Optirough avoidance problems

[JWIII]

Hello, I'm trying to optirough the side of a part on a horizontal mill. The part is sitting on a fixture so I cannot machine underneath it, but the optirough tp keeps going under. I want to use " from outside" otherwise it starts from the center and chunks the material off once it gets to the outside. Is there a way for me to stop the toolpath from going underneath the part? Thanks!

[Leon82]

Steep shallow settings have max and min depth.

 

Also you can make a flat surface bigger than the boundary

[crazy^millman]

You can also make dummy boundary set of surfaces that enclose the vice and use them avoidance surfaces. 

[JWIII]

Just to clarify, when I say underneath I don't mean in the z direction. I mean in the negative y direction on a horizontal. 

I made a solid underneath and choose it as avoidance and then the toolpath went all the way under the avoidance solid as well. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Thanks again!

[Leon82]

How big is your material boundary? If you don't put one in I believe it makes a square out of everything you picked.

 

Draw containment boundary The area you wanted to cut on a different level so you can turn it off later. Select that as boundary it will call it a material boundary It shouldn't go below that more than half the tool

[JWIII]

If I use "from inside" the toolpath works with my containment boundary but because it starts from the middle of the material it chunks off the material as it gets to the outside. If I choose "from outside" it seems to ignore my containment boundary. I would like to use "from outside" because the toolpath works much better. Do containment boundaries work while using "from outside"

[Colin Gilchrist]

4 minutes ago, JWIII said:

If I use "from inside" the toolpath works with my containment boundary but because it starts from the middle of the material it chunks off the material as it gets to the outside. If I choose "from outside" it seems to ignore my containment boundary. I would like to use "from outside" because the toolpath works much better. Do containment boundaries work while using "from outside"

You really have to exaggerate the boundary to keep the tool on three sides only. 

Try making the surface about 10" long in the -Y direction. Also, make the surface really wide as well. Like, 4" beyond the tombstone in +X and -X directions.

[Leon82]

18 minutes ago, JWIII said:

If I use "from inside" the toolpath works with my containment boundary but because it starts from the middle of the material it chunks off the material as it gets to the outside. If I choose "from outside" it seems to ignore my containment boundary. I would like to use "from outside" because the toolpath works much better. Do containment boundaries work while using "from outside"

Yes they do. It will be called material boundary when you look at the op manager.

 

It will not work with "stock rest mill"

 

You will have to open the boundary on the 3 sides like 3x cutter dia

[JWIII]

22 hours ago, Colin Gilchrist said:

You really have to exaggerate the boundary to keep the tool on three sides only. 

Try making the surface about 10" long in the -Y direction. Also, make the surface really wide as well. Like, 4" beyond the tombstone in +X and -X directions.

My op manager says 1 material boundary and I made it huge, but its still ignoring the bottom and going underneath. Any suggestions?

 

[AMCNitro]

Try unselecting the surfaces you cant machine

[crazy^millman]

You are not using a Stock model. The stock model is the real boundary for HST toolpaths and the Wireframe is the suggested boundary for the toolpath to work within. I always  99% of the time use Stock models for 3D OPTI-ROUGH. The wireframe can be the edge of your part, but then I will use Center of use a crazy negative number to create a huge working envelope for the HST toolpath. 

Use the Linking Parameters to your advantage. You can change from Full Vertical Retract to Minimum Distance and I always use a feed rate. Now your Stock Model, Your Avoidance Geometry along with the Motion > Gap Size, Retract will all work together like they are designed to. The Toolpath Control Page is misleading to most people. Containment Boundary is the area the toolpath needs to work with in, but not necessary the correct place to control how the toolpath works depending on what you're cutting for a shape. If I am cutting Cavity work and the tool will never be able to start from the outside of the part then the containment boundary for the toolpath will be one that is inside of the part. If the toolpath is one that I want to start from the outside then I have to think differently and give that containment of the toolpath room to work. If I don't then the tool will ramp and do all kind of bad movements to start cutting the part. The idea behind HSM is full flute engagement and if the tool has to ramp into the material you just shot that whole concept out the window. I have drilled start holes in many materials I am going to being doing HST toolpaths where I have no choice due the shape of the part. I make the drilling operations and then make a stock model from there. The HST toolpaths see that start hole and I am good. On one TI part a customer saw a 60% tool life improvement using Start Holes and 20% reduction in run time by using Start holes verse ramping into the cut.  

[Leon82]

It uses center also so you would have to shift the bottom line up at least half the cutter

[JWIII]

Making a stock model seemed to do the trick. Thanks! So does the optirough toolpath look for a stock model because I made one but there isn't anywhere that I told it to use it?

[crazy^millman]

2 hours ago, JWIII said:

Making a stock model seemed to do the trick. Thanks! So does the optirough toolpath look for a stock model because I made one but there isn't anywhere that I told it to use it?

In the operation there is a stock page. There you can pick the stock model. I will make stock models for rest roughing and other things. As the stock changes you can pick them and make the toolpaths dial in very nice to reduce air cutting and improve cycle times. 

[Guest]