Toolpaths for helical Turbine/Blade

[Ed209]

Hi all, I need to program the attached part, helical blade/turbine thing for a 4 axis VMC,. I'm using Mcam X4 MR3 with advanced multiaxis. Wondering "how to" & best tool paths for roughing & finishing along with what type of tooling best to use.  We don't do anything like this here, most or all is simple 4 axis with occasional surfacing. Thanks

XA HELICAL BLADE.MCX

[Ed209]

Or if you can point me right direction for resources to learn how.

[ajmer]

flow 5 axis is perfect for this part

[crazy^millman]

Rotary Toolpath or 5 Axis Flowline for X4.

 

Morph Between 2 Curve for X9.

[Ed209]

Ok I was trying the 5ax flow with 4 ax setting but not having much luck, once I had rotary movement but none since as I keep changing parameters to see what does what. Other problem is the blade area is a turned cylinder of 5.3 dia so need to rough mill excess material first. Will try rotary toolpath

[crazy^millman]

Could also use Axis Sub to rough that part as well. I would take my 2 chains along the involute and then unroll them. I would then make my 2D toolpath and then use Axis Sub with the roll diameter. Trick might getting the angles to be correct, but once you understand how incremental shirting in relationship to degrees it gets real easy relatively speaking.

[crazy^millman]

Another trick would be to use Swarf and Multi Pass. Make a Surface Model and offset the surface 2". Create curves on the edges and now you have your upper and lower chains for swarf.

 

Sorry nothing older than X8 and hope you don' mind I took your file and puts some toolpaths on it to give others examples.

 

Level one has the circumference draw out. The points are 10 degree increments to get the timing correct for the chains spacing to match the detail I was trying to cut. Not close, but meant to give ideas. 

 

Level 100 is the surface model. Level 105 is the offset surface and Level 110 is the chains used to drive the swarf toolpath.

 

The toolpaths are made to output in 4th Axis and might help someone else down the road. I will leave them up until I reach my file share limit and then it will be removed.

 

I used the Generic 4 Axis HAAS MD/CD and posted code.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yt9jkswgkjs70vp/5th%20Axis%20XA%20HELICAL%20BLADE.mcx-9?dl=0

 

 

[guitar]

I might rough this out with 3d HST tool paths. Orient one side to rough and then rotate 180deg and rough the other side. Then use multiaxis parallel 4 axis and spiral all the way across while indexing. Set it up with zig zag to prove it out before selecting spiral. MC calculation time for spiraling  this takes forever.

[guitar]

Ok I was trying the 5ax flow with 4 ax setting but not having much luck, once I had rotary movement but none since as I keep changing parameters to see what does what. Other problem is the blade area is a turned cylinder of 5.3 dia so need to rough mill excess material first. Will try rotary toolpath

 

 

The problem with flow is it has no gap settings. So, it likes to jump up at the edges.

I tried to recreate this simple geometry in MC and could not get it to create a simple swept solid

[Ed209]

OK  thanks, I will have fiddle with this & see what I can come up with. 5TH Axis Consulting is it possible to save the file in MX4 so I can look at the geometry you created ?. I need to hound the owner to get an upgrade to stay current with technology.

[crazy^millman]

On 11/5/2015 at 7:47 AM, Ed209 said:

OK  thanks, I will have fiddle with this & see what I can come up with. 5TH Axis Consulting is it possible to save the file in MX4 so I can look at the geometry you created ?. I need to hound the owner to get an upgrade to stay current with technology.

 

Here you go a iges file zipped. The best I can do.

Replaced Forum Download with Dropbox link

 

[guitar]

CHECK IT OUT 

 

added process 5 in 2nd zip2go

XA HELICAL BLADE.Z2G

[guitar]

Has anyone else tried to recreate this geometry in MC?