4th axis machining question.

[asticx]

Hello all,

New member here just starting to get used to Mastercam have not done a lot of it. Working through various tutorials to try and wrap my head around it. We are just implementing it in the shop but are very busy so lots of home learning to try and bring things up to speed.

One thing we do lots of is a part like this. We will turn it on the lathe and make the shoulder just solid where the lugs are but with a bigger radius. Right now the machinist is manually programming the milling to mill out the material between the lugs and then we are making a toolpath and machining the lugs.

I am looking perhaps at examples of various ways to accomplish this on a VMC with a 4th axis.

If anyone has time and wouldnt mind giving me a few different examples that would be great. If you need any other information please let me know.

 

Thanks.

Danny.

rotexample.mcam

[Guest]

Here's a couple of "quick" options

 

JP_rotexample.mcam

[asticx]

Thanks JParis.

What kind of toolpath would you use to mill out the material between the lugs before you finish mill the radius?

Would you need to unroll the geometry first before you mill it out?

Thanks

[Guest]

You can do something like this...

I created the geometry in a wrapped state, I then used the unroll option, set the 8" dia and a -90 degree angle

I pout a pocket and a face path in there but you could use many path options once you have the geometry..

 

 

JP2_rotexample.mcam

[asticx]

Thanks again JParis that was helpful. If you wanted to, can you unroll the whole part and machine it that way? 

ex if you were wanting to rough out the lugs all in the same process or is it better to unroll the material between the two lugs, machine each side of it, then go ahead and make the toolpaths to rough and finish the lugs?

Thanks, sorry if I am troubling anyone with my posts.

Danny

[huskermcdoogle]

Same unroll method as what JP posted up to get the geometry, but you could do that with dynamic mill as well for roughing.

Husker_rotrghexample.mcam

[asticx]

Thanks. When you unroll those kind of features do you do them any specific way? What is the best way to keep features oriented to each other... example say I am doing those same lugs on a shaft and further down the shaft there are 4 flats at 90 degrees each.. and I want to keep them timed but dont really need to unroll those.

[huskermcdoogle]

Don't quote me on this, but when you unroll, I think in this case it was off 90 degrees, which you can shift in the unroll.  When I did it, because I wasn't sure I shifted the profile buy 1/4 of the circumference as I had to correct it after the unroll.  For finishing the walls I would suggest using creating planes and using project to ensure there isn't any shift.  Not only that, but for finishing the bosses you likely won't want to use axis sub anyway.

[mike93]

+1  -90 deg to unroll.

[asticx]

Thanks