MasterCam 9 Surfacing

Hey I am having trouble with surfacing in a program im writing for a VMC.

the program is at

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What I am trying to do is cut a radiused slot within a radiused slot, my issue is that the cutter begins cutting a little inside the lines, and finishes before it touches the lines on the other side, resulting in the slot being too narrow. How can I solve this problem?

Reply to
Brad
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I was able to control it, here's what I did with your file...real easy.

I went into your last operation, the cut I think your talking about, and I added 2 check surfaces, by selecting "select" check surf button and picking solids on the menu and faces. Then I picked the two faces on either end of your cut and put in a check value of MINUS -.017. After a regen I looked in the top view and the cut was .125 approx from the edge. I close zoom and an adjustment would make it perfect. Basically using check surfs to remove more material.

Now, if the other end isnt perfect, no problem. Simply put one side where it belongs, then edit the amount till the other end is where you want it. Split the difference and use that value. Then right click on your cut and pick transform cut, and make a tranformed cut with the same value you just used in the last sentence.

An alternative way would be to extend the cut, then use a 2 dimensional square drawn above the part and use tool containment. Use center, and draw your box half the tool in each way.

Prolly a hundred more ways.

Reply to
vinny

Call MasterCam ?

Reply to
Bipolar Bear

i tried your first method, whoch makes perfect sense, but any changes i make to the check surf value do nothing, unless the value i enter is more then the stepover distance, in which case it moves one "stepover distance" to the right no more, no less which is obviously too far.. i also tried the tool containment, no matter what there is always a gap between the cutter and the wall .... very frustrating

Reply to
Brad

Call your VAR or Add a 3d contour to each end. or ask Jon, he is the resident M/C expert.

"D"

Reply to
reidmachine

i tried your first method, whoch makes perfect sense, but any changes i make to the check surf value do nothing, unless the value i enter is more then the stepover distance, in which case it moves one "stepover distance" to the right no more, no less which is obviously too far.. i also tried the tool containment, no matter what there is always a gap between the cutter and the wall .... very frustrating

but I did it with your part? Worked great? hmmmm..... you do know there will alwayb be a gap for half the cutter right? For the .250 cutter your looking for a .125 gap?

Reply to
vinny

i tried your first method, whoch makes perfect sense, but any changes i make to the check surf value do nothing, unless the value i enter is more then the stepover distance, in which case it moves one "stepover distance" to the right no more, no less which is obviously too far.. i also tried the tool containment, no matter what there is always a gap between the cutter and the wall .... very frustrating

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OK...do this....

Zoom up on the toolpath and determine how much you have to move over to get the forst stepover half your cutter away from one edge. I believe it was something like .145 away. Subtracted from the .125 half cutter and you need to fill in .02. So right click in your ops page and make a tranform cut. Shift the cut the .020. That will fix one end. For the other end make right click and make a transform cut shifted the other way to meet the other side. This time draw a square over it by hand for tool containment to just get the one pass. Now you will be able to treat it like a surface cut for adjustment, gouge control etc... You will have 2 tranform surfs, one cuts the whole thing, one cuts just the one end.

**********

or, as advised by reidmachine man, use the two arcs at the end and trim them to the edges, and cut "2" 3d profiles with them. That way you can be sure to climb cut each end. That's prolly what I would do if I was cutting steel.

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or..drag and drop to make 2 copies of your cut. Draw a square above each end to just get the first pass included with containment. Now set the cut stepover to .0001. So what you will end up with is 3 surface operations. One cuts the whole thing, one makes one pass on one end and the third op makes one pass on the other end, .0001 away from the wall. Use the containment to just cut the one pass on the end.

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or cheat.(I love to cheat, its the American way). Extend the surface on each end the amount you need to mill to the wall. (zoom up and use sketch to measure within a tenth.)

**************************** If those dont work ill throw 10 more at ya.
Reply to
vinny

I think they charge these days to answer questions. Better off asking google first, usenet second, forums third, then if all else fails call your local var to find out how clueless var's are these days.

Reply to
vinny

divide the length of cut(minus the radius on each end) by your stepover, make sure its a whole number of passes. Then lie about the cutter diameter to basically shift it over the amount its away from the front wall on the first cut.

must be 98 more ways?

Reply to
vinny

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