4th Axis Pocket Code Generation

[Luppino]

I am trying to pocket a name onto the OD of a piece of round stock (just under 3 inches). I am using Mastercam x7 here at the school and I'm using a VF-1 with a rotary indexer mounted on the table.  The problem I am having is that when I created the toolpaths and backplotted/verified everything the part looks correct.    However, when I generated the code it looked something like this:

N91 G0 Z1.71
N101 X.3901
N111 Z1.66
N121 G1 Z1.44 F4.5
N131 A333.024 F358.1
N141 X.2636 F9.

 

Basically what is happening is after it does each line in the pocket, it feeds up then rapids up to my feed and retract planes respectively.  Then, after moving to the next X dimension it feeds down into the part, rotating to the correct A dimension after the tool is in the part at a feed rate of 360. I understand the reason its doing the feed to rotate the A axis however I am confused as to why mastercam generated that particular line after feeding back into the part.

 

I have attached the file that for the program I am trying to run.  I am very new to 4th axis machining so any tips or insights would be great.

 

NAMEPLATE.MCX-7

[Myth Project]

Go under "Settings", "Control Definitions" and look under the "Feed" tab.  On the rotary section of this I'm pretty sure you'll see that it's in "Degree/min".  Switch that to "Unit/min" and that should fix the feed rate problem.

[Luppino]

I don't mind the feed rate, but what's happening is its feeding back into the part then unwinding the A-axis almost 360 degrees leaving a ring in the part.  As long as the tool is off the part the feed rate is perfect to reduce the run-time.

[Jayson Kramer]

Did you want the one way cuts? or do you want to keep the tool in the cut and move back and forth and comeback and finish the walls?

[Jayson Kramer]

ok now I understand why you are doing as a one way motion as you stated this is a an indexer correct were it dose not support continuous rotation but only in index able increments correct?

 

Now your question is why does put the tool back into the cut and them make its A move in the cut?

[Jayson Kramer]

Another question are you not wanting it to index with the tool in the cut?

[Luppino]

I am trying to use the pocket toolpath and the 1/16th inch ball nose to create the pattern of straight lines in the lettering. The rotary indexer we are using is a HAAS HA5CBL in the VF-1 machine.  I know it does support continuous rotation as we did some spiral pillars for trophy uprights before.  That is correct, I want the A axis to index before it feeds the tool back into the part.  I noticed in the code it was using the G01 from feeding the tool back into the part to rotate the A axis back to it's next point at a rapid rate. I just don't understand why it rapids back on the line after it feed in instead of putting the G01 on the rapid A axis motion line and moving the Z axis feed into the part to the following line.

[Jayson Kramer]

N91 G0 Z1.71 Clearance plane
N101 X.3901 Above part move to first cut still G0
N111 Z1.66 Rapid to Feed plane
N121 G1 Z1.44 F4.5 Now feed in to matiral  engagement
N131 A333.024 F358.1 then basic Rotarty inverse time feed rate
N141 X.2636 F9. then liner move and feed.

 

This reads good to me, except if you did not want the tool in the cut when it rotates. Also why are you not using the Generic Haas 4th post?

[Luppino]

Yeah I want the rotation to happen before the tool comes back into the part.  As I'm still relatively new to 4th axis I'm not sure what you mean by Generic HAAS 4th post.  Is that the machine type instead of using just the default mill?

[Jayson Kramer]

Yes the Generic HAAS 4th post is the post for your machine and setup. your instructor should pointed out the difference on posts and and machines. Why are you not just running this as a standard pocket and keep the tool down?

Why do you want the indexing above the part. I can tell you with this motion you will not be able to get the tool to index out of the cut.

[Jayson Kramer]

Ok here is a file making do what you want but had to do a surface path.

NAMEPLATE-Cadcam.zip

[Luppino]

I'm running it as a pocket in one direction because I am using a 1/16th ball nose endmill and I want there to be the lines across the pocket.  I've used that same setup on some other projects and the pocket toolpath is set in the program to give the finish I like.  I want the indexing to happen outside the part because after the tool makes the first cut and comes back off the part and to the X position for the second cut, it still has to index back to the correct A position.  It does this by going almost a full 360 degrees around the part.  When that happens after the tool feeds back into the part it leaves a ring around the entire part.  The indexer is going from 333 degrees to 334 degrees, but instead of just going the one degree (either negative or positive I can't remember) it is going the full 359 degrees in the opposite direction.  If it was just going the 1 degree I would have no problem with it indexing while the tool was in the part.

[Jayson Kramer]

did you look at my last file I posted to get what you want and use the factory post for the haas shown in my file.

[Jayson Kramer]

I am sorry pick the Genric Haas 4 th axis machine def for posting and as I stated you will get what you want.