NextGen Control: Love it or Hate it?

There have been some very memorable and deplorable issues outlined threads on problems people have had with machines with the NextGen control. Obviously things are different but existing 'features' you paid for not working isn't acceptable. However, the squeaky wheel is the only one you can hear. I am wondering of those WHO HAVE ACTUALLY USED IT: Have you had issues? I don't mean "I don't like where they put this..." or "This takes one extra step..." I mean PROBLEMS. Like "Freakin #### can't be done any more" or "My damn #### codes wont run" type of 'issues'.

Made it a poll just for the hell of it.

New software is now out and will be in wider circulation by the end of the month, so if you can, please wait until then for a proper reply.

And yes, there are some issues with the current one that are not just Why TF can I not do this or that as I'm used to....

With that said, the current one is usable for the most part...

Is the new software a firmware upgrade? How are those sent out? How painful/less to install? I've never done a software upgrade on a machine tool so I'm curious more than anything. I'm debating purchasing new or used or finding another brand simply because I don't want headaches from a new machine. I freakin LOVE the control on my 2014 and can't think of anything off the top of my head I would change (or want changed). I have hundreds of codes I will have to re-post and get creative with if I did change from Haas as they ALL use M97 a LOT. It took me a year to get my posts to output 99% ready codes on some of my stuff. I'd prefer to stay with Haas overall, but the "had to return it after XX months" posts have me thinking I'd rather buy used and get a closer vintage to mine.

I cant imagine anyone who would buy one new after reading the horror stories. But the world is big and a fool and his money are quickly parted. I hope they get their act together and then start making a high end line of equipment.

My perspective on this is that if you have a bunch of older Haas machines you might not be happy as you have to think about what to press and when on the new control. It's like spending years learning to play the piano and someone moves a few (not all) keys around. Or the difference in switching between a Mac and a PC.

I would guess the "I had to return it" stories are from people who are so fast at the old control that the cognitive load of having to think about the new process was just too much as they switched between machines throughout the day.

That said, it feels very intuitive so no problems on my end.

Martin ,,, I have Fadal, Fagor , mits , haas , and Fanuc in my shop and the only control that did not work right was the new Next gen Haas POS.

I ran a program for a couple of days and it work fine, then I put a new part in and pushed the green button and it locked the spindle at 750 RPM and ran the program just like it had been at the 12,000 RPM like it was programmed for. It would "ONLY" do it at the start of the programs ,,, but I should not have to stand there with my finger on the slide hold button to see if its going to do the 12K like it should or the 750 RPM like it did sometimes. ( it did it on all programs and they came out of the older controls and were loaded by USB )

sometimes it would just stop in the middle of a program and leave the spindle running but stop feeding. when it would do that you could push anything you felt like on the control and it would do "NOTHING" you could not even stop the spindle.. you had to E stop it and power the control down and then power it back up and do a cold start, then it might do it on the next part or not for the next day or two ..

The control had a TON of problems that would just show up when they wanted to.

There really is not that much difference from the old control that worked good and the new POS next gen control that has a ton of problems.
for the most part there set up the same ... Probing and tool setting is about the only thing that did not feel the same on them,,, and I liked the probing on the new control better.

It was all the buggy erratic problems with the next gen control I could not live with ... I`m a production shop and I need a machine that will work the same EVERY time you push the green button,, I don`t have time to be a babysitter

I know have a new Fanuc 0i series F control and I`m not bitching about it ,,, the learning curve on it was longer than the haas control but it does what is asked of it and does it "EVERY" time the same.

We got a new VF2 just before Christmas with the next gen control. So far it has been okay, can't say that for rest of the machine. I dislike the tabs navigation and I hate how the P-Cool settings are now all the way to the right when before they were right next to the tool # display. Love the control on our 2015 VF3 and even the ole 97 VF4. I think if I didn't have all 3 to go between all day I might like the next gen a bit better? I guess if you learn on it and it's all you know it would be fine.

I have been programming on a Haas since 95. I just got my brand new vf4 installed Monday.

