ACU-RITE MILLPWR User Manual

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have just purchased MILLPWR by ACU-RITE , a versatile and flexible 2-axis Control/ 3-axis Readout system that effectively combines powerful features and functionality with ease of use at an affordable price.

MILLPWR satisfies the needs of the milling market where manual and automated operation are both useful and needed. MILLPWR other non-productive operations thereby increasing your efficiency, producti vity and profitability.

MILLPWR is designed and manufactured in the United States at ACU-RITE’s ISO-9001 registered facility. MILLPWR is a complete system that includes ground and hardened ball screws, powerful DC servo motors,

a user friendly operator console with a built-in floppy disk drive, a controller cabinet containing an electronics module (which includes a large hard disk drive) and a motor control module. The system is closed-looped with positioning feedback provided by the use of ACU-RITE’s precision glass scales (2µm/.0001” resolution).

MILLPWR utilizes a conversational, menu prompted format that makes it easy for you to learn and quick for you to program. No prior programming experience or training is necessary. All you have to do is simpl y enter part dimensions directly from the print. MILLPWR automatically calculates the tool path... with immediate part view graphic feedback providing program verification. MILLPWR’s intuitiveness allows you to learn how to operate MILLPWR and begin making parts, and profits, in a matter of hours.

MILLPWR is backed by a comprehensive 1-year warranty, with nationwide support provided by a factory trained and certified distribution network.

Thank you for choosing ACU-RITE. We’re confident you’ll be more than glad you did.

Sincerely,

ACU-RITE INC.

also maximizes your throughput by significantly reducing set-up time, scrap and

MILLPWR System Setup Access Code

An access code must be entered before the system setup parameters can be set or changed. This prevents inadvertently resetting parameters.

IMPORTANT

The access code is 8891

Refer to section 7, “System Setup.”

IMPORTANT

Supervisors may wish to remove this page from the MILLPWR manual after initially setting up the system parameters. Keep it in a safe place for future use.

387900-970 Edition E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1. Introduction

System Overview...........................................................................1-1

Machine Layout ...................................................................1-1

Keypad Layout ....................................................................1-3

Screen Layout ......................................................................1-4

Saving, Backing Up, and Creating Directories

For Programs...............................................................1-5

Emergency Table Stop Button ..............................................1-5

Conventions ..................................................................................1-6

Axis Conventions ....................................................................1-6

Absolute/Incremental ...............................................................1-7

Section 2. DRO

Start-up ........................................................................................2-1

Power Up ............................................................................2-1

Finding Home ......................................................................2-2

DRO Functions .............................................................................2-3

Reset an Axis .......................................................................2-3

Inch -Metric ..........................................................................2-3

Move Table .........................................................................2-3

Establishing a Datum ............................................................2-4

Using a Probe ......................................................................2-5

One Time Milling Functions ..................................................2-6

Section 3. Programming

Programming Considerations .........................................................3-1

Depth of Cut ........................................................................3-1

Tool Offset ..........................................................................3-1

“From” and “To” Points .......................................................3-2

Datum Selection ...................................................................3-2

Absolute and Incremental Dimensions ...................................3-2

Operation Manual i MILLPWR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Continuous Milling ................................................................3-3

Creating a Program .......................................................................3-4

The View Key .....................................................................3-6

Running a Program ........................................................................3-6

Setting the Datum .................................................................3-6

Testing Your Program ..........................................................3-7

Pressing the GO Key ...........................................................3-8

Feed Rate Override .............................................................3-9

Machining to Zero ................................................................3-9

Program Functions ......................................................................3-11

Accessing the Load, Save, Delete, and

Backup Options ........................................................3-11

Saving a Program ...............................................................3-12

Directories .........................................................................3-14

Creating a Directory ..................................................3-14

Selecti ng a Directory .................................................3-17

Deleting a Directory ..................................................3-19

Other Program Functions ...................................................3-20

Naming a Program ....................................................3-20

Deleting a Program ....................................................3-21

Backing Up a Program ..............................................3-22

Loading a Program ....................................................3-24

From MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive ..........3-24

From a 3 ½” floppy disk .....................................3-26

From your PC .....................................................3-27

Section 4. Demonstration

A Demonstration Program .............................................................4-1

Selecting the Datum ..............................................................4-1

Beginning the Program ..........................................................4-1

Selecting a Tool ...................................................................4-2

Milling the Workpiece Contour .............................................4-3

MILLPWR ii Operation Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Programming the Bolt Circle ...............................................4-13

Programming the Pocket ....................................................4-15

Saving Your Program .........................................................4-17

Testing Your Program ........................................................4-17

Running the Program ..........................................................4-18

Tool Changes .....................................................................4-20

Clearing the Program ..........................................................4-20

Section 5. Program Steps

Sample Milling and Drilling ............................................................5-1

Set Tool ...............................................................................5-1

Positioning/Drill ....................................................................5-1

Mill Line ..............................................................................5-2

Mill Arc ...............................................................................5-2

Blend ...................................................................................5-3

Rectangular Milling Functions ........................................................5-4

Pocket .................................................................................5-4

Rectangular Frame ...............................................................5-5

Face ....................................................................................5-6

Slot ......................................................................................5-7

Circular Milling Functions ..............................................................5-8

Circular Pocket ....................................................................5-8

Circular Frame .....................................................................5-9

Ring ...................................................................................5-10

Hole Patterns ..............................................................................5-11

Row of Holes .....................................................................5-11

Hole Frame and Hole Array ...............................................5-12

Bolt Circle .........................................................................5-13

More Steps .................................................................................5-14

Repeat ...............................................................................5-14

Rotate ................................................................................5-15

Mirror ................................................................................5-16

Operation Manual iii MILLPWR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Custom Pocket ..................................................................5-17

Engrave .............................................................................5-18

Explode .............................................................................5-20

Section 6. Calculator

Four Function Arithmetic ...............................................................6-1

Trig and Math Functions ................................................................6-1

Geometry Calculator .....................................................................6-4

Why We Need a Geometry Calculator .................................6-4

Working with the Geometry Calculator .................................6-5

Example Problem ..........................................................................6-7

Strategy ...............................................................................6-7

Starting the Program .............................................................6-7

Entering the Lines .................................................................6-8

Finding the Arc ..................................................................6-10

Finding the Points of Tangency ...........................................6-12

Returning Features ..............................................................6-13

Section 7. Setup

Inch or Metric ......................................................................7-1

Operator Setup .............................................................................7-2

Tool Library ..................................................................................7-2

Scale Factor .................................................................................7-3

Display Options ............................................................................7-4

Touch Probe .................................................................................7-5

Feed Rate Settings ........................................................................7-5

System Setup ................................................................................7-6

Protection ............................................................................7-6

Error Compensation .............................................................7-7

Encoder Direction ................................................................7-8

Serial Port ............................................................................7-9

MILLPWR iv Operation Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 8. Remote Storage

Equipment .....................................................................................8-1

Choosing a Serial Cable ................................................................8-1

Connecting MILLPWR to Your PC ...............................................8-2

Installing the Remote Storage Program ...........................................8-3

Operation Manual v MILLPWR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Setting the PC’s COM Port and BAUD Rates ...............................8-4

Common Error Messages ..............................................................8-5

Section 9. Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction ..................................................................................9-1

Using the Table .............................................................................9-1

Table ............................................................................................9-2

MILLPWR vi Operation Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

387900-167 Software Version 1.3 Ed G

Operation Manual vii MILLPWR

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

INTRODUCTION

System Overview

Machine Layout

Operation Manual Page 1-1

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Front View of Operator Console

TABLE

STOP

INFO

SET

TOOL

CIRCLE HOLES

RECT

ARC

LINEPOS BLEND

Floppy diskette inside

Emergency

Keypad

Softkeys

VIEW

PGM

DRO

CANCEL

USE

ABS

INC

4 5 6 1

CALC

987

+/-

TABLE STOP

FEED

DEL

STOP GO

ENTER

Rear of Operator Console Side of Controller Cabinet

Contrast and brightness knobs --adjust them for best picture

Main power switch. Use this to turn MILLPWR on and off.

Power Switch for console only (just leave it on)

Page 1-2 Operation Manual

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Keypad Layout

These let you set up the MILLPWR, get information about what you are doing, switch between program (PGM) and DRO, and “USE” the milling functions as steps in a program.

Main

Function Keys

INFO

SET

VIEW

PGM

Milling Functions

TOOL RECT CIRCLE

POS

LINE

ARC BLEND

Numeric Keypad

and Calculator

ABS

INC

7 8

HOLES

CALC

With these keys, you define the operations you want MILLPWR to perform. These operations end up as “steps” in a program, or you can run just one of them at any time.

DRO

CANCEL

USE

Press GO to run your program, and STOP to stop it. The FEED keys let you adjust the cutting speed on the fly.

4 5

1 2 3

DEL

Cursor and Motion Control Keys

FEED

+/-

ENTER

Enter all numerical values with these keys. When you’re entering dimensions, you can specify absolute or incremental.

The handy 4-function calculator can be used at any time. Trig and geometry assistance is available with a press of the CALC key.

GOSTOP

Operation Manual Page 1-3

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

The cursor keys help you navigate around the screen while you are using MILLPWR.

Page 1-4 Operation Manual

INTRODUCTION

2 3 4

MILLPWR

Screen Layout

The MILLPWR display screen is divided into four sections.

SERVO

FEED 0 100%

OFF

ZERO X ZERO Y ZERO Z

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

DATUM

MOVE

TABLE

INCH

Status bar - displays the servo motor status (on/off), feed rate, current tool, scale, and inch/mm display view.

Information screen - displays information for the job being performed.

• Used as a readout, the screen will display the current location for each axis.

• When programming, a list of milling operations and part view graphics will

be displayed.

• To calculate data geometrically, lines and arcs can be constructed and

displayed.

Message line - operator prompts and messages will appear here.

Softkeys - variable key functions appear here; functions are selected by pressing

the hard key directly below the softkey message.

Operation Manual Page 1-5

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Saving, Backing Up, and Cr eating Directories for Programs

When you begin to create programs for your MILLPWR to run, you can save your

If you're writing a long program, don't wait until the end to save your work. Frequent saving reduces the risk of losing work due to a power interruption.

programs in any of three places—on MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive, on a 3 ½” floppy disk, or on your PC’s hard disk drive. Saving your work means it will not be lost if the MILLPWR is turned off or if there is a power failure.

