Roughing a casting

[desmotom]

In version 9 when I roughed a casting it just nibbled away and took for ever. I used facing when I could to remove alot of material in a hurry but required seperate ops. The whole casting doesn't require machining so I usually have to used several ops. Does X fix this.

[beej]

You can use the new highspeed machining path called Rest roughing. you can model up your casting with the machine stock and save as an STL file. use that as your stock model and pick the faces that you want to cut to. Rest Rough will find the differences and machine them off.

[crazy^millman]

Well I am not follwing fixed. Fixed in what shape form or fashion? Does it allow you to open a file and then say make the toolpaths by hitting a button and deciding what tools you should use, make a magic operation that does the whole part complete so it only take you about 5 seconds to do the part; if so then I would say not. Now if you are looking for spefic apporaches or ideas on things that could be done in X that might help you in doing a casting then I would say come up with some examples of what you have done and see if maybe others have some ideas on different ways that might work better for your spefic application and we can go from there.

[desmotom]

I forgot to mention that its on a lathe...sorry

[Roger Peterson]

Very little info, but I assume you are using a chain to define your stock? If so, you are telling mastercam where you want it to cut, change your directions and it will listen. Also, you can rough at any angle you choose.

 

 

HTH

[Tim Simmermon]

If you don't want to have a lot of "air" passes, take some measurements of your stock and draw it on a seperate layer. Define that chain as your stock. Lathe has stock recognition so it will only cut where the material is. Roger hit it too. You can define your cutting direction (face, OD, ID) on your roughing parameters page.

 

Or use the pattern roughing cycle.

[crazy^millman]

I have taken finish passes and just made them rough passes like you said about many operation. I just make my 1st one then I copy it to as many as I think is needed and then just change my leave amount and go from there.

[desmotom]

thanks for the help.