Rotary on VMC

[mikee]

Using ver 8.1.1 and the Haas post. When using tool plane rotation for indexing a part on a rotary, top tool plane posts ok but the bottom view (# 4)has the signs (+/-) reversed for x and y

In other words, say if I drill some holes in the top plane, and the holes are all -x,+y. If I have that same pattern on the bottom side of a part (still looking from the top view), and now work those hole from plane #4. I get the 180 deg rotation but -x becomes +x. Only Y should change sign.

Is this a post problem, or is there a trick to this that I am not seeing ?

Thanks in advance

 

Mikee

[maestro]

I use these indexers all the time. What you you need to do instead of using view #4 is have your graphis view in isometric and your construction and tool planes in the side view. Select cplane, rotate, y up, enter the rotation angle, in this case 180, then save as a named view. Then use this view for you toolpaths. The bottom view #4 is rotated 180 degrees from the top view. I believe you will need to do this for the 270 degree view as well. The front view works OK as view #2. Hope this helps.

[Charles Davis]

maestro is right. make sure the X axis on the new c/tplane always points in the same direction (usually in the X+ coord system direction).

 

the best way to do this is always start with Top to define a new c/tplane. set the angle using Y up function, entering the angle you want the rotary axis to rotate to.

 

if you accidentally reverse the new c/tplane x, when you post, you'll get an error "warning only single axis rotations allowed". this is because the post sees this the change in X and Y as a 5-axis move (which it is).

 

another thing I do is put the angle in the Comment section on the Tool parameters page; A35.5, and set the post to output comments in the cnc file.

 

the comment comes out in the line just before the index move, something like this:

(A35.5)

G0 A35.5

 

This makes it easy to compare the expected output with the code to make sure I didn't screw up.

 

I also name each new workplane as the angle of tilt; A35.5 so it is easy to re-select a plane for subsequent ops.

 

i just sent you a haas 4axis post i've proven out with a customer just in case you need it.

 

[ 04-05-2002, 04:02 PM: Message edited by: Charles Davis from San Diego CADCAM ]

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

when doing rotary work and creating tplanes/cplanes with the cplane rotate, you want to hit the alt-F9 shortcut key to check that the X-axis is running the correct direction.