Help with 5-axis Tool Path

[Müřlıń®]

Hey guys i am trying to get this algorithm figured out.

 

What I would like to do is to use the custom tool geometry sitting on the tool origin and cut a 5-axis path on the blue surfaces using tilt.

 

If anyone could look at this file and help me with the parameters I would sincerely appreciate it.

 

 

[crazy^millman]

From what I can tell that toolpath doesn't support custom tools. Might have to cheat a standard tool close enough to what you are trying to use for a custom tool.

 

Might email Aaron at CNC and see what he thinks.

 

Sorry I can't offer anymore than that.

[Müřlıń®]

From what I can tell that toolpath doesn't support custom tools. Might have to cheat a standard tool close enough to what you are trying to use for a custom tool.

 

Might email Aaron at CNC and see what he thinks.

 

Sorry I can't offer anymore than that.

 

 

Ahh well from what it looks like if I tilt no more than 7 degrees it will clear the custom tool...but I am having a hard time with the parameters...

 

8 degrees puts the 3/4 shank about .03 away from the top lip....so 7 is safe.

 

BTW I tried using tilt on waterline and set max tilt to 7 degrees and defined the 3/4 shoulder at where it starts on the custom tool but there were random gouges at different tolerance settings of  about .1 in verify...don't know if those are false or not but the tool path sure looked like it was tilting more than 7 degrees to me...

[Ben Wood]

I was able to create a standard Mastercam tool that matches your tools shape.  Might help you get what you need.  Check out the attached file and backplot the drill operation to see it against your custom tool geometry.  I don't think I can be of much help on that toolpath though.

help-2.mcx-8

[TonyThom]

Try This.

help.mcx-8

[Müřlıń®]

Tony you are da MAN!

 

Thanks so much!

 

It was all about the tilt curve.....such an elegant solution brother!

 

I just used this simplified tool path instead of sifting through all the settings of the advanced features of this algorithm and

I didn't have to set machining direction or flip cut order to make it cut from the top down, set up all retracts ect....

I tried this one first but couldn't get it to work because my tilt curve was wrong.

 

But you helped me understand the advanced as well...TY,TY,TY....

And you even got the custom tool to work...Outstanding.

 

 

[Müřlıń®]

Well I was wrong about the simplified tool path working...it does not.

 

It worked as long as I made the tool path in the same tool group as the one with the advanced settings, then when I made a simplified tool path..... some of the settings must have stuck and got carried over....IE the direction of cut

 

Another bug as usual...

 

Must use the advanced tool path it seems...and also I think Tony added the point tool path in there to set it all up...

 

Still trying to figure that out..

[Müřlıń®]

yep point tool path is a positioning move...

 

using advanced is the only way...worked like a charm...

 

thanks again Tony!

[TonyThom]

Your Welcome. The problem you were having with the custom tool was extra geo on that level. MC didn't know what to do with it. These toolpaths always seem to have issues with any WCS other than TOP.  I do believe this is a bug.  But I don't use them often enough to be 100% that is.

[Müřlıń®]

I also used your same strategy and made a scallop tool path to cut the large scallops this tool left in the very bottom of the pocket.

 

I am going to import this op and use it as my 5-axis temp-let file.

 

All I did for the scallop path to work was to change the chain to match my projected window I made it a little shorter.  The I used convert 5-axis and finished the job.

 

The information that gets carried over in the ops manager from tool path to tool path can be both good and bad I have found. This "feature" made the convert 5-axis program much easier because of it.

But if you are jacking around with this tool path and save one that is all messed up...oh boy!

 

I do believe that if anyone just learning to use these paths follows this temp-let that Tony has laid out, they will have it a little easier getting acclimated to this algorithm.

 

This tool path is a very powerful tool, however I find about 50% of the settings to be redundant and confusing.  Lead, lag and tilt which all open up a new can of worms with more settings that have to be used can all be controlled by a simple line or closed curve, you just have to do a little math and build a curve....no big deal.

 

 There is a time and place for the other 50% of the settings but I think the default settings for this op should be what we have here and if more control is needed you can slowly add one thing at a time.

 

One thing that might not be readily apparent is the machine direction setting. It would be cool if there was a show button.

 

But for those who don't know, I will run through it.

 

Since I am machining this on a table-table horizontal, and my pocket orientation is @ B90C270,  this plane must be chosen. So select User defined from the popup.

 

Also I wanted the tool to start at the top and collapse inward so I choose this on Tonys tool path.

 

 

 

 

 

However when I went to make this tool path in my actual file things showed up a little differently.

 

I choose constant Z and B90C270 as the direction and got the same tool path without choosing from outside to center....and notice the machining angles are X,Y 0

Z180  instead of the weird numbers in the first pic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I suppose you wouldn't even have to choose angle if you knew it just type it in...so there is obviously 3 ways to just do this one little thing...way too redundant if you ask me.

[Aaron Eberhard]

'Ello Gents,

 

I started to type up a reply, but then I just recorded a video   

The summary:  Use a lollipop definition for X8 (in X9, you can use a tapered ball mill).  Don't over-constrain the algorithm, and use the automatic tilt strategy.    I think this might be a better job for Parallel to Surfaces, but I was trying to stay true to your original email which asked for a "waterline-like finish." 

 

Speaking of which, in X9, I'd just do it with a Waterline toolpath, and the holder collision set to "tilt to avoid gouge."  And you'd be done

 

https://youtu.be/hDVzbVjSPnA

Cheers,

 

Aaron

[Müřlıń®]

Outstanding Aaron !

 

Yes the 1/4" ball was a a typo...

 

Thanks for filling in all the remaining blanks on this Algorithm.

 

Explaining that the tool draws itself inside the part on the initial screen echo is Absolutely need to know information as one would assume you are doing something wrong from the get go.

 

Next thing that was confusing is the field title "tilt"...that throws a monkey wrench in there because beginners like myself might assume that is tool tilt and not axis rotation...the axis does not "tilt"...it rotates...so I wouldn't have named that field TILT.  Now it makes sense what I was seeing with all my experimentation.

 

Also explaining the gouge control helped out immensely.  Now I know a couple classes in advanced multi axis programming would be priceless, but some of us just have to figure it all out for themselves.

 

I can see now that a morph between 2 curves might do it all in one tool path instead of adding a scallop to clean up the...but I had to start somewhere and parallel seemed like the place to start...now that I comprehend the axis and gouge controls, the other strategies are going to be a lot easier to learn how to use effectively.

 

I tried the waterline tilt tool path first and it was not a very good path...verify showed a rough tool path with little inconsistencies all down the wall..so I switched to this tool path..

 

I have been avoiding trying to learn this one because it was so confusing..but it is actually the best tool in the box.

 

Once again I want to thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with us.