Right now we're using bobcad. We're a small job shop running prototracks, and a brand new VMC, so we're just getting on the CAM scene. Plan is to get a more robust CAM package in a year or 2.
If we go to really high feedrates, i'm sure we'll need to goto some fancy corner controls (golf club direction changes) and make sure our chiploads stay constant (a feature not currently in bobcad). but for now, we're curious to see how fast we can go with out the more expensive CAM.
10k spindle
1200 ipm rapids
800 ipm possible feedrates
fanuc Oi-ma control w/ standard package
we cut alot of plastics (acrylic, acetal, polycarb, uhmw) and aluminums (2021, 6061 and 7075 mostly).
I've been reading the manual that came with the machine, but i'm a bit confused at the difference between the HSM mode and the Hpcc. I know the Hpcc will clamp the feedrate around arcs based on the max allowable error, but that doesn't seem to be all that fast. correct me if i'm wrong, but the HSM mode will look ahead a bunch of blocks while the Hpcc will look ahead only 1 or 2 blocks to clamp the arc feedrates...right?  |