Your MILLPWR is also equipped with a backup feature that enables you to make duplicate copies of your saved programs. We recommend backing up your work as an extra precaution against accidental deletions, hard disk drive failures, or other problems that may prevent you from recovering your original files. Backing up your programs takes only a few moments—and will save you valuable time if a problem

does occur. And as you save and back up your programs, you can neatly organize them in any of

the three default directories (“MILLPWR,” “A:,” and “REMTSTOR”) or in personalized directories you create on your own.

For more details about how to save programs, back up files, and create directories, refer to the Programming section.

Note: Before you save or back up programs on your PC’s hard disk drive, refer to the Remote Storage and System Setup sections for setup instructions.

Emergency Table Stop Button

The large red button on the front of the MILLPWR operator console is the emergency

TABLE STOP. In the event of a malfunction or programming error, press the emergency TABLE STOP button to disengage the servo motors. Disengaging the servos will

cause all table movement to stop.

WARNING

Pressing the emergency TABLE STOP button will NOT

stop the rotation of the cutting tool unless your machine

has been specifically wired to do so. Therefore, in the

event of an emergency, if your machine has not been

wired to stop the rotation of the cutting tool, be prepared

to raise the quill in addition to pressing the emergency

TABLE STOP button.

Page 1-6 Operation Manual

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Conventions

Axis Conventions

Cartesian Coordinates

When programming a part using MILLPWR, table movement and tool motion are determined by the use of positive or negative numbers. MILLPWR has been factory set with the following positive and negative directions for X, Y, and Z:

X-axis: the table will move to the left, with tool motion to the right, for positive positions.

Y-axis: the table will move toward you while tool motion is away from you for positive positions.

Z-axis: quill movements up (away from the table surface) are for positive positions.

Polar Coordinates

The polar radius (R), is the distance from datum (absolute zero) to a point. The polar angle (A), is formed by the X-axis and the radius, positive counter- clockwise. The angle is always measured from the positive X-axis.

R=6.4

A=39°

1 2 3 4 5 60

Operation Manual Page 1-7

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Absolute / Incremental

Dimensions you enter from the print can be either absolute or incremental. Absolute dimensions are measured from the datum which is the workpiece zero. Incremental dimensions are measured from one point to another.

1.5

A B C

3.625

absolute coordinates of a point. Both absolute and incremental dimensions can be used on the same workpiece. For

example, Hole C has the dimensions X = 3.625 INC from hole A, Y = 1.5 ABS.

Example: Polar and Incremental

Here is how to enter the angle of a line: If your drawing provides the angles from one end, you need to use polar and

incremental. The end of the line is measured incrementally from the beginning of the line.

Holes A and B are dimensioned as absolute, but hole C is dimensioned incrementally from A.

When entering these dimensions in the MILLPWR, we would say:

Hole A: X = 2.000 ABS Hole B: X = 4.000 ABS Hole C: X = 3.625 INC from hole A

It will often be easier to describe a location in terms of incremental dimensions than it would be to calculate the

3 2

P1 (From)

5.0

P2 (To)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

- 53°

Page 1-8 Operation Manual

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

Notice that if you don’t use incremental coordinates, Point 2 will be incorrect because it will be measured from the datum instead of from Point 1.

Operation Manual Page 1-9

INTRODUCTION

MILLPWR

BLANK PAGE

Page 1-10 Operation Manual

DRO

MILLPWR

DRO FUNCTIONS

Start-Up

Power Up

• Make sure the power switch on the back of the Operator’s Console is on.

• Turn the on/off switch on the side of the controller cabinet ON.

After the program has loaded, the following screen will appear:

SERVO

FEED 0 100%

OFF

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

DRO stands for “digital readout”.

INC

0.0000

INC

0.0000

INC

0.0000

ZERO X ZERO Y ZERO Z DATUM

This is called the “DRO” screen. It shows you the current tool position. Here you can use several DRO functions to set up your job. In fact, you can use this as a normal DRO when you use your machine manually.

0.0000

ABS

MOVE

TABLE

Operation Manual Page 2-1

DRO

MILLPWR

Finding Home

The ACU-RITE’s ENC150 precision glass scales included with your MILLPWR system are different from standard ENC150 glass scales because they have only one reference mark. The reference mark will be located between five and eight inches from the centerline of your scale. The reference mark will most likely be found in the positive count direction for both the X and Y axes; however, it may be found in the negative count direction depending upon how the scale(s) are mounted.

MILLPWR must find these reference marks after power-up in order to establish the

farthest table travel, so you won’t crash the table. You must find home before you can run a program.

To find home, press the DATUM softkey, then the FIND HOME softkey. The

Once you are familiar with where the reference marks are, you can use the “MOVE TABLE” function to get close to them before you press "FIND HOME".

table will move, one axis at a time, to find the reference positions. If the table moves until it hits the hard stops and the servo motor stops, it

means the table was already positioned past the home position. Use the handcranks to move the table away from the end and press FIND HOME again. Should the FIND HOME softkey be pressed immediately after home has been found, the table will move to the hard stops and the servo motors will disengage.

DATUM is a term for “workpiece zero” or “absolute zero”.

After home has been found, the DRO display will change. The absolute display

shows the tool position from the most recent datum.

Page 2-2 Operation Manual

DRO

MILLPWR

DRO Functions

Reset an Axis

Pressing the ZERO X, ZERO Y, or ZERO Z softkey will zero the incremental position of that axis.

You can’t change to metric if you have an “inch” program active, and vice versa.

Note that the arrow keys will move the table!

Inch - Metric

To change the measurement system between inches and metric units, press the

SETUP key to get the INCH and MM softkeys. Select the system you want, and

press USE NEW SETTINGS.

Move Table

This function lets you move the table rapidly using the arrow keys. Pressing the

MOVE TABLE softkey will caution you that the arrow keys no longer move around

the screen, but will instead move the table.

SERVO ONFEED 0 100%

X Y

INC

0.000

INC

0.000

INC

0.000

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

0.0000

INCH

ABS

CAUTION

ARROW KEYS

WILL MOVE TABLE

PRESS CANCEL WHEN FINISHED MOVING TABLE.

MOVE

TABLE

Operation Manual Page 2-3

DRO

MILLPWR

The table moves in the direction of the arrows. You can move in both X and Y at the same time.

MOVE TABLE AWAY

FROM YOU

While the MOVE TABLE

It’s a REALLY good idea to fold in the handcrank handles before moving the table!

Establishing a Datum

A datum is a reference point that you establish as the workpiece zero. You need to set a datum for each job. The location on the workpiece that is to be used as the datum will be determined by the way the part is dimensioned on the blueprint. In general, you should select a datum location so that you may enter most dimensions directly, without calculations.

MOVE

TABLE

LEFT

MOVE

TABLE

RIGHT

MOVE TABLE

TOWARDS YOU

softkey is pressed, the servo motors are on. Press it again to turn them off.

The datum position is not lost at power-down, so you can quit in the middle of a job at night and easily resume it the next morning.

The simplest datum location to set is where you can position the tool exactly at that location in all three axes.

• Position the

workpiece so that the datum point is directly beneath the tool. This point might be a corner, the center of a bolt hole pattern, etc.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

SET DATUM

X Y

INC

0.0000

INC

0.0000

INC

0.0000

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

0.0000

• Press the DATUM

softkey and the Set Datum entry form will appear.

• Press the X=0, Y=0,

and/or Z=0 softkey(s)

ENTER THE NEW ABSOLUTE POSITION OF THE TOOL CENTER.

X = 0 Y = 0 Z = 0

FIND

HOME

USE

PROBE

MOVE

TABLE

to establish workpiece zero.

INCH

ABS

• Press USE to lock in the workpiece zero.

Page 2-4 Operation Manual

DRO

MILLPWR

If you can’t position the tool center right at the datum, you’ll need to enter a value for each axis. The value to use is the absolute position of the tool center from the new datum. For one axis at a time, position the tool to a known location, such as the edge of the workpiece. Without moving the tool, enter the desired location of the tool center and press ENTER. Then move to position the next axis. When all are entered, press USE.

DISTANCE TO

The MILLPWR calculator helps a lot here---To set the datum for the X axis, enter:

0.3875/2+.005. Then, since the tool center is left of the datum, change the sign.

.005 SHIM

0.3875 TOOL

ENTER

While you are setting the datum, you can use the MOVE TABLE softkey to help you with long moves.

Using A Probe

You may use a touch probe or edge finder to get very accurate edge locations. Make sure the diameter of the probe is correct (it’s found in the SET-UP list). Install the probe and connect it to the back of the Operator Console. Then, for one axis at a time, enter the absolute position of the edge to be touched into the datum form, press the USE PROBE softkey, and move the table slowly until the probe touches the workpiece. When the probe touches, the USE PROBE softkey will release. Press the USE key to set the absolute position of each axis.

TIP: Right after you find home, you can move quickly to your previous datum using the position function:

POS

Operation Manual Page 2-5

DRO

MILLPWR

One Time Milling Functions

Any of the milling functions, except BLEND, can be used “one time” without creating a program. Press the desired milling function key, fill in the information, and press

GO.

The information for each function will be remembered for the next time you use it. Each function is described in the Program Steps section. For many of the milling functions, such as a pocket, you will need to set the proper

tool diameter. You can use the TOOL key as a one-time function to do this.

Page 2-6 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

PROGRAMMING

Programming Considerations

Depth of Cut

Since the vertical Z-axis is not controlled by a servo motor, you must make changes to the depth of cut manually.

You don’t have to program the depth, but if you do, MILLPWR will preset the programmed value into the DRO for you. Then, when it’s time, MILLPWR will show you the DRO and ask you to set the depth.

If you are not programming depth, leave it set to 0.

Tool Offset

With MILLPWR, you never have to worry about the actual tool path. Because of

MILLPWR ’s tool radius compensation capability, you program only the actual part

dimensions. When you program a line, arc, or frame, use the TOOL OFFSET field to tell

MILLPWR which side of the cut you want the tool to be on.

Picture yourself standing behind the tool as it is moving. If the tool is on the left of the workpiece, use “left” offset. If the tool is to the right of the workpiece, use “right” offset.

By using left and right offsets, you can program the

LEFT OFFSET

RIGHT OFFSET

dimensions of the part as found on the blueprint.

MILLPWR will take care of

all cutter radius compensation. You do not have to program the tool path.

If you use “center” offset, the programmed dimensions are for the center of the tool.

For some milling functions, like Frame and Arc, “inside” and “outside” offsets help you visualize where the tool is.

Operation Manual Page 3-1

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

“From” and “To” Points

MILLPWR lines and arcs are defined by both FROM and TO points. MILLPWR will automatically go to the start

point before it asks you to set the depth.

