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jerryzak

Aluminum
Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Location
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
We are getting another 5 axis mill, DMU80 and the office guys just told me that we will try to use Del-cam with that mill.
We use Gibbs now and I'm very happy with it but they must be getting a good deal on Del-cam and first 6 months free.
What should I expect? I know one thing for sure that all the thousands of programs done in Gibbs over the years will
have to be redone if need to be used on the new machine. Anyone actually using Del-cam here?
Jerry
 
I am very happy with Delcam on our 5x machines, there will be some gripes here and there, but it is all small nitpicking . They are among the best for 5x tool paths.
 
Just like any software it is another language once you know how to use one changing is a bit of a challenge. I'm sure there will be things you don't like about the change. I went from absolutely no experience to operating a 5 axis router 2 years ago using delcam Powermill. I had fantastic support from my retailer and had a total of 5 days training before being cut loose on the machine by myself. Full 5 axis motion is very simple with powermill
 
I was just told we will be getting Powermill.
Don't get me wrong. I will be very happy learning another software.
Never hurts to have something new under your belt.
I just hope it is as strong as Gibbscam. It's good to hear only good opinions so far. Machine is suppose to come next week and I think there are jobs already set aside for it. Hopefully I still have few brain cells I can find to be able to learn it.
Jerry
 
I was just told we will be getting Powermill. <snip> I just hope it is as strong as Gibbscam.

You'll forgive me later, but that's got to be the best quote of 2014, yet!

The best advice I can ( and do ) give to people about learning PowerMILL is to forget what you think you know and let yourself learn how Delcam wants you to know it. Forget what "this" and "that" are called in anything else. It will be different much of the time. Forget what you think "that" tool path should do. Often times it is different. But if you can suspend for some short time what you think you know and learn how to ask for it they way Delcam wants you to ask for it, then you will come away with power over the tool path that isn't available in many other softwares.

And if you don't think it makes Gibbs look anemic, then I'll buy you a drink.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to clean the scotch from my monitor.
 
We have 16 seats of powershape and powermill and 4 seats of toolmaker and my guys seem to love it. Like others said "forget what you know" It is a whole new world and im sure you will get aggravated but be patient and it will open a new world for you.
 
A whole new world...where dictionary definitions of commonly used manufacturing terms don't mean shit .. Lol. Power mill is very powerful. Just don't let them suck you into powershape pos.
 
The Support from USA is worse than ever. I found its better to wait and call the UK office. I sent an email to Glenn McMinn (VP of Delcam) and Christian Biscoe (senior software developer) for a post mod and two weeks no response. One email to the UK office I had it in less than an hour. The only thing going for them is product, I thought for sure when Autodesk bought them last year things would get better. It was a sinking feeling when the mass email came from Glenn saying they would still operate as two separate companies.
 
The Support from USA is worse than ever. I found its better to wait and call the UK office. I sent an email to Glenn McMinn (VP of Delcam) and Christian Biscoe (senior software developer) for a post mod and two weeks no response. One email to the UK office I had it in less than an hour. The only thing going for them is product, I thought for sure when Autodesk bought them last year things would get better. It was a sinking feeling when the mass email came from Glenn saying they would still operate as two separate companies.

??????????????? Maybe it's your reseller? I've never had this kind of issue.
When I do have need to ask a question or resolve an issue ( which is not common ), it is typically resolved within 3 days _at most_. Most times, sooner.
 
??????????????? Maybe it's your reseller? I've never had this kind of issue.
When I do have need to ask a question or resolve an issue ( which is not common ), it is typically resolved within 3 days _at most_. Most times, sooner.

3 days?!!! who has time to wait 3 days?

I will echo what g-coder already said. delcam used to have the best support going (featurecam in my case), then Chris Cole got a promotion. The support has been shit ever since.
 
??????????????? Maybe it's your reseller? I've never had this kind of issue.
When I do have need to ask a question or resolve an issue ( which is not common ), it is typically resolved within 3 days _at most_. Most times, sooner.

Programming Plus is good at what they do, for both Delcam and surfcam
 
3 days?!!! who has time to wait 3 days?
I will echo what g-coder already said. delcam used to have the best support going (featurecam in my case), then Chris Cole got a promotion. The support has been shit ever since.

Like I said -

... When I do have need to ask a question or resolve an issue ( which is not common ), it is typically resolved within 3 days _at most_. Most times, sooner.

A. - It's not common to have the need.

B. - The one time it took three days was when I actually discovered a bug and it by no means hindered my ability to run the part.

All I can give you is my own personal experience, which has been rather good. Obviously, your mileage may vary. When is the last time you needed support? What was it for? Who did you go to?

Programming Plus is good at what they do, for both Delcam and surfcam

Yes they are. Very good.
 
I have / do use both. I like Powermill for surfacing operations...it does a real good job. I prefer Gibbs for drilling, tapping, reaming or judt straightline machining. Delcam seems to have made complicated things easy.....and easy things complicated. My opinion.
 
I used to use Featurecam and at the end of my use I can echo what Wheelie and Gcoder are saying. My friend at a shop down the street has been running Featurecam before Delcam even thought of them and he says the same thing about tech support going from really good to really bad.
 
I have / do use both. I like Powermill for surfacing operations...it does a real good job. I prefer Gibbs for drilling, tapping, reaming or judt straightline machining. Delcam seems to have made complicated things easy.....and easy things complicated. My opinion.

x100

Want to throw a quck gouge-protected tooplath on all rads simply by selecting them and creating boundary? - No problem!
Want to drill and (god forbid tap) hole in a middle of nowhere? - well ***ck you!

We have a 2.5D mastercam x8 here and PowerMil 7

So, making rads and pure 3d is all i use PM for. Making a single straight cut or a contour takes forever and involves creating boundaries (fun, considering you can edit only points) and doing all sorts of unintuitive black magic.

Unfortunately boss thinks ability to freely delete toolpath segments that PM has is something very useful and makes up for almost missing 2d toolpaths. Which it does not. (We have to create a z-slice toolpaths and then delete portions of them to simulate contouring lol!)

Maybe things changed since PM7 ?
Bet my 0 hours training on the damn thing does not help me much huh?
 
<SNIP>

We have a 2.5D mastercam x8 here and PowerMil 7

<SNIP>

Maybe things changed since PM7 ?
Bet my 0 hours training on the damn thing does not help me much huh?


Ah. Okay. Now I understand. My apologies. I wasn't aware that we were discussing Eight year old, outdated softwares. Based on the OP's statements I was commenting on current abilities and comparisons. It would be a bit pointless and irrelevant to discuss such outdated technologies with regard to what the OP will be able to do, whether PM7 ( 2006 ), or Eight year old Gibbs, or MasterCAM 8.1.

Heck... It's no wonder one would be unhappy with the support for PM7. It hasn't been supported for over Five years, as far as I know.

As for creating holes anywhere one likes, it takes no real effort to do in PowerMILL. Nor does editing tool path segments.
 
^ Well, sorry for bringing this irrelevant personal experience.
i guess what i wanted to say is : make sure by buying PowerMill you dont buy something expensive that only does one thing good and needs a bunch of other expensive things to do other things as well ;)
 








 
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