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 also maximizes your throughput by significantly reducing set-up time, scrap and
other non-productive operations thereby increasing your efficiency, productivity 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 simply
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.
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
Selecting 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

TOOL RECT CIRCLE HOLES

INFO

POS LINE ARC BLEND

SET
UP

Floppy
diskette inside VIEW
ABS
INC
CALC

!
PGM
7 8 9 /
Keypad
DRO 4 5 6 X

CANCEL 1 2 3 -
Emergency Softkeys USE . 0 +/- +
TABLE STOP
DEL ENTER

TABLE FEED
STOP +

FEED STOP GO
-

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

Milling Functions
With these keys, you define
Main TOOL RECT CIRCLE HOLES
the operations you want
Function Keys MILLPWR to perform.
These operations end up
INFO POS LINE ARC BLEND as “steps” in a program, or
you can run just one of
These let you set up them at any time.
the MILLPWR, get
SET
information about UP
what you are doing,
switch between
program (PGM) and
DRO, and “USE” the Numeric Keypad
VIEW
milling functions as and Calculator
ABS
steps in a program. CALC
INC

PGM

7 8 9 /
Enter all numerical
DRO values with these
4 5 6 X keys. When you’re
entering dimensions,
you can specify
CANCEL absolute or incremental.
1 2 3 -
The handy 4-function
calculator can be used
USE at any time. Trig and
. 0 +/- + geometry assistance
is available with a press
of the CALC key.
DEL
ENTER

Cursor and Motion Control Keys

Press GO to run your program, and

FEED
STOP to stop it. The FEED keys let +
you adjust the cutting speed on the
fly.
FEED
STOP GO
-

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
MILLPWR

Screen Layout
The MILLPWR display screen is divided into four sections.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

1

3
MOVE
ZERO X ZERO Y ZERO Z DATUM
TABLE
4

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

2 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.

3 Message line - operator prompts and messages will appear here.

4 Softkeys - variable key functions appear here; functions are selected by pressing
the hard key directly below the softkey message.

Operation Manual Page 1-5

1
 INTRODUCTION
MILLPWR

Saving, Backing Up, and Creating Directories for Programs

When you begin to create programs for your MILLPWR to run, you can save your
If you're writing a programs in any of three places—on MILLPWR ’s internal hard disk drive, on a 3
long program, ½” floppy disk, or on your PC’s hard disk drive. Saving your work means it will
don't wait until
the end to save not be lost if the MILLPWR is turned off or if there is a power failure.
your work.
Frequent saving Your MILLPWR is also equipped with a backup feature that enables you to make
reduces the risk duplicate copies of your saved programs. We recommend backing up your work
of losing work
as an extra precaution against accidental deletions, hard disk drive failures, or other
due to a power
interruption. 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
4
A=39°
3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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.
Holes A and B are dimensioned as absolute, but hole C is
+Y
dimensioned incrementally from A.
4 When entering these dimensions in the MILLPWR , we
would say:
A B C Hole A: X = 2.000 ABS
1.5

Hole B: X = 4.000 ABS

Hole C: X = 3.625 INC from hole A
+X
2 3.625
It will often be easier to describe a location in terms of
incremental dimensions than it would be to calculate the
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.

6
P 1 (From)
5

4
- 53°
5.0
3

2
P2 (To)
1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

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 OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

X INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

Y INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

Z INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

MOVE
ZERO X ZERO Y ZERO Z DATUM
TABLE

DRO stands This is called the “DRO” screen. It shows you the current tool position. Here you
for “digital
readout”. 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.

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 table will move, one axis at a time, to find the reference positions.
familiar with where
the reference marks If the table moves until it hits the hard stops and the servo motor stops, it
are, you can use the means the table was already positioned past the home position. Use the
“MOVE TABLE”
function to get close handcranks to move the table away from the end and press FIND HOME
to them before you again. Should the FIND HOME softkey be pressed immediately after home has
press "FIND HOME". been found, the table will move to the hard stops and the servo motors will
disengage.
After home has been found, the DRO display will change. The absolute display
shows the tool position from the most recent datum.
DATUM is a term
for “workpiece
zero” or “absolute
zero”.

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 Inch - Metric

to metric if you To change the measurement system between inches and metric units, press the
have an “inch”
program active, SETUP key to get the INCH and MM softkeys. Select the system you want, and
and vice versa. 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 ON FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

X INC
0.000
0.0000 ABS

Y INC
0.000
0.0000 ABS

Note that the

arrow keys will Z INC
0.000
0.0000 ABS

move the table!

! 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 MOVE MOVE
softkey is pressed, the
idea to fold in the TABLE TABLE servo motors are on.
LEFT RIGHT
handcrank handles Press it again to turn them
before moving the
table! off.
MOVE TABLE
TOWARDS YOU

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.
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 SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

workpiece so that the SET DATUM

datum point is directly X:

X INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

beneath the tool. This

point might be a
Y: Y INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

corner, the center of a Z:

Z INC
0.0000
0.0000 ABS

bolt hole pattern, etc.

• Press the DATUM
softkey and the Set
Datum entry form will
appear.
•
ENTER THE NEW ABSOLUTE POSITION OF THE TOOL CENTER.
Press the X=0, Y=0, X = 0 Y = 0 Z = 0
FIND USE MOVE
HOME PROBE TABLE
and/or Z=0 softkey(s)
to establish workpiece zero.
• 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
ENTER
The MILLPWR
calculator helps a lot
here---To set the
datum for the X axis,
enter: .005 SHIM
0.3875/2+.005. Then,
since the tool center is
left of the datum, 0.3875
change the sign. TOOL

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 POS
function: GO

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 FROM TO

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. FROM
X1 ABS
Y1 ABS
TO
X2 ABS
Y2 ABS

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.

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.

7.123
4.893 3.421
D C
Point X Y

A -7.123 ABS -3.936 ABS

3.603

E
B 3.421 ABS -3.936 ABS
1.011

C 3.421 ABS 3.603 ABS F

2.96 DIA
D -4.893 ABS 3.603 ABS
3.936

THRU HOLE

E -7.123 ABS 1.011 ABS

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.

7.123
4.893 3.421
D C
Point X Y

A 0.00 ABS 0.00 ABS

3.603
E
B 3.421 INC F 0.00 ABS
1.011

C 3.421 INC F 3.603 INC F F

2.96 DIA
D -4.893 INC F 3.603 INC F

3.936
THRU HOLE

E 0.00 ABS 1.011 INC F

F 7.123 ABS 3.936 ABS

A B

Continuous Milling
When you program a continuous contour made up of lines and arcs, MILLPWR
MILLPWR will
display marks to will mill the contour without stopping. MILLPWR will detect a continuous contour
the right of each automatically. There are no special keypresses or different functions to learn.
program step
number for For lines and arcs to be continuous, they must: FROM TO
continuous
FROM
contours. • have the same Z depth,
• be cut with the same tool,
TO
• 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 FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

END OF 0

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

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.
• 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 FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM MILL ARC 002
001 SET TOOL FROM
002 X MILL ARC X1 ABS
Y1 ABS
TO
Enter
X2 ABS
Program Y2 ABS
information
Step DEPTH
about the arc
Listing Z ABS into this form.
RADIUS

DIRECTION
CCW

TOOL
0.500 DIAMETER

FL END ML TYPE
CENTER OFFSET

FEED 10 IPM
2 OF 2

TEACH
POLAR MORE
POSITION

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 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 FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

END OF 2

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

• 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 ZOOM
RESTORE
IN OUT

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 while the tool is in position.
can press USE
instead of ENTER. • Press USE to establish the datum.

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 PROGRAMMING
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 run-
time options to assist you. In the program screen, press RUN OPTIONS to display the
following softkeys.

SINGLE DRY GRAPHICS MANUAL DISABLE RUN

STEP RUN ONLY POSITIONING LOOK AHEAD 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
Using DRY
RUN and without stopping for anything. You can follow the sequence of steps and see if
GRAPHICS the part fits entirely on the workpiece. The dry run speed is determined in
ONLY at the SETUP.
same time is
especially GRAPHICS ONLY
handy.
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"

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 PROGRAMMING
MILLPWR

During any rapid or feed move, you may press the STOP key or the emergency
The remote button
acts as STOP if you TABLE STOP button to disengage the power feed for any reason. This will stop
are going and as the table motion but will not stop the rotating cutting tool unless your
GO if you are
machine has been specifically wired to do so.
stopped.
If you press the emergency TABLE STOP button, the program stops running
immediately.
If you use the STOP key, the following prompt will appear:

! ATTENTION

PAUSE

PRESS "GO"

Press GO again when ready to continue running, or STOP to stop running the
To move quickly to a program.
step, key in its number
(look in the message To re-start a program, move to the step you wish to start with, and press GO.
bar), and press MILLPWR will always go to the beginning of a step, even if it had been started.
ENTER.

Feed Rate Override

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

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 PROGRAMMING
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

SET TO
-0.500

PRESS "GO"

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 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% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

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

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS 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 SAVE DELETE BACKUP DIRECTORY

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% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM SAVE PROGRAM

PROGRAM NAME
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 PLATE12

END OF 11

ENTER A NAME FOR THE PROGRAM.

SAVE ALPHABET TEXT USE REMOTE

FORMAT FLOPPY STORAGE

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.
• 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.

