Rolldie Guru's Help

[machtek]

I need some basic rolldie help if anyone has a little time. I have posted my trouble file on the ftp @mcx_fliesJslotblues.MCX. The trouble I am having is when I finish my pocket rough I clean up the walls with rolldie. The finished pockets need to be parallel with the adjacent wall. This part has a pin that runs down through the j-slot and obvously needs a parallel wall to keep from wearing the tip of the pin.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[John Summers]

Offset all the walls by .5 in. This will make the long slots just a centerline. Then use the slot option in ROLLDIE.

[kinglouie V]

hey you cutting those horseshoes?

[crazy^millman]

Well I would divide the contours into 2 chains. The way you have it now I see a problem with forcing the endmill to not stay like you are looking for. I just broke it up into 2 chains and had very good results. To me you are on the right track, but without a model to do a compare with Predator r having true 5 axis verify I would not know without making the part. Seems to me you want the 1" wide slot after checking your arcs on the flat pattern so if you went center line with an 1/2" endmill you would not accomplish that.

 

HTH

[machtek]

Not the muleshoes louie, those are easy.

 

Ron I tried to offset the chain by the tool rad. and it didn't help. Do you have an example of what you're talking about, breaking it up into 2 chains. Also I am searching for a way to create a model by extruding this patern into the side of my stock. My local reseller-tech support is telling me "huh". If you have a solution for making this model I would love to hear it. If I could make a model I would swarf by surface.

 

Thanks for looking

 

[machtek]

Sorry John, I didn't see your response.

 

quote:

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Offset all the walls by .5 in. This will make the long slots just a centerline. Then use the slot option in ROLLDIE.

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I tried to offset the walls by rad (.25) but you're saying .5 the a slot width of 1.00?

 

I will try that. I think I would x-form offset contour .5 to inside then delete duplicates for the areas that are 1.00 total?

 

Thanks

[crazy^millman]

Well where you have the walls so to speak those need to become 2 chains. Then in your operation you just pick 2 chains instead of 1. I would also add a lead in/lead out to prevent the tool from starting on the wall.

 

HTH

 

The model will be a bitch I see the level with the drawing and that is why you got a drawing becuase it is such a pain in the arse to model unless you got a good software in which to do it.

[John Summers]

When you're using ROLLDIE, you must work from the centerline of the slot. The slot option figures the offset from the centerline, given the slot width and cutter diameter. Even for the open sections, the slot width you enter will still be 1.0.

[machtek]

John, this part has a varying slot width I am trying to figure a way that I can create a several centerlines for each of the slot width's but when we hit the open triangular shapes it hurts my head

 

Is there a more appropriate toolpath I should be using?

 

[crazy^millman]

See and that is why he is the rolldie Guru I forgot about that. So question John on a part like this is a closed chain like he has better or 2 chains better?

[kinglouie V]

seems you'd need the specified two chains and as long as they're not tapered you'd be ok.

 

call lafayette and get them to send you a model for verify. seems like they just bought Solid Works a couple years ago.

[machtek]

I have a model being generated as we speek from Houston. They will not get solidworks but they do have Inventor. I have solidworks at home and know how to produce this model, I just had hoped to use mcam.

[John Summers]

You do not need a solid model. Slots work best from geometry in the flat, just as you have it. For ROLLDIE, the geometry must be in the center of the slot. Since the geometry sent to ROLLDIE is centerline geometry, ROLLDIE doesn't know how wide the slot is, so the operator must enter that. If you offset all the geometry .5, and if a 1 in. diameter pin slides in the slot, it will rest flat against the walls, even the ones that are wider than 1 inch. I doesn't matter if you use one or two toolpaths. If you want to see the part in 3d, you could use TRANSFORM-ROLL.

[machtek]

Thanks John. I think I have it sorted out now.