surface restmill

[sharles]

I made a surface restmill program, but in graphics I saw that it was plunging repeatedly in some small pockets that it should have skipped and also leaving little "islands" of stock other places which it would later plow through. In graphics I was able to catch most of them so I put some covers over some of the pockets and made the stepover smaller which reduced the number of "islands" of stock left. But in the end one high feed cutter got trashed.

 

To me this is unacceptable that mastercam does not have the pocket ramp/skip function that the surface rough pocket does and that it leaves all these islands of stock scattered around the part because the stepover doesn't meet the threshold requirement to make an additional pass.

 

I haven't used the high feed programs since our computers are older and slower and I've been comfortable with most of the older style surface programs. But is there anyway to make surface rough restmill never plunge in too small of pockets or leave islands of stock? Or is the new highfeed re-rough program totally safe? I want it to function like the old surface rough restmill but not plunge in small pockets that it can't remove all the stock from and not leave islands of stock just because it doesn't want to create another pass to keep that island from forming.

 

Thanks.

[Guest]

Have you tried the restmill using the Surface Highspeed paths instead?

[sharles]

John,

 

that's what I'm asking. Does the new restmill have any of the issues I just listed? Or, does it have other issues? I don't use the restmill function often, but when I need it, it needs to be better than mastercam produces with the old surface restmill.

 

thanks.

[Guest]

Yes, it is better.

 

One of the things i did with the oder one, was if there were areas I KNEW I didn't want to go into, I closed them over with a surface. That kept them out of where I didn't want them to go.

 

However the SHS restmill offers pocket skip option

[sharles]

Thanks, John, I'll give it a try but I'm a little "scared" of all the new parameters buttons in the high feed programs. It took me a long time (and a lot of stress...trial by error) to figure out all the various buttons in the old surface programs and exactly which ones did what. My company isn't very big on training and learning new skills which is another reason why I haven't jumped into the new high speed programs. One "aw sh%t" wipes out dozens of "atta boys."

[[email protected]]

There is an option to "Skip pockets smaller than x.xxx"

You can check this and put in the size of your biggest pocket you want to skip.

[Redfire427]

One "aw sh%t" wipes out dozens of "atta boys."

 

That's a good one for sure.

[Cuda84]

Scott, high speed all the way. I don't even use any of the older programs unless I have to. As was mentioned above there is a skip pockets smaller then (specify a diameter) option.

[sharles]

Dave,

 

I keep getting an "unable to determine valid machining zone" for the high speed toolpath. I've checked all my parameters and can't find the problem. I tried to upload the file on the ftp site but it's not accepting my user name and password. I know the button is somewhere on this site to have it sent to me, but I haven't found it yet.

 

...I found my password, but it still won't let me log onto the cad/cam ftp site. Help!

[Ocean Lacky™]

quote:

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"unable to determine valid machining zone"

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I see this from time to time. What I do is Save the file, shut down Mastercam, Restart and then regen the toolpath.....works Most of the time

[sharles]

I've been forced to do that because that toolpath keeps crashing mastercam when I try to open it to look at the parameters. Still no luck.

[Chris Rizzo]

try giving it a containment boundary.

[sharles]

I found an old thread that Colin told how to create an stl file in the proper position (when not using mastercam homes) from verify mode. When I use that as my CAD file, the program seems to properly generate. I'll find out soon if this program is better. I've got a part going in the machine right now that will be roughed using the high speed re-roughing.

this is the title of the thread if anyone else has any interest:

WCS seems to affect location of Verify Stock

[The Chipmaker]

Check your cut depth limits. Sometimes I forget to set them.