Toolpath trimming

[Guest]

Occasionally the question of how to control a toolpath that is cutting ares where stock does not exist any longer arises.

 

I placed on the FTP a file TRIMMING SAMPLE.MCX

 

This shows a rough pocket path and then the same rough pocket path trimmed to a boundary.

 

As you can see the inefficient path with many watsed moves, now becomes and effective and efficient toolpath.

 

Hope this helps someone.

[bhayden10]

John,

What folder is it in?

[Ashan]

where is in ftp ?

[Guest]

In the X3 folder

[Nils N]

John, when you going to release "The Video"

[neurosis]

quote:

---

Occasionally the question of how to control a toolpath that is cutting ares where stock does not exist any longer arises.

 

I placed on the FTP a file TRIMMING SAMPLE.MCX

 

This shows a rough pocket path and then the same rough pocket path trimmed to a boundary.

 

As you can see the inefficient path with many watsed moves, now becomes and effective and efficient toolpath.

 

Hope this helps someone.

---

I find myself using this more and more lately.

[?Mark]

But DO NOT attempt to transform trimmed toolpaths though.

[Steve Hattori]

Mark, transform worked for me...oddly, because I can almost anything to not work! Haha..

[bmilford]

I have used trim toolpath for quite a while and sometimes I have problems with the trimmed path gouging the part, the gouge is not a rapid move but a feed move.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks, Brian

[Guest]

check your retract values.

 

Are they absolute or incremental?

[Jeremy Herron@DBS Solutions™]

Is there a sign up for the ftp site? I am prompted for a username and password.

 

thanks in advance,

[Tony35]

john

how did you get on the ftp site?

no go here

[Guest]

FTP is currently down

[Tony35]

thanks john

[bmilford]

John,

I have tried both absolute and incremental as long as the toolpath is trimmed this is the result.

 

 

This is a veiw from the inside of the part, the feed path lines that are gouging the part are directly to the left of the box labeled Quick Veiw Settings. The toolpath only cuts inside the part after the toolpath has been trimmed, I have had the same results with a Surface Rough Parallel toolpath.

 

This is a veiw of the same toolpath just not trimmed.

 

Thanks, Brian

[Mjölnir]

quote:

---

But DO NOT attempt to transform trimmed toolpaths though

---

If breaking associativity is acceptable, write an nci file of the trimmed toolpath, import it, then transform the imported operation.

 

Personaly, I trim toolpaths only as a last resort when all else fails. I've been using Mastercam since v3.21 in 1992 and have seen more weird things happen with trimmed paths than any other type of operation. It's a confidence thing (lack of) more than anything else.

 

My biggest problem with air cutting has always been when cutting cores as opposed to pockets / cavities. (standard surface paths) Despite turning off "machine boundry" when it isn't needed, sometimes it won't, sometimes it will.

 

The high speed surface core roughing does a pretty good job of keeping air time to a minimum. Is not so hot for older machines with not so fast controls however.

[bmilford]

There is a considerable amount of air time eliminated by trimming this toolpath.

 

Untrimmed

 

Trimmed

 

I am trying a different strategy for cutting this part, I like the result of the trimmed toolpath execpt for the gouges.

[cobra95kev]

Bmilford,

That might be a good canditate for restmill, using the geo in a cad file.

 

hth,

Kevin C.

[Mjölnir]

Why not use a containment boundry?

[Slydman]

From this file (TRIMMING SAMPLE.MCX), i replaced the bullmill with endmill flat and the tool is gouging into the part instead of making contour.

 

Why? Because we don.t use bullmill.

 

Thanks

[bmilford]

I haven't used restmill yet I'll look at it and see if I can figure it out.

 

I have a containment boundary on this toolpath already, can I use two on the same toolpath?

 

Thanks,

Brian

[cobra95kev]

Bmilford,

To use restmill make a dummy operation that mills from a block down to your current stock configuration and then save that cut part as an STL file after verify and then use a surface highspeed toolpath restmill toolpath and under the restmill tab select use CAD file then when you exit out of the parameters it will prompt you for a CAD file and then just point it to the STL file you saved from verify.

 

hth,

Kevin C.

[peon]

John, I finally got time to look at that TRIMMING SAMPLE.MCX that you created. I wish I would have looked at that earlier. That is an awesome training demonstration!! That will help me rough in vent channels on my molds much easier!!

[Guest]

Glad you found it helpful

[Odin]

USe a containment and pick the geometry you want milled and the surrounding geometry as drive surfaces...