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Custom tool geometry problem (again and again)


SlaveCam
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This has become a major PIA. I spend hours trying to figure out what is wrong with custom tool geometry, because Mcam gives absolutely no hint at all. I need to model the tools because of extremely tight interference checking. The geometry for tools I use are automatically generated on the website of Sandvik or Iscar and saved as DXF. I remove all unnecessary layers, create the profile using CUT/NOCUT and "shank" layers, check for overlapping entities, select the profile using chain selection and copy the chain on its own level. An example is attached.

Still, I can't create custom tool profile. ONLY by removing the two elements that are colored red in the Mastercam file, and replacing the upper element with a perfectly horizontal line and replacing the lower NURBS with a straight line, it started to work.

Is there any third party tool for creating custom tools that would at least tell me where the problem is?

ISCAR MM S-D-L170-C20-T08 +MM ECD-12X90-2T08 IC908.mcam

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You have 2 different things going on here.

CustomToolProblem_1

#1 you had a spline defining an arc the red one. Once I made it into a arc using simply spline I then got gaps I trimmed them.

CustomToolProblem_2

I always try to make a revolved solid to test if a tool will work. If I can't revolve it to make a solid then it will not make a tool.

 

 

ISCAR MM S-D-L170-C20-T08 +MM ECD-12X90-2T08 IC908

 

 

 

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Thanks for the revolve tip. I'll try that tomorrow but it made no sense that the red nearly-horizontal (0.0001 Y-axis difference) line that I marked prevented me from creating the tool.

I don't know what software manufacturers use to generate 2D tool drawings, but I can tell they are not Mastercam friendly. It would be great if 3D models were allowed for holders.

 

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33 minutes ago, SlaveCam said:

Thanks for the revolve tip. I'll try that tomorrow but it made no sense that the red nearly-horizontal (0.0001 Y-axis difference) line that I marked prevented me from creating the tool.

I don't know what software manufacturers use to generate 2D tool drawings, but I can tell they are not Mastercam friendly. It would be great if 3D models were allowed for holders.

 

Also make sure you only have lines and arcs no splines. Use the Analyze Chain function. Move entities to a different level is something I do to make sure nothing is blanked. I also will make sure to project everything to Z Zero.

Like Old Bear said yes solid holders are not an issue when on the correct plane and position. I have been using them since I think about X9.

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I am able to revolve the profile without problem. The issue here seems to be that the chaining tolerance in custom tool creation is different to that in chaining tolerance in settings. The small red horizontal line doesn't fully coincide with the endpoint of the adjoining line (there's 0.0009mm difference). By adjusting "System tolerance" to 0.001 I was able to overcome the problem so it must be set to a looser value when creating custom tools from automated 2D geometry.

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3 hours ago, SlaveCam said:

I am able to revolve the profile without problem. The issue here seems to be that the chaining tolerance in custom tool creation is different to that in chaining tolerance in settings. The small red horizontal line doesn't fully coincide with the endpoint of the adjoining line (there's 0.0009mm difference). By adjusting "System tolerance" to 0.001 I was able to overcome the problem so it must be set to a looser value when creating custom tools from automated 2D geometry.

That "can" lead to other issues...I typically clean up my geometry so I know it's complete and closed

I lost a library of holders going to from X9 to 2017 because of one such thing...

I am of the opinion, there is no substitute for doing it right...when someone finds trouble, it's generally because they've tried the shortcut. SO I do it right the first time

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35 minutes ago, Old_Bear said:

That "can" lead to other issues...I typically clean up my geometry so I know it's complete and closed

I lost a library of holders going to from X9 to 2017 because of one such thing...

I am of the opinion, there is no substitute for doing it right...when someone finds trouble, it's generally because they've tried the shortcut. SO I do it right the first time

You're right. Better option would be to set chaining tolerance to a tighter value, select the geometry with chain option and find the discontinuities. However if there are a lot of them and changing system tolerance works, then I don't waste my time trimming hundreds of entities by hand. Of course it's then important to restore the system tolerance to its original value when done.

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