So far I really like the next gen. Takes a little getting used to the differences but not bad.

My software version ends in 1031, i see nothing glitchy about it, no handle jog issues, tapped 3/8 at 2000 rpm no problem.

I'm very happy so far.

D.D.Machine said:

sometimes it would just stop in the middle of a program and leave the spindle running but stop feeding. when it would do that you could push anything you felt like on the control and it would do "NOTHING" you could not even stop the spindle.. you had to E stop it and power the control down and then power it back up and do a cold start, then it might do it on the next part or not for the next day or two ..

Click to expand...

That's interesting. Our 2012 VF-6SS did that a few weeks ago, although hitting the Reset button worked without resetting the control. What was worse is it took a jog into a wall that was not in the code. Ran it in Edit mode and the simulation showed no issue. Backplotted the code, no issue. Ran the toolpath again... no issue

Luckily it was a fixture and the area was anything but critical but the shop manager and I were standing there when it happened and it elicited quite the WTF from both of us.

A question about the new control though: does it show ACTUAL feedrate now instead of just programmed feed? I hate that I can't really optimize feeds and speeds based on how fast the machine will move in reality vs how it's lying to me.

Thread necro time. Have they gotten the bugs out? Are the NextGen controls reliable now?

Thanks

This is common these days for us. Programs randomly corrupting and requiring a new board.

Now that these machines are out of warranty, we just run things off the usb only. Pitiful if you ask me...


We won't be buying another Haas.

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Get the / out of the program name and reload

Speedie said:

Get the / out of the program name and reload

Click to expand...

That's the folder/filename.

I have 23 machines with ngc and 5 machines have done this now.



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we have a 2018 VF4 and haven't had any trouble with it at all. When our guy came to do maintenance on it, he said it ball barred perfectly and needed no adjustments. I like it. Maybe a little harder to get around in than our old VF3, but once you're used to it, no biggie.

as9100d said:

I have 23 machines with ngc and 5 machines have done this now.

Click to expand...

Are the problem machines all early NGC machines?

mhajicek said:

Are the problem machines all early NGC machines?

Click to expand...

Mix of old and new.

It's a good control outside of the corrupting files....but keep backup and it's not bad...


That said... Still won't buy Haas every again.

20 Haas dm2s will be up for sale in a year or two when I replace them.



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We have a 2017 VF4SS with NGC and software version 17.000.1018 and have had absolutely no problems.

We have a 2019 VF2SS with NGC and software version 19.000.1303. The original software in this one was very buggy. Sometimes wouldn't start the spindle when it was running a program, corrupted the files, and would just sit and do nothing when it was supposed to be running.

I called the dealer and they said the tech was supposed to update the software at the install, but he didn't. Another tech stopped in the next day, updated it, and it has been fine since then.

The are some differences in the software versions, some good, some not so good for me. My biggest complaint is that you can't see the time the program was created in the program list screen.

we are exploring ways of getting rid of our 8 month old UMC500ss.
complete and utter pile of junk thats spent more time sitting and waiting for repairs than making parts. last haas machine we buy.

empwoer said:

we are exploring ways of getting rid of our 8 month old UMC500ss.
complete and utter pile of junk thats spent more time sitting and waiting for repairs than making parts. last haas machine we buy.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's fair to single out Haas, I've heard the same (via the forum) about DMG and Doosan, etc.

That said, I don't like the NGC, maybe muscle memory (mdi>program.>arrow to VQC> etc). I hate having to hit edit then arrow up for the probe routines, seems almost alien to me...

Has anyone else had issues with the spindle fan on an NGC machine?

We have a 2018 VF2 that will start acting up every so often. Normally the fan starts when the spindle starts and runs a few minutes after it stops until temp is reached.

Sometimes it seems to get a weird bug that makes it shut off exactly at the same time as the spindle, even when roughing at 80% spindle load.

All it takes to fix it is a software update, but it makes me nervous nonetheless since it's happened three times...........

Probably not a big deal.........but what will it decide to "modify" next?