engraving

[Paul Felger]

Hello.. I have never engraved before and im sure it is very simple but i am have trouble with the chain.. the letters are "FARO". 32 chains and it is only doing the "O" Not sure what i am doing wrong

[Robert Ouellette]

how did you create the letters? did you use note or letters? you have to use letters to create them. if you use note then you will have to break the note into lines and arcs. if you used letters what i do is window all you want to engrave and create a contour tool path, offset to center, no lead in or lead out. pick you tool, i use 1/32" or 1/16" ballnose endmills, or single lip engraving cutters. set your depth. and away you go. that should work for you. if it does not work, post what you are doing and we will try to see whats wrong

[Paul Felger]

Yeah i used letter... and i did chain window them. they are all hi-lighted with the correct arrow direction and i believe the parameters are set correctly also.. When i go to toggle or backplot that toolpath it is only doing the "O" I am using engraving toolpath and not contour..

[Paul Felger]

Just rechained just the "F" and when i regen i get "open chains are ignored" and "not valid chains found. please select closed chains for contour"

[Paul Felger]

ok.. Just tried contour tool path and everything is fine now.. Thanks a bunch! Would still like to know why the engraving didnt work...

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

If you want to use "engrave" you will have to use closed chains. Open chains are not allowed.

[connormac]

If you go thru and pick the the chains rather than window them the tool will stay engaged in the part longer, less up and down and saves on the point. We saved a lot of time doing this and the machine doesn't go all over the place. I even put the Date code in a diffrent coutour, that way all I have to do is fix the date code contour when the job comes back thru.

JM2C

[jesse@desemco]

I always engtrave by chaining the letters with partial and wait turned on.

If you make sure that your chain start and end at the same spot, turn on ramp, and check "make pass at final depth" box, then you will do a constant ramp for each letter without the tool bouncing up and down so many times.

If you are engraving aluminum or cold roll, then this is not that big of a deal, but if you are engraving hard steel or a superalloy, then the in and out of cut will kill your tool.