some help in 3d toolpaths and 3d machining

[Bowfisherman]

Hello there,

 

I am quite new at the 3d machining and surfaceing and am needing some help getting started.

 

I have created a 3 piece injection mold die.

its a solid right now but has no surfaces i don't think.

I need some help orienting the parts individualy and creating surfaces and then possibly assigning rough and finish toolpaths so that i may machine these 3 parts in a HAAS VMC.

 

Can anyone help please?

My part is in the FTP MC.9 folder named CLAYMOREPLUG,, I have a few others in there as well but they are another claymore part. this one is named claymoreplug.

 

any help is very very appreciated

Thanks, Leonard

[P_Scott]

Leonard,

 

One way to orient parts before machining is to use Xform-Translate, select your geometry (solids) and do it-Between Views. Fortunately your parts have square corners so this makes selecting points easier. You can translate geometry from say the Front plane to the Top plane this way. If you select the 3D Constr. plane first, you can also perform this translation and change the "Z" zero position at the same time. Make sure to select "Move" instead of "Copy" so you won't make more than your original three solids when performing the Translation. HTH

 

BTW, applying 3D surface toolpaths can be done using solid geometry. No need to make surfaces from solids. I actually prefer solids over surfaces.

[crazy^millman]

If this is for a Claymore Mine you might need to make sure you have clearence to put that file on the FTP. I have done military work over the years and being this is an international site you might need to ask JAY to take it off. If not then please dis-reguard this message.

 

I also like to use soilds for my machining. If you have one big body and trying to get many other bodies there are different ways. I do it a little harder than most but I copy the soild to three different levels keeping the origninal safe and then do a boolean remove using a recantangle to make top (One shape), middle(two shapes), bottom (one shape). I then just move all the parts using xfrom translate from point a to point b and done. I also like to do a bounding box for shape on a different layer in conjuction for each soild. I may have top on level 10 bounding box for top on level 11 and then middle on level 20 then bounding box on level 21 and so forth. The cool thing about giving space like that is if I want to do the second side of top I will put it on level 15 and then everything just flows for me that way. I hope that helps.

[P_Scott]

Leonard,

 

Millman_Crazy is right.

quote:

---

If this is for a Claymore Mine you might need to make sure you have clearence to put that file on the FTP.

---

I hadn't thought of that. Rest assured I have deleted my downloaded copy of your file after reading his reply. I still recommend using Xform-Translate-Btwn Views as a quick way to move the geometry from one view to another. BTW, I did have Secret clearance when I worked for a government contractor that builds submarines so I can keep a Secret.

[John T.]

If your gonna do the whole thing in just 3D, solids are fine, but solids do take up more memory and disk space.

If you want to make 2D toolpaths (not have seen the file), transforming the solids to surfaces will make it easier to generate the 2D geo for your toolpaths.

 

John

[Jayson Kramer]

File has been moved until Leonard tells me it's ok.

[P_Scott]

John T.,

 

I find that applying any toolpaths from solid geometry is easier and faster than using other forms of geometry in Mastercam (surfaces and wireframe). Creating wireframe geometry can be done from solids the same way as with surfaces. Solids by themselves can be used for nearly all toolpaths, with the exception of simultaneous 4th and 5th axis surface toolpaths. Even turning cycles can now be generated directly from solid part geometry.

[Code_Breaker]

Leonard,

 

I don't have access to FTP site, zip file and e-mail it to me. I'll do the best I can to help you.

 

Code_Breaker

[Thad]

Peter,

 

How do you create "runoff" for machining solids?

 

Thad

[Bowfisherman]

Jay, It's ok to leave the file. These are EOD items. They are just dummy training mines and no secret clearance is needed to resource to outside help..

 

Thanks for the concern.

Leonard

[Bowfisherman]

I am not sure if i mentioned, but I created my parts in Autocad only because I am extremely perficient in creating complex drawings in that software and then I just done a file conversion and imported my file into MC.9.

 

I haven't gotten good enough yet to creat 3d parts in MC.9 just yet.

2d is a breeze for me and the more I work with it the better I am getting, but for the time being, I have to draw 3D in Autocad.

 

Now that the long windedness is gone, looking at my part. Will I need to create surfaces to it before I machine it, and how do I go about createing surfaces to this part?

 

Thanks , Leonard

[cadcam]

File is back.

[crazy^millman]

Ok cool beans never hurts to be safe.

 

Leonard Mastercam rocks for drawing I think you will love it once you understand where everythign is. I cut my teeth on Autocad and Mastercam kicks but when it come to drawing complex 3d shapes. I been there doen the 2d wire frame then tryign to draw the different WCS views t od othe other work really sucks when mastercma makes it so easy to do very complex soild easy. I have not looked at your file but will over the weekend my last weekend of cable internet and what I will do is give you layers kind of a step by step drawing a part so you can follow some thing I have doen and see what I am talking about I think once you see who powerful Mastercam is you will be sold. This of course is if you have soilds now if you don't then I think you might juts always be happy with Autocad.

 

Be putting up results soon.

[Bowfisherman]

Thank you very much Mill,,

 

hope ya have a great weekend

 

Leonard

[Bowfisherman]

Thanks Jay

 

Leonard

[P_Scott]

Thad,

 

Machining solids with surface toolpaths is no different than using surfaces. The geometry is the only difference. Anything you can do with surfaces, you can do with solids. Solids does have some advantage over surfaces however. Try changing a surface fillet that is smaller than the original surface fillet. Changing a solid fillet is as easy as changing a fillet on a 2D wireframe contour.

 

Leonard,

 

You don't need to create surfaces when you have solids. Solid geometry is just selected a little differently than surfaces but you can perform the same operations using either type of geometry. If you are still more comfortable with surfaces, select Create-Surface-Next menu-From solid. This will extract surfaces from a solid model. HTH