Engraving on center?

[can machine]

A lot of times we need to engrave serial numbers on customers parts. How do I do this.

I tried using the note function under the drafting tab, created my text, used the break drafting into lines under the trim tab, then went to the engraving option. I does not seem to work.

I just need to engrave my stick font on center, 0.002 deep.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

for centre, use contour with comp off.

 

To use engraving, you need a closed chain.

[Goldorak]

+ turn off lead in / lead out

[can machine]

Ahhhh, I should of thought of that. I kept getting drawn to that engraving tab. Thanks very much.

[Leigh @ Kodiak]

Also, instead of changing your drafting notes into lines and arcs, you can save a step and select create > letters

[Cad-Camr]

Yes, all of the above. When you select contour and the chaining window appears select 3d and window the lettering. you should then be promted to select a start point which can be any entity and thats where your tool will start. I dont understand the closed chain statement made previously.

[3R!< W3NG3R]

The closed chains are for the engraving toolpath, not contour.

[Gramby]

Interesting I engrave all the time and was never aware of the engraving toolpath. Dumb me. I always used window chain contour. I always created letters using the creat letter option then their is no need to break to lines.

Can anyone explain a little more how the engraving toolpath works. At first glance it seems to work as a pocket toolpath. Meaning the letters cant be a stick letter but a box style? Is this true?

[Josh T™]

quote:

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I engrave all the time and was never aware of the engraving toolpath

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I personally have found no use for it. The above mentioned method is really very simple.

[alma999]

My methods:

Flat surface:

Create Letters /MCX(Box)Font/

Contour toolpath; type ramp angle; compensation off

Curve selection:window

 

If surface not flat:

Create Letters /MCX(Box)Font/

Surface Finish Project, Retract between cuts: checked

[3R!< W3NG3R]

The engraving toolpath has only recently been added free to everyone. It does work like pocket, but gives nice 'sharp' corners. Kind of like a pencile 3D path.

[kunfuzed]

Wish list item:

 

Come up with a toolpath that somehow finds the center of outlined text and creates a center line toolpath!

 

Anyone with me on that?

[kunfuzed]

I'll have to play with that. So far it seems to just look like a cleaner pocket tool path. I would like something that would just drive down the aproximate center of the text with a given cutter size. I only want this becuase when engraving a panel with hundreds of letters, little pocket routines can be quite long on run time.

 

Are you saying engraving is capable of that?

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Edit: So far if I turn off "Rough" it just engraves the profile of the letter, not down the center.

[landscnc]

Since your doing serial nos look to your machine. We have a bunch of HAAS machines and they have a macro type program that has all the lettering and numbers in it and you can have the machine sequentially number the parts as they come of the machine.

[kunfuzed]

Damn that was really close! It's still going into the corners though, making a Y at the end of every contour. And it's changeing depth, which probably won't work with some of the Sikorsky specs we have to conform to.

 

 

Thanks though!