Datum Selection

The datum is the point where all absolute dimensions are measured from. You must look at the blueprint of the part and decide what to use as a datum. You should pick a point which will let you enter most of the dimensions directly, without calculations. However, any point you select will give the same results.

FROM TO

FROM X1 ABS Y1 ABS

TO X2 ABS Y2 ABS

Absolute and Incremental Dimensions

To help you enter dimensions directly from the blueprint, MILLPWR allows direct entry of both absolute and incremental dimensions. Any dimension measured from the point you select as the datum is called absolute.

A dimension measured from any other point is called incremental. This “other point” is called the incremental reference point.

For the part drawn below, if we put the datum in the center of the hole (point F), all dimensions are absolute.

Point X Y

A -7.123 ABS -3.936 ABS

B 3.421 ABS -3.936 ABS C 3.421 ABS 3.603 ABS D -4.893 ABS 3.603 ABS E -7.123 ABS 1.011 ABS

1.011

7.123

2.96 DIA

THRU HOLE

3.4214.893

3.603

3.936

F 0.00 ABS 0.00 ABS

A B

Page 3-2 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

If we use point A as our datum, many of the given dimensions are incremental because they are measured from the incremental reference point F and not from the datum.

Point X Y

MILLPWR will display marks to the right of each program step number for continuous contours.

7.123

A 0.00 ABS 0.00 ABS

B 3.421 INC F 0.00 ABS C 3.421 INC F 3.603 INC F D -4.893 INC F 3.603 INC F E 0.00 ABS 1.011 INC F F 7.123 ABS 3.936 ABS

1.011

2.96 DIA

THRU HOLE

Continuous Milling

When you program a continuous contour made up of lines and arcs, MILLPWR will mill the contour without stopping. MILLPWR will detect a continuous contour automatically. There are no special keypresses or different functions to learn.

For lines and arcs to be continuous, they must:

FROM TO

• have the same Z depth,

3.4214.893

3.603

3.936

FROM

• be cut with the same tool,

• be cut on the same side,

• and, of course, they must “touch”--the end of one

must be the same as the start of the next.

When you follow one line (or arc) with another, MILLPWR assumes that you want them to be connected. It automatically fills in the FROM point, Z depth, and tool offset. All you have to do is fill in the TO point, and press USE.

You can have different feedrates within a continuous contour by entering the feedrates you want in each step of the contour.

Operation Manual Page 3-3

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Creating a Program

Press the PGM key, and the following program screen appears.

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

FEED 0 100%

END OF 0

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

RUN

OPTIONS

INCH

You create a program by creating a list of milling steps to be performed. As you add to your list, each step will be drawn immediately on the screen so you can see a picture of your part in progress.

Program Step Listing

• To enter a milling step, press the appropriate milling function key. The function

you select will appear in the program listing, and you can enter the information

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC

FEED 0 100%

2 OF 2

MILL ARC 002

FROM

X1 ABS

Y1 ABS

X2 ABS

Y2 ABS

DEPTH

Z ABS

RADIUS

DIRECTION

CCW

TOOL

0.500 DIAMETER

FL END ML

CENTER OFFSET

10FEED IPM

TEACH

POSITION

TYPE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

Enter information about the arc into this form.

MOREPOLAR

Page 3-4 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

describing the step into the form.

• After entering all the data for a step, press the USE key to accept the data. This

updates the picture and moves down for the next step.

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

FEED 0 100%

END OF 2

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

RUN

OPTIONS

INCH

• To change a step, use the arrow keys to move to the step and press USE or ENTER.

When you have made your changes, press USE to put the changed step back into the program.

• To delete a step, move to the step and press the DEL key.

• To insert a step, move to where you want the new step to go, and press the new

milling function key.

If you decide not to use a milling function that you have selected, press the CANCEL key.

In addition to the milling functions, the MORE STEPS softkey lets you pick from a number of other useful steps, such as REPEAT and ROTATE. All steps are described in the Program Steps section.

Operation Manual Page 3-5

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

The View Key

If you need to see more detail of the picture, press the VIEW key. This brings up the following softkeys:

ZOOM

OUT

RESTORE

The ZOOM IN softkey magnifies the picture, and the arrow keys move the picture up, down, left, and right. The ZOOM OUT softkey will de-magnify the picture, and the

RESTORE softkey brings back the original view.

Press VIEW again (or CANCEL) to see the normal programming softkeys.

Running a Program

When you are ready to run a program, you must make some preparations. This includes fixturing the workpiece, setting or finding the datum, and deciding on the tools to use.

Setting the Datum

From the DRO, select the DATUM softkey. There are two ways to find the datum: “touching off” with a tool and using a touch probe or edge finder.

To touch off with a tool:

• Move the tool to touch the edge of the workpiece.

• Key in the new absolute position of the tool center in this axis. Be careful of the

polarity.

• Before you move the table, press ENTER or an arrow key. At this time, MILLPWR

remembers the scale position and will use it to determine the datum for this axis.

• Repeat for the second and, if desired, the third axis. Be sure to press ENTER

For the last axis, you can press USE instead of ENTER.

while the tool is in position.

• Press USE to establish the datum.

Page 3-6 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

same time is

MILLPWR

Testing Your Program

Before you run your program, you might want to test it for things like tool path, directions, feed rates, and sequence of operations. MILLPWR provides several runtime options to assist you. In the program screen, press RUN OPTIONS to display the following softkeys.

Using DRY RUN and GRAPHICS ONLY at the

especially handy.

SINGLE

STEP

DRY RUN

GRAPHICS

ONLY

MANUAL

POSITIONING

DISABLE

LOOK AHEAD

RUN

OPTIONS

Press any key to activate the option; press it again to release it.

SINGLE STEP Normally, a continuously milled contour will be cut without stopping. With

single step activated, MILLPWR will stop after each step.

DRY RUN

With this activated, MILLPWR will run your entire program at high speed and

without stopping for anything. You can follow the sequence of steps and see if the part fits entirely on the workpiece. The dry run speed is determined in

SETUP.

GRAPHICS ONLY

With this activated, the program is run normally, except that the table does not

move. You can see all normal feedrates, tool changes, and so on.

MANUAL POSITIONING Activate this option if you want to move the table by hand. The MILLPWR acts

just like a programmable DRO. Each target position is preset into the DRO, and you are prompted to operate the table by hand.

DISABLE LOOK AHEAD

Normally, each cut in a contour is compared to every other cut to determine if the tool will interfere with the part. This is called look ahead. If you press the

DISABLE LOOK AHEAD key, your program will run without doing this. Except

for custom pockets, selecting this option will make the tool path calculation much faster.

Operation Manual Page 3-7

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Pressing the GO Key

To run a program, with or without any of the run options, move to step 1 and press GO. Most MILLPWR program steps will cause the tool to move rapidly to the start point of

the step. You then set the tool to the proper depth, press GO, and MILLPWR performs the action required for the step.

Before any rapid move, MILLPWR will display a warning message that the table is about to move at high speed and that you should check for tool clearance:

ATTENTION

RAPID MOVE

RAISE QUILL

PRESS "GO"

.WARNING

Whenever you are about to run a

program, be sure the handcrank handles

are recessed. Rapid spinning of the

manual handwheels could cause injury.

When the GO key is pressed again, the table will move in a straight line to the new position where you will be asked to drill or set the tool to the desired depth.

ATTENTION

Z AXIS

SET TO

0.0000

PRESS "GO"

Page 3-8 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

The remote button acts as STOP if you are going and as GO if you are stopped.

immediately.

If you use the STOP key, the following prompt will appear:

During any rapid or feed move, you may press the STOP key or the emergency

TABLE STOP button to disengage the power feed for any reason. This will stop

the table motion but will not stop the rotating cutting tool unless your machine has been specifically wired to do so.

If you press the emergency TABLE STOP button, the program stops running

ATTENTION

PAUSE

PRESS "GO"

To move quickly to a step, key in its number (look in the message bar), and press ENTER.

amount for each keypress. The override percentage is shown next to the FEED rate in the status bar at the top of the

screen. An override percentage of 100% means that actual feed rates will be at 100% of the programmed feed rates. If the override percentage is 50%, actual feed rates will be half of programmed values.

You can press the feedrate override keys at any time, even while the machine is moving.

Machining to Zero

Press GO again when ready to continue running, or STOP to stop running the program.

To re-start a program, move to the step you wish to start with, and press GO.

MILLPWR will always go to the beginning of a step, even if it had been started.

Feed Rate Override

The FEED+ and FEED- keys will change the override percentage by a certain

MILLPWR is factory set in a distance to go display view. This way, any dimension you

have programmed will be “preset” into the DRO display. Every move will start at the preset value and end at zero.

Operation Manual Page 3-9

PROGRAMMING

SET TO

MILLPWR

If you have programmed a Z depth, when it is time for you to position the Z axis,

MILLPWR will preset the depth value into the DRO Z-axis, and the following Z- axis

prompt will appear:

ATTENTION

Z AXIS

SET TO

0.000

PRESS "GO"

Move the quill until the absolute Z display is zero.

If you wish, you can set MILLPWR to the incremental travel display view (see System Setup). In this view, every move will start at 0.000 and end at the programmed value. For example, if you have programmed a depth of -0.500, when it’s time to move the quill, the Z-axis display will show the current tool position, and the prompt will be:

ATTENTION

Z AXIS

-0.500

PRESS "GO"

Page 3-10 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Program Functions

Accessing the Load, Save, Delete, and Backup Options

MILLPWR offers you several versatile features for loading, saving, deleting, and backing

up information. Plus, built-in organizational tools make it easy to categorize—and later retrieve—the programs you’ve stored.

To access these features, press the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS softkey.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND 007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE 009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL 011 BOLT CIRCLE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

END OF 11

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

A prompt will ask you to select a program function. You may load a saved file, save the program you have been working on, delete files, create backup copies, or work with directories.

SELECT A PROGRAM FUNCTION.

LOAD DELETE DIRECTORYBACKUPSAVE

Operation Manual Page 3-11

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Saving a Program

You can save your programs in any of three places—on MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive, on a 3 ½” floppy disk, or on your PC’s hard disk drive. It is always a good idea to save your programs for later reference and as a preventative measure against accidental loss due to a power failure. As a rule of thumb, save your programs often to avoid losing valuable information.

• After choosing the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS option, select the directory where you

want to save your program. Otherwise, your program will be saved in the last directory that was selected. (Refer to the Selecting a Directory and/or Creating a Directory section(s).)

