Pocketing Strategy

[Kendo]

I could use some advice on this, Im not a mastercam user but I bet you guys could give me some insight.

I just need a basic strategy for milling this pocket in 303 stainless.

I usually cut notches and drill holes in aluminum extrusion so this is new territory for me.

 

The gap between those bosses and the walls is barely over 1/4"

 

Im making this part already using a 3/8" TiCN coated fine-tooth china-made rougher leaving .01 on the floor and walls. The depth of the pocket is .535"

Im taking it in three .175 deep passes with stepover 30% of cutter diameter. The rougher then finishes the floor with 75% stepover.

 

Then a 1/4" 5-flute IMCO Powrfeed endmill finishes the bosses and the walls.

 

This is all done on an old Tree VMC4024 and programmed in edgecam.

 

I dont have anything like rest-mill capability in edgecam, but I wish I did.

What bothers me the most is the webs left between the bosses and the walls when the rougher is done.

I hate seeing that IMCO plow through the web at full diameter so I nibble it out in .05" deep passes.

 

So, as far as my basic strategy, what would you guys do different? I would also like to know whether you think I could trim some cycle time based on what I've told you, or if Im already diggin in a little heavy with those cuts.

 

Thanks a lot for any advice,

Kenny

[Tony35]

dont use edgecam period

there "roughing" cycle sux

[Mic6]

...served

[3R!< W3NG3R]

Are you looking to find out how we would do this in MC?

 

That looks like an easy part to program. I would use a dynamic pocket to rough it out and then use either a pocket finish or a contour toolpath to finish the walls.

 

Can't help you with edgecam. This is an MC forum.

[Kendo]

thanks, I know its a MC forum

I dont want help with edgecam

 

Im asking about my basic strategy as far as choice of tooling, depth of cuts, # of passes, percent stepover, etc.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Your stragety is ok. Pretty standard for a part like that. If you want to improve it, you'll need to use a roughing routine like "dynamic pocketing", as Eric suggested.

 

Dynamic Pocketing would use your rougher at full depth (entire flute length engaged ideally) and it will make very small radial passes (10% radial engagement). Using this stragety you should be able to safely increase your feedrate a bit.

 

The end result of using a path like this is twofold: you get much better tool life because you are spreading the wear on the cutter over the entire flute length, and because of the low % of engagement, you get better cutting conditions and a higher volume of metal removal.

 

What are your speeds and feeds and what is your cycle time. Can you share the file? Someone might put some toolpaths on it for you quickly (it is not a very complex part) and give you an idea of the amount of time you could save. I bet it is a lot.

[robh]

Alright,I gotta ask, even if everyone but me knows, where is this "dynamic pocketing" found?

[Tony35]

i think its in X4

 

anyone with X4 beta back me on that

[Chris Parish]

ALT-C

 

Dynpock.dll in X3 Mu1

[3R!< W3NG3R]

In X4 it is no longer a c-hook, but a regular path.

[robh]

Is there someplace to find out about all the C-hooks we have available in MC? Keep feeling like I'm missing so much not knowing what each one can do. A tutorial just on C-hooks would be worth allot IMHO.

[robh]

That's good to know Eric but would love some c-hook tutorials or explanation of what they do and how to make them do it.

[robh]

BTW CParish congrats on your 200th post.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

it's in the help files.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Explanations of "what they do" can be found in the help file.

 

Go into Help - Contents and search for "chook".

 

In the topics list pick "C-Hooks and NET-Hooks" and press "display.

 

As you read down the page, click on the link for "a number of useful C-Hooks" and you get a list with help pages for each chook.

 

This will get you started anyway.

 

If you see something that looks like it might benefit you, let us know and we can give you some help on how to use it.

 

The main chooks I use are:

 

NoHist => Removes a solid's history

FindOverlap => finds overlapping wireframe

RmNodes => Utility for simplifying spline geo

WholeSpline => Takes a trimmed spline and removes the 'trimmed' portion, leaving a "whole" spline.

[robh]

only a few compared to the list in Run User Apps" where are the rest of them I only looked under c-hooks only 16 of approx 70 listed.

CParish why is it your post count is stuck at 200? read another reply of yours it also said 200 posts..

Anyway thanks for the feedback fellows.

[robh]

Did'nt see your post Colin till after I posted so now I can find more using the index, you'd think they would all be under c-hooks..Thank for the pointers.

[robh]

Did'nt see your post Colin till after I posted so now I can find more using the index, you'd think they would all be under c-hooks..Thank for the pointers.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Anytime.

[micr0]

When I try to use dynamic pocketing it's asking for an access code. I have a call in to our reseller. I also can't seem to find an entry for "Dynpock" in the c-hook net-hook help files. Am I looking in the wrong place?

[Fred from Université de Sherbrooke]

I think you're right. Need access code. You'll need to wait for X4...coming very soon...

 

I can tell you that Dynamic pocket really rock's!

[micr0]

Confirmed. It's and X4 beta feature and not for plebs like moi. Hope to see it next Wednesday at the X4 roll out.

[Kendo]

quote:

---

What are your speeds and feeds and what is your cycle time. Can you share the file? Someone might put some toolpaths on it for you quickly (it is not a very complex part) and give you an idea of the amount of time you could save. I bet it is a lot.

---

Im cutting at 90 SFM and .002" per tooth feed

 

I would love to share the file and learn a little about the trochoidal path but, when I tried to drag and drop it onto the FTP site, it asks me if I want to open or save my own file. When I searhed the forum, I found no solution to the problem.

 

So if anybody feels like spending a few minutes helping me out I'd be happy to e-mail the file to ya.

 

thanks again,

Kenny

[Kendo]

OK I uploaded it here for anybody who would kindly spend the time...

 

http://www.mediafire.com/?ondfmetzimn