How do you set up?

[Greg_J]

If you were machining a part in a VMC with a 4th axis, and your part had 4 or more sides to machine how would you set up MC?

 

Thanks,

Greg

[Guest]

Z zero would be the center of rotation, XY is mostly arbitrary

[Mcam Nut]

Same, Z0. at center of rotation

[Greg_J]

Ok but this is my problem, when I click top view and look at my part there is a hole running through my part length wise, and it is offset to the top of my screen. When I click bottom view the same hole stays offset to the top of my screen, it should be offset to the bottom of my screen....right? MC is not rotating my part but it is fliping it on the Y axis. I can't get it to flip or rotate in my X.

 

 

Thanks,

Greg

[Hardmill]

quote:

---

Same, Z0. at center of rotation

---

 

And I always program from the chuck/fixture face so everything is in the X- direction. Just a prefference.

Y on CL.

 

 

PEACE

[Mcam Nut]

I always create new planes for bottom and back so all the x axis is in the same direction, and if it is the same detail on all sides, I use transform rotate.

[Greg_J]

Is there not a setting that will change how it references the G-views to one another?

 

Greg

[Mcam Nut]

Yes there is but it would be easier to just create a new plane, I dont like modifing default views, I dont know if it could cause any problems or not, just find it easier making new ones.

[Greg_J]

I created a new veiw and got hole on the right side of the center line, but when I post it changed the angle from A0 to A180. It makes sense because I used rotate planes and rotated it 180 but it was in the Z axis and my rotary rotates along the X axis. Thanks god for Cimco edit and the function replace all.

 

Greg

[Mcam Nut]

no, you dont rotate planes, you drill your hole on top in top plane, then drill your bottom hole in the plane you created for the bottom plane, keep wcs at the top

[Greg_J]

So your saying if I create a second bottom plane is should index my part properly? Do I create them in the Front and Back views as well? So how do I know what angle they will post out?

 

Greg

[Mcam Nut]

your plane for front is fine, the x is going the same direction as the top. the plane for bottom, and back has the x direction the oppisite direction, if you create a plane at thew bottom with your xyz in the correct directions it will know you are at A180.0

 

To create a plane for the bottom, use planes/planes by geometry, then select 2 lines, or a arc, then change the coordinates to X0, Y0, and Z0. Then save the plane name as somthing like A180.0

[RDub]

Yes Greg, what you just said is correct. Create a new toolplane for back and bottom but you can use the original front as X positive goes the same direction as the top plane. It will index to the correct location. The angle comes from the relationship of the geometry to the toolplane. When you use a new toolplane it will spit out a new A value, If you change the WCS you will end up with no A values output to the post so you do not want to do that.

[Greg_J]

It wont line up the arrows the way I need it. The arrows point in the + direction right?

 

One of the problems, (I think) is that the way I get the model. The Top WCS is on the end after I load it.

 

Greg

[rgollar]

I was wondering if any one ever programs in a flat pattern for the forth axis as I find this very simply. Than all you have to do is substitute the X or Y axis for the A. Just wondering because I never hear any one talk about programming this way.

[Greg_J]

No I have never done it that way, how do you get your geometry flat?

 

Greg

[Mcam Nut]

greg, if you create a plane for the bottom for example, you want the x arrow to point possitive, and your z to point away from the part, if looking from iso viev it would be pointing down, and y in iso would be pointing towards the front view. if you get x, and z, correct, the y will have to be right.

[Greg_J]

I did get it to work I just made it from the top view. I created a point of the part (because it looks symetrical but it's not) so I can tell what way it is orientated. My front view is also right as it is, but my back view is messed up. So I tried it again but it won't create a new view. I go through all the steps but when I check my View Manager it's not there. I did notice that I have a blue check on the view I created for the bottom view, and there is a blue Check on TOP which is my WCS.

 

The only way I see to bring up the new view is to go to: GView/NamedViews, how do you bring up that view?

 

Greg

 

Oh ya Thanks for the help!

[rgollar]

Say you got a 2" diameter shaft 4 inches lg., and you want to drill a hole at 0,90,180,270 degrees. You multilply the dia. by pi. Which is 6.2831. Then you draw a box 4" long and 6.2831 wide. Then you take the 6.2831 line and break it up into 4 pcs. Which represents the 4 holes at 90 degrees apart. Then when you drill the holes you you pick the rotary axis and pick sub. y axis and put in the dia of 2". I didnt realize how bad im at explaining how to do something. What im explaining isnt really clear unless you have seen it done before. I bought a 4th axis training cd from http://www.tipsformanufacturing.com/html/v9_mastercam.html and it was worth every cent. It really cleared up forth axis programming for me. Sorry I couldnt explain how to do this better.

[Greg_J]

I have done that in the multi axis machining book that MC put out. I have a manifold that is 3.5 dia 6"long and has 7 ports on 3 of the sides, with different diameters and different threads. One side of my part has a flat and screws with bleed holds for the ports. I'm not sure if I can do it with all that info to deal with. My shop has a data base of parts that I machine to. Have you done complicated parts?

 

Greg

[rgollar]

I have done complicated parts this way. But when they start getting complicated like that its probley best to use planes. I mainly do simply forth axis parts with holes and slots and helixs. So that flat methods works good for me. Sorry I couldnt help more. Good luck with your project and I will be reading this post more as I can learn more.

[Greg_J]

I thought that I had all the sides set up right, but when I post my new back view it should post A270 but it still post A0.

 

I drew some points on the end of my part so I could keep track of the orientation, they all stay to the left of the part.

 

Is there not a switch in the Machine def that would tell MC that I am working with a VMC with a 4th axis. We do this rotation all the time with our HMC, we don't use the top and bottom, use the other sides and it rotates with all the angles, the WCS is in the TOP.

 

Greg

[Mcam Nut]

well if you think everything is right, and it isnt posting the code right, it is either your post, or machine def not set up right. I would take a look at it but I dont have mcam on this pc.

[Rick Henrickson The Boeing Co.]

do you have your post set to a vertical configuration?

[kennebec]

the way I setup my views

 

Draw 2 short lines from your origin to the X+ and to the Y+ directions of the desired view, go to Gview and select entity, select your 2 lines X 1st and from the origin end then Y from the origin End chain both in positive direction, note Axis nomes should point to XY and Z Plus if not pick next until they do, now name and save the newly created view

 

Trying to help...