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 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 CREATE DELETE

DIRECTORY DIRECTORY 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

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 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 OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM DIRECTORY

001 SET TOOL MILLPWR

002 MILL ARC COMPANY1
JULY1998
003 MILL LINE
COMPANY2
004 MILL LINE COMPANY3

005 MILL LINE

006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE

010 SET TOOL
011 BOLT CIRCLE

END OF 11 1 OF 5
SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.
SELECT PAGE PAGE USE REMOTE
DIRECTORY UP DOWN FLOPPY STORAGE

• Indicate where you want to store your new subdirectory.

On MILLPWR ’s internal hard disk drive:
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 DIRECTORY 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.

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 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% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM DIRECTORY

001 SET TOOL MILLPWR

002 MILL ARC COMPANY1
JULY1998
003 MILL LINE
COMPANY2
004 MILL LINE COMPANY3
005 MILL LINE
006 BLEND

007 MILL LINE

008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE

010 SET TOOL
011 BOLT CIRCLE

END OF 11 1 OF 5
SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.
SELECT PAGE PAGE USE REMOTE
DIRECTORY UP DOWN FLOPPY STORAGE

• 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

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).

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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:
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
subdirectories you have created will appear under the “Directory”
heading.
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
Before you save a program, MILLPWR S AVE PROGRAM
requires that you name it. PROGRAM NAME
PLATE 12

• If you want to use alpha characters, press

the ALPHABET softkey. An alphabet will
appear just below the “Program
If you have Name” area.
accidentally
selected the • Using the arrow keys, you can scroll ALPHABET

wrong letter or from one letter to the next. Press the C HARACTERS

number, simply A B C
ENTER key to make a selection.
press the DEL D E F G H
key and rename
•
I J K L M

the program.
To add numbers to the name, simply N O P Q R
press the number keys on the S T U V W
X Y Z
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.

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 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 SAVE DELETE BACKUP DIRECTORY

• 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 directory containing the program(s) you want to back up. (Refer to the
and clear the
final version of a Selecting a Directory section.)
running program
before creating a • Return to the “Current Program” screen, then press the BACKUP softkey.
backup copy. The following softkey options should appear:
Otherwise, you’ll
have to back up
the program
again after you’ve ALL SELECT TEXT USE REMOTE
PROGRAMS PROGRAMS FORMAT FLOPPY STORAGE
made any
changes.

• 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.

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 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% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM MILLPWR

MILL1

MILL2
BOLTPRGM

PART242

1 OF 4
PICK A PROGRAM TO LOAD.
PAGE PAGE TEXT USE REMOTE
LOAD
UP DOWN FORMAT FLOPPY STORAGE

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 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% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM DIRECTORY

MILLPWR
COMPANY1
COMPANY2

COMPANY3

2 OF 4
SELECT A WORKING DIRECTORY.
SELECT PAGE PAGE USE REMOTE
DIRECTORY UP DOWN FLOPPY STORAGE

• 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.

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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.

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MILLPWR

BLANK PAGE

Operation Manual Page 3-29

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

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

3.00

.750

.750R
.838

.250R
1.75
.838
1.5
0R

POCKET .250 DIA THRU

.500 X 2.000 TYP (5)
.250 DEEP
.125R CORNERS

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.
TOOL

Press the TOOL key.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM SET TOOL 001

001 SET TOOL TOOL
INCH
TYPE

1 OF 1

INCH MM TOOL
LIBRARY

Enter .25 followed by the enter key. . 2 5 ENTER

You can select a tool TOOL

from the Tool Library if 0.250 INCH
TYPE
you like.

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 3.00

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. 1.5
0R

ARC
Press the ARC key.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM MILL ARC 002

001 SET TOOL FROM
002 X MILL ARC 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

FEED 10 IPM
2 OF 2

TEACH
POLAR MORE
POSITION

Enter the following dimensions: 0 ENTER

FROM: X1 = 0
To enter a negative
number, use the +/- Y1 = -1.5 +/- 1 . 5 ENTER

“CHANGE SIGN”
key, not the
“MINUS” key. The
“MINUS” key will
subtract the number
you enter from the
number that’s
already there.

Operation Manual Page 4-3

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

TO: X2 = 0 0 ENTER

Y2 = 1.5 1 . 5 ENTER

DEPTH: Z = -.25 +/- . 2 5 ENTER

RADIUS: 1.5 1 . 5 ENTER

DIRECTION: CCW
CCW

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.

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

To OFFSET

RIGHT

Pick CCW from the

Page 4-4
softkeys that appear
Operation Manual
when you’re in the
DIRECTION field.
 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 1 0 ENTER
10 IPM.

USE

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

END OF 2

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FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-5

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR
3.00
Next, we will enter the 3" line which starts at the
top of the
arc and The FROM point of this line is
goes left. automatically set to the end of
the arc programmed before.
1.5
0R

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM MILL LINE 003

001 SET TOOL FROM

002 MILL ARC X1 0.000 ABS
Y1 1.500 ABS
003 X MILL LINE
TO
X2 ABS
Y2 ABS

DEPTH
Z 0.2500 ABS

TOOL
0.250 INCH

FL END ML TYPE

RIGHT OFFSET

FEED 10 IPM

3 OF 3

TEACH
POLAR
POSITION

LINE

+/- 3 ENTER

Press the LINE key.

1 . 5 ENTER

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

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM USE

Notice the marks
001 SET TOOL
connecting steps
002 MILL ARC
002 and 003. This 003 MILL LINE
means that the line
and arc form a Y
continuous contour,
2
and MILLPWR will
cut them without
stopping. =

1.5

END OF 3

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Page 4-6 Operation Manual

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Operation Manual Page 4-7

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR
3.00
Press the LINE key to add another line.The FROM
dimensions, DEPTH dimension, and TOOL specifications will
carry forward from the previous line. .838

LINE
Press the LINE key.

Enter the following TO dimensions:

TO: X2 = -3.0 ABS +/- 3 ENTER

Notice that you Y2 = 0.838 ABS . 8 3 8 USE

don’t have to use
the ENTER key
after the last
value – just
press USE. SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE

END OF 4

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FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Page 4-8 Operation Manual

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Now we will program the two diagonal lines. Notice that in the x- 3.00

axis the end of the first diagonal line is .750 from the beginning of
.750
the line. FROM (X1, Y1)

This means we can use

.838
incremental dimensioning.
We say that “X2 is .750
incremental from X1.” TO (X2, Y2)

.75

LINE
Press the LINE key.

In the TO point, enter

ABS
X2 = .750 . 7 5 INC

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

LINE 005
MILLPWR assumes that you want to use the X coordinate
FROM
of the FROM point, X1, as your incremental reference. X1 -3.000 ABS
Y1 0.838 ABS
X2 = 0.750 INC X1 TO
X2 0.750 INC XI
Y2 ABS

Now finish the TO point: To Y2

Y2 = 0.000 ABS 0 USE

Operation Manual Page 4-9

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR
LINE
Press the LINE key again for the second diagonal line:

X2 = -3.000 ABS +/- 3 ENTER

Y2 = -0.838 ABS +/- . 8 3 8 USE

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE

005 MILL LINE

006 MILL LINE

END OF 6

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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, To Step 006

select the last step, 006 MILL LINE.

BLEND
Press the BLEND key.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM BLEND 006

We could just as
001 SET TOOL STEPS
easily have put FROM 5
002 MILL ARC
the BLEND step 003 MILL LINE
TO 7

in right after we 004 MILL LINE RADIUS

did LINE 005. 005 MILL LINE

FEED RATE
The BLEND step 006 X BLEND
10 IPM
would then show 007 MILL LINE

up in the listing,
but it would not
show in the
graphics until we
put in the second
line.
6 OF 7

CLOSE
CONTOUR

. 2 5 USE

Enter a radius of SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH 0.250.
CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE

005 MILL LINE

006 BLEND
007 MILL LINE

7 OF 7

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Operation Manual Page 4-11

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

3.00

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

1.5
0R

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

LINE
Press the LINE key.

In the TO point enter:

X2 = -3.0 ABS +/- 3 ENTER

Y2 = -1.5 ABS +/- 1 . 5 USE

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL ARC

003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE

005 MILL LINE

006 BLEND
007 MILL LINE

7 OF 7

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Page 4-12 Operation Manual

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

LINE

Press the LINE key. In the TO point enter:

Second line TO: X2 = 0 ABS 0 ENTER

Y2 = -1.5 ABS +/- 1 . 5 USE

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

Notice how the 002 MILL ARC

marks to the right of 003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE

the step numbers
005 MILL LINE
have changed to
006 BLEND
indicate that the 007 MILL LINE
contour is now 008 MILL LINE
closed. 009 MILL LINE

END OF 9

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FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-13

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Programming the Bolt Circle

TOOL
First, we want to change the tool to a drill. Press the
TOOL key and enter the data for a 0.250" drill.

. 2 5 ENTER

TOOL
TYPES

Select DRILL and press ENTER. Press USE to

To DRILL
complete the SET TOOL step.

ENTER

USE

Now, press the HOLES key to see a series of hole HOLES

pattern choices. Choose the BOLT CIRCLE softkey.

