Can only mill perpendicular to Z axis??

[DaleMahalko]

Got this odd message while fiddling with Expert Machinist in WF 5.0 Schools Edition. I do not know what this error means.

As far as I know, X axis is left/right, Y axis is in/out, and Z axis is up/down.

Meanwhile, the SpectraLIGHT 0200 mini-mill has the milling head hanging above the workpiece, so it seems to me that the mill head is parallel with the Z axis.

Yet if I try to create a toolpath milling the top surface of the virtual object, I get this error message that I can only mill perpendicular to the Z axis. This is totally mysterious.

,

I suppose I could've changed some default parameter in the program while trying to learn it. I have not yet done a full uninstall and reinstall to see if that clears this message.

Also I suppose not all mills necessarily have the cutterhead above the workpiece, which might explain this message.

[mfischer]

Hi Dale,

Which Coordinate System are you using for the Manufacturing process?

You might be using a different CSYS not aligned with the job you are doing.

Can you please confirm?

Mark

[TimBrotherhood]

Most wizzard based post processing software, like Boxford's excellent 3D GeoCAM, asks you to set 'Which way up' very early in the process so it doesn't really matter how the component was modelled.

An added advatage of 3D GeoCAM is Boxford supplie a range of output formats for other machinery so if a school has a mixed set of 3 axis machines they might be able to standardise on the post processing software the students use.