HAVING PROBLEMS CREATING PATH ON THIS PART

[honeybunches]

I am making a steel part that has 6 pins sticking up and I need to interpolate around each one at full depth and just stay down and cut them all out. I have tried 3D, C plane, contour, surface, etc. Even tried to create some extra geometry but just cannot get a path that works on this part. Basically just wants to create 6 separate paths around each pin, retract, and go to the next and lead in/out cannot be tuned to not plunge into the material. I want to come in radially. I have an STP file if someone is willing to take a peek. I would rather not hang it up on the FTP site but willing to email.

 

The path is probably super simple for a seasoned vet in MC but it has kicked my butt today.

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

There are several ways to do this. Just of few I can think of are:

 

-Use a pocket cycle with a fake outer boundary. Turn off the roughing and select "Keep tool down" and deselect "finish outer boundary"

 

-Program it as normal and save the geometry (from backplot) and connect the geometry.

 

-Toolpath editor.

 

The first one will most likely be the easiest.

 

Mike

[honeybunches]

When I try to create a pocket path, I believe every time it has indicated cutter comp has failed yet does not detail what happened. I usually try to select the top faces of the pins and not the cylinders but I have tried both. There is a fillet at the bottom of the pins so I am not sure if that is creating issues or what.

[honeybunches]

I am not very familiar with the pocketing feature in MC, do I need to create an outer boundary for the tool during pocketing? If I were to select the outer profile of the part, it would not work right because the outside edge gets cut. Basically, the only thing left standing is 6 pins.

 

[ 05-05-2009, 10:42 AM: Message edited by: viper1 ]

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

I am not sure what you are doing.

 

-Just select 2D geometry.

 

-Do you have enough room in between the pins for the cutter you are using? Try a smaller cutter just for a test.

 

-Can you upload a screen shot?

 

Edit:/ We posted at the same time. Yes create a fake outer boundary. It will not cut it. Just do as I mentioned in previous post.

[honeybunches]

Every time, MC has indicated there is a bad arc (#8 standard) and will not create a path with pocketing. I am not sure if this error refers to a geometry problem or a path selection problem.

[Mike Whitten CAD/CAM Contractors]

If the same arc cut with contour, it's most likely not a geometry problem. You may need to re-chain. ?

 

Do a test with 2 or 3 arcs that you created from scratch yourself.

[Bill R]

You may have duplicate arcs in one or several places. When you think you are chaining one, Mastercam will chain both and cause an error.