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Can some one translate Mazatrol to G and M code(fanuc)?

rosie

Hot Rolled
Joined
May 30, 2006
Location
Wisconsin
I was just curious if any one has the availability to do this. I've got a job that I'm looking at quoting. If it works out they might give me the mazatrol programs, which I don't believe my mazak with a eia control will understand. Otherwise is there a parameter I could change?? My machine is a 1992 mazak vtc-41 with the yasnac M3 control. IIRC

This is a machining center job.
Thanks in advance

Rosie
 
You can't do it from a control since EIA is a totally different programming structure from Mazatrol.

MazaCam (Geopath) is the only program I know that will will let you vreate a Mazatrol or an EIA program from your CAD geometry.

As far as I know though, you can't convert from Mazatrol to EIA directly.
 
Not directly as Stuart mentioned but it still might be able to run if you can put some work into it. You may have a bigger problem though...

Mazatrol programs aren't downward campatable... at least not fully. So you may run into a problem anyway even if you had Mazatrol because their Mazatrol output may be from a much newer control. Just figure that there could be a 4 generation gap between your control and today. This is because options would change, protocols would change, layouts (base code) would change, TPC structure, parameters, etc...

However, and this might not be worth it.... You could have them output their programs in 3 digit code format. This looks like G codes but with a much different format. Then, as long as they told you what model control it came from, you can decipher the code into a part form, draw it on your CAD and post your own code. PITA but it can work. But there's no money doing it this way...
This is how I used to program in Mazatrol offline before the days of Mazacam, Griffo Bros, CamWare, etc for Mazatrol programs. It's easier from a drawing but if you're having to come from one code, create a drawing to create another code, its not worth it.

Is there some reason they won't let you program it from a drawing? Also, check if it's Mazatrol CONVERSATIONAL program or Mazatrol EIA/ISO program. Might sound dumb but I know many people that refer to the EIA code as a Mazatrol program simply because it runs on a Mazatrol control.

Stuart:
MazaCam (Geopath) is the only program I know that will will let you vreate a Mazatrol

There's also Griffo Brothers and CamWare (from Mazak) and a couple other that are add-ons like Camaix.

As far as I know though, you can't convert from Mazatrol to EIA directly.

You can on CamWare and I think on MazaCam now as well. It is also a control option for Fusion and Matrix to convert Mazatrol to G code on output. I can't remember if it was available on the earlier controls.
 
Psychomill,
Thanks for your time. It's kind of a touchy subject. Friend of a friend of a friend previously ran the parts. That shop decided they no longer wanted to do them??????? So the customer is running them in house. They're himming and haaing about maybe, possibly, thinking about subbing them back out if pricing was in line and the shop gets them good parts on time. I'm thinking that they have been burned, But I don't know. I'm still green as to shotty work at a machine shop, which is hard for me to put in the same sentence.

So if I can get the programs converted, I could get reasonably accurate times and quote a bit more competitively. If I ended up getting the work, it would make life easier if I could get the programs converted. I'm pretty sure that they found and fixed many glitches over the time they ran the parts.

I'll see if the friend has an option to giving the g and m code.

Thanks
Rosie
 
So, they won't give up anything? How about some 'target' pricing?

All may not be lost. Do you have someone in your area you could load the program into their control? If you can get the 3Digit output, you could probably figure it some with knowing all of the codes. I'd offer my services to you but I'm afraid I'll likely drop the ball on you because I never have anthing less than 749 things to do right now and at any given time.

I got it... take a copy of the progam and go on a little road trip to MSI and have them demo you a seat of CamWare. Have them show you how the control can convert Mazatrol to G code... copy the output... tell them "Thank You" and "I'll be back".....;) :D

Hope you get something out of it and some more info... :cheers:
 
Psyco-
Some of the issue is that I'm in Wisconsin, my friend is on the east coast. I'm not sure, but his buddy should be close to him. The actual customer should be in their neighbor hood too. I have yet to actually meet and shake my friends hand, I don't even have an idea what he looks like, just a voice on the phone. It's time consuming to work thru so many channels.
I hoping to see some prints, I'm just going off the word of my bud. He is doing all of the legwork currently. Like all of the shops I know, times are tough.
I'm sure they will give prints, its just time for me to wait for things to come together. I'm just trying to cover my bases ahead of time, so when it's time to play ball I can hit the ground running.

If you wouldn't mind going for 750 things to do, please take a peek at my website. rosenthalmachine.com
I value your thoughts, critisism's etc. I still need to take some more pictures, and get more permission slips to show customers parts. Some of my customers are pretty cool as showing their stuff others get nervous by even asking. I make stuff as goofy as an adjustable bushing to electrify a flute, to bracketry for night vision scopes for your hunting rifles. I've even made molds(very simple I'm not a tool and die guy) for string cheese that was shipped to south Korea. I'm not sure of how many Burger Kings buy cheese from my customer, but I make the molds, and components for their motzerella(?) sticks.
I hope this makes sense, I'm still fuzzy from last night.(Wife and kids were gone for a night).

Rosie
 
Yes, you can!

I didn`t read all comments here, but I tell you what I do if I want an EIA/ISO prog .from Mazatrol.
You can find on internets "free" Mazak Camware soft, or, if you have some legal copy, so much the better!
You do your prog. in Mazatrol, in this soft and there you have a button for conversion. There, you can choose (swich on or off) what G codes you wanna have in your prog, as to be in accordance with your Fanuc.
The new ISO prog.will be done with some codes you don`t need (Q,L,M codes) or they doesn`t fit with Fanuc, but you can easily replace or erase them, put somme comments for operators in... in any common soft(MS word:)...
Of course, you have to be careful before you run the prog.on 100%!
If you wanna see the tool path of your new ISO prog., that you can do in Camlink for example. But, usually, there is no problem with converted progs. Just be careful about the tool changes!
Jerry
 
Yes, you can!

I didn`t read all comments here, but I tell you what I do if I want an EIA/ISO prog .from Mazatrol.
You can find on internets "free" Mazak Camware soft, or, if you have some legal copy, so much the better!
You do your prog. in Mazatrol, in this soft and there you have a button for conversion. There, you can choose (swich on or off) what G codes you wanna have in your prog, as to be in accordance with your Fanuc.
The new ISO prog.will be done with some codes you don`t need (Q,L,M codes) or they doesn`t fit with Fanuc, but you can easily replace or erase them, put somme comments for operators in... in any common soft(MS word:)...
Of course, you have to be careful before you run the prog.on 100%!
If you wanna see the tool path of your new ISO prog., that you can do in Camlink for example. But, usually, there is no problem with converted progs. Just be careful about the tool changes!
Jerry
 








 
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