• Return to the “Current Program” screen, then press the SAVE softkey. A “Program

Name” prompt will appear:

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND 007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE 009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL 011 BOLT CIRCLE

END OF 11

ENTER A NAME FOR THE PROGRAM.

SAVE ALPHABET

SAVE PROGRAM

PROGRAM NAME

TEXT

FORMAT

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

USE

FLOPPY

REMOTE

STORAGE

INCH

If you want to save your program as a text file, press the TEXT FORMAT softkey. Note: Information is stored as a numeric file (i.e., program.nsf ) unless you indicate

otherwise. By saving the program as a text file (i.e., program.mpt), you will enjoy more flexibility later—such as editing the program on a PC or printing a hard copy of the program steps.

PLATE

• Name the program. (Refer to the Naming a Program section.)

• Press the SAVE softkey. The program’s name should now appear in the left column

above the program steps.

Page 3-12 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Note: If you make any changes, make sure that you save the program again.

Operation Manual Page 3-13

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Directories

One of the best ways to keep programs organized is to save them in directories. Directories are like file folders—they should be clearly labeled and contain closely related projects. They can be used to categorize programs by job, operator, customer, or any other method you prefer.

• Press the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS softkey, then press the DIRECTORY softkey.

SELECT A DIRECTORY FUNCTION.

SELECT

DIRECTORY

CREATE

DIRECTORY

DELETE

DIRECTORY

Now you can create a directory, open an existing directory, or delete a directory that you no longer need.

Creating a Directory

The best approach to take when creating a directory (or “subdirectory”) is to decide first where to file it. You can file it under a main heading (“MILLPWR,” “A:,” or “REMTSTOR”) or layer it within subdirectories that you have already created.

Let’s look at an example. The illustration on the next page shows “MILLPWR” and four subdirectories that we created to keep our programs better organized. In this case, we designated the MILLPWR directory as our miscellaneous programs folder and created specific folders for three of our biggest customers.

“COMPANY1,” our largest client, has placed several part orders for a single month. To help us find those part programs quickly and easily, we save them in subdirectory “JULY1998.”

When we created the subdirectories COMPANY1, COMPANY2 and COMPANY3, we selected MILLPWR as the directory we wanted to file each one under.

When we created the JULY1998 folder, we selected COMPANY1 as the directory we wanted to file the new subdirectory under. If we want, we can create another

Page 3-14 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

subdirectory under JULY1998, layer another one under that, one under that and so on. How many directories you create and how you layer them is up to you.

Follow the steps below to create directories for your own programs.

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS and DIRECTORY options,

press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey.

SERVO

FEED 0 100%

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND 007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE 009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL

011 BOLT CIRCLE

END OF 11

SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.

SELECT

DIRECTORY

PAGE

DIRECTORY

MILLPWR

COMPANY1

JULY1998

COMPANY2 COMPANY3

1 OF 5

PAGE

DOWN

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

USE

FLOPPY

• Indicate where you want to store your new subdirectory.

On MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive:

REMOTE

STORAGE

INCH

Check that the USE FLOPPY and REMOTE STORAGE softkeys are not selected. “MILLPWR” and any subdirectories should appear under the “Directory” heading.

On a 3 ½” floppy disk:

Press the USE FLOPPY softkey. “A:” and any subdirectories should appear under the “Directory” heading.

On your PC’s hard disk drive:

Press the REMOTE STORAGE softkey. “REMTSTOR” and any subdirectories should appear under the “Directory” heading.

Operation Manual Page 3-15

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

• Highlight the folder you want to put your new directory in. (In our example, we

highlighted “MILLPWR,” then created a subdirectory “COMPANY1.”)

• Press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey again to verify your choice. The

“Directory” screen will disappear.

• Now press the DIRECTORY softkey.

• Select the CREATE DI RECTORY softkey. You will be asked to name the

directory.

• Name the directory using the numeric keys on the operator console or by

selecting letters from the ALPHABET option. If you open the alphabet menu, use the arrow keys to scroll from row to row, then press the ENTER key to make each selection. All program names are limited to eight characters or less, consisting of numbers and/or letters.

• After you have named the directory, press the CREATE DIRECTORY softkey

again to verify your choice. The “Directory” screen will disappear.

Additional directories (and subdirectories) may be added at any time.

IMPORTANT!

Creating a directory does not mean the directory is

selected. If you plan to save your current program in the

directory you just created, you must select the new

directory first. Otherwise, your program will be saved in the

last directory that was opened.

To select the directory now, press the DIRECTORY

softkey, then the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey.

Using the arrow keys, highlight the new directory.

Press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey again to select

the directory and return to your current program.

Page 3-16 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Selecting a Directory

The SELECT DIRECTORY softkey allows you to open any of the established directories on MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive, on a 3 ½” floppy disk, or on your PC’s hard disk drive—whichever one you’ve chosen. You will use this feature anytime you save or load a program.

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS and DIRECTORY options,

press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey. The last directory that was opened will appear.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE 008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL 011 BOLT CIRCLE

DIRECTORY

MILLPWR

COMPANY1

JULY1998

COMPANY2 COMPANY3

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

END OF 11

SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.

SELECT

DIRECTORY

PAGE

1 OF 5

PAGE

DOWN

• Indicate where the directory you want to select is located.

On MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive:

Check that the USE FLOPPY and REMOTE STORAGE softkeys are not selected. “MILLPWR” and any subdirectories you have created should appear under the “Directory” heading.

On a 3 ½” floppy disk:

Insert the 3 ½” floppy disk containing the directory into the disk drive (located in the upper-left corner on the front of the MILLPWR operator console) and press the USE FLOPPY softkey. “A:” and any

USE

FLOPPY

REMOTE

STORAGE

Operation Manual Page 3-17

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

subdirectories you have created should appear under the “Directory” heading.

On your PC:

Press the REMOTE STORAGE softkey. “REMTSTOR” and any subdirectories you have created should appear under the “Directory” heading.

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the directory you want to open. (If the list is long,

use the PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN softkeys to scroll through the list more quickly.)

• Press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey again. The “Directory” list will disappear.

You can now save your current program in the directory you have chosen (refer to the Saving A Program section); or if no program was running, load an established program from the directory you selected (refer to the Loading a Program section).

Page 3-18 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Deleting a Directory

Note: MILLPWR will not delete directories that contain programs. You must delete each program stored within the directory before continuing. Refer to the Deleting a Program section.

To delete an empty directory:

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS and DIRECTORY options,

press the DELETE DIRECTORY softkey.

• Identify where the directory you want to delete is located.

On MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive:

Check that the USE FLOPPY and REMOTE STORAGE softkeys are not selected. “MILLPWR” and any subdirectories you have created should appear under the “Directory” heading.

On a 3 ½” floppy disk:

On your PC:

Press the REMOTE STORAGE softkey. “REMTSTOR” and any subdirectories you have created will appear under the “Directory” heading.

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the directory you want to delete.

• Press the ENTER key. You will be asked if you are sure that you want to delete

the program. Press the “Yes” softkey to continue or the “No” softkey to cancel the operation.

Operation Manual Page 3-19

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Other Program Functions

Naming a Program

If you have accidentally selected the wrong letter or number, simply press the DEL key and rename the program.

Before you save a program, MILLPWR requires that you name it.

ROGRAM NAME

PLATE

AVE PROGRAM

• If you want to use alpha characters, press

the ALPHABET softkey. An alphabet will

appear just below the “Program Name” area.

HARACTERS

LPHABET

A B C E F G HD J K L MI O P Q R

T U V WS X Y Z

• Using the arrow keys, you can scroll

from one letter to the next. Press the

ENTER key to make a selection.

• To add numbers to the name, simply

press the number keys on the

operator console. You may choose up to eight characters, mixing numbers and letters if you wish.

• Press the SAVE softkey. MILLPWR will store your program in the directory you

have selected for use at a later time.

A message will alert you if the file was not saved properly, or if the name that you have chosen has already been assigned.

Page 3-20 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Deleting a Program

You can remove any program that has already been saved. To delete a program, follow these steps:

• Select the directory that contains the program you want to delete. (Refer to the

Selecting a Directory section.)

• After you return to the “Current Program” screen, press the DELETE softkey.

SELECT A PROGRAM FUNCTION.

LOAD DELETE DIRECTORYBACKUPSAVE

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the program you want to delete.

• Press the ENTER key. You will be asked if you are sure that you want to delete

the program. Press the “Yes” softkey to continue or the “No” softkey to cancel the operation.

IMPORTANT!

By answering “Yes,” you will permanently

erase the highlighted program from memory.

Deleted programs cannot be recovered

unless a backup file was created.

Operation Manual Page 3-21

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Backing Up a Program

The BACKUP softkey gives you the opportunity to make backup copies of programs that you have already saved on MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive. Remember, you should keep backup copies on hand in case a program is accidentally deleted, your hard disk drive fails, or you are unable to recover the original files for any other reason.

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS option, select the

It’s best to save and clear the final version of a running program before creating a backup copy. Otherwise, you’ll have to back up the program again after you’ve made any changes.

directory containing the program(s) you want to back up. (Refer to the

Selecting a Directory section.)

• Return to the “Current Program” screen, then press the BACKUP softkey.

The following softkey options should appear:

ALL

PROGRAMS

SELECT

PROGRAMS

TEXT

FORMAT

USE

FLOPPY

STORAGE

REMOTE

• Indicate where you want to back up your program(s): onto a floppy disk or

onto your PC. Choose either the USE FLOPPY softkey or the REMOTE

STORAGE softkey.

• If you want to back up text programs, select the TEXT FORMAT softkey.

Otherwise, a list of numeric programs will appear by default.

• Choose the number of program(s) you want to back up.

To back up all of the programs in the directory:

Press the ALL PROGRAMS softkey. MILLPWR will highlight and store a backup copy of each program in the directory you’ve selected.

To back up only one or just a few programs:

Press the SELECT PROGRAMS softkey. Highlight each program you want to back up and press the ENTER key. An arrow will appear beside each program name you’ve selected.

Page 3-22 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Now press the BACKUP PROGRAMS softkey. MILLPWR will highlight the program(s) and save a backup copy in the directory you’ve selected.

Note: If a program with the same name is already stored in the directory you’ve chosen, MILLPWR will ask you if you want to replace the old copy with the latest one. Choose the “Yes” softkey to continue or the “No” softkey to cancel the operation.

• After the backup copies are made, the programs list will disappear.

