O/T - Fixturing question

[DB999]

I've got a problem. I need to machine a part that is 17" in the Y axis on a machine that only has 12" of travel in that direction.

 

There are sufficient holes in the part, so I can re-zero it easily, however I'd like to shift the part in the Y axis without it moving in the X-axis...Any suggestions on how I can keep the part aligned when I move it to machine another area?

 

The part is being made out of 1" aluminum plate (22"x18").

 

Thanks.

[CNCme]

Good Day,

 

IF you had a sub-plate, you could put a shifted

pattern of holes 5.1 inches apart in the Y

dir. an use precision pins to align after

machining the first 12 inches worth in Y,

then shift to the next pattern and and machine

the remaining 5 inches...Easy

 

HTH

 

 

Tony G

Almost Employed Senior Programmer

N.E Massachusetts - Southern New Hampshire

_________________________________________

End mills and tooling are like The "AMMO"

And coolant and chips are like the enemy

Under your boots as you advance in the

Manufacturing Battle

--------------------------------------------------

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

An 8" vise sounds good, but if you do not have that then I suggest milling a fixture to clamp to table and use the holes to line up and a cam type clamp to hold. How elaborate a fixture do you want, or how simple?

[Harryman]

A simple Y axis fence to slide it along?

[CNCme]

Good Day,

 

If you could??...clamp a 18 inch part in an

8" vise how would you shift to get the other

5" out of only 12 travel.

Tony G

Almost Employed Senior Programmer

N.E Massachusetts - Southern New Hampshire

_________________________________________

End mills and tooling are like The "AMMO"

And coolant and chips are like the enemy

Under your boots as you advance in the

Manufacturing Battle

--------------------------------------------------

[CNCme]

Good Day,

 

I think "Fences" are for bridgeports,

Bandsaws, and carpentry.

 

And bad neighbors

 

just JOKIN'

 

Tony G

Almost Employed Senior Programmer

N.E Massachusetts - Southern New Hampshire

_________________________________________

End mills and tooling are like The "AMMO"

And coolant and chips are like the enemy

Under your boots as you advance in the

Manufacturing Battle

--------------------------------------------------

[DB999]

Thanks for the help. I thought about a fence, but I think a subplate would be the way to go...I'll see if I can get it to go

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

I like the Fence/Backer bar idea. I also used to put a large dowel pin in a tool holder and make it part of the program. Move to a point and re-bump the part. Then clamp it down. Since you probably cant bump at the end (because of the travels), you could bump on a pocket edge or something like that.

 

Mike Mattera

[McRae]

If you shift the part into the machine along the Y-Axis, there is consideration to the actual amount of room that there is between the spindle and the column. If the part is wider than this distance, then the only way to do this is a rotation of the part.