Machinists and their Zeros

I need to save a sheet metal flat pattern part file as an iges or STEP for our machine shop. The machinist asked me to be sure to put the true corner of the part at UCS zero, zero so his CNC MasterCam program can read it. There are multiple flanges extruded off of the main body. Cannot find a way to accomplish this.

Help?

perhaps rotating it so that you can? you might need to post an image so we can see what your dealing with.

Attach the file here.

BTW - your MasterCAM operator should learn how to run MasterCAM. Easy to move the geometry to any needed location.

I would model making use of symmetry about the origin as appropriate regardless of what the CNC programer wants - and teach them how to do their job.

In any case, it should be easy to take care of their lack of knowledge and make them happy by moving the geometry.

Roll up the EOP, zip and attach here.

Darn those machinists. They are just so spoiled!

If only my father was still alive. A tool and die maker for almost his entire adult life. I'm sure he'd a comment or two and they would not be complimentary.

I worked out on the shop floor as a machinist myself - for 8 yrs while I was going to school getting BS degree (I was a little slow).

I've always wondered why my father did not want me to become a tool and die maker. Never explained the reason behind that statement.

I've always wondered why my father did not want me to become a tool and die maker. Never explained the reason behind that statement.

Probably because your mother complained about metal shavings in the carpet from off the bottoms of his shoes! My wife did not like finding them with her bare feet, and I heard about it when she did. Started in a machine shop myself in 1976, stayed in one till about 1990 when one of the designers was off several weeks due to a car accident. I got to fill in for him at his cad station a few days a week, then work out in the shop the rest of the time. He decided after about 5 months not to come back, so this part time arrangement carried on until about 92 when I started working in cad almost full time. Still had to go help out from time to time (usually on weekends) in the shop right up until I left there in 2001. Been in and out of different shops over the years ever since. I love to make the chips fly!

I agree with everyone else on this one. Your Mastercam guy could use some training if he doesn't know how to do this. If its simply because he doesn't want to, that's a whole different issue.

BTW - your MasterCAM operator should learn how to run MasterCAM. Easy to move the geometry to any needed location.

I would model making use of symmetry about the origin as appropriate regardless of what the CNC programer wants - and teach them how to do their job.

I agree.

I would not redo my work because the operator has no clue how to do his job.

I worked out on the shop floor as a machinist myself - for 8 yrs while I was going to school getting BS degree (I was a little slow).

Nothing slow about that, I had to work as much as 6 days a week with a lot of 12 hour days while I went to school at night. I worked in the Machine shop, I did fabrication and welding and lots af assembly.

Still fail to see the connection with the question and "Machinists and their zeros".

Jack, you should of changed boots at work and wore clean shoes home. I would change clothes as well cause it was tearing the washing machines up with all the shavings.

 

Jack, you should of changed boots at work and wore clean shoes home. I would change clothes as well cause it was tearing the washing machines up with all the shavings.

I rented uniforms to wear and would leave them in my locker and change. Would leave the boots too, but after someone broke the lock and stole them I didn't do that anymore. They were fairly new too, had only had them a couple months. Really irritated me. You know how hard it is to find steel toed shoes that fit AND feel good! Most of the time I'd take them off before I went in the house but once in a while I'd forget (or be too tired to care). Was working midnight to 7 back then. Company did pay for some new ones though. There were about a dozen lockers broken into in that incident. Ah..the good old days.....no, I don't miss it.

--edit---I should have said I still rented the uniforms, just didn't leave the boots in the locker anymore.