Fadal CNC-88HS post processor/controller issues

[Anonymous]

I am a design engineer trying to learn the machining side while my machine shop manager is a bit old school.
Together we are trying to meet in the middle. My company is transitioning from SurfCam 2014 to HSM Express with Inventor 2016. We are just about ready to start making parts but have ran into some issues.

When we create a post from surfcam we see a very simple code (See Attached OP2)
When HSM Express post the same part the code is much more difficult to comprehend. (See Attached TESTPART)
I have sent both of these files to our reseller and they want $$$ to make the needed changes. I was hoping to do the tweaking myself.

Other than a custom post processor...how can we change things like the P.08 to O.01 in a G83 cycle, Coolant on and off when tool is down. etc

Essentially, my machine shop manager would like to see HSM Express spit out the code exactly as the surfcam code.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Rob_Lockwood]

I understand where your shop manager is coming from, but the fadal post as-is is well proven. While i'm sure he's attempting to mitigate risk, in reality by modifying it (particularly on your own) you'll be increasing risk.

That said, it's written in Javascript and is pretty easy to tackle. I'm not sure I follow things like..

how can we change things like the P.08 to O.01 in a G83 cycle

I don't think O is a valid parameter within a Fadal drilling cycle..

[Steinwerks]

What's more difficult about the HSM post? Fadal uses pretty basic G-code. In your post-process config you can turn off the N lines if those are throwing you off. I don't like the generic Fadal post in a few ways but it certainly works.

[Anonymous]

@Rob
The O should have been a 0...
The P value is a depth which we usually set manually to 0.01 in Surfcam. In the HSM software it seems to be a default value of .08. This appears to be the "safe distance".

@N.Stein, how do you turn off the N lines? That's a start.

Thanks for your help.

[AchimN]

You can turn off the N-lines with this setting, screenshot attached.

[Rob_Lockwood]

N. Stein wrote:
What's more difficult about the HSM post? Fadal uses pretty basic G-code. In your post-process config you can turn off the N lines if those are throwing you off. I don't like the generic Fadal post in a few ways but it certainly works.

Nothing is really more 'difficult' about the HSM post.. I even described it as 'pretty easy to tackle' - but modifying a known working post simply carries risk. If you're unfamiliar with JavaScript, that risk is compounded. Changing a parameter like the one requested (safe distance) will result in a field within the CAM software to become ineffective; it's much easier just to set the 'safe distance' field to the desired value within HSM, then right click it and set it as default.

[Steinwerks]

Rob Lockwood wrote:

Nothing is really more 'difficult' about the HSM post.. I even described it as 'pretty easy to tackle' - but modifying a known working post simply carries risk. If you're unfamiliar with JavaScript, that risk is compounded. Changing a parameter like the one requested (safe distance) will result in a field within the CAM software to become ineffective; it's much easier just to set the 'safe distance' field to the desired value within HSM, then right click it and set it as default.

Not quite what I meant. I was referring to the G-code that HSMWorks outputs. I like it quite a bit more than most CAM posts I've worked with. I haven't had any time to learn Javascript, but figure I'll be tackling it more when winter comes and we'll be nearing our CAM changeover date. Can't come soon enough.

[Anonymous]

I have had some similar issues with the fadal post in HSMXpress. One of the HSM rep's sent me a different post for the Fadal that seems to work better with the HS88 control. I have used the Generic Fadal post also.

One thing i have discovered is to be sure to apply the machine configuration settings when you edit the job folder property manager for that specific job.  Setting up the fadal settings there actually changed the posted results.  I went a long time without knowing that and just skipped the machine setup.
 
I have experimented with editing the javascript, (not sure what I'm doing) changing little things like making the M1 appear in the line after a tool change, instead of before. So I can aim my coolant.  I still have to edit a few things manually, but I will continue to try to experiment with the post until I get it figured out. (or just pay someone to fix it)!  Noteworthy,  drilling and tapping cycles don't always post correctly and usually fail or misbehave.  I always have to check/edit them manually.

Tryon

[fredsi]

Tryon1,

What problems are you seeing with posting your drilling and tapping cycles?

Fred

[Anonymous]

Yes, its 2 years later..... LOL  and I'm still tearing my hear out sometimes with all this.. 

I learned this the hard way..  The FADAL post I have been using with HSM express will not always post drill/Tap cycles correctly.  I use FADAL format 2 and rigid tapping,  The posted code puts a Q word in there and the tap cycles fail at the machine?  When I look in my book the rigid tap code is completely different (using G84.2 and G84.1), so I manually input the rigid tap code into the posted code  as the book states with the example... when I need to rigid tap.  Its a pain, but I don't know java script and that is my only work around.  

Also i have had problems with G18 and G19 modals appearing before drilling cycles (which causes the drill to walk out of the hold on peck drilling cycles). 

Not good!   So I have to manually  input a G17 before the drilling cycles to ensure it is set.  If the previous operation used G18 or G19 for a lead, it just stays there and messes up the peck drill cycle.