3-FLute Minicuts

[Mic6]

Man these babies just destroy aluminum, but then again, the aluminum may destroy them. I'm dynamic milling 4 parts out of an AL plate. Running 9000 rpm, .0038cpt, .150 stepover, going .780 deep. I'm running a .375 dia tool because of part geometry. Everything was running smooth, and I may have gotten lucky on the previous plate, but It broke on the second. The part has a large open cavity then goes down to a .500 slot then back to another big opening. When it started opening up the second opening, it died.

 

To aggressive feed, more rpm?

[BenK]

What is your max spindle speed? What machine? .150 stepover at that depth might be a little too much for that diameter tool.

[cobra95kev]

Do you have vericut? I have found some times dynamic/optirough will sometimes engage more material than it is supposed to. Vericut can find those spots if you set up your tool to calculate volume removal rate and set a limit on it and then turn on check cutting limits.

I wouldn't be nearly as receptive about using these toolpaths without vericut to back me up.

 

I think that would be a good enhancement to have for a future release of Mastercam, the ability for verify to calculate volume removal rate!

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

That stepover is a little heavy and if you're going into corners ,your engagement is going to be nearly 180°of the cutter.

[Mic6]

VF2

No Vericut

Reduced Stepover to .093, things are happier, but I changed strategies and just roughed out the slug and tossed it.

[Dave.L]

VF2

No Vericut

Reduced Stepover to .093, things are happier, but I changed strategies and just roughed out the slug and tossed it.

 

It's better to make a pile of chips then a cutout - the cutout is highley likley to break the tool if it's not clamped. (or for the cutout to fly out of the machine or at least try)

[Mic6]

It's better to make a pile of chips then a cutout - the cutout is highley likley to break the tool if it's not clamped. (or for the cutout to fly out of the machine or at least try)

 

Hey Dave, well, since it's already bolted to a fixture plate, and removing the bolts is in the sequence, it do it later after the parts are roughed out.

[Dave.L]

Hey Dave, well, since it's already bolted to a fixture plate, and removing the bolts is in the sequence, it do it later after the parts are roughed out.

 

 

Cool

[Robert Ouellette]

i used to use alot of minicuts before i started using OSG Blizzard endmills. the minicuts i used to use on an aluminum housing that was 4" deep x 18" lomg x 10" wide. i used a 3/4" regular length to rough out to 2" deep at 15000rpm and .008" cpt. and then switched to a long series for the rest at about 9000rpm and .005" cpt. we went from 45mins to rough it out to 10 mins. and the tools lasted 40-50 parts. and that was in MC8. so no fancy tool paths back then to help you out.

now i started using the Blizzards and the dynamic tool paths and i run at 12000rpm and .007"cpt for a 3/8" cutter. i can even do full slot at half diameter deep at the same feed and rpm. the boss likes how fast the machine runs and sounds when i start those up.