zx-contouring-facing-head

[CEMENTHEAD]

We will be building a post for this, http://cogsdill.com/product/zx-contouring-facing-head/

 

Has anyone any ZX (ZW) horror stories they would like to share? 

 

 

 

[gcode]

We run some really big facing heads on our HBM's

Their motion is driven by the W axis.

When we bought the first one I starting working up a post, but the guys on the floor

program them by hand and I never got any serious work done on the post

I our case, I was thinking a 2X lathe post might be the place to start

[Colin Gilchrist]

I think the biggest issue for combining the Lathe and Mill functions will be the setup inside Mastercam. Mixing Lathe and Mill output can be "funky" to say the least.

 

Here are some of the issues I've faced when dealing with 4X lathes, that also support milling operations. I am guessing they will be an issue here as well, if you are tying to get "everything done in one post".

 

• Standard 4X Horizontal posts in Mastercam use a special arrangement of "Top" WCS, and "Front" Tool Plane for "B0."
• A standard VMC style machines uses Top/Top arrangement of WCS and Planes
• Lathe uses the "X" axis of the WCS to represent "Z" on the Lathe machine. It uses "Back" Tool Plane for "C0."
• There is an option inside the Machine Definition for "VTL" style Lathes, that changes the behavior of the WCS. This is the "Lathe Z = World Z" switch.
  • This causes Mastercam to create a new set of Planes in the Planes Manager, where the part is mounted with the Lathe Spindle Axis on the "Z" axis of the WCS
  • I do not think this is "compatible" OOTB with the "Horizontal" setup of Top/Front, but you'd have to test it.

 

I think it will require some serious post work regardless of the method you choose. If this is to be an "occasional" thing for you to program, I would seriously consider maintaining two separate part files; one for the "Lathe" ops, and one for the "Mill" ops. I would also recommend using a simple 2X Lathe post for this, and placing the part along the X Axis of the WCS, to simplify things...

 

Good luck. This can be done for sure, but it won't be "easy" in my opinion.

[gcode]

I wasn't going to try mixing lathe and mill

In our case the C/L of the facing  operation is always X0 Y0

I was just going to use a lathe post, with the X axis set to D/2 and the Z outputting W's

then paste in the results into the mill program at the proper place

[Watcher]

We will be building a post for this, http://cogsdill.com/product/zx-contouring-facing-head/

 

Has anyone any ZX (ZW) horror stories they would like to share? 

 

 

We have a bunch of them here... And lining bars too...

 

Just keep them well maintained, clean and lubricated... And buy original spare parts... They´re pricey but worth the money...

[CEMENTHEAD]

HOLY CRAP! lol were scratching our heads here. pulled back a counterbore and the result is .. well. hard to explain.

It left us with a convex rad on the top and a (normal) rad on the bottom.  I sketched it roughly below.  

Has anyone ever seen this?  I'm beside myself...

SNIPPIT  OF CODE

N1340G80G40G17G90G56G95

N1341G0G90G56X0.Y0.B-78.75

N1342M0

N1343M19

N1344G0G90G56U11.5X0.Y0.B-78.75

N1345G43Z17.H10F.005

N1346Z15.1

N1347S50M3

N1348M8

N1349G0U11.7

N1350Z6.2861

N1351U16.6

N1352G1Z9.1412F.005

N1353G2U16.2824Z9.3R.1588

N1354G1U11.8124

N1355U11.6

N1356G0Z18.0

N1357M19

N1358M0

[crazy^millman]

Try point to point on the arcs and not the R. Just seen an issue with one machine where the ladder logic was incorrect for the contour head and the only way to get the radius to cut correct was linearize the arcs. The head is spinning around and not sure how that happened since that seem impossible, but try my suggestion and see if that helps.

[CEMENTHEAD]

We did contact cogsdill, they said the same about linerizing it,  but couldn't comment on our results.  When we break off I'm gong to scale the rad from .15 to 1.5" smaller up the diameters and re cut in an alum test piece. Gonna put that on my desk.

[crazy^millman]

10 minutes ago, CEMENTHEAD said:

We did contact cogsdill, they said the same about linerizing it,  but couldn't comment on our results.  When we break off I'm gong to scale the rad from .15 to 1.5" smaller up the diameters and re cut in an alum test piece. Gonna put that on my desk.

Watch for your travel limits when using it and make sure you set the mechanical setting to meet that. Best test is to make a range test for anything your going to run. Last thing you need is to get half way through a cut and run out of travel because a range test was not done from the start.

[gcode]

You have a G17 in your safety block at the start of the file

I think it's giving the  G2 line brain damage Try a G18 instead

 

you might also try changing that G2 (CW) to G3 (CCW)

[crazy^millman]

10 minutes ago, gcode said:

You have a G17 in your safety block at the start of the file

I think it's giving the  G2 line brain damage Try a G18 instead

 

you might also try changing that G2 (CW) to G3 (CCW)

Good point.