Thermwood / eCabinet Systems

Michael,

5 Axis.. hmmm... If the you require negative offsets in the X and/or Y axis' and you are using the Fixture Offset Table and a G52L# to access them, then it is most likely a case that your ToolPlane Origin in Mastercam is too far to the left and/or below your part (in a TOP down GView).

PM ...

Hmmmm...

Seeing as values in the Fixture Offset Table normally refer to absolute distances away from the home position, they would normally be in the following ranges:

X Axis: 0 to Length of-table (a positive value)
Y Axis: 0 to Width-of-table (a positive value)
Z Axis: 0 to Surface-of-Table (a ...

BTW:

Your Vellum Draft may be fine for creating layered DXF files. Can’t really say.

If there are individuals that are looking for a tool to produce layered DXF files, Mastercam Design LT is available. (The LT stands for \"Lite\"). This version of Mastercam is a drawing only package and costs ...

Brent,

Follow the following link. It will take you to the Online Control Nesting Manual. On the menu to the left you will find a section on DXF - formats, layer names, etc...

Control Nesting Manual

Hope that helps...

BTW: There is also a section at the bottom titled: Unique Requirements for ...

David,

I have not verified it but are you saying that the clean-up pass around the perimeter of the pocket is NOT performed with cutter comp active?

I can understand the actual clearing zig-zag or spiral being pure centerline - offset by CN to avoid gouging the final perimeter. CAD/CAM packages do ...

David,

The SUBSTITUE TOOL number was intended for those who were doing LONG production runs. In these situations, many times a tool may become dull and begin to effect/affect (??) the cut quality. If the average tool life in hours is determined and entered in to the Tool Table - then a SUBSTITUE ...

Most of the time what makes the whole measuring process seem to take forever (and it really doesn't but...) is the starting location in Z.

It is possible that the variable in the M999 that tells the control where to drop down to in Z before starting its initial step down loop is 0 or other small ...

Bill,

Then that is where the specification should then allow someone like yourself to go ahead and specify a tool number.

They should then only put those instructions in very fine print at the end of the manual. ;) That way people that do not need the \"TOOL NUMBER\" thing can avoid problems and ...

Bill,

I see your point.

Perhaps a \"hybred\" could be worked out. Something that would specify the \"theoretical\" tool diameter and a TOOL-NAME to match for.

This way the genreral aim of the \"not-too-specific\" layer names is not lost but IF a tool that matches BOTH the \"theoretical\" tool ...

Bill,

After reading your post a second time, it triggered another idea that I had had.. (I'll try and be short this time! haha)

What if within Tool Manager, not only would we define the \"theoretical\" and \"actual\" tool diameters (for my first idea), but also a general description of the tool ...

Bill,

There is a VERY GOOD reason why tool numbers are defined on the layer names. By NOT defining actual tool numbers, the DXF files are not suppose to be \"machine specific\". That is to say that, the DXF can be sent to ANY machine, as long as the tools with any specified diameters that may be ...

What would make Control Nestings handling of DXF files even more amazing would be the following:

In the Tool Table (Tool Manager) -

1. Have a field for the \"theoretical\" tool diameter. So, a 1/2\" tool would be 0.500. (Sharpened or not. It reflects what it is *suppose* to be or originally was ...

Neville,

I have personally integrated or have helped to integrate a couple of other brands of cabinet software that produced nested based code for a Thermwood. Virtually all of the systems out there, yours included, should be able to create functional code for a Thermwood. The 91000 and newer GEN2 ...

Joe,

The thing that makes this capability (the use of AFL to augment or parameter-ize a program) differ from others is... well.. is that it is available and that it is included with every control. No additional fees. I have seen other control systems that have \"macro\" and/or \"variable ...

Andy,

If you haven’t already, I would suggest that you speak to someone in Technical Services at Therwood. As with all of the versions of Thermwood's control system, I am sure that there were probably a couple - if not numerous - interim \"versions\" of the software for the 91.

My guess is that ...