need help with selecting surf toolpath

[ERIC14779]

Hi all

 

I have a POP display that we are cutting out of MDF. it is about 14" long 4" wide and 1.5" thick.

 

It consists of a resessed area 1/4" in all around with 29 yes twenty-nine 1/16" wide grooves running along the 14" dim. 1/16" deep. So far so good.

 

The problem is that sticking up off that resesed area is some logo lettering that comes up to the top surface of the 1.5" thickness.

 

manny of the 1/16" wide grooves come up to the lettering and also in the "holes" in the lettering so simply using a contour toolpath is a lot of work.

 

What type of surfacing tool path will cut down in the groove then retract out up over a leter and back down in the groove.

 

I have already pocketed all around the lettering so I only need to cut the grooves.

 

I am using X2 SP1

[Zero]

a shallow or scallop toolpath with your groove surfaces as drive surfaces and everything else you dont want to cut as check surfaces sounds like it will do what you want. You could also create geometry as boundries to keep the tool where you want it to stay as well. What ever is quicker depending on your geometry

[billystein]

i use the parallel surface for almost anything but just watch out for the plunges.

[ERIC14779]

Zero

 

MY Geo is a solid of the final part. So I guess that I would have to select the faces (bottoms of all the slots/slot segments) and use the whole solid for check ???

[#Rekd™]

Hi Eric,

 

Did you convert the solid to a surface? It will give you more options. Create curve on all edges as well.

 

John

[ERIC14779]

there are about 50 to 60 faces that I want to cut down to. Is there a way to select solid faces that are at a given Z elevation ???

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

How about core roughing and finshing under surface high speed may make it one click.

[ERIC14779]

Rick

 

I tried the High speed It cuts it but I will take a long time at 100 IPM 23 min !!! with a 1/16" dia bit in MDF on a KOMO.

[ERIC14779]

going home for the day

 

back at it Monday

 

have a good weekend all