Operation Manual Page 3-23

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

Loading a Program

The LOAD softkey allows you to open programs that have already been saved. The steps below tell you how to retrieve a program from MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive, a 3 ½” floppy disk, or your PC’s hard disk drive.

IMPORTANT!

Save and clear any running programs before continuing.

Otherwise, your work will be lost when

another program is loaded.

From MILLPWR’s internal hard disk drive:

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS option, press the

LOAD softkey. The last directory that was selected and any programs it

contains will appear.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

PICK A PROGRAM TO LOAD.

LOAD

PAGE

MILLPWR

MILL1 MILL2 BOLTPRGM PART242

1 OF 4

PAGE

DOWN

TEXT

FORMAT

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

USE

FLOPPY

REMOTE

STORAGE

INCH

Page 3-24 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

In the sample screen on the previous page, the MILLPWR directory contains four numeric (i.e., program.mpt) programs. You can retrieve any text programs (i.e., program.txt) you have saved by pressing the TEXT

FORMAT softkey.

If the program is saved in the MILLPWR directory:

• “MILLPWR” should appear at the top of the left column. If it doesn’t,

check that the USE FLOPPY and REMOTE STORAGE softkeys are not selected.

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the program you want to load, then press

the LOAD softkey. The program you’ve selected should appear on your screen.

If the program is saved in another directory on MILLPWR’s hard disk drive:

• Press the CANCEL softkey to return to the “Current Program” screen.

The right-hand directory column should disappear.

• Press the DIRECTORY softkey.

• Press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey. The “Directory” screen should

appear.

Operation Manual Page 3-25

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.

SELECT

DIRECTORY

PAGE

DIRECTORY

MILLPWR

COMPANY1 COMPANY2 COMPANY3

PAGE

DOWN

2 OF 4

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

USE

FLOPPY

REMOTE

STORAGE

INCH

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the directory that contains the program

you want to load.

• Press the SELECT DIRECTORY softkey again. The “Directory” screen

will disappear. Now that you’ve opened the appropriate directory, you can load your program.

• Press the LOAD softkey. The directory name you chose should appear at

the top of the right-hand column.

• Highlight the program you want to open, then press the LOAD softkey.

The program you selected should now appear on your screen.

From a 3 ½” floppy disk:

• Save and clear any running programs before continuing. (Refer to the

note at the beginning of the Loading a Program section.)

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS option, press the

LOAD softkey.

Page 3-26 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

• Insert the 3 ½” floppy disk containing the file you want to load into the

floppy disk drive (located in the upper left-hand corner of the

MILLPWR operator console).

• Press the USE FLOPPY softkey. The A: directory and any programs it

contains should appear. Note: If your program is saved as a text file, select the TEXT FORMAT

softkey.

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the program you want to load.

• Press the LOAD softkey. The program you selected should now appear

on your screen.

Operation Manual Page 3-27

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

From your PC:

• Save and clear any running programs before continuing. (Refer to the

note at the beginning of the Loading a Program section.)

• After you have selected the PROGRAM FUNCTIONS option, press the

LOAD softkey.

• Press the REMOTE STORAGE softkey. A “Programs” directory and any

programs it contains should appear. If the REMOTE STORAGE softkey does not appear, then it is likely that

MILLPWR and the PC have not been properly set up. (Refer to the

Remote Storage and/or System Setup sections.) Note: If your program is saved as a text file, select the TEXT FORMAT

softkey.

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the program you want to load.

• Press the LOAD softkey. The program you selected should now appear

on your screen.

Page 3-28 Operation Manual

PROGRAMMING

MILLPWR

BLANK PAGE

Operation Manual Page 3-29

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

A DEMONSTRATION PROG RAM

The following steps and key stroke sequences will guide you through creating a program to machine the part illustrated below:

3.00

.750

.838

.250R

1.75

POCKET .500 X 2.000 .250 DEEP .125R CORNERS

.750R

1.50R

.250 DIA THRU TYP (5)

Selecting the Datum

Although there is no clear “zero point” on this drawing, we’re going to use the center of the bolt hole pattern as our datum. The advantages of using this point include:

• it is the center of the bolt hole pattern,

• it is the center of the large arc, making it easy to calculate the arc’s start and end points,

• the pocket is dimensioned from this point,

• the length of the straight side of the part is dimensioned from this point.

The workpiece can also be correctly programmed using another point (for example, the lower left corner) as the datum.

When we are ready to run the program, we will actually set the datum.

Beginning The Program

Begin by pressing the program key.

PGM

Operation Manual Page 4-1

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Selecting A Tool

A logical first step for most programs is to choose the tool that you want to start with. Let’s use a ¼" FLAT END MILL.

Press the TOOL key.

TOOL

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

1 OF 1

INCH MM

Enter .25 followed by the enter key.

SET TOOL 001

TOOL

INCH TYPE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

TOOL

LIBRARY

. 2 5

ENTER

You can select a tool from the Tool Library if you like.

TOOL

0.250

INCH

TYPE

Press the TOOL TYPES softkey.

TOOL

TYPES

To FLAT END MILL

Arrow down to FLAT END MILL and press enter.

ENTER

USE

Press USE to complete the SET TOOL step.

Page 4-2 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Milling the Workpiece Contour

This part could be started at several different places. We'll start at the bottom of the semi-circle on the right end of the workpiece, and we’ll cut in a counterclockwise (CCW) direction.

Press the ARC key.

3.00

1.50R

ARC

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC

Enter the following dimensions:

FROM: X1 = 0

To enter a negative number, use the +/“CHANGE SIGN” key, not the “MINUS” key. The “MINUS” key will subtract the number you enter from the number that’s already there.

Y1 = -1.5

FEED 0 100%

2 OF 2

MILL ARC 002

FROM X1 ABS Y1 ABS

TO X2 ABS Y2 ABS

DEPTH Z ABS

RADIUS

DIRECTION

CCW

TOOL

0.250 INCH

FL END ML TYPE

CENTER OFFSET

10FEED IPM

TEACH

POSITION

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

MOREPOLAR

ENTER

+/-

1 5

ENTER

Operation Manual Page 4-3

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

TO: X2 = 0

Y2 = 1.5

DEPTH: Z = -.25

RADIUS: 1.5

DIRECTION: CCW

+/-

1 5

. 2 5

. 51

Since we are starting the arc on the bottom and moving around to the top, we picked CCW for the direction.

The tool specifications will be filled in automatically based on the previously selected tool.

ENTER

CCW

Now move to OFFSET and select RIGHT or OUTSIDE from the softkey choices.

To OFFSET

RIGHT

Page 4-4 Operation Manual

Pick CCW from the softkeys that appear when you’re in the

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Finally, move to FEED and enter the FEED RATE you would like to use.

To FEED

MILLPWR has been factory set with a feed rate of 10 IPM.

1 0

ENTER

USE

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC

END OF 2

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-5

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Next, we will enter the 3" line which starts at the top of the arc and goes left.

The FROM point of this line is automatically set to the end of the arc programmed before.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC

003 MILL LINE

MILL LINE 003

FROM

X1 ABS

TO X2 ABS Y2 ABS

DEPTH

TOOL

3 OF 3

0.000

1.500Y1 ABS

0.2500Z ABS

0.250 INCH

FL END ML TYPE

RIGHT OFFSET

10FEED IPM

TEACH

POSITION

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

POLAR

INCH

3.00

1.50R

LINE

ENTER

+/-

Press the LINE key.

1 5.

ENTER

Enter the TO field: TO: X2 = -3.0 ABS

SERVO

OFF

Notice the marks connecting steps 002 and 003. This means that the line

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

and arc form a continuous contour, and MILLPWR will cut them without stopping.

1.5

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

END OF 3

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

Page 4-6 Operation Manual

RUN

OPTIONS

INCH

USE

Y 2

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Operation Manual Page 4-7

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Press the LINE key to add another line.The FROM dimensions, DEPTH dimension, and TOOL specifications will carry forward from the previous line.

.838

3.00

Press the LINE key.

Enter the following TO dimensions:

TO: X2 = -3.0 ABS

Notice that you don’t have to use the ENTER key after the last value – just press USE.

Y2 = 0.838 ABS

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE

LINE

ENTER

USE

+/-

8. 3 8

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

END OF 4

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

Page 4-8 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Now we will program the two diagonal lines. Notice that in the xaxis the end of the first diagonal line is .750 from the beginning of

the line.

FROM (X1, Y1)

3.00

.750

This means we can use incremental dimensioning.

.838

We say that “X2 is .750 incremental from X1.”

.75

TO (X2, Y2)

Press the LINE key.

LINE

In the TO point, enter

X2 = .750

7. 5

ABS

INC

Then press the ABS/INC key. ABS changes to INC, and

MILLPWR assumes that you want to use the X coordinate

of the FROM point, X1, as your incremental reference.

X2 = 0.750 INC X1

LINE

FROM

Y2 ABS

-3.000X1 ABS

0.838Y1 ABS

0.750X2 INC XI

005

Now finish the TO point:

To Y2

Y2 = 0.000 ABS

USE

Operation Manual Page 4-9

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Press the LINE key again for the second diagonal line:

LINE

X2 = -3.000 ABS

Y2 = -0.838 ABS

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 MILL LINE

FEED 0 100%

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

END OF 6

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

+/-

ENTER

USE

+/-

8. 3 8

RUN

OPTIONS

INCH

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

Page 4-10 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

We can see that lines 005 and 006 should be connected with an arc. We’ll go back and insert a

BLEND step between them. Using the up arrow key,

select the last step, 006 MILL LINE.

Press the BLEND key.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

We could just as easily have put the BLEND step in right after we did LINE 005. The BLEND step would then show

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE

BLEND 006

STEPS

RADIUS

FEED RATE

up in the listing, but it would not show in the graphics until we put in the second line.

6 OF 7

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

5FROM

7TO

IPM

CONTOUR

To Step 006

BLEND

Enter a radius of 0.250.

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE

FEED 0 100%

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

2. 5

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

7 OF 7

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

USE

Operation Manual Page 4-11

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Notice how the last two lines are now “blended” together with a radius.

3.00

Press the down arrow key to move to the end of the program to continue entering more steps.

Press the LINE key.

In the TO point enter:

X2 = -3.0 ABS

1.50R

To End of Program

LINE

ENTER

+/-

Y2 = -1.5 ABS

SERVO

OFF

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE

FEED 0 100%

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

7 OF 7

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

USE

1 5.+/-

RUN

OPTIONS

INCH

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

Page 4-12 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

LINE

Press the LINE key. In the TO point enter:

Second line TO: X2 = 0 ABS

Y2 = -1.5 ABS

1 5.+/-

SERVO

OFF

Notice how the marks to the right of the step numbers have changed to indicate that the contour is now closed.

