reverse engineering surfaces

[jimspac]

Hello again,

 

I was wondering if anyone can reccomend a source for strategies for generating surfaces from surfaces for electrode generation. I currently use a combination of techniques of offset surfaces and creating surfaces from solids. I do not always get the geometry I need. I am new at electrode design and still at times

[Eazy]

You can cut your electrode model at negative stock rather than offsetting surfaces to create a new model.

[Mike Mattera - TFM]

Word of warning: To cut with negative stock on a an electrode you MUST have a ball or bull nose tool.

 

Mike Mattera

[JAMMAN]

+1 to the last 2 posts, everyone I know that makes trodes do it similarly. Using an 1/8" ball nose and programming it with a .115 tool diameter for .005 orbit for example.

[mold100]

If you do a search for electrode you should be able to come up with some good info about various machining methods.I prefer negative stock on the toolpath using balls and bull nose and then I will go back if needed with sharp regular endmills and pick sharp corners with 2 D paths its really versitile.(Some users prefer offsetting stock-I sometimes do this for 2D burns but not usually), also if you got solids it helps alot in some instances also being new to trode creating you may want to demo moldplus.Hope this helps a little.

[Fig sign]

Look on my Tricks thread ,I covered this

topic many times from different sides and approaches ,various techniques .

All the techniques with example MC9 file .

We argued not once about this matters ,

I am the negative offset model fan ,always building the right model.

It has it`s own reasons too .

Also look on this thread Tips for milling electrodes

 

BTW ,this thread hurted my feelings and provoked to create Dirty tricks thread .

I always can say now that it is dirty trick and I am not responsible for someone not understanding me right .

HF

HTH

ITHH

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

Have you looked at the moldplus addon? It has a trode maker that works really well and runs in MC.

 

molplus

[Fig sign]

Jimmy .

Moldplus will not make a negative offset model !

[Jimmy Wakeford from Barefoot CNC]

I usually use neg stock to leave or use larger mill than specified. I saw in your tips about using solid shell which I also will do if the trode does not lend itself to leaving neg stock or tool method.

 

I like moldplus cause it will get me the trode in a matter of minutes. Then I manipulate.

 

Jimmy teh Clarify answer after being pimp slapped by Iskander.

[jimspac]

We are considering Moldplus, but work is tight and purchasing is still moaning about the cost of the full Mastercam seat(9.1SP2 Mill 3, Lathe, Wire, Solids, and Nethasp

[Dan_AKA_ROY]

get mold plus... mold designing made simple and accurate. make parting lines or partsurfs at a click of the button. it's draft analysis feature is ideal for finding 'undercuts' and identifying steep walls [0-3degree range, unless you change the defaults]

 

not famalier with electrode designing, but mold plus has tons of tools for just that.

[jimspac]

I think I need to clarify that I am trying to generate the geometry for the electrode from the part model. I have no problems achieving desired results after creating electrode model

[mold100]

If you have already solids, and your model is a solid to do a boolean extraction is the way to go,

I have not used MC in a year now but let me see if my rememberings are close, first re-save your MC9 file as something else like trode 1 or copy all your geometry to another layer because if it hasnt changed when you do this model is gone. draw your electrode boundry like an inch or so above your part in the correct burrn location you want to use, then extrude the boundry down into the part,save,boolean - select target body (I think this is the electrode body) select tool body (that would be the part model) then done - if target and tool bodies are miwed up hit undo and do it again selecting the part as the target, like I said its been a little while but I think thats close to how it works it is pretty easy once you do it a few times.I did demo moldpus and it works as well but once I started with solids I could not justify it, but it is a good add on to

have.

 

I may be back in the MC seat soon, keep yall posted.

[jimspac]

I have played with our Solids package on this project, made a surface model from the Parasolid original, made solid sheets of the intended trode areas. Unfortunatly, I do not have uninterupted work time at my shared workstation. I got temp pulled off the project for a hotter one so this one will be hot when I get back to it in a couple weeks.

[Code_Breaker]

Iskander,

 

Which ones of your files deal specifically with 'trodes?

 

Code_Breaker

[Fig sign]

A lot of tricks dedicated to electrodes

This is a trick for milling taper angle using

Taper angle from countour feature

ftp://mastercam:[email protected]/Ma...files/lazy1.zip

 

And this

Lazy11 trick

 

Creating a model for milling electrode

 

Mastercam like many other programs has limitation :

you can not mill surface toolpathes with offset minus value bigger than corner radius .

It means that if you milling with an end mill sharp corner(radius )you can not mill with a negative surfce offset at all.

This trick gives tyou a possibility to make EXACT MODEL of your electrode and so you will not need NEGATIVE offset .

 

Have a look at ftp://mastercam:[email protected]/Ma...iles/LAZY11.ZIP

 

Lazy11 trick

 

How to build fast model for electrode minus 0.3 (spark 0.3 mm) milling fast

 

1. solid created

2.solid copied to level 20

3. solid shell inside direction wall thickness 0.3

4 original solid and shelled solid copied to the level40

5 .proceeded with boolian remove original minus shelled.

6 the result is a model for electrode milling

 

And you can find more ...

I am busy now ,I write in haste ,most of my work connected with electrodes making and I use evey trick possible to make them accurate and fast .and many of my electrodes are blow-minding and I mostly make them from one setup

It may be electrode 5*1.5with 30 mm height and engraving on the top or thread with not standart

profile and variable pitch ,it can be a logotype and tommorow a very complex 3d model .

It is a Saturday evening ,a holiday ,we returned from the trip to the desert ,tyhe family is tired and it is a children time now .Let`s talk later .

And you can try to call me by Skype after 5-6 hours from this moment .

 

Regards ,

[Code_Breaker]

Thanks, I will definitly have some fun . . .

 

 

Code_Breaker

[Fig sign]

All the tricks moved to the Iskander_lazytricks folder

Thank U2