How to surface this part?

[Darin]

Hi,

 

 

Is there a way to use a full radius slotting mill to surface this part? It has a under cut radius.. Or would it have to be 5 axis or 4 axis positioning to make this? The part is small only 1 1/4" long and the radius are .020 and 1 mm.... I know I can have a special form tool made but it is $500 and they don't want to spend that...

[Bob W.]

Maybe this tool from Harvey:

 

http://www.harveytool.com/prod/Keyseat-Cutters/Other-Specialty-Profiles/Browse-Specialty-Carbide-Cutting-Tools---End-Mills_165/Full-Radius-Convex-Keyseat-Cutters_134.aspx

 

I'd get this tool and use a surface finish contour toolpath or similar. Of course 5-axis would make it easy with standard ball mills.

[Darin]

Maybe this tool from Harvey:

 

http://www.harveytoo...utters_134.aspx

 

I'd get this tool and use a surface finish contour toolpath or similar. Of course 5-axis would make it easy with standard ball mills.

 

Great thanks that tool should work.. But the problem is to get Mastercam to work with that tool... I have had no luck yet.. It just acts like the under cut part is straight 90....

[Rotary Ninja]

Have you tried a flowline toolpath? With that tool it should be no problem. Or as Bob said a contour will work as well.

[Darin]

Have you tried a flowline toolpath? With that tool it should be no problem. Or as Bob said a contour will work as well.

 

 

Great thanks those worked... I was trying to use surface high speed tool paths..

[mkd]

make sure you disable gouge checking (2 places in MC) to be able to get under the part.

 

programmed a couple 5 axis holes on a 3ax knee mill for a vendor last week. thanks to Harvey tool, it worked like a charm.

[Darin]

make sure you disable gouge checking (2 places in MC) to be able to get under the part.

 

programmed a couple 5 axis holes on a 3ax knee mill for a vendor last week. thanks to Harvey tool, it worked like a charm.

 

When you say gouge setting you mean here? In the gap setting?

[mkd]

When you say gouge setting you mean here? In the gap setting?

yepper

[Colin Gilchrist]

Once you've disabled the Gouge Checks, you'll need to use "direction" to give you a lead in/out move to your cut. Otherwise you risk retracting while your tool is in the undercut, and scrapping the part.

 

Surface Finish Contour is another toolpath that supports undercuts...

[Machineguy]

Yea, not funny watching your part go thru the tool changer.

[mkd]

Once you've disabled the Gouge Checks, you'll need to use "direction" to give you a lead in/out move to your cut. Otherwise you risk retracting while your tool is in the undercut, and scrapping the part.

 

Surface Finish Contour is another toolpath that supports undercuts...

can we come up with a more obscure name for surfacing lead in/out?

instead of "direction" let's call it.......

[Rotary Ninja]

I would like an explanation of exactly how the direction setting gets it's coordinates. Because every time I use it I think I know which direction I need to lead-in from and I always have to change it.

[MotorCityMinion]

Direction lead ins. Same thing here. I have a 50/50 chance of getting them right.

 

Advanced settings, follow surfaces, tangential line length extension usually produce predictable results.

[kdgrills]

I would like an explanation of exactly how the direction setting gets it's coordinates. Because every time I use it I think I know which direction I need to lead-in from and I always have to change it.

 

I use "Direction" more often than not. Like a lot of things Mastercam,

it kinda sorta works. Not sure how to explain it, but if you experiment

a little it'll make sense eventually. Coming from other software, the

ability to fully control engages / retracts is something I really miss.

 

Here's how I set my default "Direction" settings:

 

 

 

Sorry to drag this thread further off topic.

[Rotary Ninja]

Anyone ever used Photoshop? When you setup a blending option like a drop shadow there is a simple to use little dial (like a clock) that you use to tell it the direction the light is coming from. You can enter in polar coordinates. Would be very nice if Mastercam worked the same way.

[mkd]

Anyone ever used Photoshop? When you setup a blending option like a drop shadow there is a simple to use little dial (like a clock) that you use to tell it the direction the light is coming from. You can enter in polar coordinates. Would be very nice if Mastercam worked the same way.

funny you should mention that. MC used to use a direction dial here. pre x IIRC.

[kdgrills]

Anyone ever used Photoshop? When you setup a blending option like a drop shadow there is a simple to use little dial (like a clock) that you use to tell it the direction the light is coming from. You can enter in polar coordinates. Would be very nice if Mastercam worked the same way.

 

That would be appropriate if "Relative to" is specified as "Tool Plane X axis", not so much for "Cut Direction".

 

Think of "Tool Plane X axis" as an absolute value, "Cut Direction" as incremental.

[Rotary Ninja]

That would be appropriate if "Relative to" is specified as "Tool Plane X axis", not so much for "Cut Direction".

 

Think of "Tool Plane X axis" as an absolute value, "Cut Direction" as incremental.

 

Ok, so thinking along those lines using Tool Plane X Axis a value of 180 would be an approach from the left. But in my sample program it comes from the right. Just the opposite of what I thought it would be. Why is that?

[kdgrills]

Ok, so thinking along those lines using Tool Plane X Axis a value of 180 would be an approach from the left. But in my sample program it comes from the right. Just the opposite of what I thought it would be. Why is that?

 

180 is an approach TO the left, not from. 0 deg = X+ engage, 90 deg = Y+ engage, 180 deg = X- engage, 270 = Y- engage

[Rotary Ninja]

Ah. That makes more sense now.