Port Expert

[gcode]

Anybody using it?

 

We have a line of impellers in for quote that look like a perffect fit for Port Expert.

They are hogouts made of 316SS 17-4 and 4340 in sizes varying from

Ø24" to Ø50. I think the hardest part would be roughing them efficiently

[CJep]

We have a line of impellers in for quote that look like a perfect fit for Port Expert.

 

G,... do you mean blade expert?

Port expert is specific for doing things like head porting, manifolds,...

 

Blade expert is specific for doing impellers and propellers,...

[crazy^millman]

I looked at these parts and trust port expert would do a better job that blade expert IMHO.

[?Mark]

I use Port Expert. Loving it!

[Tyler Robertson]

I've got a couple people who use Port Expert. I really, really like it.

[Newbeeee™]

Mark/Tyler - for doing what tpe of shapes/work?

I thought it was only for engine porting???

[?Mark]

Mark/Tyler - for doing what tpe of shapes/work?

I thought it was only for engine porting???

We're strictly an aerospace shop, no automotive stuff at all. It works great for any "port" resembling shape and when it's successful, it's FAST.

[Aaron Eberhard]

Any impeller with a closed shroud is actually a Port

 

G - Let me know what questions you have on it, I'd be happy to run one of your parts through a sample toolpath and talk about the best way to attack it..

[gcode]

Any impeller with a closed shroud is actually a Port

 

G - Let me know what questions you have on it, I'd be happy to run one of your parts through a sample toolpath and talk about the best way to attack it..

 

Yes.. these have closed shrouds

 

Thanks Rob D. is already working on that for me

[Tyler Robertson]

Mark/Tyler - for doing what tpe of shapes/work?

I thought it was only for engine porting???

 

air-intake type shapes. sort of a rectangular prism if someone squeezed the middle.

[Oscar R.]

I did 5 axis port work before port expert was made available, it can be a PITA. Small, long ports especialy.

 

I've only test driven port expert in the past, but I remember it being a lot easier and faster to get a final product out. Less steps.

Knowing how to do it the old school way I'm not sure if I'd buy it, unless I had a lot of work for it then It's a no brainer.

[crazy^millman]

Oscar, I could ROI the cost of Port Export in one Day at Gcode's shop. When is a closed shape and I have seen some really wicked stuff done that I was very surprised to see it doing.

[Oscar R.]

Oscar, I could ROI the cost of Port Export in one Day at Gcode's shop. When is a closed shape and I have seen some really wicked stuff done that I was very surprised to see it doing.

 

Should be worth the investment then.

Like I said, if the work is there, then it's a no brainer.

 

I trained on MC with Tom Shelar for a few days before port expert, and his old school method was painfully slow for me. But it worked and it work very well.

 

My testing of port expert was on automotive intake and exhaust ports. Some twisty custom ports for Ford and Chevy strip/street cars.

It did considerably better than old school stuff as far as the amount of steps involved.

So definately worth IMHO.

[Guyinthedesert]

I think the hardest part would be roughing them efficiently

 

I've done a couple impellers lately where I park B and C where I have a good shot, then I use opti rest to rough it out. It's hard to beat opti rest

.

[Oscar R.]

I think the hardest part would be roughing them efficiently

 

I've done a couple impellers lately where I park B and C where I have a good shot, then I use opti rest to rough it out. It's hard to beat opti rest.

 

+1 That's exactly what I would do.

[gcode]

I think the hardest part would be roughing them efficiently

 

I've done a couple impellers lately where I park B and C where I have a good shot, then I use opti rest to rough it out. It's hard to beat opti rest

.

 

these puppies are Ø48" .. the "ports" are 8 x 4 rectangles at the OD, and about 14" long with a 90° kick about 8" in

The other end of the "port" exits one of the faces of the part

efficient roughing will make or break this part

[?Mark]

Using regular 5-axis surfacing tool paths could sometimes take me a whole day or more to tweak it, especially when undercutting with lollipops. With some 90deg bends entry/exit gets hairy when you can't even see behind the "bend" what you're machining...lol

With port expert I can be done in an hour tops...I do few of those a week, so management didn't even blink when I asked for it...

[GoetzInd]

G, any partial pics you can share?

Mike

[gcode]

sorry wish I could.. they are cool parts

[crazy^millman]

Oh I love 3+2 and the HS toolpaths. I think it is the best way to do some parts, but I just happened to stop by the shop and got a first hand look at these beasts and under a NDA and trust me it will be some serious tooling and programming to runs those parts. They are putting in the shops new Okuma monster 5 axis and if they get that job might need 2 more.

[TK-32™]

I think the hardest part would be roughing them efficiently

 

I've done a couple impellers lately where I park B and C where I have a good shot, then I use opti rest to rough it out. It's hard to beat opti rest

.

 

 

The guy that trained me in 5Axis taught me that. He is a good guy. Hi Ron!!! :waving:

[Tyler Robertson]

how about just a free-form structure (think the human body) w/ 5 axis and programming from a 200mb STL file

[crazy^millman]

The guy that trained me in 5Axis taught me that. He is a good guy. Hi Ron!!! :waving:

 

Hello who would have every taught you that for running impellers crazy I tell you just crazy.

 

Tyler, I just got out of the hospital not to long ago and trust me I think I would rather go back then do one of those.

[Tyler Robertson]

go figure, I might have it licked in X7. 'Drop tool down wherever needed' for the win

[gcode]

I heard from our salesman today.

He informs me that our competitors program these parts in 12 hours and mill cycle times are

in the 150 to 200 hour range.

I asked him to find out what software they are using to program these parts.. cause I find 12 hrs

very hard to believe. Ron has seen these models and I think he'll agree with me on that