How much should a post processor cost?

[the_white_goth]

Hi all

I'm trying to get a post processor written/adapted for my Y axis lathe (Hardinge Quest 8/51, Fanuc 16i-T, C axis main and sub spindle, XYZ turret - 12stn live tooling)

I've emailed a bunch of companies from the list of providers, only two of them actually responded and only one of them came back with a quote - and it was eye-watering.

How much should I be expecting to pay to have a post written/adapted for my machine?

I can probably bumble my way through adapting an existing post such as the Doosan using the guides on here but I'd rather pay some money for someone who knows what they're doing.

TIA

[seth.madore]

For my own shop (and before working for Autodesk) I've personally shelled out over a couple grand on post edits. I viewed it as "cost of doing business" and some edits were just out of my sphere of knowledge.

How much of the Doosan post doesn't work? Have you looked at the other Mill/Turn posts such as NLX, Nakumura, Samsung etc?

[the_white_goth]

I really can't say with any certainty how close the current posts are as my current knowledge is limited. My only experience thus far with Fusion and posting is LinuxCNC, which works flawlessly on the mill and lathe.

This is a sample NC from the machine memory:

% 
O0005(ROUGH TURN MAIN) 
N1(WNMG .8 RAD)
M13S750P1
G10P0Z#500 
M98P1
T0101
X43.0Z0.1Y20.0 
G50S1250 
G96S150
G01X-1.6F0.2 
Z2.0 
G0X43.0
G71U2.0R1
G71P100Q101U0.25W0.1F0.2 
N100G0X15.0
G1Z0F.1
X18.0,R1.25
Z-8.0
X41.0,R1.25
Z-22.0 
N101 
M98P1
M01
 
%

This is a code I posted using a Samsung post for an actual part, which looks to be the closest one so far:

%
O1001 (CALIBRE COLLAR)
G18 G00 G40 G80
G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
G28 B0. (SUB SPINDLE RETURN)

N1(FACE1)
G54
G99 G18 M46
G50 S5000
T0202
M08
G97 S1239 M04
G00 Z5.
X51.4
G96 S200 M04
Z-0.5
X31.4
G01 X29.4 F1.
X25.4
X-2.
X0.828 Z0.914
G00 X31.4
Z-1.
G01 X29.4
X25.4
X-2.
X0.828 Z0.414
G00 X31.4
Z-1.5
G01 X29.4
X25.4
X-2.
X0.828 Z-0.086
G00 X31.4
Z-2.
G01 X29.4
X25.4
X-2.
X0.828 Z-0.586
G00 X51.4
Z5.
G97 S1239 M04
G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
M09
M01

N2(BORE1)
M05
M67
G54
G98 G17 M45
G00 G28 H0.
T0808
M08
G97 S5000 M13
G00 Z15.
X2.6
C0.
G12.1
G01 X-1. C-1.2 F6000.
Z0.
Z-0.8 F1000.
X-0.985 Z-0.934
X-0.94 Z-1.067
X-0.865 Z-1.196
X-0.762 Z-1.321
X-0.632 Z-1.438
X-0.476 Z-1.548
X-0.297 Z-1.649
X-0.096 Z-1.738
X0.123 Z-1.816
X0.359 Z-1.881
X0.607 Z-1.933
X0.866 Z-1.97
X1.131 Z-1.992
X1.4 Z-2.
X2.6
G03 X5. C0. I0. J1.2
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-2.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-2.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-3. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-3.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-3.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-4. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-4.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-4.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-5. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-5.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-5.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-6. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-6.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-6.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-7. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-7.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-7.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-8. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-8.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-8.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-9. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-9.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-9.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-10. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-10.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-10.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-11. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-11.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-11.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-12. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-12.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-12.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-13. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-13.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-13.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-14. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-14.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-14.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-15. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-15.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-15.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-16. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-16.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-16.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-17. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-17.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-17.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-18. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-18.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-18.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-19. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-19.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-19.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-20. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-20.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-20.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-21. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-21.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-21.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-22. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 Z-22.333 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 Z-22.667 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. Z-23. I1.25 J2.165
X-2.5 C2.165 I-2.5 J0.
C-2.165 I1.25 J-2.165
X5. C0. I1.25 J2.165
X2.6 C1.2 I-1.2 J0.
G01 X1.4
X1.131 Z-22.992
X0.866 Z-22.97
X0.607 Z-22.933
X0.359 Z-22.881
X0.123 Z-22.816
X-0.096 Z-22.738
X-0.297 Z-22.649
X-0.476 Z-22.548
X-0.632 Z-22.438
X-0.762 Z-22.321
X-0.865 Z-22.196
X-0.94 Z-22.067
X-0.985 Z-21.934
X-1. Z-21.8
Z15. F6000.
G13.1
M15
G00 G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
M67
M46
M09
M01

