AG Ceramill users unite!

[LA Ceramics]

Does that make a 5 axis mill more cost efficient? Also do the newer multilayer blocks require a 5 axis machine?

Cost efficient? I suppose that would be true but we use it to do things like screw holes, bars, prettau bridges, models, true to life morphology, and refined margins etc. etc.. Most of what labs mill is done in 4 axis. Think of it like this,..In most 4 axis dental milling machines, the 1st and 2nd axes (X and Y) are the "To and Fro" movements of the block, the 3rd axis (Z) is the "up and down" or "in and out" of the spindle, the 4th axis (A) is the 180 degree "flip" of the block. These movements are efficient and also well suited to the internal part of a crown because it basically cancels out the possibility of an undercut.

The 5th axis (B) is the "Tilting of the z axis"and is most commonly accomplished by employing an arm to angulate the fixture. When you put them all together this allows you do go in and out of the block at different angles during the cutting of a piece of work. Now you have the ability to do undercuts, create divergent screw holes and orientate a bridge in a block at the best possible angle for fitting it into a thinner, more COST EFFICIENT(haha) sized block.

I hope that this helped some of you a little and for the rest of you (names withheld) I hope that you found it amusing

 

[LA Ceramics]

Does that make a 5 axis mill more cost efficient? Also do the newer multilayer blocks require a 5 axis machine?

Sorry...The answer to the second part of your question is 4 axis is not a problem for multi layer blocks

 

[TomMor]

Sorry...The answer to the second part of your question is 4 axis is not a problem for multi layer blocks

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the advice. I've been going back and forth between a less expensive 4 axis mill and a 5 axis mill. It hasn't been so easy to get unbiased opinions.

 

[LA Ceramics]

It does use open mind. I can add a new fixture into the nesting software as an stl, but I dont think it will take the size of that into account when it processes it for milling will it? What type of file would the milling program be?

Without a fixture change I would be worried about a collision. I don't think the Ceramill can be hand cranked through the tool path,..yikes

 

[Affinity]

You could remove the fixture and run it collision free. its only 2 screws.

 

[cadfan]

The old one use DS cam the new 5 ax exocam it doesent help you if your not able to implement the new fixture in the cam.

 

[Affinity]

Well like I said, the motion 1 uses open mind hypermill. The 5 axis may use exocam, but soon all will be running on exocam.

 

[cadfan]

Well like I said, the motion 1 uses open mind hypermill. The 5 axis may use exocam, but soon all will be running on exocam.

I thought it was DS cam Dental Softworks

 

[Affinity]

it is a AG version of hypermill. they call it ceramill match

 

[LA Ceramics]

it is a AG version of hypermill. they call it ceramill match

You could remove the fixture and run it collision free. its only 2 screws.

The motion 2 uses Exocam and it is only one screw. Without the fixture in place, how would you know if a collision would have occurred? When dealing with full simultaneous 5 axis there are many more movements that are possible than the simple in and out of 4 axis. Running a Cam not fully mapped for the fixture that you are using is a recipe for disaster. You could hand crank through a tool path on some mills (not Ceramill Motion 2) which would take quite a while on most jobs. That method is used for industrial milling where you have a specific piece of work that you will mill many times over and over and have some concerns about some areas of the path when you read through it. This would not be practical for what we do of course. Cadfan has it right. The cam would need to be created specific to the modified fixture. Collisions are often times machine killers and grown men have been known to soil themselves,...just sayin...

 

[adamb4321]

To the MAP300 users that have a PC running Windows XP, have you upgraded your PC now that windows aren't supporting XP any more? If you have upgraded, what too?

I found that I can't download updates from AG on my old XP machine, so had to download onto another pc then transfer across, not a huge problem but more of a hassle that I could've done without.

 

[Tramp]

You can upgrade win xp to win 7. But then you need to install all software from old cd's. The problem could be with installing scanner on win7 but if you have some knowledge with computer it won't be any problem.

But moving from XP to Win7 will eat more resources so you need to thnk about changing grafic card for example nvidia gtx 5xx or 6xx and install all on SSD disk.
Then cad software, map software will be working so fluently!

 

[adamb4321]

I had a brief chat with AG who were of the opinion that upgrading to Win7 wasn't a very good solution and that a new PC would be better. It would have been good to get an email update about it from them with their recommendations, maybe it got lost in cyberspace?

 

[Tramp]

I don't like their policy so i changed everything myself and is even more perfect that it was on windows xp.

I just bought new video card. You don't need any super graphic card. Exocad is very soft cad software so evry new card for ~270 $ is enough. Also SSD disc is not so expensive about 180$ and for SSD you need special controler for SATA 6 Gb/s which is installed into pciexpress slot. controler is aobut 30$.
All i put to DELL 3500 which was given for evry map300 users year and half ago.

I changed also my monitor to 21 size, panoramic DVI. And! The work is so soft and beautifull now that i would never come back to XP.

Gainward GTX560Ti 1024MB
SSD Adata disc 256GB
Asus U3S6 2 x SATA 6Gb/s 2 x USB 3.0

 

[adamb4321]

did you install mirrored drives again or just 1?

 

[Affinity]

Been getting some errors lately, not regularly, just every so often: "Communication with spindle drive failed" and "Desired spindle speed not reached" Ive got lots of air pressure.. I can mill 4-5 zr in a go, and it will mill fine.. Then I will mill 2 wax units and get this error. Anyone know what could cause this?
"

 

[Affinity]

Got a kick today when I read that AG has partnered with CAP to handle all of their customer service! Wasnt Bob the one who was telling people not to invest in this 'closed system' many times on this forum? I can only hope this is a good thing, as AG customer service in the US was not very good anyways..

Im not quite sure I understand this at all.. but Im sure Sam or Bob will be around to rock me back to sleep..

 

[BobCDT]

Got a kick today when I read that AG has partnered with CAP to handle all of their customer service! Wasnt Bob the one who was telling people not to invest in this 'closed system' many times on this forum? I can only hope this is a good thing, as AG customer service in the US was not very good anyways..

Im not quite sure I understand this at all.. but Im sure Sam or Bob will be around to rock me back to sleep..

Hi All,
I will provide more in depth info on the topic later today. I believe this is really a good thing and look forward to sharing it with all of you.

 

[LA Ceramics]

Wow,...Smart guy Bob. Now your cookin' with gas. Chicago just got very interesting indeed. Very exciting !!!

 

[lucky54]

.