surfacing and 4th axis rotation

[Peroni]

Hi guys

 

I could really use some help with this project. I have an 8 sided polygon - picture an octagon puck with one side at an unequal angle but also each face is not vertical instead sloped at a different angle. The boss wants to try a different way of machining this part. We have the 4th axis on our HAAS on its back just like an old fashioned rotary table. The idea is to rough the polygon using a waterline tool path but each face is to be finished seperate. Then we want to ratate a face so it is paralell to X axis and finish surfacing it, then rotate to the next face and so on. I cannot figure out how to rotate the part. I have searched and read all 7 pages of z axis rotation and still do not understand the concept. Do I need to rotate the geometry along with c/t planes? Each face is on a seperate level, do I rotate that level's c/t plane or must I creat a new one?

 

Using the generic HAAS 4 axis post on MX3 MU1

[Tony35]

you could try transform rotate and just rotate the toolpaths if i understand you correctly

 

HTH

[Peroni]

I tried that and it doesn't work as part does not rotate. There will be 8 different finish operations, 1 for each face.

[Mike-T]

How about an picture ? Rotary on its back, do you mean the rotary is rotating about Z ?

[Peroni]

Yep Mike that's exactly how we have it setup, rotating around Z axis.

 

Sorry no pics or files as per the boss' mandate.

[Mike-T]

I would use a 5ax trunion style post to get that kind of output.

[pip]

Set up a c/t plane for every face then under planes, set the WCS to world, and the c/t planes to which ever face you are machining.

That should make your table rotate.

[Mike S @ S4A]

Are you using a machine def and post with rotary logic enabled?