BOLT CIRCLE

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM BOLT CIRCLE 011

001 SET TOOL CENTER

002 MILL ARC X 0.00 ABS

Y 0.00 ABS
003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE DEPTH

THRU
005 MILL LINE
RADIUS
006 BLEND
1.500
007 MILL LINE
008 MILL LINE DIRECTION
CCW
009 MILL LINE

010 SET TOOL HOLES

011 X BOLT CIRCLE

TOOL
.2500 DIAMETER
DRILL TYPE

11 OF 11

TEACH
POLAR MORE
POSITION

Page 4-14 Operation Manual

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

RADIUS: 0.75 To RADIUS

. 7 5 ENTER
DIRECTION: CCW

HOLES: 5

To HOLES

When all dimensions are entered, press USE to view the USE

graphics screen.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

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

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FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-15

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Programming the Pocket

TOOL
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. . 1 2 5 ENTER

TOOL
TYPES
To FLAT END MILL

ENTER

USE

RECT

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

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM RECTANGLE POCKET 011

001 SET TOOL CENTER

002 MILL ARC X 0.00 ABS

Y 0.00 ABS
003 MILL LINE

004 MILL LINE SIZE

IN X
005 MILL LINE
IN Y
006 BLEND
DEPTH
007 MILL LINE 0.0000 ABS
008 MILL LINE

009 MILL LINE CORNER BLEND RADIUS

.2500
010 SET TOOL
011 BOLT CIRCLE
DIRECTION
012 SET TOOL CCW
013 X RECTANGLE POCKET
TOOL
.1250 INCH
FL END ML TYPE
13 OF 13 10 IPM

TEACH
POLAR MORE
POSITION

Page 4-16 Operation Manual

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Enter the following dimensions for the rectangular pocket:

CENTER: X = -1.75 +/- 1 . 7 5 ENTER

Some of these Y = 0.0

dimensions are
already here so
we can down
arrow past them. To Size

SIZE: X = 0.5 . 5 ENTER

Y = 2.0
2 ENTER

DEPTH: Z = -0.25

To Corner Radius

CORNER BLEND RADIUS: .125 . 1 2 5

DIRECTION: CCW

Press the USE key. USE

As with previous tool changes, the tool specifications will be automatically entered from the
010 SET TOOL step. SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

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

END OF 13

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FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 4-17

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Saving Your Program

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

Press the SAVE softkey. SAVE

Key in program name.

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 RUN
OPTIONS
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 DRY RUN
GRAPHICS
ONLY
key, and press GO. Watch as MILLPWR
shows you how the part program 1 ENTER

will be run. If you are past the last

step, MILLPWR will
automatically go to step
1 when you press GO.
GO

Under RUN OPTIONS , de-select the DRY RUN and GRAPHICS RUN
ONLY options before proceeding. OPTIONS

GRAPHICS
DRY RUN
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 DRO

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

Move the table to the

workpiece datum.

MOVE

•
TABLE
Release the MOVE TABLE function.

• DATUM
Press the DATUM softkey.

X=0 Y=0
• 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 USE

by pressing the PGM key.

PGM

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

RUN
workpiece. OPTIONS
DRY RUN

• Press RUN OPTIONS and then DRY RUN.

GO

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

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 RUN
DRY RUN
OPTIONS
to turn off dry run.
Now when you press the GO key, you can follow the
instructions MILLPWR gives you and make the part. GO

Operation Manual Page 4-21

 DEMONSTRATION
MILLPWR

Tool Changes
You may wish to Whenever MILLPWR encounters a SET
consider using a
TOOL step, it shows you the DRO and
POS step before
a tool step to tells you which tool to load.
allow room for
changing the • Use the MOVE TABLE function to clear MOVE
TABLE
tool. the workpiece.

• Load the required tool. Load tool.

• Using the move table function, position the tool over a surface
Use move table function to
of known depth. position the tool.

MOVE
TABLE

DATUM

• Press the DATUM softkey.

• Touch the end of the tool to the Touch end of

If the surface is
surface, key the known depth into the at 0, use the Z = tool to
Z axis. 0 key. 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.
GO

Clearing the Program

Select PROGRAM FUNCTIONS again. PROGRAM
FUNCTIONS

Select the softkey marked CLEAR to clear the program

CLEAR
from the screen.

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
MILLPWR

PROGRAM STEPS
Simple Milling & Drilling

Set Tool
This step causes MILLPWR to suspend the program and ask
TOOL SET TOOL 001
you to change the cutting tool. TOOL
INCH
You have several options for filling in this step: 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
Tool Types MILLPWR will let you know what kind of tool you had in
and the Tool mind when you wrote the program.
Library are
opened with • Select a tool from the Tool Library.
softkeys.

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
POSITION/DRILL 001
specified position and drill to a programmed depth. POINT
POS X ABS
POINT is the X and Y position you want the tool to move to. Y ABS

DEPTH
DEPTH is normally THRU for holes, but you can set it to a Z 0.0000 ABS

TOOL
specific depth. INCH
TYPE
The TOOL information is from the most recent SET TOOL step;
you can’t change it here.

Operation Manual Page 5-1

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Mill Line
MILL LINE 001
LINE
This function moves rapidly to the starting point and mills a
FROM
line to the end point at the programmed feed rate. X1 ABS
Y1 ABS
FROM and TO are the beginning and ending points of the line. TO
X2 ABS
Y2 ABS
TOOL OFFSET is set with softkeys LEFT, CENTER, or RIGHT. DEPTH
Z 0.0000 ABS
FEED must be programmed or it will default to the last TOOL

feedrate used or from the value entered in setup. INCH

TYPE
CENTER OFFSET
FEED 10 IPM

Mill Arc MILL ARC 001

This operation performs an arc cut at a given depth and feed FROM
ARC X1 ABS
rate. Y1 ABS
TO
X2 ABS
The usual arc definition uses the FROM
Y2 ABS
FROM and TO points, the RADIUS DEPTH
Z 0.0000 ABS
of the arc and the DIRECTION of R RADIUS
R
the arc. The direction of the arc is CCW CW
DIRECTION
either clockwise (CW) or CCW

counter-clockwise (CCW). TOOL

INCH
TO TYPE
CENTER OFFSET
FEED 10 IPM

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

3RD POINT, or a SWEEP ANGLE to define the arc. Press the X ABS
Y ABS
MORE softkey for additional input fields.
3RD POINT
X3 ABS
Y3 ABS

SWEEP ANGLE

TO

TO

SWEEP
ANGLE FROM 3RD
FROM
POINT

Page 5-2 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Blend
BLEND
A blend is a circular fillet (connecting radius) which BLEND 001
STEPS
connects two lines, two arcs, or a line and an arc. Just FROM

give the RADIUS of the blend, and MILLPWR will TO

calculate the exact tangent points for you. RADIUS

The STEPS are filled in automatically; the FROM step is FEED RATE

the one before the blend, and the TO step is the one after 10 IPM

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

LINE 1 LINE 1 LINE 1

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

6
6

002 BLEND R=2 002 BLEND R=2

003 LINE 8,6 TO 8,0 003 LINE 8,7 TO 8,0 003 LINE 8,2 TO 8,0
LINE 3

LINE 3

LINE 3
8 8 8

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.
LIN

LIN
E5

E5
E1

E1
LIN

LIN

LINE 3 LINE 3

001 LINE 001 LINE

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

Operation Manual Page 5-3

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Rectangular Milling Functions

RECT 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
RECTANGLE POCKET 001
A pocket is defined by its CENTER point and its SIZE . You CENTER
can specify a CORNER RADIUS. You can also specify the X ABS
Y ABS
DIRECTION, which will determine whether you are climb SIZE
IN X
milling or conventional milling. IN Y

DEPTH
The tool must be able to fit into the pocket or the MILLPWR Z 0.0000 ABS
CORNER BLEND RADIUS
will not run the step. 0.0000

DIRECTION
The MORE softkey brings up the TILT ANGLE and FINISH CUT CCW

fields. TOOL
INCH

TYPE
FEED 10 IPM
SIZE IN
FINISH
X
ALLOWANCE
MILLPWR will arc
on and arc off
SIZE IN

the last cut.

Y

TILT ANGLE
0° 00' 00"

FINISH
If you enter a finish 0.0000 CUT
feed rate of 0, FEED 0 IPM
MILLPWR will not DIR ccw
perform a finish cut. STEPOVR 80 %

Z DEPTH

When tilted, the

pocket is rotated TILT ANGLE
about its center +X
point.

