effort is far better spent learning CAM. If you can afford a 250K machine then the 5-10K for CAM is really cheap and I just feel that’s the better way to go. Also, while the machine is running, from your comfortable desk you can be programming the next jobs with much better efficiency.
BTW, maybe we don't have the latest bug fix but the graphics view seems to always bug out.....
yea, software updates are pretty important... find out what version you have and see if it's worth upgrading... the latest is B71 or something like that.
you always program on the main spindle side and then the process settings and/or spindle transfer cycle reverses the tool path for you. the only time you program negative Z values are when you program "Top Z" locations that are below the 0 point of the part... and if you think about it, it makes sense. The software wants positive Z values for everything because it's asking for a length, not a machine position. Like on a CAM system, if you said the line you were creating was 1" long you would say 1" not -1". when you're dealing with something under the 0 point, you say it's below, or minus, the value...
make sense?
new to caps
i am new to the nl2500 and have no real training on caps. it seems straight forward. today i had this issue where i was milling a face groove od of the groove was 1.76 id was 1.344 i set groove width at .208 using a 1/8 endmill. seemed fine. no problem. but when i checked the part od of the groove was 1.885(.125 over) and id was 1.219 (.125 under). seems like a cutter comp problem, drove me nuts for about a half hour until i just lied to it said the 1/8 endmill was 1/6 and called the groove width .083 it worked fine but i hope that isn't how everything is going to work on it. any advice or info would be apericiated.
You have to include the radius of the tool you are using for cutter comp. The first part I made was a special key made from barstock. Everything was pretty until the final pass and when I opened the door, there was no part. The 1/2" e/m cut right through my part. I put the radius in the control and then i made a good part.
