Jump to content

Welcome to eMastercam

Register now to participate in the forums, access the download area, buy Mastercam training materials, post processors and more. This message will be removed once you have signed in.

Use your display name or email address to sign in:

What to do with pocketed characters in models to be engraved?


Recommended Posts

Hi everyone, I am wondering what you all do when you have pocketed letters like in the image I attached and you only need simple stick characters to engrave a single line?

I am sure there is a simple trick or method one of you MCAM experts use to deal with this. Usually I just put stick characters over top and try to match the style but I have hundreds of numbers to engrave this time.  Thanks

pocketed characters.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites
36 minutes ago, [email protected] said:

I appreciate the quick replies, but so far these are methods I have used before as well that I would rather not do to 100 details but if it's the only way..... While were on the topic of engraving, does anyone actually use the engraving cycle cause I just turn comp off and contour to mark parts.

We use our own engraving macro. All I do is type the data to be engraved in the MasterCam operational comment, and our macro will print that. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get files like this from our engineering department and I always have to create my own geometry to drive the engraving toolpaths.  Sometimes the text can be long and I have to proof read and spell check everything, not to mention get the characters to come out the right size which always involves some trial and error.  I wish there was an easy button for this kind of work but I haven't come across one yet

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, jlw™ said:

Is it a Fanuc standard macro?

Yes. We modified our post and used custom drill cycle. So whatever we put into the comment, it will convert that info and put it in the macro.

Here I pick a point to start the engraving, and put ABC12345 in the comment. 

N1 T279 M6
( T279 =  .03125 DIA. END MILL )
( ABC12345 )
S12000 M3
G00 G90 G53 Z26.
M11
G0 G90 G54 B-3.
B0.
M10
X-9.175 Y6.413
G43 H1 D2 Z8. M9
X-9.175 Y6.413
Z.1
G01 Z.093 F6.16
( ENGRAVE =  ABC12345  )
G65 P9970 A0. B.125 I101. J102. K103. I1. J2. K3. I4. J5.
Z8.
M98 P8888
M01
M30

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, [email protected] said:

I appreciate the quick replies, but so far these are methods I have used before as well that I would rather not do to 100 details but if it's the only way..

Here's what I do:

Geometry:

Measure the height and spacing of your characters.

Create tab (sorry X9)/Create Letters enter your text . Go to Properties, enter your height and spacing and font.

Place the letters where you want, you might need to transform until you get the hang of where it places the text.

Toolpath:

Window select text, select start point (prompted). Turn comp and Lead In/Out off

When you go to the next text block it will "hold" your previous parameters, so just alter the text and move on.

Once I get going I can usually create several blocks / min. depending on length (note I have boomer typing skills). You can just copy your previous toolpath and reselect new geometry. I like to keep the blocks on separate operations in case I need to edit individual blocks.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Join us!

eMastercam - your online source for all things Mastercam.

Together, we are the strongest Mastercam community on the web with over 56,000 members, and our online store offers a wide selection of training materials for all applications and skill levels.

Follow us

×
×
  • Create New...