Toolpaths - Transform - Rotate

[Scott Lent]

Hi, I'm a relatively new user of Mastercam X7 and I'm writing a program for a cylindrical part that will run in my rotary axis (A-axis). I have to drill 18 identical holes, equally spaced, around the circumference of part. They are all located at the same X and Y coordinate. The A-axis will need to index in 20 degree increments to locate each hole.  

I'm wondering if there is a way to use Toolpaths---> Transform---> Rotate to accomplish this. All I've been able to do with it so far is rotate my toolpath about the tool plane, which is not the result I'm looking for.

The only other way I know of to do this would be to create a toolpath for each hole, each at it's own view. This seems like a lot of work, especially if a parameter needs to be changed (now in 18 places)

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks...

 

[Guest]

Moving to the main forum as it doesn't appear to be an educational user

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

I would use drill 5x

you will have one toolpath for all holes ,BTW

[Guest]

In the absence of having Drill5X, this can work

 

I have to do it in X8, it's the oldest version I have but this will work throughout the Mastercam series

 

I do have the Verisurf Free Utility installed

 

 

 

Rotary Drill Sample.mcx-8

[Elmer Fudd]

In your rotate parameters set your rotation plane to right side.

[djstedman]

Well, once again I learned something new.. nice video.. transform rotate will do what was asked for though..  To use transform do the following..

 

Choose one hole.. set it up to drill as normal, then create a transform op, choose rotate, choose tool plane, then in rotation parameters set your amount of rotation and set your view to right or left based on desired rotation direction if your rotary is on X, if your rotary was on another axis you would need to modify which view you use..  then set other rotation options which should be pretty straight forward..

 

Important thing to note in either case is depending if your rotation view is from left or from right rotation will control the direction of rotation at the machine, if its a pattern all the way around the part evenly spaced its not an issue either way, if its multiple patterns with timing or if its timed to other features its very important to verify your rotation is correct.

[Guest]

Well, once again I learned something new.. nice video.. transform rotate will do what was asked for though..  To use transform do the following..

 

 

 

I took his question to mean he was just looking for the A rotation

 

Toolpath Transform will certainly do it but it will create a new call at each position, not just A output. That's why I went the way I did

[PeterM]

I do rotary transforms all the time with little or no issues. The trick is to set a value for the View (not -1) BEFORE you create the transform op. for Type check Rotate,  Method check Toolplane and Include Origin, and set Work Offset Numbering to Maintain source operations

 

Hope this helps.

[PeterM]

Edit

P.s. If you did it wrong something in the nci file gets set wrong and it will not work even if reset to the above mentioned values

[Scott Lent]

Thank you all for the great advice! While the Verisurf method is definitely the most direct way of doing it, the large corporation I work for does not allow us to install anything into our work stations. I have an educational seat here at home and I did seem to get the results I'm looking for with Toolpath - Transform - Rotate from the information provided here. I'll know for sure later when I get to work and apply it to the job I'm doing.

 

Thanks again,

Scott Lent

[Colin Gilchrist]

You can also just use the normal "Drill" toolpath, and lay out your points with the spacing between them set by using the diameter of your workpiece.

 

The formula is Pi X Diameter, which gives you the total circumference around the outside of your part. Take that value, and divide it by the total number of points you want to wrap around the cylinder. You create your points at Z zero, and the spacing will be the circumference divided by the number of points. Create your first point aligned with the Y Axis zero (I'm assuming your rotary table is aligned to rotate around the X axis), then transform the point with that spacing value. (for 18 points, you would transform the original point 17 times.)

 

Create a Drill toolpath and pick all your points. Then in the Rotary Axis settings, set the option to Axis Substitution and set the proper Rotary Diameter. (Don't check "unroll")

 

ROTARY DRILL - AXIS SUB.MCX-7

[PeterM]

I'll just mention that Transform Toolpath works on any type of toolpath that you need to transform, rotate etc. It's definitely not limited to drilling.

[Jayson Kramer]

Here is how I would do this with holes spaced at 20° ok mine is like johns I missed his and thought this was becoming complicated . but the fundamentals are the same. But I do have annoying sound. lol

[Newbeeee™]

Ding Ding Ding.

John - you've got the job. Your time was 1.57 where Jay's was 2.31. Colin was 3rd for having no pictures.

[Scott Lent]

I got Tranform - Rotate working, but I can not figure out how to stop it from repeating the source operation. I'm spot drilling and drilling the hole at A0 twice. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks in advance

[Colin Gilchrist]

Use the Ghost button to turn off the posting for the source operations.

[Scott Lent]

That did the trick! Thanks!

[cncfrank]

I just went thru something like this, I it was even easier than using Transform, just window the points.  Check out the last toolpath.
 
Frank

rotate.MCX-7