Update: iOS app is now on sale too!

Hey!

FSWizard for Android is on a huge sale right now!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beta.fswizard

And here is the link to iTunes store:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fswizard-pro/id774456543?mt=8

Check it out. This will not last long!

It has been long time since FSWizard iOS app was updated.

Now finally the wait is over!

With new design, new materials and tool types....

And with the new instant update functionality, that allows me to publish updates within hours for both the iOS and Android platforms, new features will be soon and many!

Check out the new FSWizard apps over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/eldar-gerfanov/id741521900?mt=8

Also you can get FSWizard for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beta.fswizard_lite

By the way. The only difference between the Lite and the PRO version is limited number of materials. All other restrictions have been permanently removed!

Some of you may be wondering what happened to me and why there is no major news for the last couple of weeks...

So just a heads up.
Work is under way to upgrade all systems this very site and HSMAdvisor online platform run on.

This is necessary before I start on another exiting feature: letting FSWizard users store their cutting data online and accessing data posted from HSMAdvisor.

Latest upgrades will make the site work faster too.

If everything goes according to plan on the next Sunday the site will be shut down and reopened by the end of the same day.

While we take every precaution to avoid major downtime (especially in the Floating License handling), please be patient if you can not access your license on Sunday.

Thank you for continuing support!

After more than a year in development and having its entire code base rewritten FSWizard Android app has finally been released to production!

The main goal of the initial production release was to not drop the ball. So the number of new features is relatively small.

The biggest visible improvement is the new design that conforms to the mobile UI standards.

We also support more materials in the lite version of the app than ever:

For HSMAdvisor customers all the available materials will be downloaded after the Login.

Another improvement is the sliding Speed and Feed overrides that are now located not only on the usual Overrides panel, but also on the Result panel:

This allows you to see the effect your changes make in the real time.

The new version of the app also allows to push immediate updates and hot fixes.
So expect a lot of new features delivered to you faster.

As you might have guessed I did not re-design the whole app just to add a couple of new sliders and a new design.

My plans is to fully integrate FSWizard with HSMAdvisor having them exchange tool libraries and cutting data.
Ant the core design changes that i made will allow for this work to proceed forward.

New FSWizard. Check it out if you have not already!

PS. for now the update is only available for Lite Android version of the app. FSWizard PRO Android and all version for iOS are still sporting old version. But I expect to update them within a week as well.

I have just released FSWizard for android to public beta testing.

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.beta.fswizard_lite

Sign up and run it through its paces!

When asked by a prospective customer which License Type a he/she should buy, I always say "If you have Internet connection, buy the Floating License".

The advantage of Floating License for this is very simple: it offers great flexibility.

• Flexibility in where to use the software: You can install and register computers all on your own without needing to contact support.
• Floating License can be used on multiple computers. And depending on how many seats are in the license, will determine how many HSMAdvisor instances can run at the same time.

And now we have 2 more points

License owner can set up a separate License Access password.
This allows organisations to give access to their HSMAdvisor seats without compromising their License Accounts. 

Second improvement is the "Max Seat Parking Period" option that can be used to make sure users do not occupy seats for periods of time, longer than allowed by the owner.

These options were introduced to make it easy for College professors to issue temporary seats to their students.

You can check it out on our updated License Control panel: https://hsmadvisor.com/?page=user_keys

Just click on the "Set License Password" button after logging in to your license.

Hello everybody!!

Hope each one of you had a lot of fun during the holidays!
I have just uploaded HSMAdvisor version 1.521 but because of huge amount of changes, i will not release it to the wild right away.

There is a week or so of testing in it as I see it.
Any one of you could help me out a bunch by downloading and  trying the updates.

Plugins: HSMAdvisor for MasterCAM

Standalone: HSMAdvisor

Let me know if you find anything wrong with it!

Cheers!

I personally would like to wish every one of my supporters Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

I like to consider every sold seat a start of new partnership with the goal of making Your work easier and more productive every day.

New year will bring lots of very cool developments and I am glad, that since all of the licenses we sell never expire, every single on of my customers will be able to enjoy the latest improvements.

Cheers and Have Great Holidays!

I came across a very educational post on Practical Machinist.

The topic-starter used over-aggressive speeds and feeds for his tiny BT30-taper machine and the retention knob (a.k.a Pull Stud) snapped causing the holder to drop lower, disengage from drive lugs and mess up the spindle bore in the process.

Just in case you don't know. Retention Knob looks like this and is used to pull the tool holder in to the spindle bore, thus holding it in place:

(Retention knob is the detail on the right)

This whole article is to remind everyone the importance of proper tool holder and retention knob maintenance.

Retention Knob Tips

• Retention knobs (according to HAAS) have service life of about 6000-8000 hours.
  That means that if a tool holder is used 3 hours a day, you should replace the knob after 8 years in service.
  For smaller BT30 knobs, you should probably replace them every 4 years.
• Retention knobs should be lightly oiled or greased (if TSC is used) once a month to lubricate the draw bar.
• There should be no visible damage or rust on the knobs.
  
• Do not exceed the maximum cutting force recommended by your machine manufacturer.
  Some of those high-helix end mills create large down-force that could in certain cases cause the knob to snap!
• Also retention knobs should be torqued to manufacturer specs and the tightness should be regularly checked. Overtightened knobs may lead to taper of the tool deforming and causing uneven contact with the spindle bore.

Tool Holder Maintenance Tips

• Keep Tool Holders clean. Especially the taper part that is matching to the spindle bore.
  Wipe them with a clean cloth. 
• Do not use sand paper to clean tool holders! Soft Scotch-brite is acceptable to clean very dirty ones.
• Repair dings and notches on the taper.
  Even an aluminum chip will cause a ding, that will create a high spot around it.
• Replace worn-out tool holders with new ones.
  Signs of ageing is uneven contact with the spindle bore and fretting (blackening of taper in certain spots)
• It is also a good idea to re-grind the spindle as well when replacing the tool holders - there are lot's of services that do that for very reasonable price.
• Like wise when a new machine is purchased, only new holders and retention knobs should be used. Using old worn out holders on a new spindle bore will lead to its premature wear and even damage.

Those are all the things I could think of at the moment.
Let me know if there is anything missing.

Have a safe and productive week!

3D Prining is about to to take over traditional machining the same way CNC Machining took over manual machining.
Eventually 3D printing will replace casting too.

Since 3D Printing does not require complicated setup and programming, this in turn will lead to massive loss of machining-related jobs.

Read more to see if this is true!

Read More