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE 008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

ENTER

USE

END OF 9

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-13

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Programming the Bolt Circle

First, we want to change the tool to a drill. Press the

TOOL key and enter the data for a 0.250" drill.

TOOL

Select DRILL and press ENTER. Press USE to complete the SET TOOL step.

Now, press the HOLES key to see a series of hole pattern choices. Choose the BOLT CIRCLE softkey.

2. 5

BOLT CIRCLE

ENTER

TOOL

TYPES

To DRILL

ENTER

USE

HOLES

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE 008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL

011 BOLT CIRCLE

BOLT CIRCLE 011

CENTER

X ABS

DEPTH

RADIUS

DIRECTION

HOLES

TOOL

0.00

0.00Y ABS

THRU

1.500

CCW

.2500 DIAMETER

DRILL TYPE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

11 OF 11

Page 4-14 Operation Manual

TEACH

POSITION

MOREPOLAR

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

The CENTER and DIRECTION are carried forward from the previous arc. All we need to do is change the radius and enter the number of holes.

CENTER: 0.0

0.0

DEPTH: THRU

RADIUS: 0.75

DIRECTION: CCW

The value of ”THRU” for the depth is entered by a softkey. We could choose not to program a depth, since we can easily tell when we drill through the part.

7. 5

To RADIUS

ENTER

HOLES: 5

When all dimensions are entered, press USE to view the graphics screen.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND 007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE 009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL 011 BOLT CIRCLE

To HOLES

USE

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

END OF 11

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-15

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Programming the Pocket

First we program the tool that we’ll use for the pocket. Press TOOL and enter the data for a 0.125" diameter flat end mill.

. 2 5

To FLAT END MILL

TOOL

TYPES

TOOL

ENTER

USE

RECT

Press the RECT (rectangle) key, then select the softkey for POCKET.

SERVO

OFF

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE 008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL

011 BOLT CIRCLE 012 SET TOOL 013 RECTANGLE POCKET

13 OF 13

RECTANGLE POCKET

CENTER

X ABS

SIZE

DEPTH

CORNER BLEND RADIUS

DIRECTION

TOOL

0.0000

.2500

CCW

.1250

FL END ML

0.00

0.00Y ABS

IN X IN Y

ABS

INCH TYPE

IPM

TEACH

POSITION

011

POCKET

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

MOREPOLAR

Page 4-16 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Enter the following dimensions for the rectangular pocket:

ENTER

Some of these dimensions are already here so we can down arrow past them.

CENTER: X = -1.75

Y = 0.0

SIZE: X = 0.5

+/- 1 . 7

To Size

. 5

Y = 2.0

DEPTH: Z = -0.25

To Corner Radius

CORNER BLEND RADIUS : .125

. 1 52

DIRECTION: CCW

Press the USE key.

As with previous tool changes, the tool specifications will be automatically entered from the

SERVO

OFF

010 SET TOOL step.

FEED 0 100%

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL 002 MILL ARC 003 MILL LINE 004 MILL LINE 005 MILL LINE 006 BLEND 007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE 009 MILL LINE 010 SET TOOL 011 BOLT CIRCLE

012

SET TOOL

013

RECTANGLE POCKET

SCALE 1.0000TOOL:

INCH

ENTER

USE

END OF 13

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

CLEAR

PROGRAM

EXPLODE

STEPS

RUN

OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-17

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Saving Your Program

The sample part is now completely programmed. Press the softkey labeled PROGRAM FUNCTIONS.

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

Press the SAVE softkey.

Name your program by pressing the numeric keys or by selecting the ALPHABET softkey, highlighting a letter, then pressing the ENTER key. You may select up to eight characters, mixing numbers and letters if you wish. After you’ve selected a name, press the

USE key to save the program. You will be warned if there's already a program

by that name. Saving the program means it is stored and will not be lost if

there is a power interruption. At a later time, you can recall the program by pressing the

PROGRAM FUNCTIONS and LOAD softkeys.

Testing Your Program

If you’re new to MILLPWR programming, you might want to test your program before you run it. Press RUN OPTIONS , and select both DRY RUN and GRAPHICS ONLY. Move to the start of the program by pressing the 1 key followed by the ENTER key, and press GO. Watch as MILLPWR shows you how the part program will be run.

If you are past the last step, MILLPWR will automatically go to step 1 when you press GO.

Key in program name.

OPTIONS

DRY RUN

GRAPHICS

SAVE

RUN

ONLY

ENTER

Under RUN OPTIONS , de-select the DRY RUN and GRAPHICS

ONLY options before proceeding.

RUN

OPTIONS

DRY RUN

GRAPHICS

ONLY

Page 4-18 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Operation Manual Page 4-19

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Running the Program

The first step in running a new program is to set the datum point on the workpiece. Remember that we chose the center of the bolt circle as the datum.

• Mount the workpiece in a vise.

• Press DRO and use the MOVE TABLE function to position

the quill over the workpiece where you think the bolt circle center might be.

• Release the MOVE TABLE function.

• Press the DATUM softkey.

• Press the X = 0 and Y = 0 keys to establish the current

tool center as the datum.

• Press USE to use this datum, and return to the program view

by pressing the PGM key.

MOVE

TABLE

Move the table to the

workpiece datum.

MOVE

TABLE

DATUM

X = 0 Y = 0

DRO

USE

PGM

We’ll do a dry run to see if the part will fit on the workpiece.

RUN

OPTIONS

DRY RUN

• Press RUN OPTIONS and then DRY RUN.

• Now press GO, clear the tool and press GO again. The

MILLPWR will run each of the steps without stopping so

you can see the tool path.

Page 4-20 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

If the part falls entirely within the workpiece, you can now actually cut the part.

• Press RUN OPTIONS , then deselect the DRY RUN softkey

to turn off dry run.

Now when you press the GO key, you can follow the instructions MILLPWR gives you and make the part.

RUN

OPTIONS

DRY RUN

Operation Manual Page 4-21

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Tool Changes

You may wish to consider using a POS step before a tool step to allow room for changing the tool.

Whenever MILLPWR encounters a SET

TOOL step, it shows you the DRO and

tells you which tool to load.

• Use the MOVE TABLE function to clear

the workpiece.

• Load the required tool.

• Using the move table function, position the tool over a surface

of known depth.

• Press the DATUM softkey.

• Touch the end of the tool to the

surface, key the known depth into the Z axis.

Use move table function to

If the surface is at 0, use the Z = 0 key.

MOVE

TABLE

Load tool.

position the tool.

MOVE

TABLE

DATUM

Touch end of

tool to

surface.

Key in depth

of Z axis.

Press the USE key.

USE

Raise tool.

• Raise the tool and press GO to resume the program.

• Follow the instructions on the MILLPWR screen.

Clearing the Program

Select PROGRAM FUNCTIONS again.

PROGRAM

FUNCTIONS

Select the softkey marked CLEAR to clear the program from the screen.

CLEAR

Page 4-22 Operation Manual

DEMONSTRATION

MILLPWR

Answer YES and the screen will be cleared for another program.

YES

Operation Manual Page 4-23

PROGRAM STEPS

SET TOOL

001

INCH

POSITION/DRILL

001

ABS

MILLPWR

PROGRAM STEPS

Simple Milling & Drilling

Set Tool

TOOL

Tool Types and the Tool Library are opened with softkeys.

This step causes MILLPWR to suspend the program and ask you to change the cutting tool.

You have several options for filling in this step:

TOOL

TYPE

• Leave it blank; just press USE to insert an “empty” tool

step in the program. When you run the program,

MILLPWR will ask you what tool diameter to use.

• Type in a DIAMETER.

• Type in the DIAMETER and select a TOOL TYPE. Now

MILLPWR will let you know what kind of tool you had in

mind when you wrote the program.

• Select a tool from the Tool Library.

Any time you are entering the tool diameter, a softkey will let you change between inches and mm.

Position/Drill

This operation is used to move the table at high speed to a

POS

specified position and drill to a programmed depth.

POINT is the X and Y position you want the tool to move to. DEPTH is normally THRU for holes, but you can set it to a

specific depth. The TOOL information is from the most recent SET TOOL step;

POINT

Y ABS

DEPTH

Z ABS

0.0000

TOOL

INCH TYPE

you can’t change it here.

Operation Manual Page 5-1

PROGRAM STEPS

MILL LINE

001

MILL ARC

001

0.0000

MILLPWR

Mill Line

LINE

ARC

This function moves rapidly to the starting point and mills a line to the end point at the programmed feed rate.

FROM and TO are the beginning and ending points of the line. TOOL OFFSET is set with softkeys LEFT, CENTER, or RIGHT. FEED must be programmed or it will default to the last

feedrate used or from the value entered in setup.

Mill Arc

This operation performs an arc cut at a given depth and feed rate.

The usual arc definition uses the

FROM and TO points, the RADIUS

of the arc and the DIRECTION of the arc. The direction of the arc is

CCW

FROM

either clockwise (CW) or counter-clockwise (CCW).

In some cases, it may be necessary to enter the CENTER, a

3RD POINT, or a SWEEP ANGLE to define the arc. Press the

MORE softkey for additional input fields.

FROM

X1 ABS

Y1 ABS

X2 ABS

Y2 ABS

DEPTH

TOOL

ABS

INCH

TYPE

CENTER OFFSET

10FEED IPM

FROM

X1 ABS

Y1 ABS

X2 ABS

Y2 ABS

DEPTH

Z ABS

RADIUS

DIRECTION

CCW

TOOL

INCH

TYPE

CENTER OFFSET

10FEED IPM

CENTER X ABS Y ABS

3RD POINT X3 ABS Y3 ABS

SWEEP ANGLE

SWEEP

ANGLE

FROM

3RD

POINT

FROM

Page 5-2 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Blend

BLEND

A blend is a circular fillet (connecting radius) which connects two lines, two arcs, or a line and an arc. Just give the RADIUS of the blend, and MILLPWR will calculate the exact tangent points for you.

BLEND 001

STEPS FROM TO

RADIUS

The STEPS are filled in automatically; the FROM step is the one before the blend, and the TO step is the one after the blend. You can program the blend right after the

FROM step, before you have entered the TO step. Or,

you can enter the lines and arcs first, then go back and insert the blend.

The two lines or arcs which are being blended do not need to touch, or they can overlap. As long as the blend radius will fit somewhere, it will work.

