wave pattern machining

[Ployd]

We've got a customer that wants a 4' x 8' panel machined out of mdf or uhmw. With a 3/8' cutter at 0.03" stepover it will be cost prohibitive for the customer due to machining time. What I'm wondering is there a program or toolpath that will follow between the peaks and cut valleys in one pass with a 3/8" or 5/8" cutter. This way the cutter would run up and down following the surface while staying between the peaks. This would greatly reduce the machine time.

 

Here is a small sample of the pattern.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

 

 

[mcpgmr]

Ployd, Not sure which surface path would be best but the first thing I would do is take a couple cross section cuts and find out what the max rad of the ball mill can be then surface that thing. Probably surf/rough/parallel would do it. HTH!

[Ployd]

The max width is 5/8". We have been playing around with it using different toolpaths but haven't had any luck reducing the cycle time. I was hoping for a toolpath where you can set a curve on the two peaks and use them as boarders. Then have the cutter make a single cut using the surface for the drive.

[Thad]

Did you try pencil?

 

Thad

[Bruce Caulley]

Surface blend sounds like what you are after, but at the end of the day how are you making money stuffing around on something like this in the hope that when it is done they will pay half what it is worth??

 

Customers

 

Bruce

[Ployd]

I keep getting a No Pencil Trace Cuts Found error. I've never used the Pencil toolpath. Will it stay between two lines for containment or do you use a center line?

[Ployd]

We are getting paid for some R & D. I need to minimize the number of passes so we can it work.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Does the width between the peaks vary much? You could create a line (or spline) in the center between the peaks and use surface finish project. This would create a toolpath that would drive between the peaks, and vary the z depth to maintain contact with the surface. Probably quite a bit of work to program, but it would give you the results you are looking for, except for no radius at the peaks. you would have to make sure that you are using a tool that will fully span between the peaks too, so it might require several different ball endmills.

[BernieT]

Slight variation of Colin's method....

 

You could create a line or spline in the center between the peaks, project it onto the surface, and use a 'Contour' toolpath (3D) to drive the ball mill.

 

Good luck

[pip]

Are the valleys all set to one axes. The centre of the wave is always the same in the X axis. If so you could contruct straight line along the X axis and project onto surface. Then just contour 3d line.

Any chance sending me a copy to try.

[Flycut]

Just thinking out loud here.

Could you maybe use your depth limit control and set your minimum depth below the peaks?

[Mark Baker CNC Software]

Well, I even hate to suggust it but the "Rib Cut" feature in Flow line might be what you're looking for.

 

It's designed to take one pass in the center of the surface. I've never been really happy with it but you're geometry might work well with it.

[MLS]

I would say surface finish blend over the entire part so it hops up and down over the ribs would probably be fastest to minimize the Acc/Dec of changing cut directions.

 

Backplot is not going to reflect this time difference which will be rather large in this circumstance.

 

My 2 cents.

 

Looks proprietary. I'd say more but I can't...

[RobertELee]

First thing that came to my mind was a "Raster" path? Set the angle to go with the grain and set the step-over to match the distance between valleys, assuming the distance is the same through-out. I would guess you'd need to set a starting point also.