[Trogdor]

Hey all,

Firstly I'm very new to CNC machining, but recently got a job as labourer in an small engineering firm. i pretty much load the cnc's press start etc, unload.

my boss is currently trying to teach me to program the machines, and i'm slowly getting there.

what i want to know is, is there software availble to program from a pc, or load from cad software to the controller. i need practise programming and looking at some sort of simulation program as well. my boss is pretty old school, but willing to buy software at a reasonable price, not the 60k mazak wanted for their software.

the machines we are using are:
- mazak intergrex 30 with mazatrol pc fusion 640t
- mazak quickturn 35 with mazatrol cam 2T.

also being a newbie can someone explain the following acronyms

Cad/Cam
G-Code

thanks

Dave

[psychomill]

60K for Mazak software? What software did they quote you? A whole simulator unit? I'd get that requoted... somebody didn't understand something....

I assume you're programming/operating using Mazatrol? (conversational programming). There are a few platforms to help but none are necessarily "cheap" per se. Software such as Griffo Brothers (CamLink) and Solutionware (MazaCam).

As for the acronyms... there a few variations in use now but basically it's:

CAD = Computer Aided Design(or drafting, or drawing) ex: Pro-E, Solidworks, etc
CAM = Computer Aided Machining (ex: MasterCam, Gibbs, SurfCam, etc)
G-code = the codes used by the machine control to work the machine and build parts. Code is generated by a CAM system or can be handtyped...

If you're using the Mazatrol, you'll only see a small bit of G-code where you input for "G and M" on each unit operation or if you enter using "Manual Entry" key.

Have your boss look at MatrixCam from Mazak for software. This would work for the Integrex but may not be so lucky with the QT35 and its super old control. I doubt anyone has tried building usable CAMData for that machine (in MatrixCam)

[Trogdor]

thanks psychomill,

so your saying, try Camlink, MazaCam or Matrix cam, with MatrixCam being offered by mazak themselves.

Also am i correct in saying CAM software allows programming from a pc, then program is uploaded to the controller, and CAD/CAM software allows you to draw parts which is then coded by the software to be uploaded to the controller?

thanks

Dave

[jimiscnc]

Some more info, to embellish psychomill's spot on info:

MAZAK in the USA currently offers two versions of "mazatrol for the PC" These are CAMWARE, which is designed to support from T/M1 up through FUSION, and MATRIXCAM, which supports MATRIX, the latest version of Mazatrol, released in 2006.

Matrixcam also has a little 2D applet not available on the machines for dxf type 2D drawing input, which may make mazatrolling a little more pleasant, eventually. It allows you to mouse 2D dxf drawings for import right into the mazatrol unit. Having used it, I did not master it, but found it cheesy and abbreviated.

Matrixcam comes in three modules - M, T and MT. It also comes with an additional circuit board that you must put in your desktop. There is no laptop version of matrixcam because of this circuit board requirement. The coolest thing about Matrixcam is that it can REPLICATE a virtual version of what ever Mazak Matrix controlled machine you have. (You have to get it fully loaded - all three types as listed above to do this, however) It also has a Matrix to Fusion both way translator, as Mazak's policy is that each new generation of Mazatrol must be backward compatible ONE GENERATION ONLY. And all Matrix machines can take in Fusion mazatrol anyway, per Mazak policy. Matrixcam just gives you the means to take matrix source and use them on Fusion, which is not possible at the machines.

CAMWARE originates in Great Britain. They may have grown that in to Matrix compatible by now, but in the States there's a brick wall between CAMWARE handling Matrix.

Summary - in your case, if you want to get all your stuff from Mazak only, you need to get a seat of both Camware and a seat of Matrixcam to support all your control generations. Camware is software plus hardware license dongle only, pretty typical for most CAM s/w in the states. It does have a nice RS-232 applet intended to work on T1 through Fusion, however.

The mazatrol generations are

T1/M1, T2/M2, T32/M32. T+/M+, Fusion, Matrix. (mill turn variants like MPRO and MT-PRO are adjuncts to accomodate the Integrex style machines. Integrex (MT, MT-PRO) horizontal spindle was lathe type plus m/c functions, Integrex vertical spindle (aka E type) was machining center with lathe added)

If I was in your shoes, I'd consider going with Griffo or Solutionware, which makes Camlink and Mazacam. These are the corporate names of the two companies in the game. They offer multiple named products that make this all confusing, but they are the only two biggies on earth I know about that do Third Party Mazatrol for the PC.

Both companies products are highly CAD enhanced, allowing import of CAD data and a lot of translations between Mazatrol generations. It's my understanding that Solution ware can take a G code source program and reverse post process it into a mazatrol program! I consider that pretty fantastic. Griffo may be able to do the same?


I hope this helps...

-jim