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Mazak QT250MSY

Mlamarca

Plastic
Joined
Jun 21, 2021
Good morning. The company I work at bought a Mazak QT250MSY with a SmoothG control, which is giving me some headaches, so I figure I would ask some questions here, since local Mazak rep is not able to answer.

1) Program control/storage. How can I pull a program from our networked server? Programs are saved under “programs/customer name/part number”. My other machines have no problem looking there. This one does.

2) Tool data page. Why can’t I use straight up tool numbers for T Drills? It wouldn’t be a huge issue if I could just modify/change the tool data, and not lose the geometry numbers, like an older Nexus, but I can’t.

3) That dang virtual keyboard is always in the way, and as it goes from full keyboard, to 10 key, to hidden, makes it worse. I have a wireless on the way, but am I able to shut off the virtual also?

4) Does anyone use 3DAssist? I don’t see the point. My customers don’t provide x_t files, so I have to convert it with my CAM system. Which, if I am importing it into a CAM system, I might as well program it there.

Thanks!!
 
1) This is a windows system. So that is a question for your IT guy, or call Applications at your Mazak center.
2) Still new to my QTMSY machine. But did write a program while tech was here. No answer.
3) Let me know how the wireless keyboard works. Seriously, I would like to use a mouse as well. My right shoulder is not what it was before RC repair and arm gets tired if I spend a lot of time with the control.
4) 3D assist. I was told it also supports dxf files, but not sure about that after using the mill. Looks like it only wants step files.
I bought Smooth G lathe and mill and was offered an application person to come to my shop for a full day NC. Or maybe 2 half days. I will take advantage of that after I get a bit more experience with the machines.
Note, virtual keyboards can be pinned in a location if in the way.
 
1) This is a windows system. So that is a question for your IT guy, or call Applications at your Mazak center.
2) Still new to my QTMSY machine. But did write a program while tech was here. No answer.
3) Let me know how the wireless keyboard works. Seriously, I would like to use a mouse as well. My right shoulder is not what it was before RC repair and arm gets tired if I spend a lot of time with the control.
4) 3D assist. I was told it also supports dxf files, but not sure about that after using the mill. Looks like it only wants step files.
I bought Smooth G lathe and mill and was offered an application person to come to my shop for a full day NC. Or maybe 2 half days. I will take advantage of that after I get a bit more experience with the machines.
Note, virtual keyboards can be pinned in a location if in the way.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe your tech center is better than mine.
It’s windows based, but you can’t do a straight drag and drop from what I am told by those apps people, as it can corrupt the database. If I have to leave the control side, and jump into windows, to drop a file into the appropriate folder (which ends up being the HDD folder in Data I/O), and then still have to bring it into the Mazak side with Data I/O, it really defeats the purpose.

Forcing me to use a drill diameter as the tool number is kind of defeating any efficiencies gained on standardizing the turret.

Keyboard and mouse are working, but I haven’t figured out how to turn off the virtuals. I also tried to hide them, outside the screen, but they keep popping up, right where I am trying to look, even when pinned.

I do believe step files are also accepted. But again, I have no customers providing that file format, so I have to convert.

I don’t know what the local sales guy did to sell this machine to the owner of this company, but I wish they kept the receipt, and that Mazak had a Walmart return policy. With our current mix of work, this machine is less efficient than the previous QT250MS, due to the control “upgrades”. I would not recommend this machine to anybody.
 
According to Mazak…..

1) shit out of luck. Gonna be stuck with USB sticks. It’s windows underneath, and a shitshow on top.

2) no way to use tool numbers instead of diameters in Mazatrol. Changed at Matrix Control. We change drills multiple times a day. What a waste of time.

3) yes, wireless works. Virtual can be shut off, in the settings. There are some minor issues, but it is better.

4) 3DAssist is useless unless you are given step or x_t files directly. Just remember, you can’t grab them directly from a server (see #1), so USB. And then, since I have to convert, I will use G-Code programming instead.

Honestly, this control sucks. Worse than I would have ever imagined. How Mazak could take the Nexus, and make it worse, is beyond me, but they did it. They succeeded in sucking.
 
Okay...don't know who the heck you talked to BUT

1) Unless they changed things since the Mazak Smart Control which was a bridge between the older stuff and the SMooth...you def could hook up to a network. You change a parameter I believe. Then you have to put a "folder" on network and control I think
2) again...bullshit.
You can run this control in EIA code...says right on controller. It even has a tool data screen. You need to change all your Haas/fanuc programs to a G53.5 work coordinate system. Supposedly this safely lets you go between both, but I have not done it. I HAVE ran standard programs using this method.
3) see 1?

This control is decent, I got used to it quickly. However I have a list of pros and cons from Mazatrol...and EIA...and so far about even except for that 75% of all the cnc equipment runs EIA code. I am a programmer and I want the machine to do what I want it to do. It sucks on single block to hit the button 8 times and not have it move, and even looking at the "buffer" etc you can tell what it "may" do.

Prepare for some massive thermal growth if doing large material removal because of the y-axis. I heat up around 6 degrees some days and I move .004. Literally every 2nd part I am changing a couple tenths. After about 10 parts I settle in pretty good though.
 
Okay...don't know who the heck you talked to BUT

1) Unless they changed things since the Mazak Smart Control which was a bridge between the older stuff and the SMooth...you def could hook up to a network. You change a parameter I believe. Then you have to put a "folder" on network and control I think
2) again...bullshit.
You can run this control in EIA code...says right on controller. It even has a tool data screen. You need to change all your Haas/fanuc programs to a G53.5 work coordinate system. Supposedly this safely lets you go between both, but I have not done it. I HAVE ran standard programs using this method.
3) see 1?

This control is decent, I got used to it quickly. However I have a list of pros and cons from Mazatrol...and EIA...and so far about even except for that 75% of all the cnc equipment runs EIA code. I am a programmer and I want the machine to do what I want it to do. It sucks on single block to hit the button 8 times and not have it move, and even looking at the "buffer" etc you can tell what it "may" do.

Prepare for some massive thermal growth if doing large material removal because of the y-axis. I heat up around 6 degrees some days and I move .004. Literally every 2nd part I am changing a couple tenths. After about 10 parts I settle in pretty good though.

Thanks for the reply.
1) I am stuck with one folder deep. I can’t drop files in root\programfiles\customer\partnumber, only get to root\programfiles. I am not going reconfigure my entire folder structure because Mazak can’t drill down a file tree. The other option is to map every customer folder as a drive, and then I can get to every partnumber folder. So, can it be done? Yes. Is it a realistic solution? No. My other machines are able to look as deep as needed on the network drive. This is a Mazak failure, as they are holding on to the old underpinnings.

2) Yes, I will have to use gcode instead of mazatrol to make this happen. Which I would prefer anyways. The person signing the checks was sold that mazatrol was going to solve world hunger, and is very hung up on using. My solution is gcode everything, as the other machines are gcode.

3) Having the wireless keyboard and mouse is better, as I mentioned.

I have run and programmed a nexus lathe with live tooling, with mazatrol, without issues. Sure, I couldn’t network on that machine. This machine was supposed to solve that. It also used tool numbers, and not names, in the mazatrol side. I didn’t have to completely redefine a drill. All I had to do was change the diameter, and touch Z. Now, you can’t edit the diameter. You have to start fresh. Another reason to just go gcode 100%.

I agree with your thought on the look ahead. It isn’t there. Other people here also mentioned it to me. They don’t like either. But, it is the same as the old Nexus machine, that hasn’t changed, so it’s a pretty minor complaint.
 








 
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