LINES 1 AND 3 TOUCH

LINE 1

001 LINE 0,6 TO 8,6 002 BLEND R=2 003 LINE 8,6 TO 8,0

LINE 3

LINES 1 AND 3 OVERLAP LINES 1 AND 3 DO NOT TOUCH

LINE 1 LINE 1

001 LINE 0,6 TO 8,6

002 BLEND R=2 003 LINE 8,7 TO 8,0

LINE 3

FEED RATE

001 LINE 0,6 TO 8,6

002 BLEND R=2 003 LINE 8,2 TO 8,0

10 IPM

LINE 3

If you have a closed contour, like a triangle, and you want to blend the last line to the first line, put a blend step immediately after the last step in the contour and, while in the

RADIUS field, press the CLOSE CONTOUR softkey. The TO step number will be set to

the first step in the contour.

LINE 5

LINE 3

001 LINE 002 BLEND 001 TO 003 003 LINE 004 BLEND 003 TO 005 005 LINE

LINE 1

LINE 5

LINE 3

001 LINE 002 BLEND 001 TO 003 003 LINE 004 BLEND 003 TO 005 005 LINE 006 BLEND 005 TO 001

LINE 1

Operation Manual Page 5-3

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Rectangular Milling Functions

RECT

MILLPWR will arc on and arc off the last cut.

Z DEPTH

MILLPWR has several “canned cycles” to let you program pockets, frames, and slots

with a single step. There is also a step to let you face off a workpiece. Pressing the RECT key on the front panel will display these softkeys.

POCKET FRAME FACE SLOT

Pocket

A pocket is defined by its CENTER point and its SIZE. You can specify a CORNER RADIUS. You can also specify the

DIRECTION, which will determine whether you are climb

milling or conventional milling. The tool must be able to fit into the pocket or the MILLPWR

wi ll not run the step. The MORE softkey brings up the TILT ANGLE and FINISH CUT

fields.

SIZE IN

FINISH ALLOWANCE

If you enter a finish feed rate of 0, MILLPWR will not perform a finish cut.

RECTANGLE POCKET 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

SIZE

DEPTH

CORNER BLEND RADIUS

DIRECTION

TOOL

TILT ANGLE

0° 00' 00"

FINISH

FEED IPM

DIR STEPOVR %

0.0000Z ABS

0.0000

CCW

10FEED IPM

0.0000 CUT

IN X IN Y

INCH

TYPE

ccw

When tilted, the pocket is rotated about its center

TILT ANGLE

point.

Page 5-4 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Rectangular Frame

RECTANGLE FRAME 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

SIZE

DEPTH

CORNER BLEND RADIUS

DIRECTION

TOOL

CENTER OFFSET

TILT ANGLE

FINISH

FEED DIR

0.0000Z ABS

0.0000

CCW

10FEED IPM

0° 00' 00"

0.0000 CUT 0

IN X IN Y

INCH TYPE

IPM

ccw

Of course, it’s much easier to use the INSIDE and OUTSIDE softkeys!

A frame step takes one cut in a rectangular shape. The frame is defined by its CENTER and SIZE. As with a pocket, you can have rounded corners, and the DIRECTION determines the milling type.

You decide if it’s an inside or an outside frame with the tool offset: LEFT with a CCW direction or RIGHT with CW will give you an inside frame cut; RIGHT with a CCW direction or LEFT with CW will give an outside frame cut.

The MORE key shows you the TILT ANGLE and FINISH CUT fields.

Z DEPTH

SIZE IN

SIZE IN X

OUTSIDE FRAME

FINISH ALLOWANCE

Z DEPTH

SIZE

IN Y

SIZE IN

INSIDE FRAME

FINISH

ALLOWANCE

Operation Manual Page 5-5

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Face

This step provides a quick way to face off a workpiece. Enter the CENTER location and the SIZE of the area to be faced.

MILLPWR will start at the lower left of the area and zigzag

upwards. The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you TILT the face

rectangle, and to change the tool STEPOVER.

SIZE IN X

FACE 001

CENTER X ABS Y ABS

SIZE

DEPTH

TOOL

IN X IN Y

0.0000Z ABS

INCH TYPE

10FEED IPM

SIZE IN Y

STEPOVER

SERPENTINE PATH (NO TOOL OFFSET)

TILT ANGLE

0° 00' 00"

FINISH

STEPOVR %

Page 5-6 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Slot

For a slot, enter the CENTER of each arc and the SLOT

WIDTH. You can enter the SLOT LENGTH and ANGLE instead

of the 2ND ARC CENTER. The MORE softkey displays fields which let you specify the

ANGLE of the slot (it rotates about the FIRST ARC CENTER) and enter a FINISH CUT .

WIDTH

LENGTH

ANGLE

1ST ARC CENTER EITHER END

2ND ARC CENTER

SLOT 001

FIRST ARC CENTER

X1 ABS

Y1 ABS

SECOND ARC CENTER X2 ABS Y2 ABS

DEPTH

DIRECTION

CCW

SLOT WIDTH

TOOL

SLOT LENGTH

ANGLE

FINISH

FEED DIR

STEPOVR %

0.0000Z ABS

INCH TYPE

10FEED IPM

0.0000 CUT 0

IPM ccw

Operation Manual Page 5-7

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Circular Milling Functions

CIRCLE

MILLPWR has several “canned cycles” to let you program pockets, frames, and rings

with a single step. Pressing the CIRCLE key on the front panel will display these softkeys.

POCKET FRAME RING

Circular Pocket

Enter the CENTER and RADIUS of the pocket. The

DIRECTION will determine whether you are climb or

conventional milling. The MORE key brings up the FINISH CUT option.

CIRCLE POCKET 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

DEPTH

RADIUS

0.0000Z ABS

Z DEPTH

STEPOVER

RAD

FINISH ALLOWANCE

DIRECTION

CCW

TOOL

INCH

TYPE

10FEED IPM

FINISH

STEPOVR %

FEED

DIR

0.0000 CUT 0

IPM

ccw

Page 5-8 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Circular Frame

The INSIDE and OUTSIDE softkeys can help you with the Tool Offset.

Enter the frame’s CENTER and RADIUS. The DIRECTION,

coupled with the TOOL OFFSET, will determine whether you are climb or conventional milling, and whether you are cutting an inside or outside frame.

The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you enter a FINISH cut.

FINISH ALLOWANCE

RAD

Z DEPTH

OFFSET = INSIDE

FINISH ALLOWANCE

CIRCLE FRAME 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

DEPTH

RADIUS

DIRECTION

TOOL

FINISH

DIR

0.0000Z ABS

CCW

CENTER

10FEED IPM

0.0000 CUT 0FEED

INCH

TYPE OFFSET

IPM

ccw

Z DEPTH

RAD

OFFSET = OUTSIDE

Operation Manual Page 5-9

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Ring

A ring is actually a circular pocket with a circular island in the center.

Enter the CENTER position, the radius of the pocket (OUTSIDE RADIUS), and the radius of the island (INSIDE

RADIUS).

The DIRECTION of cut on the inside radius will determine whether you are climb milling or conventional milling.

MILLPWR will reverse the tool movement direction on the

outside radius so the milling direction stays the same. The MORE softkey brings up the FINISH CUT entry field.

RING 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

DEPTH

RADIUS

DIRECTION

TOOL

0.0000Z ABS

OUTSIDE INSIDE

CCW

INCH

TYPE

10FEED IPM

Z DEPTH

RAD 1

RAD 2

FINISH ALLOWANCE

FINISH

FEED DIR STEPOVR %80

0.0000 CUT 0

IPM CCW

Page 5-10 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Hole Patterns

HOLES

MILLPWR has several “canned cycles” to let you program patterns of holes.

Pressing the HOLES key on the front panel will display these softkeys.

ROW FRAME ARRAY BOLT CIRCLE

Row of Holes

The FROM point is the center of the first hole, and the TO point is the center of the last hole. Enter the number of holes in the HOLES field.

Instead of the TO point, you can enter the HOLE SPACING and ANGLE.

ROW OF HOLES 001

FROM

X1 ABS

Y1 ABS

X2 ABS

Y2 ABS

DEPTH

THRUZ ABS

HOLES

TOOL

HOLE SPACING

ANGLE

INCH

TYPE

BETWEEN

ANGLE

Operation Manual Page 5-11

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Hole Frame and Hole Array

The frame and the array hole patterns need the same information. Arrays have holes in the middle of the rectangular pattern, while frames have holes only on the outside edge of the rectangle.

Enter the rectangle’s CENTER and SIZE, and the number of

HOLES in each direction.

The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you TILT the frame or to enter the hole-to-hole SPACING.

HOLE FRAME 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

SIZE

DEPTH

HOLES X Y

TOOL

THRUZ ABS

IN X IN Y

INCH TYPE

SIZE IN Y

FRAME ARRAY

SIZE IN X

SIZE IN Y

CENTER

SIZE IN X

CENTER

HOLE SPACING X BETWEEN Y BETWEEN

TILT ANGLE

0° 00' 00"

Page 5-12 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Bolt Circle

Enter the CENTER and the RADIUS of the bolt circle, and the number of HOLES you want.

The MORE softkey brings up the START ANGLE and END

ANGLE entry fields, which let you do partial circles. The

number of holes you entered will be spaced evenly between the angles.

The DIRECTION field is useful if you have a clamp or fixture that you need to avoid.

END

ANGLE

BOLT CIRCLE 001

CENTER

X ABS

Y ABS

DEPTH

THRUZ ABS

RADIUS

DIRECTION

HOLES

TOOL

START ANGLE

CCW

INCH TYPE

START

ANGLE

END ANGLE

Operation Manual Page 5-13

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

More Steps

STEPS

Additional steps are available that extend the capabilities of your MILLPWR. Select the

MORE STEPS softkey to see a menu of the following extended functions:

CUSTOM

POCKET

REPEAT ROTATE MIRROR ENGRAVE

REFERENCE

POINT

Repeat

Using this step you can repeat whole parts, or sections of parts, horizontally, vertically, or both.

Enter the STEP RANGE (the numbers of the first and last steps) that you want to repeat and the OFFSET, in either X or Y, or both directions. Then enter the number of REPEATS you want

REPEAT 005

STEP RANGE FIRST LAST

OFFSET X Y

REPEAT

in addition to the original. The offset is the distance between repeats.

