Posting rotary axis "single fixture offset?"

[neurosis]

Im playing with a part trying to program for a rotary axis. Very simple part with several indexes @ 90deg, 180deg, and back to 0. The part was originally programmed with only 90 deg rotations and the rotary axis was checked in the tool parameters page. I unchecked that (still not sure how to use that button yet) and am setting up a wcs @90 and one @270 and then using those for my tool planes and leaving "front" as my wcs. It posts the index angles right but posts a different work offset for every index (G54, G55, G56). I have no idea whats going on. Help? I would like it to post with the indexes and only the one work offset. This part file was created by someone else and I notice that they moved the front wcs in the Y axis by about .005. Im not sure why or what happened but I wonder if that is whats causing my problems. I tried just using that as my wcs and bottom and top for my 90 and 270 but their origins are still at 0 so they dont seem to work correctly.

 

Edit: I got the work offsets fixed "probably not the right way but patched for now" by just selecting all of the operations and changing the work offsets to 0 (g54) but now I get that alarm every time i post saying that work offset 0 used in more than one view.

 

[ 01-31-2008, 04:19 PM: Message edited by: Neurosis ]

[Chris Rizzo]

Your fix is the way I do it, and I think everyone else- set all offsets the same. just click though the warning message and your code will post fine. I believe there is a way to turn off that error in the .pst, but i haven't looked into it in a while.

[neurosis]

I dont think that when you are programming for rotary that it should post out seperate work offsets for your rotations. There should be a way to turn "that" off. I just created a new part file and created a part in space, set four wcs's at 0, 90, 180, 270. Then created new path (just drills) with the wcs set to 0 then just changed the C & T planes to 90, 180, and 270. The path posts out right and I get my rotations but still eventhough I have my operations all set with 0 as the wcs I still get a different fixture offset for every rotation. I thought I saw a way to change this but being only 30 days in to mastercam I cant remember where.

[kazmir44]

wouldn't you use one wcs and set the toolplanes at 0, 90, and 180?

or is that what you did?

[neurosis]

Thats what I did

 

quote:

---

I just created a new part file and created a part in space, set four wcs's at 0, 90, 180, 270. Then created new path (just drills) with the wcs set to 0 then just changed the

C & T

planes to 90, 180, and 270.

---

[neurosis]

I thought I saw someone mention that the mpmaster post was configured to only output one fixture offset for rotary machining? Is there a setting for this that I am overlooking?

[kazmir44]

assuming this is for a vertical mill with a rotary axis about the x. if you are drilling holes, use the top plane for the wcs, tool plane, and const. plane, and select all the points. check the rotary axis box and select rotary axis postitioning and rotate about the x axis.

 

if you are contouring. then create a new operation for each index position. using top as the wcs and the created plane as the tool plane and the construction plane. i do not use the rotary axis option for contouring. make sure it is checked off.

 

I'm not sure this is the right way to do it either. but it works.

 

HTH

[neurosis]

kazmir: I tried that once but when I selected holes that would have been drilled in the 180deg position it didnt seem to work. Im going to try it again. I must have done something wrong. The rotary axis button being used for rotary positioning confuses me a little. Probably not needed? Just for drilling? I have a tutorial book but it doesnt really explain things very well. It just drags you through the process.

[kazmir44]

What version?

If you are using X2 you can click the question mark at the bottom of the rotary axis window. This will tell you what each of the parameters does. You can also click the field definitions tab in the help window to give you a definition of each option.

 

This goes for just about any window in X2.

 

HTH