Page 5-4 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Rectangular Frame
A frame step takes one cut in a rectangular shape. The frame is RECTANGLE FRAME 001

defined by its CENTER and SIZE . As with a pocket, you can X

CENTER
ABS
have rounded corners, and the DIRECTION determines the Y ABS
SIZE
milling type. IN X
IN Y

You decide if it’s an inside or an outside frame with the tool Z

DEPTH
0.0000 ABS

Of course, it’s offset: LEFT with a CCW direction or RIGHT with CW will give CORNER BLEND RADIUS
0.0000
much easier you an inside frame cut; RIGHT with a CCW direction or LEFT DIRECTION
to use the with CW will give an outside frame cut. CCW
INSIDE and
TOOL
OUTSIDE
The MORE key shows you the TILT ANGLE and FINISH CUT INCH
softkeys!
fields. TYPE
CENTER OFFSET
FEED 10 IPM

TILT ANGLE
0° 00' 00"

FINISH
0.0000 CUT
FEED 0 IPM
DIR ccw

FINISH
FINISH
ALLOWANCE
ALLOWANCE

SIZE IN SIZE
Y IN Y

SIZE IN X
SIZE IN
X

Z DEPTH
Z DEPTH

OUTSIDE FRAME
INSIDE FRAME

Operation Manual Page 5-5

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Face
This step provides a quick way to face off a workpiece. Enter FACE 001

CENTER
the CENTER location and the SIZE of the area to be faced. X ABS

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

upwards. SIZE
IN X
IN Y
The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you TILT the face
DEPTH
rectangle, and to change the tool STEPOVER. Z 0.0000 ABS

TOOL
INCH

TYPE
FEED 10 IPM

SIZE IN X
SIZE IN Y

STEP- TILT ANGLE

OVER 0° 00' 00"

FINISH

STEPOVR %

SERPENTINE PATH
(NO TOOL OFFSET)

Page 5-6 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Slot
For a slot, enter the CENTER of each arc and the SLOT SLOT 001

WIDTH . You can enter the SLOT LENGTH and ANGLE instead FIRST ARC CENTER

of the 2ND ARC CENTER. X1

Y1
ABS
ABS

SECOND ARC CENTER

The MORE softkey displays fields which let you specify the X2 ABS
Y2 ABS
ANGLE of the slot (it rotates about the FIRST ARC CENTER)
DEPTH
and enter a FINISH CUT. Z 0.0000 ABS

DIRECTION
CCW

SLOT WIDTH
WIDTH
TOOL
INCH

TH TYPE
ENG 2ND ARC CENTER FEED 10 IPM
L

SLOT LENGTH
ANGLE
ANGLE

FINISH

0.0000 CUT
1ST ARC CENTER
FEED 0 IPM
EITHER END
DIR ccw
STEPOVR 80 %

Operation Manual Page 5-7

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Circular Milling Functions

MILLPWR has several “canned cycles” to let you program pockets, frames, and rings
CIRCLE
with a single step.
Pressing the CIRCLE key on the front panel will display these softkeys.

POCKET FRAME RING

Circular Pocket
CIRCLE POCKET 001
Enter the CENTER and RADIUS of the pocket. The CENTER
DIRECTION will determine whether you are climb or X ABS
Y ABS
conventional milling. DEPTH
Z 0.0000 ABS

The MORE key brings up the FINISH CUT option. RADIUS

DIRECTION
STEPOVER FINISH
CCW
ALLOWANCE
TOOL
INCH

TYPE
FEED 10 IPM

RAD

FINISH
0.0000 CUT

FEED 0 IPM
Z DEPTH
DIR ccw
STEPOVR 80 %

Page 5-8 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Circular Frame
Enter the frame’s CENTER and RADIUS . The DIRECTION,
CIRCLE FRAME 001
coupled with the TOOL OFFSET, will determine whether you
CENTER
The INSIDE are climb or conventional milling, and whether you are cutting X ABS
and OUTSIDE an inside or outside frame. Y ABS

softkeys can DEPTH

Z 0.0000 ABS
help you with The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you enter a FINISH
the Tool Offset. RADIUS
cut.
DIRECTION
CCW

TOOL
FINISH
ALLOWANCE INCH

TYPE

CENTER OFFSET

FEED 10 IPM

RAD

FINISH
0.0000 CUT
Z DEPTH IPM
FEED 0
DIR ccw
OFFSET = INSIDE

FINISH
ALLOWANCE

RAD

Z DEPTH

OFFSET = OUTSIDE

Operation Manual Page 5-9

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Ring
A ring is actually a circular pocket with a circular island in the RING 001

center. X
CENTER
ABS
Y ABS

Enter the CENTER position, the radius of the pocket DEPTH

Z 0.0000 ABS
(OUTSIDE RADIUS ), and the radius of the island (INSIDE
RADIUS
RADIUS ). OUTSIDE
INSIDE

The DIRECTION of cut on the inside radius will determine DIRECTION

CCW
whether you are climb milling or conventional milling.
TOOL
MILLPWR will reverse the tool movement direction on the INCH

outside radius so the milling direction stays the same. TYPE

FEED 10 IPM

The MORE softkey brings up the FINISH CUT entry field.

FINISH
ALLOWANCE

FINISH
0.0000 CUT
FEED 0 IPM
RAD 1 RAD 2 DIR CCW
STEPOVR 80 %

Z DEPTH

Page 5-10 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

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

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

ROW FRAME ARRAY BOLT CIRCLE

ROW OF HOLES 001

Row of Holes
FROM
The FROM point is the center of the first hole, and the TO X1 ABS
Y1 ABS
point is the center of the last hole. Enter the number of holes in TO
X2 ABS
the HOLES field. Y2 ABS

DEPTH
Instead of the TO point, you can enter the HOLE SPACING Z THRU ABS

and ANGLE . HOLES

TOOL
INCH

TYPE

HOLE SPACING
BETWEEN

ANGLE

ANGLE

Operation Manual Page 5-11

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Hole Frame and Hole Array

The frame and the array hole patterns need the same
HOLE FRAME 001
information. Arrays have holes in the middle of the rectangular
CENTER
pattern, while frames have holes only on the outside edge of X ABS

the rectangle. Y ABS

SIZE
IN X
Enter the rectangle’s CENTER and SIZE , and the number of IN Y

HOLES in each direction. Z

DEPTH
THRU ABS

HOLES
The MORE softkey brings up fields to let you TILT the frame or X
Y
to enter the hole-to-hole SPACING.
TOOL
INCH

TYPE

HOLE SPACING
X BETWEEN
Y BETWEEN

TILT ANGLE
0° 00' 00"

FRAME ARRAY
SIZE IN X SIZE IN X
SIZE IN Y

SIZE IN Y

CENTER CENTER

Page 5-12 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Bolt Circle
Enter the CENTER and the RADIUS of the bolt circle, and the BOLT CIRCLE 001

number of HOLES you want. X

CENTER
ABS
Y ABS

The MORE softkey brings up the START ANGLE and END DEPTH
Z THRU ABS
ANGLE entry fields, which let you do partial circles. The
RADIUS
number of holes you entered will be spaced evenly between
the angles. DIRECTION
CCW

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

TYPE

END
ANGLE

START ANGLE

END ANGLE
START
ANGLE
+X

Operation Manual Page 5-13

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

More Steps
MORE Additional steps are available that extend the capabilities of your MILLPWR . Select the
STEPS
MORE STEPS softkey to see a menu of the following extended functions:

CUSTOM REFERENCE
REPEAT ROTATE MIRROR ENGRAVE
POCKET POINT

Repeat
REPEAT 005
Using this step you can repeat whole parts, or sections of parts,
STEP RANGE
horizontally, vertically, or both. FIRST
LAST

Enter the STEP RANGE (the numbers of the first and last steps) X
OFFSET

that you want to repeat and the OFFSET, in either X or Y, or Y

REPEAT
both directions. Then enter the number of REPEATS you want MORE

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
FIRST 001
LAST 004
OFFSET
X 6.000
ORIGINAL REPEAT
Y

REPEAT
1 MORE

Page 5-14 Operation Manual

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Rotate
ROTATE 005
Just as you can repeat sections of a program, you can also
STEP RANGE
rotate sections. FIRST
LAST

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

X ABS
Y ABS
Example: ANGLE

001 MILL LINE REPEAT

002 MILL LINE MORE
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
FIRST 001
LAST 004
CENTER
X 1.000 ABS
Y 0.000 ABS

ANGLE
30

REPEAT
2 MORE

30°
30° ORIGINAL:
STEPS 001
THRU 004

CENTER

1.000

Operation Manual Page 5-15

 PROGRAM STEPS
MILLPWR

Mirror
You can make a mirror image of any section of your MIRROR 005
program using this step. Enter the RANGE of steps you want STEP RANGE
FIRST
to mirror, and the end points of the “mirror line,” called the LAST

axis of reflection. The axis does not have to be vertical or 1ST AXIS POINT
X1 ABS
horizontal; you can use any line. Y1 ABS

2ND AXIS POINT

Example: X2 ABS
Y2 ABS

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
FIRST 001
LAST 004 AXIS OF
1ST AXIS POINT REFLECTION
X -1.000 ABS
Y 0.000 ABS

2ND AXIS POINT

X -1.000 ABS
Y 1.000 ABS

LEFT HAND PART ORIGINAL

STEPS 001 THRU 004
1.0

2.0

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
You can create a pocket from any closed contour. A CUSTOM POCKET 005

closed contour is any shape made of lines, arcs, and/or STEP RANGE
FIRST 2
blends, where the last step ends at the start point of the LAST 4
ENTRY POINT
first step. MILLPWR will indicate a closed contour with X ABS
Y ABS
double lines to the right of the applicable steps in the RATE
program list. FEED 10 IPM

FINISH
The CUSTOM POCKET step must be placed immediately 0.0000 CUT

following the last step in the closed contour. FEED 0 IPM

DIRECTION ccw
STEPOVR 50 %
MILLPWR In the CUSTOM POCKET step, the STEP RANGE is filled in
will arc on automatically. You need to fill in the ENTRY POINT, which
and arc off
the last cut. 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.

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

UPPER LEFT CORNER

X ABS
First, enter the location on the part for the UPPER LEFT Y ABS

CHARACTER HEIGHT
CORNER of the text block, then the CHARACTER HEIGHT.
TILT ANGLE
If you enter a TILT ANGLE , the entire text block will be 0° 00' 00"

rotated around the upper left corner. Z

DEPTH
0.000 ABS

The way the text letters and numbers look is called style. STYLE
STICK FONT
STYLE has two parts: FONT and MODIFIER. NORMAL MODIFIER

TOOL
You may select the FONT from the list available under the INCH

ENGRAVER FONTS softkey. The font determines the shapes TYPE

FEED
of the characters. In the MILLPWR STICK font, characters 10 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.
Use
“mirrored” if The MODIFIER field lets you select between normal and mirrored text using softkeys.
you’re making
a mold.

