Impellers without Blade Expert

[Metallic]

Hi all,

 

Just wondering if it is possible (or practical for that matter) to attempt to tackle programming an impeller type part without the Blade Expert option enabled. My reseller indicated that this package is quite an expensive add on and we have limited resources for throwing money at software.

Currently running Mastercam 2018 with everything enabled except Blade Expert and Port Expert i believe.

 

Thanks for the input

 

[Guest]

3d with Multi-axis will get it done

Always did before Blade Expert

Edited January 11, 2018 by Guest

[crazy^millman]

1 hour ago, JParis said:

3d with Multi-axis will get it done

Always did before Blade Expert

Yes agree.

Depending on the style of Impeller you can 3+2 rough it or you can full 5 Axis rough it.

For finishing you have a lot of good options.

[huskermcdoogle]

Depending on how much time you have to spend on it ad how many parts you need to run, it might actually be worth it.  At least do yourself a favor and get a quote.

But jumping on the bandwagon, yes you can do it without, and it shouldn't be too too painful if you are very familiar with the moduleworks suite.

[gcode]

I never got past the sticker shock on Blade Expert and never looked into it.

I did check out Port Expert and was told that Port Expert does not contain any tool paths or features

that are not included in a regular seat of Multiaxis.

All Port Expert does is provide preconfigured tool paths set up for scenarios you'd encounter machining ports.

In other words, a skilled Multiaxis user can do anything Port Expert can do, without buying Port Expert.

I do not know if that is the case for Blade Expert, but given it's cost I'd think it would have to have capabilities

above and beyond Multiaxis to justify it's gold plated price tag.

 

[CEMENTHEAD]

3d with multi-axis, I agree.         Could not rationalize the huge price tag for BE, The software already does blades. and quite well at that. 

[crazy^millman]

It was put to me that 40 hours of programming could be done in 4 hours with Blade Expert verse without it. I just didn't like the way it tried to rough the impellers. There are other software that can programming impellers and do a awesome job at it. They cost over $100k, but if that is all you do every day day in and out it might be worth the price.

[Colin Gilchrist]

How many Impellers do you intend on programming? Is this going to be a significant part of your work, or just a one-off project?

Blade Expert is well worth the money, even though it is expensive. I could Rough, Semi-Finish, and Finish an impeller in about 4 hours with Blade Expert. If I had to do the same work myself, without the package, it would easily have taken me 4 days, maybe more, to program.

I believe that Blade Expert does more that just "pre-configure" the tool path interface, but I could be wrong. I can tell you that it is well worth the cost of entry, even if it seems eye-wateringly expensive. If that is the work you do on a daily basis, the software would pay for itself in a month or less, by giving you the capacity to program these parts very quickly.

[Mgrenier]

We have it and what Collin Says is totally true.  We saved a lot of time programming these parts.

And the price dropped off drastically when we bough the software this spring...

 

Regards,

[Colin Gilchrist]

The roughing does take some "getting used to", or a willingness to use a different approach. The method that I like is the "Center > Away", where it roughs a channel down the middle (full slot), then takes climb cuts on the side to rough out that depth cut level. I like it because I can use the "first pass feed reduction" to slow down the tool as it does the full slot, then speed up for cutting the sides. So you might make a pass through the middle at 40 IPM, then speed up to 400 IPM when cutting each side pass.

Kennametal makes a "solid ceramic" endmill now, and I've had some good luck with these for milling Inconel. It is nice to get the RPM's and Feeds way up. It is kind of scary the first time watching the glowing and sparking tip of the tool as it gets the material nice and hot during the cutting.

[?Mark]

1 hour ago, gcode said:

All Port Expert does is provide preconfigured tool paths set up for scenarios you'd encounter machining ports.

In other words, a skilled Multiaxis user can do anything Port Expert can do, without buying Port Expert.

 

That applies to blade expert as well.

I've been using port expert since day one and am amazed by how much easier it makes my job.

We all programmed those parts, weather they are blades or ports prior to those add-on's, so yes it all can be accomplished without buying them, but....it all depends how many parts like that you have to program. If it's just a few in a year then I wouldn't waste my money on it. If however you program several of them in a week like I do, or even just a few in a month it's definitely worth the money.

I agree with Colin in the assessment of time saved. Some ports used to take me days do program (just the port toolpaths) and with the help of port expert it can be a matter of 30 minutes to a couple of hrs. I'd think that the same applies to blade expert.

 

Best thing to do would be handing over the part that you already programmed to your re-seller (assuming they are decent) or someone from CNC software (Aaron  ) and have them throw a toolpath at it while you watch them do this. My bet is that you'll be amazed by their efficiency.

 

jm2c

 

[Metallic]

Thanks for all the replies, sorry totally forgot about this.

Its more of an occasional programming of an impeller, not on the regular or even semi regular.

So i have roughed the blades with 3D. What would be the optimal tool path choice for semifinishing and finishing those blades without Blade Expert?

 

Thank you

[crazy^millman]

45 minutes ago, Metallic said:

Thanks for all the replies, sorry totally forgot about this.

Its more of an occasional programming of an impeller, not on the regular or even semi regular.

So i have roughed the blades with 3D. What would be the optimal tool path choice for semifinishing and finishing those blades without Blade Expert?

 

Thank you

Parallel and Morph Between 2 Curves.