Rolldie help!

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Hi there,

 

I'm trying to create a rotary axis operation on some pocket walls on a four axis VMC. This will be using X7 Mill L3 but with no multiaxis add on. The walls that are parallel to the X axis are not pointing to the centre of rotation (they are in fact parallel to the Z axis) so axis substitution will not work. What I'm looking for is a Y-axis move to move the tool off the centreline when the tool is running along those walls. I've been trying to use the Rolldie c-hook but I can't get the tool to go vertical and just offset in Y when running along those walls. Hopefully someone can tell me where I'm going wrong!

ROLLDIE MAYBE.MCX-7

[TheePres]

Do not have X7 here to view your part. Based on your description, I would try Curve 5 axis with 4th axis enabled.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Thanks TheePres, but this is for a customer that only has Mill L3 - no Curve/Drill 5 axis. Oh, how I would love to be able to use that option

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

Rich,

From my experience with roll die, it only works if the walls of the pocket are pointing towards center line. In all other cases I have had to use swarf or one of the other multi-axis paths.

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

Here is roll die file that works with walls pointing to center line.

ROLLDIE_90-DEGREES_FIN_GOOD.MCX-6

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

Here is a roll die file that won't work because walls are not pointing to center.

ROLLDIE-NOT.MCX-6

[Scott Lundin Shopware Inc.]

I do remember reading somewhere that if you use the slot option in roll die the walls will be parallel to the center line (walls not pointing to center). I will have to look around and see if I can find the documentation.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Hi Scott,

 

I *really* do appreciate the effort you put into your replies here, you've described my problem exactly with the Rolldie-not file. So after quite a bit of effort I have managed to get a Wireframe Ruled toolpath to produce the result I was after (since this customer does not have the Multixaxis option... yet!).

 

It's not perfect (there are warnings about undercut, but the "gouges" are tiny) and it was not that easy. I'll warn you that setting a Rapid Depth doesn't work on this toolpath for some reason - the value I type in is ignored - so I have to use Ref Points. The Ref Points caused their own problems when I used Toolpaths/Xform to copy the op to the other pockets, but I have got around that now.

 

Here is what I've come up with FYI.

 

Thanks again for your assistance

RULED WITH BRANCH POINTS.MCX-7

[ajmer]

hey Rich,

are you using a custom post, when I post your file I get no rotations, never knew you could do that with ruled toolpath

[crazy^millman]

Rich and Scott thank you so much for posting this here and then sharing your results.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Hi ajmer, I'm at home now without my laptop but I posted it with the customers' Cimco four axis post (but it wasn't edited especially for this toolpath or anything). I'm pretty sure I posted out with a standard 4 axis VMC post too. I'll check tomorrow. I will suggest you take another look though, because there are a load of moves that are just three axis at the beginning.

 

Thanks for the props Crazy, praise indeed

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

Hey ajmer, well turns out my solution is bitter-sweet... I think you will need a custom post after all, the one I used was by Cimco Integreation and for some reason (as you rightly said) I don't get any fourth axis output with a standard 4 axis post. I don't even get A's with the Generic 5 axis Fanuc post which is really confusing! Below is a snippet of what I do get via the Cimco one.

 

%

(PROGRAM NAME - WALL PROGRAMMING )

(DATE=DD-MM-YY - 18-11-13 TIME=HH:MM - 09:34 )

N100 G21

N110 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90

( 12. BULL ENDMILL 3. RAD TOOL - 177 DIA. - 12. )

( HAD TO ADD Z VALUES IN THE REF POINT OPTION BELOW AS RAPID DEPTH (ABS) DOES NOT WORK. )

N120 T177 M6

N130 S3500 M3

N140 G0 G90 G54 X-86.35 Y-14.446 A0.

N150 M33

N160 G0 G90 G54 X-86.35 Y-14.446 A0.

N170 G43 Z150.

N180 G1 Z81.579 F50.

N190 X-88.8

.

.

.

N390 X-137.8

N400 X-140.25

N410 X-142.37 Y-14.438 A.001

N420 X-143.582 Y-14.533 Z81.553 A-.011

N430 X-144.436 Y-14.838 Z81.473 A-.012

N440 X-145.206 Y-15.362 Z81.326 A.015

N450 X-145.836 Y-16.055 Z81.095 A.055

N460 X-146.306 Y-16.779 Z80.793 A.031

N470 X-146.598 Y-17.588 Z80.423 A.002

N480 X-146.713 Y-19.071 Z79.918 A.171

N490 X-146.7 Y-17.178 Z80.246 A-2.122

N500 Y-15.9 Z80.5 A-4.248

N510 Y-14.611 Z80.735 A-6.378

N520 Y-13.314 Z80.951 A-8.512

N530 Y-12.003 Z81.148 A-10.654

N540 Y-10.69 Z81.325 A-12.794

N550 Y-9.368 Z81.482 A-14.939

N560 Y-8.041 Z81.619 A-17.086

N570 Y-6.712 Z81.735 A-19.233

N580 Y-5.376 Z81.83 A-21.383

N590 Y-4.032 Z81.904 A-23.538

N600 Y-2.69 Z81.957 A-25.691

N610 Y-1.346 Z81.989 A-27.845

N620 Y0. Z82. A-30.

etc.

[John Summers]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. If the sides of the bars are parallel, then they are also parallel to the centerline of the bars. Then the geometry should be the bar centerlines, and a thickness offset of half the bar thickness. Since a thickness is being used on the bars, then offset the geometry of the ends by the same amount. This is the kind of part that ROLLDIE was designed for. I will answer any questions directly.