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

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, simpler steps. For example, the ROTATE step below creates 2 copies of the
EXPLODE is not contour-with-hole shape, yet it only takes one step. Similarly, a single BOLT
a step, but it can
CIRCLE step causes MILLPWR to drill several holes.
create steps.

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 002 POSITION / DRILL

003 POSITION / DRILL 003 POSITION / DRILL
EXPLODE STEP 002 004 POSITION / DRILL 004 POSITION / DRILL
TO GET 8 POS / 005 POSITION / DRILL 005 POSITION / DRILL
DRILL STEPS.
HIGHLIGHT THE
006 POSITION / DRILL 006 POSITION / DRILL
THIRD HOLE AND 007 POSITION / DRILL 007 POSITION / DRILL
PRESS THE 008 POSITION / DRILL 008 POSITION / DRILL
DEL KEY. 009 POSITION / DRILL

Page 5-20 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

CALCULATOR
Four Function Arithmetic
+ - X /
The four arithmetic keys, , are available when you are in any
numeric entry field, such as X, Y, CENTER, or RADIUS . Just use these keys as you
would any calculator.

KEY 2 + 5 ENTER

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:
X 2 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

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.

COS SIN TAN SQR ROOT (

SHIFT
ARC COS ARC SIN ARC TAN SQR )

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

COS SIN TAN SQR ROOT (

SHIFT
SHIFT
ARC COS ARC SIN ARC TAN SQR )

X
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.

SQR ROOT
2 CALC
SQR

RADIUS RADIUS
2 1.4142

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
Notice that you 30°) will be displayed.
can press the
CALC key first,
and just stay in
SIN
the calculator. CALC 3 0 ARC SIN

RADIUS RADIUS
30 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.

X 4 ENTER

0.5000 0.5000 X 4 2.000

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

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Geometry Calculator

Why We Need a Geometry Calculator

Occasionally, a drawing will not have enough information to program a part in the usual
way.
An example is the illustration below. The part is uniquely defined by the given
information. However, the coordinates of points C and D, where the arc is tangent to
the sides, are unknown. These coordinates are needed to define lines 002 and 004, as
well as the FROM and TO points of the arc.

5
.62

D C 001 LINE, from A to B

002 LINE, from B to C
003 ARC, from C to D
004 LINE, from D to A

70° 70°

A B
2.00

MILLPWR ’s geometry calculator can be used to calculate the unknown points for this
problem and for many others.

Page 6-4 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Working with the Geometry Calculator

To open the geometry calculator, referred to as GeoCalc, press the CALC key. If you
are not in a numeric field, the GeoCalc screen appears. If you are in a numeric field and
the trig calculator softkeys appear, press the CALC key again to get the GeoCalc
screen.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

T OR
EA

LIS LAT
AR

U
LC
G
IN

CA
AW
DR

END OF 0

The strategy for using GeoCalc is to find a point, which is not given on the blueprint, that
you need for the FROM, TO, or CENTER point for a line, arc, or any other program step.
The basic operating procedure is:
1. Use the POS, LINE, and ARC keys to enter points, lines, arcs. These features are
drawn in the drawing area and are listed in the calculator list area.
2. Using the SELECT FEATURE softkey, select either one or two features.
3. Press FIND POINT, FIND LINE, or FIND ARC.
The calculator automatically finds all “interesting” points, lines, or arcs, as shown in
the table on the next page.
4. Using softkeys, keep one or more of the results.
5. Repeat steps 2 - 4 until you have the features you need.
6. Using the RETURN FEATURE softkey, return features to the program.

Operation Manual Page 6-5

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

The kinds of “interesting” things that GeoCalc finds depend on the features you select
and whether you ask for a point, line, or arc. The table below lists all of the points, lines,
and arcs found by the GeoCalc.
Items Find Point Find Line Find Arc
Selected

2 Points Midpoint between the Line between the given Given a radius, all arcs thru
given points points the given points

1 Point Point on the given line Lines thru the given point, Given a radius, all arcs thru
1 Line which, with the given one parallel and one the given point and tangent
point, would form a line perpendicular to the given to the given line
perpendicular to the given line
line

1 Point Points which, with the Lines thru the given point Given a radius, all arcs thru
1 Arc given point, would form tangent to the given arc, the given point and tangent
lines tangent to the given and the shortest line thru to the given arc
arc and the shortest line the given point to the given
from the given point to the arc
given arc

1 Line End points of the given Given a distance, lines

line parallel to the given line;
lines perpendicular to the
given line thru its end
points

2 Lines Intersection point of the Line that bisects the angle Given a radius, all arcs
given lines formed where the given tangent to both given lines
lines intersect; line
perpendicular to the
bisector

1 Line Points where given line Lines perpendicular to the Given a radius, all arcs
1 Arc intersects given arc given line and tangent to tangent to the given line and
the given arc; shortest line the given arc
to the given arc which is
perpendicular to the given
line

1 Arc Center point, end points

2 Arcs Intersection points Lines tangent to arcs; Given a radius, all arcs
shortest line between arcs tangent to both arcs

When the GeoCalc uses lines and arcs, it will extend them. Lines are extended in both
directions and arcs are treated as circles. This means that you do not have to specify
lines and arcs exactly; just enter enough information to get the line or arc “started”, and
GeoCalc will fill in the rest when needed.

Page 6-6 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Example Problem
We’ll use the example below to demonstrate how to use GeoCalc.

Strategy
We can program the line from A to B directly. Then we’ll use GeoCalc.
Our strategy will be:
• Enter the line from A to D.
5
.62

D C
• Enter the line from B to C.
• Select the two lines, and use the FIND ARC
function.

70° 70° • Get points C and D, the endpoints of the arc.

A B Then, transfer them into the program from
2.00
GeoCalc.

Starting the Program

Point A is shown as the datum with absolute coordinates of 0,0. In the part program,
enter the line from A to B.
SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH
MILL LINE 002
CURRENT PROGRAM
FROM
X1 0.0000 ABS 001 SET TOOL
Y1 0.0000 ABS
002 MILL LINE
TO
X2 2.000 ABS
Y2 0.000 ABS

DEPTH
Z -0.250 ABS

TOOL
0.125 INCH

FLT END ML TYPE

RIGHT OFFSET

FEED 10 IPM

END OF 2

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Now, according to our strategy, we’ll go to GeoCalc to find the two points we need.

Operation Manual Page 6-7

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Entering the Lines

Press the CALC key on the front display panel to enter the GeoCalc screen. Press the
LINE key and construct the line from A to D. Although we will mill this line in the other
direction (towards the datum), in the GeoCalc, a line is just a line, and its direction
doesn’t matter.
Here’s how we do it:
• We know the start point: X = 0, Y = 0.
“From the datum” • We know the angle of the line from the datum is 70°. In the TO field, press the
means we can use
POLAR softkey. The field now looks like
absolute
dimensioning. this:
TO
R2 ABS
A2 ABS

GEO LINE 001

FROM
X1 0.000 ABS
• The polar coordinates are R2 (radius) and A2 (angle). Y1 0.000 ABS

• We don’t know the length of the line, but GeoCalc TO

R2 5.000 ABS
doesn’t need it. Just guess and put in 5, which appears A2 70° 00' 00" ABS

to be longer than we need.

• Go down to the A2 field and enter 70°.
• Press USE and the line is drawn.
SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

001 GEOLINE

END OF 1

SELECT FIND FIND FIND RETURN CLEAR

FEATURE POINT LINE ARC FEATURE CALC

Page 6-8 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

“From its own start Next, we’ll put in the other side line. This line starts at X = 2, Y = 0, and goes out
point” means we from its own start point at a 110° angle.
can’t use absolute
dimensioning. We Again, since we know the angle, we can use R2
need to use polar coordinates. But because the angle (and
“incremental”.
the length) will be measured from point B, not A2
70°
from the datum, we need to use incremental 110°

+X
dimensioning, not absolute. 2.00

INCREMENTAL
B
• Press the LINE key. In the FROM point, put ZERO

X = 2 and Y = 0. FROM
X1 2.000 ABS
• In the TO point, press the POLAR softkey. Guess at 5 Y1 0.000 ABS
for R2. TO
R2 5.000 ABS

• Since this is the length of the line from its start point, A2 ABS
TO
B, and not from the datum, we’ll need to use R2 5.000 INC R1
incremental dimensioning instead of absolute. Press A2 ABS
the ABS/INC key to bring up the INC reference field.
Because the FROM point (X1/Y1, or R1/A1 in polar) is the “incremental zero”, we
want R1 in the INC field, MILLPWR puts it there automatically. The R2 field now
says “R2 is 5.000 measured incrementally from the FROM point, R1/A1”.
• Move to the A2 field. Enter 110° for the angle. Since the angle is measured from
point B, the incremental zero, we must press the INC/ABS key again, and we see
A1 is automatically put in the INC field. The A2 field now reads “A2 is 110° from the
FROM point, R1/A1”. TO
R2 5.000 INC R1
• Press USE to see the line. A2 110o INC A1

SERVO O F F FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

001 GEOLINE

002 GEOLINE

END OF 2

SELECT FIND FIND FIND RETURN CLEAR

FEATURE POINT LINE ARC FEATURE CALC

Operation Manual Page 6-9

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Finding the Arc

First, move to 001 GEOLINE and press the SELECT FEATURE key. Repeat for 002
GEOLINE . Notice that an arrow appears to signify that the lines have been selected.
The white Also, the message line above the softkeys tells you which features are selected.
highlighting lets
you know which Press the FIND ARC softkey. A field for the arc radius will be displayed in the
line you’re message bar. Enter 0.625, press USE, and GeoCalc displays all possible 0.625
pointing to.
radius arcs tangent to the two selected lines.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

001 GEOLINE

002 GEOLINE
GEOARC

GEOARC
GEOARC
GEOARC
GEOARC

GEOARC

GEOARC
GEOARC

3 OF 10

CURRENT SELECTIONS: 001 GEOLINE AND 002 GEOLINE

KEEP KEEP CLEAR
ONE ALL RESULTS

The four circles are actually eight arcs. The ends of the arcs are where they are tangent
to the lines. Move down through the list of GeoArcs and watch the corresponding arcs
highlight.
The arcs are the results of the FIND ARC calculation. They are not numbered in the list
as the GeoLines are because they are temporary. You will keep the one you want and
clear the rest.

