Help !!!

[LastCat]

HI

 

Im new to MC9. Been in the CNC busy for 15 years, and used Gibbs for the last year. So our company wants me to learn MC9. So I go to a 3 day class, learning the basics about MC9.

 

Company buys the upgrade from V7 to V9, computer, desk, sets me up in an office. We make Commercial Airliner Repair Parts, here in Seattle (no Suprise? hehehehe).

 

15' Komo, 20' Komo, Fadals, 40 and 80. Not lathes...hmmm. Nevertheless, I have been able to do easy straight forward parts with MC9, and a few 3 axis moves. Been at it now for 4 months, say about 60 programs so far.

 

We do lots of extrusions, and channels. Making Spars, Chords, Repair beams and the like. I am having problems with getting tools to cut a part, that has tapers in the walls and floors. I can draw the part, but for the tools, I just can't get to cut properly, without it cutting also the walls, and bottom of part. Its a mystery now, but I'll find out soon. We do all kinds of Taper wall/floor combination parts, in 3 axis moves. Im just not sure if its the way I make the part, or how I am selecting the tool operations.

 

If I could see how its done once, It'll open new doors, and I can go from there. I know some of you like to reply with "one liners". "Ya, look in the help sections, explains it all."

 

DOH! Hardly. Needs hands on help, Anyways save your breathe. What I have is a file of the drawing of the part in MC9.

 

Can one of you Highly Gifted and Eager Techs out there, here, take a look at my file, and see what you can do. All I need is for the inside floors and inside walls cut. I wanted to use a 1.00 endmill with .125 corner rad. to finish the walls, and a 1.5 or 2.0 facemill with .125 rad to finish the floor.

 

Thanks

LastCat

Seattle Wa

Oct 9/2002

 

[email protected]

 

Link to the Channel.MC9 Drawing

[barbill]

Hello, have you tried making a solid of the part and then maching the solid which will follow all the faces.

[STEELTHOM62]

As you have the part drawn now, it's all one surface,perhaps if you made each sidewall and the bottom seperate surfaces,you could machine the sidewalls and call out the bottom as a check surface and vice versa.You could use a flowline on the sides and, after setting up some containment geometry you could finish the bottom with a surface rough pocket toolpath.

 

HTH

[Robert Eichorn]

I think I got something for you, but I am very new to MC9 as well. If you can tell me how to send an MC9 file, like the one you did, I will send it back to you and explain what I did.

From what I see you have two flat surfaces at the base of the channel, both of which are not positioned on an axis. If you put one face on an axis, then set "Normal" to the other (Cplane, Normal, select the Z), you can cut the sides using contour, single and just use depth cuts to make it pretty. Then run your face mill down the middle to finish it off. Are you making alot of these or just one? It would be nice if you had a 5-axis with live tooling, but if not angling your setup will work too.

[Scott Bond]

Hi

 

One easy way (there are many choices) to start would be to use a "pocket projection".You will be able to make your pocket with your current knowledge and build on it easily.

 

Make your pocket the width of the channel, but a little longer so you can avoid plunging into the stock. Then project the pocket onto the bottom surface(must be larger than the pocket) and this will give your the z depth control.You might also use a smaller dia. tool to finish the floor with because tail of a two inch tool will leave a big tail.

There are other ways.

[Slick]

I agree with STEEL, if you were to seperate these surfaces, and use the contour feature in Surface toolpath, you would then be able to create boundaries for the toolpath you would like to do,as well as select "check surfaces" to protect the features of the part that you do not want to machine.

[cadcam]

By the way folks the file is a solid model.

 

JM2C

[STEELTHOM62]

Sorry

 

[ 10-10-2002, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: STEELTHOM62 ]

[P_Scott]

LastCat,

 

Welcome to the forum. If you have Surface toolpath capabilities, I would suggest the Surface-Finish-Project 3D Blend toolpath. You can Create-Line-Endpoints from the top, inside edges of the channel by picking the endpoints on the vertical lines of the cross-section shapes which were used to create the surface. Set the "Z" depth from the secondary menu to 3", then create the lines. You can use these lines as the Resync boundaries of the Surface-Finish-Project 3D Blend toolpath. You can still use these lines if you don't have surface toolpaths available. Simply Translate the lines you just created from the top edges of your surface, to the Z depth of the floor and Chain them as open contours with the Bull end mill that has the appropriate radius. HTH

[LastCat]

HI All

 

Thanks for the great help and advice.

 

Our company didnt spring for the 3D version, argh!

 

So I made the drawing (Channel.mc9) by making the ends, and middle section, then I used RULED to create the floor and wall surfaces. Then the ends I used Flat/Bndy to close the ends. Looks like a Solid, but I think it's what is called a NURBS.

 

Thanks SteelThom62, after reading his post, I made the walls and floors seperate, without the radius, and made a wall the drive surface, and the floor the check surface, and used Flow Line to machine the wall. And set the direction to cut from the floor up. And all I needed was the first 4 lines of Prog. Then I can back it off the walls, and sneak up about .015 at a time. Havent tackled the floor yet, will try the Pocket routine next.

 

We make these kinds of parts all the time. In the past I have been writing the programs by hand, calculating where the tool should be in x,y,and z. Worked good so far. But it seems lots of work to make altered drawings in MC9 to get the part made. Seems all I should have to do is make a good drawing, press a button, and out comes my programs. But I guess, we have to trick V9 into doing certain sections of the part to get results.

 

Thanks all !!!

 

LC

Seattle WA

[cadcam]

Oh my god I was wrong it is a surface file.I thought I checked and it was a solid I must of confused it with another file.

 

My BAD.

 

[ 10-10-2002, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: cadcam ]

[LastCat]

Hi cadcam

 

No problem...lol...Im new, at this, you should see the things I answer too. One day, I will be much better.

 

Cheers

LC

[P_Scott]

LastCat,

 

If you have the capabilities for a Flowline surface toolpath, you have the capabilities for a Project Blend toolpath in V9. If you can only toolpath against one surface at a time than you can create a single Loft or Ruled surface with just the inside portion of the chained profiles, so you would only get a surface that includes the walls and the floor. Use the Entity SYNC option to get a better resulting NURBS surface. I found that the surface you had was somewhat rounded at the top edge and was not as accurate as it would have been when SYNC-ed. I tried the Project Blend toolpath and got great results but do not know how to send the file back to your download site. If you e-mail me directly, I can attach the file to a reply. HTH

[cadcam]

Lastcat can you hit the keys "Alt V" and tell me what level you have then I can set my seat to work in that level and help you.

 

thanks cadcam

[LastCat]

HI Jay

 

Will do, I'll have to check this Monday at and get back to ya Monday night.

 

Thanks

LC

Seattle WA