A drive spherical engraving

[Alumenium]

Hello all

 

i have a vertical mill with an A drive and a solid 4" sphere mounted in it's centerline

and i would like to use axis substitution of Y to engrave a few designs on it, all the way around it. Say like engraving it into a crude globe

using a .062 ball mill to cut with

how do i make that happen? im using x7 The machine is a VF3 haas vertical mill.

does it matter if i use a solid or a surface for the sphere? if so why?

i'm kinda new to mastercam and dont use it that often. not like the experienced members of this board

any help would be appreciated

 

Thank you

[crazy^millman]

That is such a loaded question. Got a sample file that we can look at to try to help you out?

[Alumenium]

Regular Guy, thank you for your offer to help

here is how i am presently able to do "some" engraving on the ball. the artwork must be no more than about 2.9" or it will distort greatly, and it cant go to far in x, or same thing happens

the shaft in the left side of the ball represents where the rotary a drive is. opposite from most machines because of the other special work this machine does

it's never removed from the table

So I rotate the ball 120 deg and then engrave something else, then one more rotation, one more engraving. that's about all i can do now

EXAMPLE.zip

[Alumenium]

I know thats pretty dang primitive, I need to learn more.

 

But if i was using the A drive y-axis substitution i could use a longer than 2.9" graphic and get no distortion,

that's what i need

[John Morris]

Is this what you had in mind?

EXAMPLE2.MCX-7

[Alumenium]

John

 

that's pretty cool man, I had no idea that was possible.

so the sphere is not even needed? or whats going on in the solids window? wow

and just a simple contour? I had thought there would be a surface type

 

dude, please explain this a little.

you def know more that my local reseller, his attempt was nothing like this

[GoetzInd]

All you have to do is project to a cylinder oriented in y that is the radius of where you want to cut, select 3d under contour type and use axis sub y. (I would also switch tip comp to center).Keep in mind at a certain point getting away from center in X you wont be able to do it without tilt. Should be fine in your case though.

 

Mike

[John Morris]

The sphere (Solid on level 7) is just for the stock for the verify. Which by the way you have to use the 5 axis option in verify to see it correctly. I had to move all your geometry around and reset the WCS to origin to start and somehow "lost" your solid, so I re-created it on center.

 

To use axis substitution and use a simple contour I have to create all my geometry on Z zero on TOP plane. Then the depths are normal and when you activate the axis sub it will wrap everything around whatever diameter you specify.

 

Now in this example I needed to go an extra step to get it to follow the “curve of the ball”. So to get this straight in my brain I have think about whatever is going to be “wrapped” around my A axis has to be stretched out in a line. Side note here; that line should equal to the circumference of the OD of the part unless you want geometry to overlap. Now to emulate unwrapping a ball I created a curved surface on level 5. Notice that the top of the curve/arc is at Z zero, the surface is also created parallel to the Y axis (the axis being substituted). Then I took your geometry (with a copy shifted over in the Y) and used transform-Project to surface (and I used “use new attributes” and put the created geometry on another level). Now we have your geometry on a curved surface on Z zero, basically except for curvy bits which follow the curve. With new projected geometry we create a simple contour with no lead ins, cutter comp off and most importantly the Linking data Z depths incremental so the tool will follow the contour, I recommend turning off all the other levels and using the window (with 3d select active) selection tool to get you geometry, this will automatically switch your op to 3D. I would highly recommend you create the contour like you were machining flat first then check out the resulting path then go back in and activate the axis rotation.

 

Another note when axis subbing, keep your work coordinate working from center as much as possible both in MC and at the machine.

 

I do a lot of axis subbing but I have never had an opportunity to machine on a sphere, but it looks like fun.

[Alumenium]

Heres one we did for the massachusettes state police this year, this one is the test ball. does not have the high polish we put on the gift ball we give the customer

[Alumenium]

Thanks for the explanation Mr. Morris