Page 6-10 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Highlight the arc that forms the top of the part. Press the KEEP ONE softkey, and
GeoCalc makes that arc number 003. Then press the CLEAR RESULTS softkey to erase
the remaining arcs.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

001 GEOLINE

002 GEOLINE
003 GEOARC

END OF 3

CURRENT SELECTIONS: 001 GEOLINE AND 002 GEOLINE

SELECT FIND FIND FIND RETURN CLEAR
FEATURE POINT LINE ARC FEATURE CALC

Operation Manual Page 6-11

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Finding the Points of Tangency

Keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to have GeoCalc determine the points of tangency
between the lines and the arc. Since the FIND ARC function calculates the arcs which are
tangent to the two selected lines, the ends of the arcs are the points we need. We just
have to select the arc and have GeoCalc find the end points.
• Select 001 GEOLINE and press the SELECT FEATURE softkey. This will de-select
the line.
• Move down to 002 GEOLINE and de-select it.
• Move down to 003 GEOARC and select it.
• Press the FIND POINT softkey.
The three resulting points are the center and the ends of the arc. The end points are the
ones we are after; they are points C and D in our drawing.
• Select one end point. Press KEEP ONE.
• Move to the other end point. Press KEEP ONE.
• Press CLEAR RESULTS to erase the arc’s center point.
We now have the tangent points, 004 and 005, stored in the calculator.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

GEOMETRY CALCULATOR

001 GEOLINE

002 GEOLINE
003 GEOARC

004 GEOPOINT

005 GEOPOINT

5 OF 5

CURRENT SELECTION: 003 GEOARC

SELECT FIND FIND FIND RETURN CLEAR
FEATURE POINT LINE ARC FEATURE CALC

Page 6-12 Operation Manual

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

Returning Features
GeoCalc will return features to the part program by pressing the RETURN FEATURE
key. We will now program the second line, the arc, and the last line.
The features in
the calculator will Press CANCEL to return to the program. Make sure you are after the first MILL LINE
not be lost until step.
the MILLPWR is
turned off or until • Press LINE to get a new MILL LINE form. The FROM point is automatically set to
you clear the point B.
calculator.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

5
.62
001 SET TOOL D C
002 MILL LINE

70° 70°

A B
2.00

END OF 2

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

• You are in the X2 field in the TO point. This is point C, one of the points we have
in GeoCalc.
• Press the CALC key twice to get to the GeoCalc screen.
• Select the GeoPoint representing point C. Press the RETURN FEATURE softkey.
This moves the coordinates of point C to the part program and returns to the
program. Press USE to put the line into the part program.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

CURRENT PROGRAM

001 SET TOOL

002 MILL LINE
003 MILL LINE

END OF 3

PROGRAM CLEAR MORE RUN

EXPLODE
FUNCTIONS PROGRAM STEPS OPTIONS

Operation Manual Page 6-13

 CALCULATOR
MILLPWR

• Press CALC to get to GeoCalc.

• Highlight the arc.
• Press the RETURN FEATURE softkey. MILLPWR automatically adds an arc step to
the program and places the arc’s information into the form.
• Press USE to put the arc into the program.
• Press the LINE key. The end of the line is at the datum, so enter X2 = 0, Y2 = 0 in the
TO point, and press USE to keep the line.

The program is now complete.

Page 6-14 Operation Manual

 SETUP
MILLPWR

SETUP
SETUP Pressing the SETUP key displays information about the system that you can adjust. This
is the OPERATOR SETUP list.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

OPERATOR SETUP

TOOL LIBRARY

SCALE FACTOR

DISPLAY OPTIONS

TOUCH PROBE

FEED RATE SETTINGS

SYSTEM SETUP

1 OF 6

USE NEW CANCEL

INCH MM
SETTINGS CHANGES

Select the item you wish to change and press ENTER. After you have made any desired
changes to the settings, press the USE NEW SETTINGS softkey to activate them.
Pressing the CANCEL CHANGES softkey will restore your previous settings.

Inch or Metric
Press the INCH or MM softkey to use either English or metric dimensions. Press the USE
NEW SETTINGS softkey to keep the change.

If you have a program loaded, you cannot change the units. The units cannot be
converted because the program was already entered either in inches or in millimeters.

Operation Manual Page 7-1

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Operator Setup
Tool Library
A list of tools is available to you for convenient selection during programming and/or
operation of the MILLPWR . There are 99 “slots” in the Tool Library. You can
organize tools any way you wish. One way is to keep all your flat end mills together
Put your most
commonly used in a group, all drills in a group, and so on. Another way is to group them by size.
tools first!
Move to TOOL LIBRARY , and press ENTER.
SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

TOOL LIBRARY

7
8

9 0.0625 INCH DRILL

10 0.1250 INCH DRILL

11 0.3875 INCH DRILL

12 0.5000 INCH DRILL

13

14

1 OF 99

SORT BY SORT BY USE NEW CANCEL

NUMBER TYPE SETTINGS CHANGES

To add a tool to the tool library, select an unused slot and press ENTER. Fill in the
DIAMETER, the UNITS , and the TYPE (press the TOOL TYPES softkey to see the
available list). Press USE to enter the tool into the library.
To change an existing tool, move to that tool and press ENTER. Make any changes and
press USE. The changed tool will now appear in the library.
You can see the library in numerical order, or, if you press the SORT BY TYPE softkey,
by tool type.

Page 7-2 Operation Manual

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Scale Factor
The scale factor can be set to scale the workpiece up or down from the programmed
size. All programmed dimensions will be multiplied by this scale factor when the
program is run. The numbers in your program
are not changed.
A scale factor of 1.000 causes the MILLPWR to SCALE FACTOR
use programmed dimensions exactly. Values
SCALE
greater than 1 cause the MILLPWR to make 1.0000
parts larger than the programmed dimensions;
values less than 1 to make parts smaller.

Operation Manual Page 7-3

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Display Options
Select DISPLAY OPTIONS and press ENTER.
For each of the settings, a series of softkeys gives you DISPLAY OPTIONS
the available options.
ANGLES
ANGLES lets you show angles as decimal degrees, DMS
radians, or degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS)
INC DISPLAY
INC DISPLAY will let you see INCREMENTAL TRAVEL DISTANCE TO GO
or DISTANCE TO GO in the DRO incremental
display. Incremental travel is the distance DISPLAY RESOLUTION
from the start of the line to the tool; it reads 0 NORMAL

at the start. This is equivalent to “zero and go”

POINT ENTRY
operation. If you're milling a line, distance to CARTESIAN
go is the distance from the tool to the end of
the line; it reads 0 when you’re at the end. FROM POINT
This is equivalent to presetting a target and ABSOLUTE

machining to zero.
DISPLAY RESOLUTION is the smallest increment of
motion shown in the DRO.
VERY HIGH = .0001" or .002 mm
HIGH = .0002" or .005 mm
NORMAL = .0005" or .01 mm
LOW = .001" or .02 mm

POINT ENTRY lets you select Cartesian for X-Y coordinates, or polar if you have a job
which has most of the dimensions in polar coordinates (radius and angles).
FROM POINT lets you determine how MILLPWR will show the coordinates of the start of
a line (or arc) when it connects to the previous line. The INCREMENTAL setting
will show the FROM points like this:
Line 004, FROM:
X1 0.0000 INC 003
Y1 0.0000 INC 003

The ABSOLUTE setting will show the FROM points like this:
Line 004, FROM:
X1 4.0050 ABS
Y1 -3.2000 ABS

Page 7-4 Operation Manual

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Touch Probe
The diameter of the probe or edge finder, used for finding the workpiece edge during
datum setting, is set by selecting TOUCH PROBE and entering the diameter.

Feed Rate Settings

Here you can change the settings for various FEED RATE SETTINGS
speeds and feeds.
STEP OVERRIDE %
STEP OVERRIDE % is the size of the percent step 5
used when you press the FEED+ and
FEED- keys. MAX OVERRIDE %
150
MAX % is the most you can override the
programmed feed rate with the FEED+ MIN OVERRIDE %
key. 50

MIN % is the lowest you can override the DRY RUN SPEED
100
programmed feed rate with the FEED-
key. DEFAULT FEED RATE
10
*DRY RUN SPEED is the speed used during dry run
testing of a program. It is also the speed UNIT(/MIN)
used when you use MOVE TABLE with the INCH
arrow keys.
*DEFAULT FEED RATE is what appears
automatically in the first milling step of a
new program in the FEED RATE field.
UNIT/(MIN) lets you set the system feedrate to operate in inches per minute or millimeters
per minute.

