Axis orientation

[Edgerr]

If a circle plate with a hole at 6 O'clock (-X) is posted; When I run it, the drill is below the X axis. To get the c-axis to reorient 180, should I: 1 - Rotate the part in master cam and regenerate the tool path? 2 - Rotate the construction plane with X pos in the opposite direction? or 3 - Change the WCS around to the desired orientation?

 

Thanks,

E

[Storkman]

I would change the WCS, I very seldom rotate geometry anymore. It will "dirty" your previous toolpaths if you do.

[Edgerr]

If you chnage your WCS so that X pos is in the oppisite direction, your Z ends up flipping also, and my tools come in from the wrong side. Then I have to go in and try to fix the tools.

 

Did I miss something or is this basicly the steps you go through?

 

E

[Storkman]

Pick select menu, then pick rotate, about Z, 180. The Z should stay in the same orientation.

[Edgerr]

For some reason I was thinking that the WCS had to stay in a right hand system.

 

Thanks,

E

[Harryman]

My understanding is: if you are using a machine axis to orient work and tool, use Cplane and Tplane. If you are using a fixture to orient work and tool, use WCS.

 

If you are drilling on the tailstock side face of a lathe part you will be using Side Cplane and Tplane.

[Edgerr]

I may have miss-stated the question. Aperently the drilling ops are functioning fine. The dilemma is with the milling, such as face milling. WCS was rotated around to put the milled feature on the pos side of the axis, but it still cuts on the negative side.

 

E

[Guest]

Here's how I use the WCS.

If this is a multiple operation vise or fixture job I will use the WCS to set my new zero for my 2nd, 3rd, 4th ops

 

If it is going to be a 4th axis part I always draw with the part center on the X axis. My head is mounted on the right side of the machine so all my geometry is to the left side of the Y axis.

 

Here I do not use the WCS. The top view will always remain the top view. I use T/C planes to output my orientation moves. There is a tutorial on the FTP done by Hardmill that goes a long way to explaining how to appraoch this. But on a 4 axis job changing your WCS does not outout an A move(I don't think, never tried) you need to change your T/C planes.

 

HTH

 

BTW if you can place your file on the FTP someone can take a look at it and probably give you a more specific answer.

[Hardmill]

quote:

---

There is a tutorial on the FTP done by Hardmill that goes a long way to explaining how to appraoch this.

---

You can find the WCS Tutorial here . In the downloads page.

 

quote:

---

But on a 4 axis job changing your WCS does not outout an A move(I don't think, never tried) you need to change your T/C planes.

---

You'll need to keep your WCS to top (1st WCS) and set t/c planes

to new WCS position(s).

 

As John said upload your file if you can.

 

PEACE