Re: Conversational CNC Programming

Except of course that the conversational programming doesn't have to
be done on the machine itself, although I know that's what the
thread so far has been discussing.

The home user might well use the same PC to interactively write a
simple g-code sequence and then load up something like Mach2 to run
it. An industry user could produce the toolpath on an "office" PC
and then download to the machine tool rather than use a CAM program
for a simple sequence.

If you just want to surface a block, cut a couple of pockets and
drill a few holes, this has to be quicker than a CAM program and its
associated CAD drawing.

Just my thoughts.

Colin

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Raymond Heckert" <jnr@a...>
wrote:

> What you're describing fits the definition of 'conversational

programming'.

> Now, while I haven't been everywhere, it *has* been my experience

that

> off-line programming is more time/cost effective. Picture it as;

the

> machine is capable of producing parts at a rate of 3 to 4 hundred

dollars

> (US) per hour (and, indeed considerably more, in some cases). The

operator

> is getting probably $16 to $20 per hour - if he (okay, or she) is

a real

> Cracker-Jack. Anyways, why would you employ that operator to spend

a half

> hour programming a complex part that could have been programmed

off-line by

> a programmer making, perhaps $20 to $24 per hour, but, in the

meantime, the

> machine could be EARNING several hundreds of dollars in that

amount of

> time? At least that's been my experience with "conversational

programming'

> in a production, job-shop. It might work okay for Home Shop

Machinists,

> though. Anybody else have thoughts on this? Or is this bordering

on O-T?

> (Or is it a case of, "If you have to ask, it is")?
>
> RayHex
>
> ----------
> > From: forumtvm <forumtvm@y...>
> snip
> >
> > What I am trying to get is a "video" of someone action on

a "real"

> > CNC machine with a controller on conversational programming.

What

> > does he do? Does he, like described above, have an interface

where he

> > respond to queries and have the "conversational program"

generate an

> > NC program which he will then have to feed to a controller to

run it,

> > or does he run it like MDI except it is not blocks like G00 X5,

etc.

> > Sorry, just hoping to visualise what exactly is conversational
> > programming.