3 Axis Move?

[Randy Morton @ Clem Industrial]

Hey all,

 

Take a look at this picture and tell me if and maybe how....can I cut this angle (in the yellow) on a 3 axis mill? I cannot see it...neither can the other 'grammer.

 

Stumped.

 

[Guest]

looks like you might have to kick that part back in a seperate setup, or get the engineers to allow a RAD along the bottom

[Troy Gossett Indepak Inc.]

What kind of finish do you need? Can you use Finish flowline with a small flat EM?

[John Summers]

They left you a scallop for clearance for a flat cutter. If you cut from bottom to top (flowline would work), you will get very shallow scallops, so it won't need too many passes, and the big scallop at the end of the shelf won't need modeling -- it will happen as a result of machining the rectangular shelf. Try to figure out the cutter size that will result in the scallop in the model.

[Colin Gilchrist]

+1 to flowline with a flat bottom cutter.

 

If you have a cutter that is smaller than the radius of the small tangent scallop, you could also do a surface finish contour on those surfaces and use a containment boundary. This would let you machine contours in XY with a Z step down. A small bull endmill would do the trick and would allow for an entry/exit arc so you wouldn't be plunging on the surfaces.

[Craig Madsen from CM3D]

Offset the line/arc at the top and bottom the radius of the cutter.

 

Use the 'wireframe - ruled' option - select the line at the bottom and the same at the top.

 

You can do this with level 1 if you want to.

 

You will get the sharp corner too.

[heavychevy2155]

I use the wireframe toolpaths for this kind of thing all the time, seeing that I don't have level 2 or 3. I just have to be careful and make sure the cutter does not gouge into the wall. Wireframe toolpaths do not have as much control as the surfacing tp's but with careful planing your can get some very clean code without the tool jumping all over the place.

[nofalloff]

Does that have to be a perfectly sharp corner? If not a .015 bull nose cutter or even as suggested a flat endmill should do the trick. There seems to be a small fillet where the 2 surfaces to the right meet. if you can continue that fillet that makes your task that much easier. I actually do a lot of surfacing with .020 rad ¼” 2 flut in AL with similar features. Even a raster tool path with a fine step over will do what you want.

[billystein]

i like flat em but use the 2 vertical walls as check surfaces so you don't gouge them.

[billystein]

i forgot to use flowline.