Lathe software?

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DOS-based... that wouldn't surprise me one bit.

No, the training videos and 'manual' are exactly what you've already seen on the Kenntech web site. I'm compiling a (initial) list of questions for them to answer about fields and functions.

The basic stuff is pretty straighforward. I've been able to cook up a simple turning and threading cycle so far (haven't posted or run them yet). But there are lots of things missing from the help guide.

Examples:
- On a radial pointed tool (grooving/parting/threading) what is the X-zero of the tool, and how do we program the conversational for it? Center (tip), left edge, right edge? I would touch off the left side and subtract half the insert thickness for my tool offset, but what does Kipware think I should do?
- How do I program a pecking cycle for a boring tool? Shallow, wide counterbore and I want to plunge in Z, pull out, move in X, and repeat. Then I want to finish in X starting from the hole ID and moving outward. How? My attempts resulted in a tool path that went from OD to ID - crashy crashy.

Again, not bashing the software. Just need some guidance from Kenntech in my learnign curve.
 
Some good questions. It will be interesting to see their response and how helpful they will be.

A while back I talk to a guy on another forum who said they were helpful for the first 2 weeks then wanted to charge him$$$ for more help.
I didn't get the whole story but if it was true that would defiantly **** me off!

Thanks for keeping me up to date with how it is going.
 
Just to let you know there are others of us of watching this thread.

Very interested in the software depending on what you come up with.
 
Update...

Kenntech got back to me fast - at 7pm EST - with a very helpful and thorough set of answers.

While I was annoyed that a couple of fields were a complete mystery (X/Z Axis Start Point in the master program compiler screen), the explanation I got was more than just "here is the function." It was more in line with "here is how they function, here is how some people program with them, here is why you don't want to use them in these other situations, etc."

I won't go in to details on the other questions here, but suffice to say I was favorably impressed.

I'm sure I'll have more questions for them over the next few days/weeks, and I'll broach the subject of a more complete user manual.
 
That's good to hear. Over the next few weeks, it will be interesting to see if you think the software is only good for hobby work or it will cut it in a real shop.

I still wish they would put more time in on better quilty Videos and manuals.
 
Update 2

One of my questions involved main spindle tapping. The Kipware code output was not compatible with my (mostly standard) Fanuc control. It was requesting a "rigid tapping setup block", whatever that was. The G-code output just put a G84 on one line then proceeded to a G1 move with no spindle reversing. Not actually a canned cycle.

Kentech responded with a helpful explanation of what the setup block was for (some lathes need an M-code to enter synchronized main spindle tapping), and then asked me how mine worked. So I attached a copy of the programming manual page.

Today I find that Kentech has updated their software to use the G84 direct tapping cycle, explained the update, and sent me a download link.

I'm sold.

It's clunky, has quirks, and looks painfully outdated. But so does my lawnmower - which still makes grass shorter.

Even if the G-code output winds up being only about 80% of a complete program it's still useful to me. Not that this "80%" is actually the case, but I suspect I'll be making minor edits to most programs output by KipwareT.

Is this right for a hobby or real shop? I don't run a real shop, so no idea. Is this for sophisticated production shops or one-man shops who are CAD wizards? Probably not. They want to squeeze out the most favorable toolpaths and CAM + a big brain is the way to do that.

But you know who needs this? Small shops who can't afford full-blown CAD/CAM, or who have otherwise good machinists/employees who spend forever hand-coding because they have no CAD/CAM experience. Or hand-code at the machine, standing there on concrete finger-pecking. If you're going to hand-code get a chair, a cheap PC, and save your knees.

This won't do swanky adaptive tool paths, but it'll get the job done. And the milling module has something F360 doesn't - plunge roughing.
 
That's nice to hear.

Awhile back a former company (had a stroke so cant work now) had bought their g code conversion software because they sold the fadals and bought okumas. Okuma code is not anywhere near fanuc compatible. We struggled with it for months and they the servers got hacked and we lost everything.

We had bought two seats of it and Kipware would only give us one back. There was a lot of hand editing after we used the software and I'm told they finally abandoned the software after not getting any cooperation from Kipware. So now they just reprogram everything.

But I'm very glad to hear that your experience has been positive. I had a thread on the conversion software and was just reminded it was a Kipware program.

I'm trying to get my Z axis ball screw out of my "new to me lathe" and need to send it out for repair. I may just buy the software and play wih it while I'm waitng 3 weeks for my ball screw to come back.
 
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Spumco, sounds like it's going to work for you that's good to hear. I 'm just a small one-man shop too and I just don't have time to stand around and learn to hand-code (even though I should) But at least now I know that one part of the software work even if it's clunky.

Now the big thing to me will be their G-code converter, without it the "T" software seems to be 95% useless to me.

Alloy, I saw your thread yesterday and was reading it. It didn't give me much hope for using the G-code converter.
 
rick-b said:
Alloy, I saw your thread yesterday and was reading it. It didn't give me much hope for using the G-code converter.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I told it like is is.

The software did a decent job of converting X-Y-Z-A movements, but fell down on the G-M-T codes. We had to hand edit every program.
 
Alloy, don't get me wrong I'm happy you told it like it is. To me, if the G-code converter software is confusing/hard to learn or is a pain in the ass to use I want to know. It's no good having someone say "it's great" "it's easy to use" "it's easy to get along with" " it works every time" " you will never need anything else" them when you buy you find it just not.
 
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