3D Contour

[guitar]

Is there a better way to contour a 3d curve for 3d milling rather than use the 3d Contour feature? This 3d contour path is completely useless unless you are milling with a sharp tip.

[crazy^millman]

Pencil? Without something to look at I am back to my throwing darts at a dart board in the dark blindfolded.

[guitar]

Pencil requires a surface or solid, right? Basically I just drew a 3d arc (half circle) in G18 and tried to follow with a ball mill without a gouge. I can get it to work with multiaxis, but I still have to draw a surface for the cutter to follow the curve. I just want to be able to use 3d curves instead of having to create solids or surfaces. Call me lazy.

[Colin Gilchrist]

You might be able to use the Ruled toolpath, but there isn't a wireframe toolpath that will do what you want. You need a surface in order to be able to calculate the tangent offset of the ball endmill.

 

The bottom line here is that you really need a surface to be able to drive the tool, and have the toolpath compensate for the tool radius.

[sir Camalot]

How about the Curve 5 axis toolpath. Under tool axis control create/select lines in the direction that you want to drive the tool.

[JMahon]

Or offset your curve out the the radius of your cutter, and drive it to the center, not tip.

[guitar]

How about the Curve 5 axis toolpath. Under tool axis control create/select lines in the direction that you want to drive the tool.

 

The problem I am seeing with that path right now is that it only seems to work if your geometry is located in the top WCS. When I try to approach this from the side or angled WCS the toolpath is generated from the wrong angle even if I select the proper planes in the toolpath.. Pencil is not working either. Solid has a .124" corn rad and I am trying to use a .125" balmil.

[crazy^millman]

Solid has a .124" corn rad and I am trying to use a .125" balmil.

 

Offset the surfaces from the adjoin walls .0625. untrim them and create a curve at intersection. Use that to drive your toolpath in 3D contour and done. Use this process and teach this process to my customers all the time.

 

HTH

[Thee Rickster ™]

go into the toolpath parameters/planes (wcs), and un check (display relative to WCS) (if checked)and

make sure your 'working corinate system' /toolplane an comp are all the same

 

see if that helps

[guitar]

go into the toolpath parameters/planes (wcs), and un check (display relative to WCS) (if checked)and

make sure your 'working corinate system' /toolplane an comp are all the same

 

see if that helps

 

 

Thanks, but, already did that.

[guitar]

Offset the surfaces from the adjoin walls .0625. untrim them and create a curve at intersection. Use that to drive your toolpath in 3D contour and done. Use this process and teach this process to my customers all the time.

 

HTH

 

 

THIS works! Much thanks to all those that helped.

[sir Camalot]

I see that you got Ron's suggestion to work. Would any of the options in the attached file work for you?

CURVE5AXIS.MCX-7

[guitar]

I have reattached your file. Your contours are 5-axis and cut into the curves with the back of the ball mill radius. I have created 2 ops with new geometry on levels 2 and 3. Level 2 is top view and level 3 is front view WCS. Notice, op6 works and op7 does not. See op comments for descriptions.

Thank you.

 

 

It is time to go home, put on my wife-beater T-shirt, kick the dog, slam some Michelob Goldens, xxxx on my neighbor's flowers and forget about Mastercam for a while. Have a great weekend!

REVCURVE5AXIS.MCX-7

[sir Camalot]

This was interesting. I learned something new today. I now understand the direction that Ron went. In the 3 axis mode only the surface is available. Which I am not sure why only have the surface as an option. My apologies...I was thinking in 5 ax mode and not in 3 ax mode. Thanks for following through and helping me to understand what you were after.

 

Ron... good info!

[crazy^millman]

This was interesting. I learned something new today. I now understand the direction that Ron went. In the 3 axis mode only the surface is available. Which I am not sure why only have the surface as an option. My apologies...I was thinking in 5 ax mode and not in 3 ax mode. Thanks for following through and helping me to understand what you were after.

 

Ron... good info!

 

Do enough impellers and other stuff where you are trying to hit that perfect to size root radius you pick up some different ways to get the job done. What is also a goo thing to do it on an impeller is combine them all and then you have a really nice looking toolpath that cuts nice and move the machine really nice as well. I make up a new model with Radii .005 to .01 bigger than the radius I need. I then machine my part using that model which leaves the right amount of stock to then come back and clean up the root radius with a to size tool. Glad I was able to offer some insight to help the issue.

[guitar]

Could you tell me why my Multiax part works from top view and not the side views?

[crazy^millman]

Could you tell me why my Multiax part works from top view and not the side views?

 

The nature of the projection. In an angle view the projection angle of the tools natural shape changes and in the top view it does not. Why if you want a perfect Slot for a Roller bearing on a 4 axis machine you must use the roll die chook. Not adjusting for 4 will create tapered walls. Kind of the same idea hear.