Optirough Stock Model Air Cutting

[rinzler]

Hey Guys,

I've recently been learning on a newer version of Mastercam after taking an NTMA course and it seems a lot easier than X5. The basic class was a lot of drawing but I wish there was more on the toolpaths side of things. 

I've been spending some hours researching this forum to see how I can make this as efficient as possible. The best way seems to be by using stock model and then selecting that in the rest material options. However I'm still losing some time once it cuts past the spoke of the wheel. How do I keep the tool engaged only where the material is on the bottom inner side of the part? The pictures are attached. The top seems fine as the program is stepping over and moving down.

Thank you I appreciate your help. 

[So not a Guru]

Set the "Steep/Shallow" depths to what you want.

[crazy^millman]

That is the mushroom effect. The stock models only act as a 2D snap shot looking through the plane to know what to machine. The toolpaths do not have the intelligence built into them to know from a previous stock model once it gets past a certain point there is no material to cut. I call this the mushroom effect. Model a mush room shape and make a stock model. Then machine the floor around the stem off a much room. It will keep cutting the whole shape of the last widest section of the mushroom from the bottom of the mushroom shape to the fl0or. It will not know there no material. In situations like this you either deal with it and in your case unless that part is 200" long I would.  The next option is you make on operation to a the break out point and then make a new stock model using the previous operation as a source operation and then work forward from that point making stock models to be the intelligence needed for OPTI-Rest toolpaths. I have a part right now with 16 operation and 16 files where I have as many 50 stock models for an operation and much of them are for this reason and the fact Stock model and OPTI-Rest are bad with large ID shapes.

[rinzler]

7 hours ago, So not a Guru said:

Set the "Steep/Shallow" depths to what you want.

I did but it didn't change the way it follows the material on the bottom of the part. I can set the the Max depth to what I need but it still has a lot of air time under the spoke. 

 

4 hours ago, crazy^millman said:

That is the mushroom effect. The stock models only act as a 2D snap shot looking through the plane to know what to machine. The toolpaths do not have the intelligence built into them to know from a previous stock model once it gets past a certain point there is no material to cut. I call this the mushroom effect. Model a mush room shape and make a stock model. Then machine the floor around the stem off a much room. It will keep cutting the whole shape of the last widest section of the mushroom from the bottom of the mushroom shape to the fl0or. It will not know there no material. In situations like this you either deal with it and in your case unless that part is 200" long I would.  The next option is you make on operation to a the break out point and then make a new stock model using the previous operation as a source operation and then work forward from that point making stock models to be the intelligence needed for OPTI-Rest toolpaths. I have a part right now with 16 operation and 16 files where I have as many 50 stock models for an operation and much of them are for this reason and the fact Stock model and OPTI-Rest are bad with large ID shapes.

That's what I was thinking, I might have to do multiple operations and create a new stock model each time to create the cuts I'm looking for, or just deal with the extra run time in the short term.

[DUM1]

or maybe create a surface or solid and use it as a "floor" to stay away from

[rinzler]

1 hour ago, DUM1 said:

or maybe create a surface or solid and use it as a "floor" to stay away from

Hmm I hadn't thought of that, that actually might work. I will try that later today and see if it works, I might have to offset it lower than the profile just to be sure it cuts the entire window. I'll report back later tonight on how that turns out. 

[crazy^millman]

1 hour ago, DUM1 said:

or maybe create a surface or solid and use it as a "floor" to stay away from

Good suggestion.

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

2 hours ago, DUM1 said:

or maybe create a surface or solid and use it as a "floor" to stay away from

Good suggestion.

That's a good way, I often use check surfaces when cutting  curved wood moldings and i want to keep the floor intact until I cut the outer profile.

[rinzler]

9 hours ago, DUM1 said:

or maybe create a surface or solid and use it as a "floor" to stay away from

This worked! It's fun experimenting with different stuff.

I created a revolved surface and selected that as the avoidance geometry. Thank you for the suggestion, and thank you to everyone who gave a suggestion as well.

[crazy^millman]

7 hours ago, rinzler said:

This worked! It's fun experimenting with different stuff.

I created a revolved surface and selected that as the avoidance geometry. Thank you for the suggestion, and thank you to everyone who gave a suggestion as well.

Thank you for reporting back it worked and your willingness to try new things.

[DUM1]

well that's awesome ! good job , and thanks for letting us know how it went 

[jlw™]

I didn't read 100% of this so.....

Did you use a stock model?  Stock model will prevent air cutting and be more precise than just creating a surface.

[crazy^millman]

14 hours ago, jlw™ said:

I didn't read 100% of this so.....

Did you use a stock model?  Stock model will prevent air cutting and be more precise than just creating a surface.

Problem was the mushroom effect of going past the point of no material and Mastercam keeps the last shape it cut as the stock and cutting air when it is not needed. He was given an elegant solution to the problem by DUM1. It was implemented and now has a better method and process. That is what this forum is about helping each other better our craft.

[DUM1]

I really do love this forum it really is a great tool in the mastercam programming tool box.I have come here many times and been helped by some real genius programmers .

I've had 15 bosses in the last ten years that I've been working here and not one has any programming background or experience . This forum is the only help I have when i need it.

Thanks everyone !

22 hours ago, crazy^millman said:

That is what this forum is about helping each other better our craft.

 

[rinzler]

On 6/26/2020 at 5:51 AM, DUM1 said:

I really do love this forum it really is a great tool in the mastercam programming tool box.I have come here many times and been helped by some real genius programmers .

I've had 15 bosses in the last ten years that I've been working here and not one has any programming background or experience . This forum is the only help I have when i need it.

Thanks everyone !

 

Same here, the previous programmer here just left and didn't offer any help, I had the company sign me up for the NTMA course a little while back and this forum has been very helpful. Thank you for the suggestion once again!

[crazy^millman]

9 hours ago, rinzler said:

Same here, the previous programmer here just left and didn't offer any help, I had the company sign me up for the NTMA course a little while back and this forum has been very helpful. Thank you for the suggestion once again!

Anytime you need help shoot me an email. I will PM you it so you can reach me if you get stuck. All I ask of anyone I help is you pass it on.