*Note that the DRY RUN SPEED and FEED RATE DEFAULT are not
converted. A speed of 100 will be 100 in/min or 100 mm/min, depending
on units.

Operation Manual Page 7-5

 SETUP
MILLPWR

System Setup
When you select SYSTEM SETUP from the OPERATOR SETUP list, you are asked for a
passcode. The passcode is defined on page 2 of this manual. Enter it to bring up the
following list of settings.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

SYSTEM SETUP

PROTECTION

ERROR COMPENSATION

ENCODER DIRECTION

SERIAL PORT

1 OF 4

PREVIOUS USE NEW CANCEL

MENU SETTINGS CHANGES

Protection
MILLPWR gives you the ability to prevent changes to
part programs and to the tool library without first PROTECTION

entering into the system setup and removing the

PART PROGRAM
protection. NO

With program protection set to YES, programs cannot

TOOL LIBRARY
be changed or saved. This prevents an inexperienced NO
machine operator from making bad parts by mistakenly
changing or deleting a step.

A TOOL step
can always If you protect the tool library, it can’t be mistakenly changed either.
be changed.

Page 7-6 Operation Manual

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Error Compensation
If the milling machine shows signs of wear, actual part dimensions may differ from
programmed dimensions. A correction factor can be entered for the axis that is not
holding accurate dimensions.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

SYSTEM SETUP ERROR COMPENSATION

X: STANDARD LENGTH (INCH)

PROTECTION
0.0000
ERROR COMPENSATION
X: COMPENSATION PPM
ENCODER DIRECTION
0
SERIAL PORT
Y: STANDARD LENGTH (INCH)
0.0000

Y: COMPENSATION PPM
0

2 OF 4

ENTER LENGTH OF STANDARD. INCLUDE TOOL DIAMETER IF REQUIRED.

FIRST SECOND USE NEW CANCEL
POINT POINT SETTINGS CHANGES

If you know the error correction value in parts per million (PPM), you can type it in
directly. Otherwise, use the following procedure to find it for each axis:
• Set up a standard gage block of
known length.
LENGTH OF STANDARD
• Enter the standard length. If you need + DIAMETER OF PROBE

to touch each end of the block, using

opposite edges of the probe or tool,
include the diameter of the tool in the LENGTH OF STANDARD

length of the standard. If you are using

the kind of gage where you use the
LENGTH OF STANDARD
same edge of the tool for both ends,
just enter the block’s actual length.
• Touch one end of the block and press LENGTH OF STANDARD

the FIRST POINT softkey.

• Touch the other end and press the SECOND POINT softkey.
• MILLPWR calculates and enters the correction in parts per million.

Operation Manual Page 7-7

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Encoder Direction
If you don’t like the plus and minus directions that MILLPWR has chosen for you, you
can change them. This might happen if you prefer to have the quill-down direction be
positive, or if the X-axis scale is mounted to the front of the table instead of to the back.
Changing an axis from POSITIVE to NEGATIVE changes the count direction. Use the
softkeys to make the changes.

ENCODER DIRECTION

X AXIS
Be careful about
changing this and POSITIVE
then running an
old program --you Y AXIS
could get some POSITIVE
pretty strange
results! Z AXIS
POSITIVE

Page 7-8 Operation Manual

 SETUP
MILLPWR

Serial Port
After you have created a part program, you can store it any of three ways: on
MILLPWR ’s internal hard disk drive, on a 3 ½” floppy disk, or on the hard disk drive
of your PC using MILLPWR ’s serial port. Storing programs on your PC is often a good
idea, because doing so frees up MILLPWR ’s hard disk drive space, allowing
MILLPWR to perform faster.

Before you save a program on your PC using MILLPWR ’s serial port, you’ll need to
configure the parameters for the serial port. To do so, follow these simple steps:
• Using the arrow keys, highlight SERIAL PORT and press the ENTER key.

SERVO OFF FEED 0 100% TOOL: SCALE 1.0000 INCH

SYSTEM SETUP SERIAL PORT

PROTECTION

ERROR COMPENSATION FUNCTION

OFF
ENCODER DIRECTION

SERIAL PORT
BAUD RATE
9600

4 OF 4

REMOTE USE NEW CANCEL

OFF
STORAGE SETTINGS CHANGES

• Press the REMOTE STORAGE softkey to change the FUNCTION setting from “OFF”
to “REMOTE STORAGE.”

SERIAL PORT
FUNCTION
REMOTE STORAGE

BAUD RATE
9600

Operation Manual Page 7-9

 SETUP
MILLPWR

• Using the arrow keys, highlight the BAUD rate.

• Define the BAUD rate by using the HIGHER and LOWER softkeys. The BAUD rate
you select must match the BAUD rate of your PC.

If you are unsure

which BAUD rate SERIAL PORT
to select, start FUNCTION
REMOTE STORAGE
with 2400. You
can adjust it later BAUD RATE
on if you need to. 2400

• When you are finished, press the USE NEW SETTINGS softkey. If you want to
change the information you have entered, press the CANCEL CHANGES softkey and
edit the settings.

Page 7-10 Operation Manual

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

REMOTE STORAGE
When you create programs using MILLPWR , you can save them on the hard disk drive of your
PC using the remote storage feature. The remote storage feature enables you to free up
MILLPWR ’s internal hard disk drive space. Plus, your PC is the ideal place to back up
important files and organize them in one convenient location.

Equipment
To set up the remote storage program, you will need the following items:
• MILLPWR

• IBM-compatible PC
• Serial cable
• Remote Storage installation disk

Choosing a Serial Cable

Before MILLPWR and your PC can communicate with each other, they need to be
connected with a serial cable. The graphic below illustrates how the cable’s wires must
be attached to the end connectors for successful transmission. Check that the cable you
purchase follows this wiring diagram:

Connector 1 (Wires) Connector 2

NC 1 1 NC

RxD 2 2
RxD

TxD 3 3 TxD

DTR 4 4 DTR

GND 5 5 GND

DSR 6 6 DSR

RTS 7 7 RTS

CTS 8 8 CTS

NC 9 9 NC

Operation Manual Page 8-1

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

Connecting MILLPWR to Your PC

Before you can save programs remotely, you need to connect MILLPWR to your PC.

! CAUTION

To avoid the possibility of electrical shock, power down both

MILLPWR and your PC before connecting the serial cable.

• Connect one end of the cable into the serial port located on the side of
MILLPWR ’s controller cabinet. Connect the opposite end of the cable into an
available COM port on the back of your PC.

Connect one
end of your
cable to the RS-232
serial port SERIAL PORT
located on the
side of XIS
XA
MILLPWR's
controller
cabinet
X AXIS Y AXIS

Z AXIS

COM 1 COM 2

XIS
XA Connect the
opposite end of
your cable into
an available
COM port on the
back of your PC

• Note that the COM port must be available—that is, not already assigned a piece
of hardware by the PC. You cannot simply disconnect a piece of hardware and
connect the cable. If there’s no COM port recognized as being available by the PC,
then you will need to make one accessible (consult your PC owner’s manual).

Page 8-2 Operation Manual

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

Installing the Remote Storage Program

You can install the Remote Storage program on your PC using either Microsoft®
Windows® 95 or DOS® operating systems. Choose the system you will use, then follow
the applicable steps below.

For Windows 95:

1. Boot up your PC.
2. Insert the “Remote Storage” disk into your PC’s floppy disk drive.
3. Click on “START.”
4. Click on “Run,” then type a:install and click “OK.” This copies all of the files from
the disk into a folder on your PC’s hard disk drive.
5. Instructions on how to use Remote Storage will be displayed on the screen.
6. Close the DOS window. A Remote Storage icon should now appear on your PC
screen. Double-click on the icon to run the Remote Storage program.

For DOS:
1. Boot up your PC.
2. Insert the “Remote Storage” installation disk into your PC’s floppy disk drive.
3. At the C:\. prompt, type a: then press ENTER.
4. After the A:> prompt, type install, and press ENTER again. This command tells
the PC to copy all the files from the disk into a folder on your PC’s hard disk drive.
5. At the next prompt, type c: then press ENTER.
6. After the C:\ prompt, type cd remtstor and press ENTER.
7. C:\REMTSTOR\> will appear. Type remtstor and press ENTER.

Your PC should now display the Remote Storage Utility screen.

Operation Manual Page 8-3

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

Setting the PC’s COM Port and BAUD Rates

After the Remote Storage software has been loaded, the following screen will appear
on your PC:
Communications Baud Rate
Port Selected

READY COM: 1 BAUD: 2400 01-01-99 14:00:43

COMMAND TIME PROGRAM DIRECTORY

0 of 0

ACU-RITE Remote Storage Utility v1.0.0

Keyboard
Command COM PORT BAUD QUIT
Softkeys (F1) (F2) (F5)

Now you need to identify your COM port and set the BAUD rate.
• COM Port – COM (short for “communication”) port 1 is the program’s default
setting. You can switch to COM port 2 by pressing the F1 key on your PC’s
keyboard. Remember that the COM port setting must be available, and it must
correspond with the PC port that you connected the serial cable to.
• BAUD Rate – Set the BAUD rate by pressing the F2 key on your PC’s keyboard
and scrolling through the pre-determined rates until the correct value appears. Use
the same rate you entered on the MILLPWR “Serial Port” screen. (Refer to the
System Setup section.)

