jim_vv
01-21-2013, 12:46 PM
Greetings,
I have had a few projects come in that I would have liked to machine rotary on my indexer parallel to the Y axis on my machine. I have not had any success in getting the models to machine properly so I have resorted to multi sided machining strategies instead. I am currently using ArtCAM Pro 2008.
Currently, I have a 3D model that I would like to machine with a rotary strategy I have not had any success when I follow all of the Rotary machining documentation and posts that I can find and have tried everything that I can come up with. I have attached a text document of a very helpful post that I found on this forum which I followed. I would appreciate any help that anyone may offer.
I have a few observations/questions regarding setting the project up.
This particular model requires that it be unwrapped onto a small cylinder because it is very small at the top. After unwrapping and then wrapping, the model looks great, but the machine relief toolpaths do not follow the relief. Unwrapping onto a larger cylinder helps, but the toolpath is still not following the part correctly and obviously ruins the part. I have attached screen shots of the model and different views of unwrapping onto a cylinder, creating rotary relief as well as toolpath simulations.
I have been told that the bulbous contours in the toolpath simulation are an optical illusion. It is not, I have attached an image of the actual part which looks just as the simulation.
It appears that the toolpath stepover is calculated at the cylinder dimension, so the stepover is far too great at the larger diameters of the part. To get by this, I have created four limiting vectors and machined the part in four sections with all different stepover values to get an acceptable finish and machine time.
On this model, I will have to resort to a four sided strategy, but I sure would like to know if I am doing something wrong, if some parts just cannot be machined rotary, or if it is just a limitation in the software.
How does an ArtCAM user decide whether a part should be machined rotary or multi-sided? What criteria should I consider?
I will attach more images in subsequent posts
Kind regards,
Jim van Vegten
I have had a few projects come in that I would have liked to machine rotary on my indexer parallel to the Y axis on my machine. I have not had any success in getting the models to machine properly so I have resorted to multi sided machining strategies instead. I am currently using ArtCAM Pro 2008.
Currently, I have a 3D model that I would like to machine with a rotary strategy I have not had any success when I follow all of the Rotary machining documentation and posts that I can find and have tried everything that I can come up with. I have attached a text document of a very helpful post that I found on this forum which I followed. I would appreciate any help that anyone may offer.
I have a few observations/questions regarding setting the project up.
This particular model requires that it be unwrapped onto a small cylinder because it is very small at the top. After unwrapping and then wrapping, the model looks great, but the machine relief toolpaths do not follow the relief. Unwrapping onto a larger cylinder helps, but the toolpath is still not following the part correctly and obviously ruins the part. I have attached screen shots of the model and different views of unwrapping onto a cylinder, creating rotary relief as well as toolpath simulations.
I have been told that the bulbous contours in the toolpath simulation are an optical illusion. It is not, I have attached an image of the actual part which looks just as the simulation.
It appears that the toolpath stepover is calculated at the cylinder dimension, so the stepover is far too great at the larger diameters of the part. To get by this, I have created four limiting vectors and machined the part in four sections with all different stepover values to get an acceptable finish and machine time.
On this model, I will have to resort to a four sided strategy, but I sure would like to know if I am doing something wrong, if some parts just cannot be machined rotary, or if it is just a limitation in the software.
How does an ArtCAM user decide whether a part should be machined rotary or multi-sided? What criteria should I consider?
I will attach more images in subsequent posts
Kind regards,
Jim van Vegten