N3(PROFILE ROUGHING3)
M15
G54
G99 G18 M46
G50 S5000
T0505
M08
G97 S5000 M03
G00 Z5.
X0.
G96 S200 M03
X4.488
X8.8 Z0.09
Z-1.425
X11.2
G01 Z-23. F1.
X10.
X9.8 Z-22.9
G00 Z-1.4
X13.6
G01 Z-23.
X11.2
X11. Z-22.9
G00 Z-1.4
X16.
G01 Z-23.
X13.6
X13.4 Z-22.9
G00 Z-1.4
X17.3
G01 Z-23.
X16.
X15.8 Z-22.9
G00 Z-1.4
X17.4
G01 X18.6
Z-23.
X17.3
X17.1 Z-22.9
G00 X8.8
Z-1.4
X0.
Z5.
G97 S5000 M03

(PROFILE FINISHING2)
G00 Z5.
X8.
G96 S200 M03
Z-1.386
X15.39
G01 X16.172 F1.
X19. Z-2.8
Z-22.8
X16.172 Z-21.386
G00 Z-1.386
G01 X19. Z-2.8
Z-22.8
X16.172 Z-21.386
X15.
G00 X8.
Z5.
G97 S5000 M03
G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
M09
M01

N4(PROFILE ROUGHING1)
G54
G99 G18 M46
G50 S5000
T0202
M08
G97 S1402 M04
G00 Z5.
X45.4
G96 S200 M04
Z-1.75
X25.9
Z-1.969
X24.9
G01 Z-26. F1.
X25.4
X27.4 Z-25.
G00 Z-1.752
X23.9
G01 Z-26.
X24.9
X26.9 Z-25.
G00 Z-1.75
X22.9
G01 Z-3.419
X23. Z-3.469
Z-26.
X23.9
X25.9 Z-25.
G00 Z-1.75
X21.9
G01 Z-2.919
X22.9 Z-3.419
X24.9 Z-2.419
G00 Z-1.75
X21.216
G01 Z-2.576
X21.9 Z-2.919
X23.9 Z-1.919
G00 Z-1.75
X21.031
G01 X20.531
Z-2.234
X21.216 Z-2.576
X23.216 Z-1.576
G00 X25.9
Z-1.75
X45.4
Z5.
G97 S1402 M04
G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
M09
M01

N5(GROOVE1)
G54
G99 G18 M46
G50 S5000
T1010
M08
G97 S1402 M04
G00 Z8.
X45.4
G96 S200 M04
Z-19.586
X27.
G01 X25.828 F1.
X23. Z-21.
G03 X22.531 Z-21.566 I-0.8 K0.
G01 X22.131 Z-21.766
G03 X21. Z-22. I-0.566 K0.566
G01 X19.839 Z-23.914
X23.
G00 X45.4
Z8.
G97 S1402 M04

(PART1)
G97 S1402 M03
G00 Z5.
X45.4
G96 S200 M03
Z-25.
G01 X-1.6 F0.2
X45.4
G00 Z5.
G97 S1402 M03
M05
M09

G00 G28 U0. V0.
G28 W0.
G28 B0. (SUB SPINDLE RETURN)
M46
G54

M30
%

The Samsung post I can read and understand, and the Hardinge post seems pretty close but I don't want to take any chances.