Facing.

[Hugh.Venables]

What geometry can be used for facing? I find I often don't want to face the entire top of the stock. Right now I want to just face a strip on one end. If the cutter centre line would follow the end stock boundary that would do, but It doesn't like it. The error message says "Warning, not all boundaries are closed. Select open pockets or close chains." I guess I could offset the stock boundary and use contour. At which point I would ask how much can facing do?

Thanks, Hugh.

 

[ 08-20-2002, 05:02 AM: Message edited by: Hugh.Venables ]

[KMaynard]

Hi Hugh,

 

There a few ways to do facing. One way would be to go into the setup page choose stock bounderies and when you click your facing parameters don't pick any geometry it will choose the boudery automatically. The other way wich by which your describing is just make your own closed chained boundery where you actually want the cutter path.The only way this would be a hinderence is if there are islands your trying to get close to but avoid facing over..

[Hugh.Venables]

Thanks Kevin. I didn't want to waste time creating unnecessary geometry. Looks like contour might often be more useful as it can follow a single line.

Hugh.

[Jack Mitchell]

Hugh,

 

Facing, pocketing, frame milling, ect!, all require the same thing.

They require some form of multipassing.

Mastercam and virtually all cam packages will expect an input of percentage of cutter for each pass. Some will give the option of overlap, in-fact (rest machining adds to the mix).

 

The bottom line is that there needs to be a mutipass. If you wanted to pocket 1" wide, you can use anything smaller than 1" and get the result your looking for. 1/16 thru 15/16 - a 1" cutter cannot shift- hence the problems with bounderies, chaining, etc!.

 

Use a single line; Centre, Left, or Right are the options available.

 

I think you are already on track with this - I just wanted to clarify why you are running into this problem.

 

Regards, Jack

[Hugh.Venables]

Thanks Jack. I couldn't get facing to work from a single line as I tried to say above. Have I missed something?

Hugh.

[McRae]

Mathematically "Facing" requires a plane and that plane is defined as a closed chain. The tool path that you want (One strip milled off the end of the part) is essentially a contour operation that just happens to leave a flat "Face" after completed. What we have here is an interpretation issue of the words we use to define our operations.

 

The word Swarf can have many meanings none of witch are "Use the swarf Luke!"

[Hugh.Venables]

Thanks Andrew. When I tried to use a single line the resulting error message offered me the option of an open pocket.

 

Jack, I think if the width of the area to be faced is less than a system defined fraction of the cutter diameter, the result will be a single pass.

 

Hugh.

[Glenn Bouman]

Hugh, Andrew said

quote:

---

The tool path that you want (One strip milled off the end of the part) is essentially a contour operation

---

Do not use the pocket operation

[Hugh.Venables]

Thanks Glenn. I presumed the error message was offering me the possibility of open pocket within the facing operation. From your comment I get the feeling this is not available. I did end up using contour.

Hugh.

[Jack Mitchell]

Sorry guys, my fault - I should have stated to use contour and not use single line.

 

Use contour, a single line; Centre, Left, or Right are the options. (is what I should have stated).

 

I hope I haven’t confused anybody.

 

Hey Glenn, it’s good to here from you.

 

Regards, Jack