oscillate tool along contour?

[Ripper3785]

We'll be doing alot of straight cuts in wood, and here's the scenario. One of our flat cutters has about 5" height of cut and the edges that we'll be cutting most of the time is 1.75". So, other than drawing a curvy contour under the edge of my stock, is there a setting in MC somewhere to make the tool oscillate up and down along the contour so that the inserts on the tool all get even wear, thus eliminating the possibility of creating ridges when we use the tool to cut taller stock?

 

Ripper teh run-on sentence masta

[cadcam]

Sorry there is not.

[Ripper3785]

doh! Thanks Jay.

 

It's too bad the software that the router mfr. makes has this option.

[crazy^millman]

Ripper if doing simple 2d shape write yourself a macro program to do this or you could make yourself 3d line in a zig-zag pattern and then it would do the same thing just a thought.

 

Crazy Millman

[SledGeek]

You mean you are side cutting and want to use full flute for even wear ? Could ya do a ramp with a steep angle and lighter cuts. Might get a funny squiggly finish , but smooth. Done it with releived cutters with flute length shorter than edge that is getting finished.

Just a thought.

[Thad]

Any chance you're running Fadals? They have a nifty reciprocating M code.

 

Thad

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Ripper,

 

This can (has) been done in post. What dia tool are you using? It would be better option to switch to insert tooling maybe?

 

What kind of machine? Toolchanger?

 

Jimmy

[CAM-mando]

As was mentioned above, try the Ramp feature in contour. It wont oscillate, but it will vary the depth of cut continuously.

[mayday]

I have done this with flowline cuts,just switch the cut direction.dont know if you have that toolpath option. instead along passes you get up and down travel.

[Roger Peterson]

As said before ramp. It will spread your wear out over the length of the cut just as the oscilating cut path.

 

 

HTH

[Ripper3785]

Thanks for the ideas all.

 

It's a CMS 5ax mahcine with a 16 pos toolchange magazine. The tool in question is in fact an insert cutter tool, 58 inserts. dia is about 4.5"

 

My other issue with this is, on the table we're gonna have retractable ref. stops to position the parts, and I don't know what the height of the retracted ref stops are yet(machine gets here next week), so I may not be able to do this anyway.

[Jean-Simon]

Hi Rick, sorry I'm a little late on this one but yes you can do it by playing with tabs by putting a ramp motion (in tabs settings) instead of vertical moves and you put a small angle like 5 deg. and it gives you the exact result you need. No I didn't think to this by my self, a customer asked me the same thing once and after playing with it, I founded that and it worked.HTH!

 

Simon!

[Scott Bond]

quote:

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So, other than drawing a curvy contour under the edge of my stock,

---

OK Here is my .02;;

Make a cury surface the size of your table.

Make a 2d wire shape (a four leaf clover??)

Make a program and use project onto a surface.

ok it works,,, Now save it

so now when you want to use that tool , you will import your existing operation with tool speed feed and surface already to go. (as if it is a MC feature)

Rechain the new 2-d ,,,and regen.

 

Scott

[McRae]

Ramp isn't the answer as there will always be an even amount of material length of engagment and the wear will not be distributed properly as the user is requesting. If this is added to the wish list for future versions - this type of technology would be applicable to high temperature turning profiles as well. Anyone from Marketing lurking??

[Ripper3785]

Talking Management into Version X would be much much easier if they add this function. What sucks is that CMS's software has this and we paid a bunch more $ for MC instead. Although I am not complaining one bit, MC is terrific.

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Simon,

Greaqt idea!

 

Jimmy