Tab question

[RayHolt]

Hi all!

 

I'm cutting a part, and on the contour toolpath I want to add a few tabs so the part doesn't go flying.

 

In the parameters for the contour, I have tabs turned on, selected automatic, and have it set to put 4 tabs in. I gave them width and thickness (tried .125 and .250). I have tab motion set to partial, and "Tab All" selected.

 

When I click OK and verify, everything cuts correctly, but there are just no tabs at all.

 

I will upload my file through FTP and label it "RayHolt_TABS". (It is under X6 Files, and admin, you can delete my old "RAYHOLT_PART" files from the server. Thank you!)

 

Thanks in advance for any help, you guys have been awesome!

 

Ray

[Jayson Kramer]

ok I am reviewing your file. you are in a class I see. are they teaching you about lead in and out and when doing a contour the direction of the arrow and how this tell what side to cut. I am looking at the contour and I see no lead or out and I see the chain is backwards and set for right side of tool. reviewing and adjusting then putting file back.

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok I forgot tabs does not work with a solid edge. I added the curves to the bottom edge re chained and now you have taps.the file is on my FTP and it is your file name with CADCAM added to it.

[RayHolt]

Jay,

 

Actually I'm not in class, but close. I'm a student at SUNY Oswego and we are working on opening our new manufacturing/woods lab for this coming semester. We have a lot of new CNC machinery coming in, so right now myself and two of my professors are working (struggling, sometimes!) to learn Mastercam. They have been going through the training books/videos, and I'm helping them experiment.

 

I downloaded your file and gave it a run, but when I verify there are still no tabs. When you say you added curves to the bottom edge, do you mean you put a round on it?

 

Thanks for all of the help,

 

Ray

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray do not rely so much on verify to see what is going on. review the back plot and see the lifts I will set the verify so you can see the tabs.As an instructor always here to help another instructor.

I had a new class start last night and tonight I am online at Eapprentice do my second class and back at the collage tomorrow never ending.

[Jayson Kramer]

This what I see when I verify your file Ray.Let me also say that I am only verifying the one contour op.

[RayHolt]

Jay,

 

When I backplot and verify JUST the contour op, I do see the tabs! Just so odd that the tabs then do not show up on the full verify. Thanks for the tip.

 

But I still don't quite understand what you changed, when you said the tabs will not work with a solid edge so you added curves to the bottom. I have a new drawing (made some changes to the part) and I am stuck at the same point. I added depth cuts to see if that'd help but same deal. So what exactly did you do to "add curves" to the bottom?

 

Also, I had the tool set to right side under cut parameters because if it was on the left it cut into the part, rather than around it. I turned lead in/out off because when I had it on it was cutting all kinds of wacky shapes into my piece. I'm sure I just had the settings wrong, but turning it off solved the problem... maybe created a new one for tabs though?

 

You are a great resource then! I appreciate your help very much, as do my two professors. Mastercam seems to be great software, just a pretty steep learning curve and lots of LITTLE details that make big differences! The number of times that something has been thrown off by one little box either being checked or not checked... it can get frustrating!

 

Very exciting when things do finally work though

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray let me have your updated file and and I will do it again or I can do it to the old one so you can see.Ray I think I should have you in on my office hours one of these times.

[RayHolt]

Uploaded the new file. It is RAYHOLT_TABS_UPDATE

 

Are those e-office hours that you have? I don't want to take up too much of your time, and I really appreciate the patience.

[Jayson Kramer]

I will pull up the file soon and throw the eadges and show what I am doing in a video. the office hours are the E-office one correct.

[RayHolt]

Great Jay! Looking forward to it... It'd be cool if I could cut this part out today!

[Jayson Kramer]

ray did you get my pm on this board?

[RayHolt]

ray did you get my pm on this board?

 

Yeah Jay, I just checked and I got it. Thanks a lot! Looking forward to the new file/video.

[Jayson Kramer]

rendering the video now and I all ready updated the file and added cadcam to it on my FTP

[Jayson Kramer]

Here is a link to a video going over a few things. let me know if this help.

Taps working video

[RayHolt]

Jay!

 

Thanks so much, that was a HUGE help. My two professors got a lot out of it too and they're working on completely different parts.

 

Like I said, Mastercam is obviously very powerful software, it's just some of these little details... we never would have thought that Mastercam couldn't put tabs on a solid. I forgot I had tab cutoff set to on... I tried that when I was in the "maybe THIS will make it work" stage and forgot to turn it off.

 

Really, can't thank you enough for your patience and help. If we get stumped again I'll be sure to pick your brain!

 

Now, I'm gonna go cut out this part! WITH tabs

 

-Ray

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray , glad to see this help. and look forward to helping you in the future.

Are you guys going to be teaching this this class after summer?

[RayHolt]

Yeah, this won't be a Mastercam specific class but rather we will be using Mastercam as part of our Polymers, Metals, and Manufacturing classes. We will have a few different options for CNC machines but all will be run by Mastercam, as long as we can learn it!

 

I'm banging my head against the wall right now trying to machine that central pocket without using FBM Mill... it's pretty hard to figure out! FBM did a decent job but the toolpath was VERY inefficient. So I'm trying to do it with the regular toolpaths... even trying to copy FBM which used "2D High Speed Core Mill" and I can't quite get it.

 

Got the part cut out with those tabs though, and it's awesome! I'm going to bang my head against the wall for a while longer on this problem before I start bugging you about it.

 

Ray

[Jayson Kramer]

I will look at the center area I usually do not use the FBM except for very basic parts.

[RayHolt]

The problem I'm running into is that the Parallel pocket toolpaths cut that tapered part to the right way too rough, just steps.

 

And when I use the high speed toolpaths, it cuts everything great except it leaves a thin wall where that pocket "goes off into space". I have gotten it so it cuts the walls, but still leaves the little rounds in those corners.

 

Here's an example. We're trying to get away from FBM.

[Jayson Kramer]

Ray go get my file again and look at the pocketing operation and the re machining ops.

[RayHolt]

Got it. So you just had to draw some lines in order to make that an enclosed pocket. I have to do some practice with drawing in Mastercam, but that definitely answers the question.

 

Very cool about the remachining too, never knew that was an option.

 

Thanks so much! We got the part cut before and it came out awesome. Just need to make some tweaks to the original model. About to wrap it up for the day, but I'm looking forward to some machining tomorrow!

 

Me and my professors REALLY appreciate the help.

[Robert Barton]

The problem I have with TABS is I cannot adjust the feed rate as the tool plunges down thru the material.   It plunges using the Feed rate rather then using the Plunge rate.

[crazy^millman]

The problem I have with TABS is I cannot adjust the feed rate as the tool plunges down thru the material.   It plunges using the Feed rate rather then using the Plunge rate.

 

That is not good, but you can use the toolpath editor to adjust the feed rate as it plunges into those areas. I suggest you put together an example file and send to qc so they can make the fix for it.