*RANT* Surface High Speed Toolpath

[Matt Berube at Ferron Mold]

This is irritating. I keep reading of how wonderful the new high speed toolpaths are but try and try again I get exactly NO SATISFACTION from them.

 

This latest effort was the perfect opportunity for Horizontal Area Finishing. So I created the whole thing... Toolpath looked nice...

 

UNTIL ...

 

I run verify and find that it's IGNORING my negative stock to leave... It let me put the value in. Just won't cut it...

 

Is it something I did ? Or is this toolpath "functioning as designed" ?

 

Is anybody actually making chips with these toolpaths or are they just for sales demonstrations ?

[Bruce Kanzelmeyer]

I like and use waterline and horizontal surfaces regularly with good results. The other finish paths and the roughing paths seem less desireable and on complex parts take a LONG time to process. Even waterline takes almost twice as long to process as surface finish contour, but the results seems a little cleaner--I believe the transitions are smoother. I've never tried to take negative material with any of these though. My $.02 worth!!

[P_Scott]

Matt,

 

I've just tried this out on a sample surface file and it appears to be ""functioning as designed" but ignoring the negative stock to leave on the floor value. You are doing it with the "floor stock" value and not the wall stock value right? If you send me the file I can forward it on to CNC Software and ask them if it's working the way it should or you could e-mail it to [email protected]. I know they're not working today though so no one there will get to it until Monday.

 

On a side note, did you check your "computer" topic on the Off Topic forum? I posted a reply stating that you could purchase a workstation through us. Just plug it in and turn it on and you'd be working. Just a thought.

[Matt Berube at Ferron Mold]

Thanks for the feedback Bruce.

 

Peter,

 

Actually I needed negative floor and wall stock so I had it in both places in equal amounts. (-.015) with .125 flat e-mill.

 

I'll ship it to QC Monday. Meanwhile, I just went back to my old bag of tricks...(again)

 

I saw the computer suggestion and I believe the holder of purse strings has contacted somebody at S4A.

 

Thanks.

[Thad]

quote:

---

with .125 flat e-mill.

---

I supposed it's possible that you can't cut negative stock with a flat endmill? Has anyone determined for sure if MCX can do it? I know it was supposed to be able to but I'm not sure if it ever materialized.

 

I've had good luck with Horizontal area, but I haven't cut minus stock with any of the new HS toolpaths.

 

Thad

[Saultspics]

I've had good luck with the new tool paths. I have not tried negative stock. The horizontal tool path has worked good for some of our parts.

 

I do agree that the process time is slow.

[Matt Berube at Ferron Mold]

quote:

---

Has anyone determined for sure if MCX can do it?

---

It works on at least some of the old mastercam toolpaths. I haven't tried all of them. but definitely contour and project. This is one of my absolute favorite new features.

[Matt Berube at Ferron Mold]

correction...

It works correctly on contour but not project...

[Mark Baker CNC Software]

There is a bug with the current release where negative stock to leave is being ignored with the Horizontal Toolpath. Its working with the MR2 build.

 

Mark Baker

[Matt Berube at Ferron Mold]

Thanks Mark

[P_Scott]

Matt,

 

quote:

---

I saw the computer suggestion and I believe the holder of purse strings has contacted somebody at S4A.

 

Thanks.

---

You're welcome. That's what we're here for. To help out.

[Jake Statz]

quote:

---

complex parts take a LONG time to process

---

I found out that if you are running off of the Net Hasp, processing time will be extremly long. If possible run for a Hard Hasp.