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Scallop Rest Passes direction


sharles
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I've had an operator complain for years that our mastercam pick programs don't climb mill. I just did a pre-pick program that completely galled up a 1/2" ballmill and ruined the tool. So I took a closer look at the toolpath, and it looks like mastercam starts on the 'high' side of the radius and conventional mills down the radius, and then it jumps to the low side of the radius and climb mils it until it meets in the middle.

So, I guess, he's kind of right. Is there any way to make it always climb mill?

Thanks,

Scott

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4 hours ago, nperry said:

Do you have it set for open and closed contours to both go "one way"?

Hi nperry,

thank you for responding! I have looked all over for that parameter in hs scallop rest passes: where do I find it?

Scott

4 hours ago, JParis said:

Have you tried using the "Leftover" path?

Honestly, I'm thinking there's probably 3 or 4 better tool paths for what you are trying to accomplish

Hey John,

thanks for responding. Ok, so what would you recommend? We used to use "Leftover" all the time, but it takes so long to calculate on the huge parts we do compared to the hs speed programs since mastercam stopped updating with the older legacy toolpaths. What else would you suggest? hs pencil? If so, how do I set it up so it does it intelligently and doesn't do more than necessary.

Thanks,

Scott

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44 minutes ago, sharles said:

Hi nperry,

thank you for responding! I have looked all over for that parameter in hs scallop rest passes: where do I find it?

Scott

Hey John,

thanks for responding. Ok, so what would you recommend? We used to use "Leftover" all the time, but it takes so long to calculate on the huge parts we do compared to the hs speed programs since mastercam stopped updating with the older legacy toolpaths. What else would you suggest? hs pencil? If so, how do I set it up so it does it intelligently and doesn't do more than necessary.

Thanks,

Scott

I was mistaken in that equal scallop allows for different selection in both open and closed contours - scallop only has one selection. In "Cut Parameters" the first drop down menu at the top of the page is labeled "Cut Method". I'd think that should be set to one way for constant climb milling.

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18 hours ago, sharles said:

Hey John,

thanks for responding. Ok, so what would you recommend? We used to use "Leftover" all the time, but it takes so long to calculate on the huge parts we do compared to the hs speed programs since mastercam stopped updating with the older legacy toolpaths. What else would you suggest? hs pencil? If so, how do I set it up so it does it intelligently and doesn't do more than necessary.

If you guys are worried about set up and crunch times over getting good reliable toolpath, I have to say that in my mind, you are thinking about it backwards.

Spend the time upfront to make sure once it get;s to the machine it IS doing exactly what is needed....I don't work on your geometry, so expressing exactly which toolpath I might use is a bit of a stab in the dark here but Waterline with a bounday is an option, Surface Finish Contour could be an option, a Projected path of some kind(tool motion specific), or as I mentioned, Surface Finish Leftover...there are 4 right there....there may be more....

I use defined OP's for things but I never "assume" I can just import OPs on geometry and cut it well....cut it, yes perhaps, cut it well is a different story.

 

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In speaking generally, you are the programmer, it is your responsibility to see and anticipate the issues that may arise at the machine, this includes, material, tool, machining and setup issues..

It is your job to define the tool & process to get the part that is needed at the end, reliably, repetitively and as quick as you can make the process.

We all like to program as quick as we can, I get that....but we can never lose sight of the end product that we are providing to our end customer, the set up guy or machinist. They are our customers. I would rather have a programmer take a little longer and give a person a rock solid project that they can setup, run and repeat consistently. Most of my projects can take over a week to complete and get everything created and printed out and ready to head to the floor. If I have a guy that takes an extra couple days to achieve the same product, I'm good with that...I want results, quick as you can but the best result.  If someone rushes to get a project done and they provide problems to the machine, they have not saved time, they have wasted time, now on a couple of fronts....more programming time and machine downtime, waiting on programming.

Even myself, do I make mistakes and on occasion miss something?? You bet I do. Because I spend so much time building the process, it is at the point that even those things I miss, I can usually address in 30 seconds with the guys on the floor or I run out to the floor and spend 5 minutes there...so it's the minutia, it's the little things.

Everyday spent trying to be a better programmer!

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John,

thanks for the thoughtful reply. We are a prototype/mold and trim die shop. So every part we program is unique, but I do agree with what you are saying. Things have changed for me where I'm working, and I guess I'm trying to figure out some of the things I've ignored for a while on various toolpaths. So I hope to be making 'test' programs of various toolpaths and see if one gives me what I really want. There are a number of options in scallop I've never even tried: so that's where I'm going to start.

The old leftover program had issues skipping large sections that should have been picked...and I just got a bug officially noted with CNC Software that scallop rest-passes does the same...But I will do what I can to address the issues that have been raised by others on the floor.

Thanks, again,

Scott

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I know this doesn't belong here, but I don't know where else to put it...I'm a little sad the off topic section got shut down. Some of you guys I've interacted with ever since I started programming 15 years ago. Some of you might remember I never really wanted to be a machinist or programmer. I've got a ministry degree, but I needed a job, and this was available. It's hard to have my heart in this, and sometimes I struggle with trying to do my best when I'm such an oddball here in the shop.

Then when my wife's childhood trauma and dissociation exploded into our marriage and family, the stress was overwhelming for both of us, but I got a chance to live out my desire for ministry and I walked with her on the healing journey. If you don't remember she essentially had PTSD on steroids...and I figured out how to help her heal, deeply...simply (though not easily) by engaging her in every aspect of what she experienced. I wrote a booklet about it 2 years ago, but it was too cerebral. After the off topic site got shut down, I wrote a second booklet, mostly of examples of how I helped her heal...and a national organization that is funded by the government was so excited, that they found me someone to, hopefully, turned the booklets into a real book to help other family members do what I've done and teach them how to understand and help their loved one heal from 'extreme states' (panic attacks, flashbacks, comatose episodes, mini-seizures, 'delusions', 'paranoia', dissociation, and pretty much anything you can think of), .

That's where my heart really is, but John is correct, and I need to do better here, and so I'm in the midst of literally running every, single option for Surface Finish Leftover, Surface Finish Pencil, 3D High Speed Scallop Rest Passes and 3D High Speed Pencil Rest Passes. So far the ONLY one that even looks close to what I want is Surface Finish Leftover 3D collapse, but I'm still working on the other options. So I may have to go back to that and like John said, who cares if it takes a little longer to process. I will probably also send all these toolpaths to my mastercam reseller, and if 3d Collapse remains the best option, see if they can get it to CNC Software as an enhancement request.

Thanks everyone,

Scott

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2 minutes ago, sharles said:

That's where my heart really is, but John is correct, and I need to do better here,

I hope you understand Scott, that wasn't specifically about you, or any one in particular...really about us as programmers...all of us.

Believe me, there are days when some personal reflection is never a bad thing..

:cheers:

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16 minutes ago, JParis said:

I hope you understand Scott, that wasn't specifically about you, or any one in particular...really about us as programmers...all of us.

Believe me, there are days when some personal reflection is never a bad thing..

:cheers:

No problem, John. You spoke the truth, and I know I do struggle doing my best at a job I never wanted. And so I am trying to do better. I appreciate your input!

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