Whats the best way to rough these out?

[neurosis]

Ive been playing with these for a while. I can get the material off of these with no problems, but all of the tool paths that ive tried have made either very inefficient toolpath or dont give very good results in some way. The base of these have been machined already so just the material around the posts need to be removed. They are being roughed on a vertical mill with no rotation and this operation is just to remove as much material as fast as possible. Ive tried surface rough pocket and surface high speed core which actually gave me the best results but at the same time created very inefficient tool path. My final best result was to create a surface rough contour, save the geometry, and use that geometry to create 2d profiles. That gave me the best control, the most efficient tool path, but was far too much work for the 20 different dash numbers of these parts that I have to make. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Jayson Kramer]

do you have a 4th you can use on the machine,then you can cut the side of it as 2d but still need fixture angles for the top holes. or you can make fixture to mount the part side ways for the vise.

 

If you share one of the files I should be able to take few min to give you an example for the rotary.

[neurosis]

We have a 4th axis but its not available to be used right now. They will be roughed out sitting with the base down and the ears up. We have fixturing for the posts and holes already. We've made these parts before but they were programmed in a different system. Im in the process of moving our old part files over to mastercam as the jobs come up but I would like the tool path to be at least as efficient as before if not better. So far it hasnt come close "im sure its my lack of experience with mastercam". There have been allot of wasted moves and problems with the stock. I will eventually move this job to a 4th axis but for now its just not an option. I would love to share the part files if I could but they are for a customer that doesnt allow it.

 

[ 10-01-2008, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: Neurosis ]

[crazy^millman]

Well I would then HST core rough them using the part as the STL and life should be good.

 

HTH

[Hardmill]

Put up an angle plate and machine them from the side

and rotate 180. Youll get as much material off

as you like that way.

 

 

PEACE

[chip]

Seriously, Kick the thing up 90 project a line through the center of the entire part. Cut that 2d since the base is already cut....

[neurosis]

I dont know that you can see in these pictures, but the ears and posts are at compound angles. Kicking it up @ 90 deg and milling it 2d still doesnt get the job done.

 

 

quote:

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Well I would then HST core rough them using the part as the STL and life should be good.

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I pretty much got the best usable tool path using HST core rough but it was still very inefficient. Does it help to add an STL? I played with the settings for a long time to get the tools to rough the entire post but it always would leave material where I didnt want it. If I use the stock as a containment boundry, it leaves tons of stock where I dont want, but if I offset that containment boundry it adds several air cuts. I guess this has been my dilemma.

[chip]

Check it out Mastercrash. That's easy money! I'd rough out most of the Matl. 2d. If the surface has an angle. surface it. You want to make one toopath to finish the job for you.

 

You asked for advise from a .jpeg. I'd have that in the machine roughing and I'd be writting my surface toopaths....

 

You want me to program it for you?

 

[ 10-01-2008, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: chip ]

[neurosis]

quote:

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Check it out Mastercrash. That's easy money! I'd rough out most of the Matl. 2d. If the surface has an angle. surface it. You want to make one toopath to finish the job for you.

 

You asked for advise from a .jpeg. I'd have that in the machine roughing and I'd be writting my surface toopaths....

 

You want me to program it for you?

---

Thanks for the sarcasm. Im not wanting one tool path to finish the job for me. Im wanting a tool path that is efficient and that doesnt require a ton of extra work. There is nothing on this part that needs to be surfaced. Thats a waste of time. I have fixtures built at compound angles to take care of all of the finishing operations. What I want is an efficient solution to rough these out. As I said, weve made these before. I already have very good and efficient programs that came out of a different system. Im trying to get the same out of this one and at the same time learn something so "no" I dont want you to program them for me but thanks for the offer. I cant upload the file for advise so how would you expect me to get the file to you for programming? Thanks for pointing out that I asked for advise from a jpeg. I hadnt realized that . Thats why I explained that the ears are at compound angles. I truly wish that I could put the files on the ftp site as it would make it allot easier to get advise but I cant.

 

Thanks for all the great responses though, I really appreciate it.

 

[ 10-01-2008, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Neurosis ]

[chip]

Linky

[neurosis]

I guess your signature says it all. Thanks again for the help.

[Jaz]

I have the same dilemna regularly. High Speed Core is what I have been ending with most. Sometimes I need to play with the containment bounderies. I agree that the toolpath is not as efficient as I would like but I can usually tweak setting to get it 'good enough'. Beats laying out roughing paths by hand. Also seems to work better when the roughing tool is relatively small in comparison to the part. Your method of backplotting a surface contour toolpath, offsetting and redriving is what I usually do when the cutter is relatively large compared to the part.

[neurosis]

quote:

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I have the same dilemna regularly. High Speed Core is what I have been ending with most. Sometimes I need to play with the containment bounderies. I agree that the toolpath is not as efficient as I would like but I can usually tweak setting to get it 'good enough'. Beats laying out roughing paths by hand. Also seems to work better when the roughing tool is relatively small in comparison to the part. Your method of backplotting a surface contour toolpath, offsetting and redriving is what I usually do when the cutter is relatively large compared to the part.

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That is exactly what the deal is. Our rougher is a 2" diameter Ingersol rougher and there are places that its hard to contain it while roughing the areas that need it. Its the only tool we own that has the length we need and it is very rigid. A smaller tool would give me a fraction of the problems. Ive been settling for the HSS core roughing when it doesnt get too out of control but on the configurations of this part that I get allot of wasted moves or large lead in's ive been saving the tool path to geometry and just using 2d contour which gives me 100% control of the path. That works very good but is allot of work for what should be a simple roughing routine.

 

quote:

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Dave,

 

Give Steve at Cimtech a call. There is a new toolpath Chook available for 2D roughing that is incredible for material removal. I think it is exactly what you are looking for.

 

I could come and give you a demonstration of it if you want...

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Thanks for the info Colin. I may just give him a call. Im guessing that this isnt a free chook? 2-D meaning that it wont use surfaces?

[Jayson Kramer]

So chip you are gone and move on for about a year and I see you are back. are you still working for yourself or back to the mold shops?

[chip]

Hi Jay, Next week I'll be thirty. I designed and built some carbon fiber mold recently. That's about it for molds lately. I'm retired! Haven't worked a honest day in a couple of years.

[chip]

 

Fun project.. I designed it at a buddies shop, He's got SolidWorks. Built it at another buddies shop. He's got X3. I haven't seen it yet. I might get a seat of Level 1, Just to have I guess.