Surface High Speed Toolpath

[John Hill @ Poplar Hill Machine]

Hello Everyone,

 

Anybody know how Stepdown & XY stepover *really* affect tool path in Surface High Speed Toolpath operations?

 

I understand what they are and how they're *suppose* to work but...I'm using it on a complex pocket and I'm getting some weird things happening:

 

When I change the Stepdown, the starting height above each surface changes. Increasing Stepdown increases the start height and decreasing it lowers the start height.

 

XY stepover, if too big, skips some areas that the tool could machine. There also seems to be a range that causes helix's that completely disregard the shape of the features being machined and gouge/collide with the part.

 

Then again...maybe it's just OE!

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Dan@home]

If you go to your steep/shallow page chech Use Z depths and say put a -.25 in the minimum depth and put a little larger amount in the the max than you need. Then in the linking parameters page and make sure you have enough part clearance say .05 worked for me.

[John Hill @ Poplar Hill Machine]

I've done that but depending on my Stepdown, the tool still starts way higher than it needs to. I'm also seeing that the Rest Roughing is milling areas that don't need it.

 

We upgraded to Mill 3 specifically for these types of parts and so far its not working well at all. I'm going back to wireframe and manual selection to get the job done.

 

Thanks,

 

John

[Redfire427]

The high speed toolpaths work great. It must be some of your settings are set incorrectly. If you want to send me the file, I'll take a look at it and send it back.

 

[email protected]

[John Hill @ Poplar Hill Machine]

Thanks for the offer...*IF* I get caught up I'll contact you.

 

John

[Surface]

I think the reason the first cut, "starts way higher than it needs to", is because there is a surface or solid face bellow the top surface which is within the limits of the "minimum step down" located in the "add cuts" check box.

You can fix that by choosing the lower face as the "minimum depth" in the "depth limits".