5-Axis porting

[E3CADCAM]

I'm new to this forum but I thought I'd throw one out:

 

I'm looking for *any* info or resources on porting (cyl. heads) on a five axis brute (fanuc). Samples, methods, theory, etc... Anything would be appreciated.

 

Using MCAMX2

 

Thanks

[Camdude®]

Mastercam has some good samples that come with the product. look under the samples library for multiaxis/headporting

 

HTH, phil

[Colin Gilchrist]

One of the guys in this thread link sells software for probing and cutting ports. I took a look at their website and it looks interesting.

 

You might give them a call.

 

HTH,

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hey do you guys do Subaru engines? I've got a EJ25 that I'll need to get the heads and TGV bodies ported.

[cadcam]

I have sevrial customer porting heads out here in Cali but most do not want to share there files.

What are you looking for just how to do it?

[TomHemphill]

Katech...check your mail

 

Colin, We could help you on the Subaru

 

Tom

[E3CADCAM]

Thanks TSTOM...

 

CadCam - yeah I understand it's pretty private data most cases, us included. We're running an existing porting op, but it may need some tweaking. I've got surfaces in IGES and some older jobs saved for ref., but any advice at this point is helpful.

 

Thanks...

[surelink]

KATECH,

 

There is a instructor at AXSYS that is real good at it. Tell Fritz and Warren I said Hi.

 

Sam

[Aaron Eberhard]

Katech - Sorry I missed your thread! I'm the guy who teaches cylinder head porting to our customers who buy our 5-axis solution (the one @ www.centroidcnc.com).

 

I don't know what Tom said to you, but whatever it was, take it as gospel Tom is a user of our system, probably one of the most successful with it too, he's actually been in the game longer than we have!

 

I can't really post any files, as everything I work on is a customers', and we have NDAs for EVERYTHING.

 

Unfortunately, the whole concept is rather large to get around, especially online. I teach it as a two week class to our guys, which is really just enough to get a head or two digitized and cut.

 

What stage of the process are you at? Do you have the files digitized or do you have a surface file? Is your machine set up and functional, etc? Advice is going to be rather different at the beginning of the process than at the end. If you have a specific question, though, please post that. The whole process would take a LONG time to type out, and I'm not sure how Centroid would feel about me posting it all for free

 

Feel free to shoot me an email at the address below, maybe I can elaborate on a specific issue you're having, or at least help point you in the right direction.

 

Hope this helps!

 

~Aaron

[MATT Q]

Any of you guys do small block chrysler heads?? Got a Dart that I want to upgrade with better heads soon.

[E3CADCAM]

Aaron,

 

Thanks for the reply. So far, all the info I've gathered is previously run programs. I can access these files, and reference them for learning purposes. I'm getting my feet wet with five-axis machining and containment boundaries. I was more or less asked to "look into it" so when this job comes up, I will be prepared.

[Aaron Eberhard]

Matt - check your email, I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to list all of my customers who can do SBC stuff on the website.. I will say this, take a look at TS Tom up above, though

 

E. - You weren't the guy I talked to a bit at PRI about this stuff, were you? I met someone at the Mastercam booth that was setting up their own 5 axis stuffs, and helped get them on the right path, but I haven't heard from them since, and I was wondering how they made out...

 

Either way, one thing that you need to know for containment: The containment in mastercam is done by creating a spline for the tool to rotate around as it moves through the port while cutting. Basically, you make a manual spline that is sitting outside of the port. When the toolpath (flowline 5 axis or Advanced Multiaxis) is generating the path, it starts at the opening of the surface, and the top of the spline. As it moves down the spline, it uses the next "step" of the spline to figure out the point to rotate about. That's called the "Tool Axis Control Chain" in the flowline geometry selection box.

 

You're definately jumping into a big project! Good luck with it! Remember that the software is only half of the battle, your hardware and control have to be up to snuff.. Make sure you have a good post, or at least a good generic post to start with, or half of your frustration at something not moving right will be the posts fault, or the machines' fault, and not Mastercam's!

 

I can tell you that most people who have "gone at it alone" will spend about 5 to 6 months making everything work properly before they get their first saleable part off of the machine. This is assuming that it's a custom or one-off machine, has to have a post written/tweaked, software learned, surfaces and digitizing figured out, etc. Obviously, this can be cut down a lot if you have a good vendor who knows five axis working with you, or a 5 axis fixture and control that already works well with the post, etc...

 

That's why when we were designing our program, it was really important to us to have the customer be able to just hit a button and make parts by the end of two weeks of training. Everything I designed my teaching around is based on this goal, that even if the person has some problems picking up something, or their next head is a real bugger, they still have one head program done that at any point can be loaded up and cut to make some money

 

If you want to, give me a call sometime or shoot me an email. I may be able to lend a bit of guidance here and there.

 

Good luck, it's a long road, but a heck of a lotta fun!

 

Cheers!

~Aaron

[ak762]

quote:

---

Remember that the software is only half of the battle, your hardware and control have to be up to snuff...

---

Aaron,

How you overcome a huge angle rotation in program with 5-Axis porting.

Are you adjust it in control or post?

 

When once I tried machining inlet flange with port strategy at Mikron with HH 530

if I right remember after about 10000 rotation loop by C axis control gave me error but it was less then half of program

[E3CADCAM]

Aaron,

 

Sorry but it wasn't me at the booth but we'd have a lot to talk about I'm sure. We do have a functioning post for our five axis, and it's been done a million times here before me. In the meantime i've got a smaller but pretty detailed cylindrical part to machine on the same unit.

 

Thanks