C-Axis indexing and Solids Question

[#Rekd™]

Hi,

 

I have this part partly drawn in MC design. It is 1 1/4" brass and I need to cut 60 grooves across the OD (6 degrees apart).

 

In Mastercam Lathe how can I program this? I was going to use a center drill to cut the groove.

 

For the design solid is there a way to rotate the groove without rotating the base chains and sweep cutting each one?

 

Thanks in advance!

[#Rekd™]

The file would not attach so I uploaded it to the FTP, it is in the X5 files folder called FUELKNOB.mcx-5

 

Here is a screen shot.

 

[#Rekd™]

I figured the solids question out!

 

Now how to program it!

 

[Colin Gilchrist]

You can program a single groove cut (start with the BACK toolplane and use the C-Axis Contour Toolpath), then use Transform toolpath to rotate the cut and make additional copies. Should save you time vs. selecting each piece of geometry separately.

[crazy^millman]

Well a little more information would help here. Do you have a C axis lathe? What kind of machien is it? Have you ever done C axis toolpaths? Do you have Mill ability on your lathe seat? This would be just a standard C axis Contour toolpath on the OD. Make sure you pay attention to what the post says about it placement in the correct view. Your machine would then either use a mapping code like G112 or it would just move the Z axis and C axis at the same time. Really comes down to how much movement there is in the C axis does not look like much so should be pretty straight forward.

 

HTH

[#Rekd™]

Hi Ron,

 

Yes I have a C-Axis DMG CTX 310 Eco (piece of $hit...another story)! Yes we have Mill ability on our seats of Mastercam.

 

Colin,

 

I tried transforming but it is not verifying correctly. See the screen shot.

 

 

 

Thank you

[crazy^millman]

I would ignore the verify since the center drills may not be defined correctly. If you want to make sure it is what you want use a custom tool and draw it yourself then Verify with that. Does the backplot look correct? Does the code look correct if so then go by that.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the machine, but to me it looks like you are on the right path.

 

HTH

[#Rekd™]

Thanks guys!

 

Big thanks to Jeremy at www.dbssolutionsllc.com and Thee Circle!

[Newbeeee™]

Hockey,

I would always choose a spot drill in the 1st instance for things like this.

In my (limited) experience, centre drills never seem to have such a nice point/relief. They are usually just flatted off leaving a thick (strong) web, where a spot drill is form ground with radial relief and better clearances (and seems to cut cleaner for fine work).

 

We have one job we do which called for a straight knurl - real coarse pitch (it's a knob). It was toooooooo deep to cut knurl.

We have had to make a tool and broach it - each groove at a time but it don't take to long.