3d models for 6 and 8in vise stops and table stops?

[TSmcam]

They only thing we would need "support" for is keeping the translators up to date.

We don't plan on going back to it for CAM.  I wouldn't mind it (I would prefer it) but it just doesn't make sense financially. If they offered the same types of posts that come standard with mastercam for free again I could probably make a case for it but we know where that discussions goes.       

Its a shame that you just dont seem to get the encouragement and support from TS USA. As you know, once you start using it, it becomes very clear how productive (as well as powerful) it is. I'm currently dealing with a customer who is using TS for CAM, and they use it on the shop floor for some light fixture design. Their engineers use other CAD software, with far less capability. The workflow is so painfully slow. Even with the shopfloor staff showing how seamless the CAD through to CAM of TS is, the senior guys just dont get it.

[Rstewart]

I'll be using it for visual aids in setup sheets.

Right now I'm just using a PDF editor and drawing filled in rectangles to represent the vise stops.   

Man, I feel ya.  I've probably written 35 detailed work instructions in the past two months.  We do have up to date SolidWorks tho.  I'll have a model of the vise on the machine table, stock in the vise with arrows to the datum, finished machined part in the vise, I'll just snippet those into our Word template.

I'm having to catch up on about 150 parts that we have near Zero work instruction documented     

[neurosis]

I'm having to catch up on about 150 parts that we have near Zero work instruction documented     

I've been slowly going through some of our older stuff and trying to bring it up to date. It's pretty tedious work but it *needs* to be done.

Back in the day most of our shop was made up of long timers so there was a lot of tribal knowledge. Most of us could set up just about any job in the shop without any work instructions.

Now, most of the old guys have retired and/or moved on and the talent pool isn't what it was back in the 90's and early 2000's.  If everything isn't spelled out perfectly people just aren't able to work through a setup. There is almost zero ability to think for yourself out there anymore and an even lower level of initiative. 

And to think, when I started in the trade that generation before mine was calling us the dip shits.       

[JParis]

And to think, when I started in the trade that generation before mine was calling us the dip shits. 

I'm convinced that's just the natural evolution of things....hopefully, like us, the next generation will eventually show out the way the preceding generations did over the years..

I see signs of good things....I just don't know if the idiots are just louder or just more numerous.

[TSmcam]

I'm convinced that's just the natural evolution of things....hopefully, like us, the next generation will eventually show out the way the preceding generations did over the years..

I see signs of good things....I just don't know if the idiots are just louder or just more numerous.

Yeah, well... I'm not convinced. I said to my wife just last night, "is it just me, or does there seem to be more knuckle dragging dumb people about?"

Maybe I'm reaching that "sitting on the porch, growling" stage in life 

[gcode]

Now, most of the old guys have retired and/or moved on and the talent pool isn't what it was back in the 90's and early 2000's.  If everything isn't spelled out perfectly people just aren't able to work through a setup. There is almost zero ability to think for yourself out there anymore and an even lower level of initiative. 

good times make soft men
hard times make hard men

[champshire]

Man, I feel ya.  I've probably written 35 detailed work instructions in the past two months.  We do have up to date SolidWorks tho.  I'll have a model of the vise on the machine table, stock in the vise with arrows to the datum, finished machined part in the vise, I'll just snippet those into our Word template.

I'm having to catch up on about 150 parts that we have near Zero work instruction documented     

Having to do the same thing here....getting ready to write some instructions on how to teach tools in a 2 axis lathe without a tool setter. I put in a request to have the tool setter fixed (it hasn't worked since we have owned the machine), but I doubt it will ever happen.

[Rstewart]

I've been slowly going through some of our older stuff and trying to bring it up to date. It's pretty tedious work but it *needs* to be done.

Back in the day most of our shop was made up of long timers so there was a lot of tribal knowledge. Most of us could set up just about any job in the shop without any work instructions.

Now, most of the old guys have retired and/or moved on and the talent pool isn't what it was back in the 90's and early 2000's.  If everything isn't spelled out perfectly people just aren't able to work through a setup. There is almost zero ability to think for yourself out there anymore and an even lower level of initiative. 

And to think, when I started in the trade that generation before mine was calling us the dip shits.       

OMG. It seems there are no more Machinists left... The few good one are following the Money.  It's really hard to make a qty of 10 extremely expensive parts with people that call their self 'machinist'

[Brian]

@neurosis: do you folks have shop floor access to a PC with CAM so that setup folks or operators can see some of this information for themselves, or do you work mostly from setup sheets? Or both?

[neurosis]

@neurosis: do you folks have shop floor access to a PC with CAM so that setup folks or operators can see some of this information for themselves, or do you work mostly from setup sheets? Or both?

We have a shop pc setup but it doesn't have CAM on it.  We do tell everyone that they can come up and bother me whenever they have questions and I'm happy to run through the setup and simulate the path for them.

Most of the floor information comes from setup sheets.

[Brian]

Is there a way to run MasterCam in some sort of view-only or demo mode so folks on the floor could poke around for themselves (or would you have to buy more licenses)?

Do you think folks could navigate the program easily enough or would it take a bunch of training/hand-holding?

I'm just thinking through how to get folks the info they need without putting more tasks on your plate! (I went thru this with my last employee with moderate success...not outrageously great, but not awful either).

[neurosis]

We have a network/software license but I'm in Mastercam almost all day while I'm at work.  As far as I know, there isn't a "viewer only" version of Mastercam.  I think the best I could do, if I cared to put in the effort, is make video's of the part simulation.  I can see that being helpful on some of the more complicated parts.

Our problem lately has been more a lack of common sense. And that could just be me being an ass hole because I've been doing this for almost 40 years. 

[Brian]

Our problem lately has been more a lack of common sense. And that could just be me being an ass hole because I've been doing this for almost 40 years. 

Yeah, I get the whole "common sense" thing! I have concluded that it really isn't very common at all!

[TSmcam]

We have a network/software license but I'm in Mastercam almost all day while I'm at work.  As far as I know, there isn't a "viewer only" version of Mastercam.  I think the best I could do, if I cared to put in the effort, is make video's of the part simulation.  I can see that being helpful on some of the more complicated parts.

Our problem lately has been more a lack of common sense. And that could just be me being an ass hole because I've been doing this for almost 40 years. 

There is a TopSolid product that does exactly that. Designed to run on the shop floor, and users are able to open CAM documents directly from the PDM, simulate/verify and even given access (customisable) to change certain parameters within the toolpaths and repost. It is actually a very capable product.

Whoops, sorry, Mastercam forum LOL

[neurosis]

There is a TopSolid product that does exactly that. Designed to run on the shop floor, and users are able to open CAM documents directly from the PDM, simulate/verify and even given access (customisable) to change certain parameters within the toolpaths and repost. It is actually a very capable product.

Does it require an extra license?