Right and Left Parts

[Namliek_J@TheeCircle™]

I have two parts. One is a right handed part and the other is a left handed part. I have already programmed one of the parts.

 

What is the easiest way to use the already programmed part to get a program for the opposite side part??

 

I tried transfrom toolpath mirror but it makes all my toolpath conventional cut instead of climb cut.

 

I also tried to transfrom mirror the geometry but all of the cutter comps are not right.

 

Is there a simple way to do this? Thanks.

[Murray Mold]

There might be a better way, but I have the same deal and I exported op's and then just re-picked geometry. Took a little while, but not as long as starting from scratch.

[Namliek_J@TheeCircle™]

I have been exporting to do some other stuff, but I have recreate a bunch of geometry to do that. I wish there was a simple way that would automatically mirror the toolpaths and also have them climb cut too.

[Murray Mold]

I hope someone else can lead us down the right path, because I would like to know too. Like I said before, I learn something new every day. I love this place!!

[3R!< W3NG3R]

You can do this (X3 only?)

I believe you have to select the create new ops and geom. Maybe even the reverse toolpath. There is a video on the MC website that shows it.

[kunfuzed]

We do this all the time, but we've got nothing better. We usually save the file as the new opposite part, then xform-mirror-move all the geometry. This way most of the time all you have to do is reverse the chains and then change the comp back on a few contours.

 

I to wish there was an "Easy Button". But I think there's to many variables to do it. Like often times depending on the situation, the lead-ins and outs may be different.

[iowajim62]

Back in the old days we ran mirror image parts using the mirror option on the machine. We also used M4 for left hand endmills but used regular spot,drill,ream and taps. Aircraft and Aerospace type work back in the 80's into early 90's.

[NeilJ]

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I hope someone else can lead us down the right path, because I would like to know too. Like I said before, I learn something new every day. I love this place!!

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First thing I do is Transform Toolpath Mirror. Under the Type And Methods Tab check all the toolpaths you wish to mirror. In the Parameters page under Type select Mirror. Under Method select Coordinate. Select Create New Operations And Geometry. Do not select Keep This Transform Operation. Under the Mirror Tab select your Mirror Method and select your Mirror view (the WCS you're working from) Do not select Reverse Toolpath.

 

Once you have done your Transform Mirror Toolpath now you can do a Transform Translate. Select all the operations you created when you did the Transform Mirror above. Under Type and Methods tab choose Translate and Tool Plane Origin Only. Method = Tool Plane. Group NCI Output = Operation Type. Select Copy Source Operations and Disable Posting In Selected Source Operations. Depending on your post you can select Work Offset Numbering Assign New. Start: 0 = G54, Increment of 1. Under the Translate Tab select Rectangle X Spacing = 0. Y Spacing = 0. X Steps = Number of work offsets you want. Y Steps = 0.

 

If you want I have a file that demonstrates *exactly what I wrote above* and I'd be happy to send it to you along with our Machine Definition and our post which will post out this file perfectly.

 

[ 09-24-2008, 04:33 PM: Message edited by: NeilJ ]

[YoDoug®]

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We also used M4 for left hand endmills

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I remember the first time I saw a left handed endmill. I though why the heck would you need a left hand endmill, then an older more seasoned machinist explained the mirrored aircraft programs to me.

[Slydman]

Yes, I'd like to see your example. Can you send it on Mastercam FTP's site?

[Hardmill]

Bring in your new geo and reselect it.

Transform toolpath has at times given shaky results.

 

Treat it like a brand new part which it is.

 

 

PEACE

[NeilJ]

quote:

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Yes, I'd like to see your example. Can you send it on Mastercam FTP's site?

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E-mail or I might be able to upload to Media Fire and send you a link. I'm not hard to get a hold of. Click the little envelope with the person standing next to it and send me your email address.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

NeilJ, your method above is for doing 2 pcs at a time right? You anly do the mirror for on part.

[NeilJ]

quote:

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NeilJ, your method above is for doing 2 pcs at a time right? You anly do the mirror for on part.

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The mirror is done on all the toolpaths for say the left hand part. Once that is done you can set the Transform Translate to do as many right hand parts as you wish.

 

[ 09-24-2008, 05:08 PM: Message edited by: NeilJ ]

[kunfuzed]

quote:

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I remember the first time I saw a left handed endmill. I though why the heck would you need a left hand endmill, then an older more seasoned machinist explained the mirrored aircraft programs to me.

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That's cool! I always wondered that myself. Where I work we re-manufacture Sikorsky S-64 parts using blueprints from the '60s. We often run into manufacturing problems even with today's technology. It just blow's me away how they were able to do this stuff just fine over 40 years ago! The left hand endmill is just one example of old-school ingenuity.

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

This is how I do it.

 

1. Program the first part.

2. Copy the first MCX part file and rename it to the mirrored part number

3. Create a bounding box around only my solid model with the toolpath geometry turned off

4. Create a line through the center of my bounding box on the axis I wish to mirror

5. Mirror my solid and all toolpath geometry on the line I just created

6. Rechain necessary geometry and make sure cutter comp is set correctly for all toolpaths.

[SLJ]

similar to many of the ones above. save to new file,draw a vertical line from the center of the material or fixture, select all entities that need changed( usually most of them for my programs), mirror, go back and reverse chains and cutter comp where needed. some parts need 3-d operation directions changed as well.

[Jaz]

quote:

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Transform toolpath has at times given shaky results.

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A heads up to you guys that got burned on Transform Toolpath in older versions (V9 and previous), tranform toolpaths work much better now in X2, especially mirror. They can save you a whole lot of work if you'll let them. You still want the mirrored geometry because on closed toolpaths you will probably want to change the start point. And sometimes 5-axis toolpaths get hosed up and need to be re-written.

[NeilJ]

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They can save you a whole lot of work if you'll let them.

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Agree but it took a lot of work for us to figure out how to use it. There is a lot of power in Transform Toolpath Mirror and Transform Toolpath Translate. It's one of my favorite parts of Mastercam along with Edit Common Parameters.

[Hardmill]

quote:

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A heads up to you guys that got burned on Transform Toolpath in older versions (V9 and previous), tranform toolpaths work much better now in X2, especially mirror.

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I know they are better, most issues I had were

tied to surface toolpaths and realizedim

much better off just rechaining all my geo and

being sure my prog is right then taking any chance

on something going wrong un-expectedly.

 

 

PEACE

[HEAVY METAL]

I just used the mirror function the other day for a part the option i went with was transform/mirror create new ops and geo by coordinate and it worked will.