After the proper COM port has been identified and the BAUD rate selected, you can
begin storing MILLPWR programs on your PC using MILLPWR ’s serial port. (For
more information about creating, saving, and deleting programs, refer to the
Programming section.)

Page 8-4 Operation Manual

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

Common Error Messages

If the communication lines between MILLPWR and your PC are disrupted, an error
message will appear on the MILLPWR screen. Settings that do not match and a faulty
serial cable connection are the most common problems and are easiest to correct.

Error Cause Solution

BAUD rate MILLPWR and PC Change one of the settings so that

error BAUD rate settings do MILLPWR and the PC BAUD rates
not match. are the same.

Checksum error MILLPWR and PC Change one of the settings so that

BAUD rate settings do MILLPWR and the PC BAUD rates
not match. are the same.

BAUD rate is too slow. Increase the BAUD rates on both the
MILLPWR and the PC.

No response Serial cable connection If the COM port setting (1 or 2) on the

from PC and COM port setting PC screen does not correspond with
do not match. the port the serial cable is connected
into:
a) Change the setting; -OR-
b) Disconnect the cable from the
COM port that it is connected to
and connect it to a different COM
port.

Incorrect serial cable Verify that you are using a serial cable
and that it is not a NULL modem
cable. Replace the cable if necessary.

MILLPWR and PC Change one of the settings so that the

BAUD rate settings do BAUD rates for MILLPWR and your
not match. PC are the same.

Operation Manual Page 8-5

 REMOTE STORAGE
MILLPWR

Error Cause Solution

No response from The selected COM port a) Change the PC’s COM port
PC (cont’d) is disabled. setting and connect the serial
cable into the appropriate port; -
OR-
b) Exit the remote storage program
on your PC, then refer to your
Microsoft® Windows® operating
system’s and PC operator’s
manuals for instructions on how
to enable a COM port.

Timeout error Loose serial cable Check that each end of the serial
cable fits snugly into the MILLPWR
serial port and your PC’s COM port.

387900-904 Ed G

Page 8-6 Operation Manual

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction:

This Troubleshooting Guide is intended to assist you with

diagnosing problems should you experience any difficulties with your
MILLPWR.

Using the Table:

This MILLPWR Troubleshooting Guide is arranged in three

columns entitled: Symptom, Problem and Recommendation. The
Symptoms are listed in the order of most common, easiest to check,
and least expensive to correct. First, locate the Symptom that best
describes the problem which needs to be corrected. Then, identify the
Problem that most closely matches what the MILLPWR system is
experiencing and implement the corresponding Recommendation as
stated.

This MILLPWR Troubleshooting Guide pertains to the MILLPWR

system specifically and on occasion the machine tool itself. It does
not fully address problems relating to improper tooling, incorrect
feeds and speeds, etc.

NOTE: This MILLPWR Troubleshooting Guide is based upon a system

which has been properly installed by a factory trained and certified
technician and that has had all startup system checks performed.

Operation Manual Page 9-1

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

Operator Console Displays a Brightness/Contrast Intensity is Adjust Brightness/Contrast knob

Blank Screen Too Low. located on the back of the
operator’s console.

No Power Check that the power switch

located on the back of the operator
console is on.

Ensure that the power cord

between the operator console and
the controller cabinet is properly
connected.

Ensure that the interface cable

between the operator console and
the controller cabinet is properly
connected.

Check that the power switch

located on the right side of the
controller cabinet and the red light
next to it is on.

Ensure that the source power

meets the specifications required
of the system and that there are no
blown fuses or tripped break-
ers. For information regarding
source power specification,
contact your ACU-RITE
MILLPWR representative.

Ensure that there is no floppy disk

in the floppy disk drive located in
the upper left corner of the front of
the operator console.

CRT failure Contact your ACU-RITE

MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

Page 9-2 Operation Manual

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

Operator Console Keyboard Does MILLPWR System Needs to be Turn the system off. Wait at least
Not Function Reset one minute. Then turn the system
back on.

Should the above recom-

mendation not correct the problem,
contact your ACU-RITE
MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

System Powers Up But Motor(s) Emergency Table Stop Button is Release the Emergency Table Stop
Will Not Move Table Activated Button.

Programming Error No Tool in program.

Graphics Only selected in program

mode.

Manual Positioning selected in

program mode.

No Oil in Oil Reservoir or Oil Check that there is sufficient oil in

Lines are Blocked or Discon- the oil reservoir.
nected.
Should the above recom-
mendation not correct the
applicable problem, contact your
ACU-RITE MILLPWR
representative for repair or
replacement procedures.

Stiff Table Movement Refer to: Table has stiff move-

ment. (p. 9-5)

Beyond Set Table Limits Contact your ACU-RITE

MILLPWR representative.

No Power to Motors Contact your ACU-RITE

MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

Operation Manual Page 9-3

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

System Powers Up But Motor(s) Temperature Check that the fan is operating.
Will Not Move Table (cont.)
Check that the controller cabinet
filter is not blocked. The filter may
need to be replaced.

Check that the door Louver filter is

not blocked. The filter may have
to be replaced.

If the fan and filter are operational,

leave the controller cabinet door
open for approximately 10 minutes
with the power on. Let the cabinet
cool down and then try moving the
table again.

Should the above recom-

mendation not correct the problem,
contact your ACU-RITE
MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

Table Run Away X and/or Y Axis Linear Encoders While in the DRO mode, move
Stopped Counting each axis manually to check that
the linear encoder counts. If the
linear encoder does not count,
perform the following procedure:

- Ensure that each linear encoder

is properly connected to the
controller cabinet and recheck
that the linear encoders count.

- Swap the X and Y linear en-

coder input connections and
recheck that the linear encoders
count.

- If the problem follows the

linear encoder swap, the lin-
ear encoder and/or reading
head which demonstrated the
symptom should be repaired or
replaced.

Page 9-4 Operation Manual

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

Table Run Away (cont.) X and/or Y Axis Linear Encoders Should the linear encoder count in
Stopped Counting (cont.) certain areas only, contact your
ACU-RITE MILLPWR
representative

Should the above recom-

mendation not correct the problem,
contact your ACU-RITE
MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

Improper Tachometer Wire Con- Contact your ACU-RITE

nections MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

No Signal. The motor will turn Contact your ACU-RITE

very slowly and always in one MILLPWR representative for
direction. repair or replacement proce-
dures.

Table Has Stiff Movement Table is Locked Ensure that the table is not locked.

Gibs Out of Adjustment Refer to the machine tool manual.

No Oil in Oil Reservoir or Oil Check that there is sufficient oil in

Lines are Blocked or Discon- the oil reservoir.
nected.
Should the above recom-
mendation not correct the
applicable problem, contact your
ACU-RITE MILLPWR
representative for repair or
replacement procedures.

System Not Repeating or Circles Machine Tool Related Problems Ensure that the knee, ram, head
Out of Round bolts, turret to column bolts and
head to knuckle bolts are properly
secured.

Check the gib adjustments (refer to

the machine tool manual).

Operation Manual Page 9-5

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

System Not Repeating or Circles Machine Tool Related Problems Tram the head.
Out of Round (Cont.) (Cont.)
Lower the quill full travel with a
sturdy tool in the spindle. Set up a
dial indicator to check movement
of the spindle; then move the tool
side-to-side. Total movement
should be within the machine tool
manufacturers’ specifications
between the spindle and the
spindle bearing and between the
quill and the bore. Replace the
spindle bearing if necessary.

Linear Encoders Check each linear encoder and

reading head for proper install-
ation and that the mounting
brackets are secured.

Servo Motor Module Out of Contact your ACU-RITE

Adjustment MILLPWR Representative.

Should the above recom-

mendation not correct the
applicable problem, contact your
ACU-RITE MILLPWR
representative.

Incorrect Dimensions Programming Error Verify the dimensions for each

step of the program.

Check that the correct tool num-

ber and diameter are being used for
each step of the program.

Measure the tool diameter to check

for tool wear.

Ensure that the correct scale factor

(multiplier) is being used.

Also refer to: System not

Repeating or Circles Out of Round.
(p. 9-5)

Page 9-6 Operation Manual

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

Symptom Problem Recommendation

Poor Finish Dull Tool Replace the tool.

Incorrect Feeds and/or Speeds Ensure that the correct feeds and/
or speeds are being used and/or
programmed.

Gibs Out of Adjustment Refer to the machine tool manual.

Worn Spindle Bearings Lower the quill full travel with a

sturdy tool in the spindle. Set up a
dial indicator to check move-
ment of the spindle; then move the
tool side-to-side. Total movement
should be within the machine tool
manufacturers’ specifications
between the spindle and the
spindle bearing and between the
quill and the bore. Replace the
spindle bearing if necessary.

Servo Motor Module Out of Contact your ACU-RITE

Adjustment MILLPWR Representative.

Also refer to: System not

Repeating or Circles Out of Round.
(p. 9-5)

Screen Flickers MILLPWR in Screen Saver Mode MILLPWR not used for approx-
imately 10 minutes. Push any key
on the front panel of the operator’s
console or move any axis to
restore stability to the display
screen.

Should the above recom-

mendation not correct the problem,
contact your ACU-RITE
MILLPWR representative for
repair or replacement procedures.

387900-905 Ed H

Operation Manual Page 9-7

 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
MILLPWR

BLANK PAGE

Page 9-8 Operation Manual