Example:

001 MILL LINE 002 MILL LINE 003 MILL LINE 004 POSITION/DRILL

To repeat the above program once, 6 inches to the right, fill in the REPEAT form like this:

REPEAT 005

STEP RANGE

OFFSET

REPEAT

6.000X

001FIRST

004LAST

1 MORE

ORIGINAL REPEAT

Page 5-14 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Rotate

Just as you can repeat sections of a program, you can also rotate sections.

Enter the CENTER of rotation and the ANGLE of rotation. Example:

ROTATE 005

STEP RANGE FIRST LAST

CENTER X ABS Y

ANGLE

ABS

001 MILL LINE 002 MILL LINE 003 MILL LINE 004 POSITION/DRILL

To rotate the part twice at 30° each, fill in the ROTATE form like this:

ROTATE 005

STEP RANGE

CENTER

ANGLE

REPEAT

001FIRST

004LAST

ABS

1.000X ABS

0.000Y

30°

CENTER

REPEAT

ORIGINAL:

STEPS 001

THRU 004

1.000

Operation Manual Page 5-15

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Mirror

You can make a mirror image of any section of your program using this step. Enter the RANGE of steps you want to mirror, and the end points of the “mirror line,” called the axis of reflection. The axis does not have to be vertical or horizontal; you can use any line.

Example:

001 MILL LINE 002 MILL LINE 003 MILL LINE 004 POSITION/DRILL

To make a “left handed” part 2 inches away, put a vertical axis 1 inch to the left of the original part.

MIRROR 005

STEP RANGE

1ST AXIS POINT

2ND AXIS POINT

001FIRST

004LAST

ABS

-1.000X ABS

0.000Y

-1.000X ABS

1.000Y ABS

AXIS OF

REFLECTION

MIRROR 005

STEP RANGE FIRST LAST

1ST AXIS POINT X1 ABS Y1

2ND AXIS POINT

X2 ABS

Y2 ABS

ABS

LEFT HAND PART

1.0

2.0

ORIGINAL

STEPS 001 THRU 004

The axis line doesn’t have to be very long--this one is only 1”.

Page 5-16 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Custom Pocket

CUSTOM POCKET 005

STEP RANGE

ENTRY POINT X Y

RATE

FINISH

DIRECTION

STEPOVR %

2FIRST

4LAST

ABS

10 IPMFEED

0.0000 CUT 0FEED IPM

ccw

MILLPWR will arc on and arc off the last cut.

You can create a pocket from any closed contour. A closed contour is any shape made of lines, arcs, and/or blends, where the last step ends at the start point of the first step. MILLPWR will indicate a closed contour with double lines to the right of the applicable steps in the program list.

The CUSTOM POCKET step must be placed immediately following the last step in the closed contour.

In the CUSTOM POCKET step, the STEP RANGE is filled in automatically. You need to fill in the ENTRY POINT , which is the plunge point for the tool. MILLPWR will mill at the feed rate from the ENTRY POINT to the start of the first step in the contour.

Set the FEED RATE if you want to override what is in each of the contour steps. The FINISH CUT will be done after the inside of the pocket has been cleared out. The direction of cut is determined by the order in which you programmed the elements

of the contour.

Operation Manual Page 5-17

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Engrave

You can engrave part numbers and other text into a part using this feature. The

ENGRAVE feature has two parts. First, specify the characteristics of the text, such as

where it goes and how large it is. Then you need to select the actual text characters (alpha or numeric) that you want to engrave.

The text that you specify will occupy a rectangular area called a text block.

Use “mirrored” if you’re making a mold.

EXAMPLE:

AMERICAN WIDGET

PART NUMBER 4562-001033VJ

MADE IN USA

To get the ENGRAVE TEXT step, press the MORE STEPS softkey, then the ENGRAVE softkey.

ENGRAVE TEXT 001

First, enter the location on the part for the UPPER LEFT

CORNER of the text block, then the CHARACTER HEIGHT .

If you enter a TILT ANGLE, the entire text block will be rotated around the upper left corner.

The way the text letters and numbers look is called style.

STYLE has two parts: FONT and MODIFIER.

You may select the FONT from the list available under the

ENGRAVER FONTS softkey. The font determines the shapes

of the characters. In the MILLPWR STICK font, characters

UPPER LEFT CORNER

X ABS

Y ABS

CHARACTER HEIGHT

TILT ANGLE

0° 00' 00"

DEPTH

STYLE

TOOL

FEED

0.000Z ABS

STICK FONT

NORMAL MODIFIER

INCH TYPE

IPM

are formed with straight lines. In the SIMPLE font, both lines and arcs are used to form characters. Some fonts have more characters to choose from than others.

The MODIFIER field lets you select between normal and mirrored text using softkeys.

Page 5-18 Operation Manual

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

The second part is to enter the text characters. Press the EDIT TEXT softkey to see the

ENGRAVE TEXT EDITOR.

This area will hold the contents of the

This is the “insertion point”, where the next character will go.

text block.

The screen is divided into the TEXT BLOCK area and the CHARACTERS area. The TEXT

BLOCK area is where you see the text that you will engrave. The CHARACTERS area

contains all the different characters that are available in the font you have selected. With the CHARACTERS softkey pressed, use the arrow keys to select the character you

want, then press ENTER. That character is put into the TEXT BLOCK area at the insertion point. You can leave a space between characters by using a blank “character”.

With the TEXT BLOCK softkey pressed, you can use the arrow keys to move the insertion point. This is how you place text on more than one line.

If you place the insertion point over an existing character, the DEL key will erase it. The DELETE LINE softkey will erase the entire line of text that the insertion point is in,

and move all following text lines up. The INSERT LINE softkey will insert a blank text line, moving existing text lines down. The CLEAR ALL softkey will erase all the text in the TEXT BLOCK area.

When you have the text block set up the way you want, release the EDIT TEXT softkey (or press USE) to get back to the ENGRAVE step. MILLPWR will draw the text block for you to inspect. Press the EDIT TEXT softkey if you want to make changes, or press

USE to enter the step into your program.

Operation Manual Page 5-19

PROGRAM STEPS

MILLPWR

Explode

Any repetitive type of step causes MILLPWR to create copies of one or more

Strictly speaking, EXPLODE is not a step, but it can create steps.

simpler steps. For example, the ROTATE step below creates 2 copies of the contour-with -hole shape, yet it only takes one step. Similarly, a single BOLT

CIRCLE step causes MILLPWR to drill several holes.

002 MILL LINE

003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE 005 POSITION / DRILL 006 ROTATE (002 - 005)

Repetitive type steps include REPEAT, ROTATE, MIRROR, ROW OF HOLES, HOLE

FRAME, HOLE ARRAY, and BOLT CIRCLE.

The EXPLODE function will take one of these repetitive type steps and replace it with the individual steps. This is useful when you need to change or eliminate one of the individual steps.

For example, to program an eight-hole bolt circle without the third hole:

1. Program the eight-hole bolt circle.

2. Highlight the BOLT CIRCLE step.

3. Press EXPLODE. The BOLT CIRCLE step is removed and eight POSITION / DRILL

steps are inserted in its place.

4. Move to the third hole and press the DEL key.

002 BOLT CIRCLE 002 POSITION / DRILL

EXPLODE STEP 002 TO GET 8 POS / DRILL STEPS. HIGHLIGHT THE THIRD HOLE AND PRESS THE

DEL

KEY.

003 POSITION / DRILL 004 POSITION / DRILL 005 POSITION / DRILL 006 POSITION / DRILL 007 POSITION / DRILL 008 POSITION / DRILL 009 POSITION / DRILL

002 POSITION / DRILL 003 POSITION / DRILL 004 POSITION / DRILL 005 POSITION / DRILL 006 POSITION / DRILL 007 POSITION / DRILL 008 POSITION / DRILL

Page 5-20 Operation Manual

CALCULATOR

MILLPWR

CALCULATOR

Four Function Arithmetic

The four arithmetic keys,

+ - X /

numeric entry field, such as X, Y, CENTER, or RADIUS. Just use these keys as you would any calculator.

KEY

RESULT

2 2 + 5 7

The keys will act on a number that is already in the field. For example, if you move to a radius field which already has a value of 3.125, and you want to double it, just press:

ENTER

to get 6.250.

When you have more than one calculation in a field, the calculator will perform multiplication and division before it does addition and subtraction. This means that you can enter 3 + 1 / 8 to get three and one-eighth (the 1 / 8 is done before the 3 is added).

Trig and Math Functions

+2 5

, are available when you are in any

ENTER

When you're entering data for a milling or positioning function, part dimensions will not always be given. In some cases, it will be possible to calculate the dimensions using the trig calculator. If the unknown coordinate can be expressed as a trig function, a square root or the square of a number, MILLPWR can calculate it.

While in a point entry field such as X, Y, or CENTER, press the CALC key. The following trig function softkeys are shown.

SHIFT

ARC COS ARC SIN ARC TAN SQR

SQR ROOTTANSINCOS (

)

Most of the calculator softkeys are divided in half. At first, the top half is “active”, while the bottom half is “inactive”. Select the SHIFT softkey and the bottom half of the calculator options becomes active:

Operation Manual Page 6-1

CALCULATOR

MILLPWR

Notice that you can press the CALC key first, and just stay in the calculator.

SHIFT

TANSINCOS (

ARC TANARC SINARC COS )

SQR ROOT

SQR

Typically, a result is calculated by entering a number and then selecting the appropriate math function. For example, to enter a RADIUS whose value is the square root of 2, press the 2 key, the CALC key and then select the SQR ROOT softkey. A value of

1.4142 (the square root of 2) will be displayed.

RADIUS

CALC

RADIUS

Trig functions are calculated by entering the angle first and then the appropriate trig

function. For example, enter 30, then select the SIN softkey. A value of 0.5000 (SIN

30°) will be displayed.

CALC

SQR ROOT

SQR

1.4142

SIN

ARC SIN

RADIUS

0.5000

Typically, a trig value must be multiplied by another number to calculate an actual dimension. In the example above, assume the 0.5000 must be multiplied by the length of a triangle's hypotenuse, say 4, to calculate the side opposite the 30° angle.

ENTER

0.5000 0.5000 X 2.0004

Page 6-2 Operation Manual

CALCULATOR

MILLPWR

The parentheses softkeys can be used to group certain calculations within an arithmetic statement. For example,

2 + 1 / 16 gives two and one-sixteenth, but (2 + 1) / 16 gives three-sixteenths.

The parentheses are not always displayed during the key stroke sequence, but they are remembered by the MILLPWR as it calculates the correct answer.

Operation Manual Page 6-3

ACU-RITE MILLPWR User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual