Operation order tutorials (Fusion 360)

[James_Buckle]

I'm not new to 3D design or CNC, but I am new to being the person setting up the toolpaths and gcode, so I'm hoping to get a better understanding of how to design for manufacture, by doing it myself in my garage!

I've made a few simple parts (2D essentially) and I'm making a few mistakes but getting there.

I've been watching tutorials to try to get a handle on the various tool path options but I've moved to a part very similar to the attached image, where I have a few operations to do and I am fighting with operations to achieve what I need.
My plan with the above part was to face the top of the two bosses/uprights, then profile the outside of the base (stepping down through full height) - these work fine in sim. At that stage, clearing out the middle seemed like a sane option but clearing toolpaths seem to refuse to cover the extremities (only doing the middle section) or blast right through the uprights. If I use an operation to form the uprights (say a contour for example) it doesn't clear the middle section. I fought with it for about 3 hours last night and I'm not sure if it's partly related to the multiple features having intersecting outlines, but it's clearly user error. If I uploaded the 3D, would anyone be able to help massage me in the right direction? I'm thinking it's probably the way I'm thinking about it, rather than the tool.

Thanks

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[difalkner]

Can you share your file or is it proprietary?

David

[James_Buckle]

Can you share your file or is it proprietary?

David

Sure, it's a close copy of the original hardware in the photo, edited to suit some issues I have in mounting.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s08m37q6o7...ount.STEP?dl=0

With F360, is there a way of sharing the project itself rather than just the STEP?

[precisionmetal]

Yes, just "export" the entire model in f3d format.

Are you going to make this part? If so, what machine?

If I was *making* the part, I would probably do the bottom first -- face, drill the small holes, cut the pockets through part way. Then I'd bolt the part down and do all the work on the other (top) side.

I grabbed the model, and will whip something up a bit later today.

PM

[precisionmetal]

Well, there are many many ways to tackle this part (and personally, I would machine the base first). Regardless....

Here is a quick/simple Adaptive Clearing tool path using a 6mm endmill that has 20mm flute length, and I set the max stepdown at 6mm so it gets cleared out in 3 passes.

Screen grab showing tool paths, and the other one showing what the stock looks like after the operations.

[daniellyall]

You can also right click on the models file in the data panel and select share public link, the other way is from your team hub you can invite people to it, it's a lot easier to do it how precisionmetal said

[James_Buckle]

Thanks folks, getting to grips with it a bit more now regards the user interface etc, but still not getting the paths I expect, probably a GIGO issue.

Forum can't handle the f3d format so I've grabbed a public link (thanks for noting that - cloud CAD/CAM is a wonder!)

A360

You can see a few operations (no particular care taken with depth settings etc) I've tried out unsuccessfully, I'm guessing that since you nailed it in one go I'm going to go away and re-run some of the tutorials to see what I've done wrong. I tried similar selections in HSMexpress but got different results again - generally not crashes but total lack of machining in some areas etc.

The machine it's being made on is my converted G0704 clone (CNC Machine – Bucklevision - apologies, video filmed on a potato) which is itself a work in progress - I wanted to do nicer stepper mounts and fix the AC spindle servo mount which were all manually machined as learning processes.

[precisionmetal]

At a quick glance (more later)....

It appears that in your 2nd and 4th operations, the amount and/or order that profiles or faces have been selected (to machine) could be causing some of the issues. I would experiment by changing those selections.

It also appears that in your first op/contour, there ends up being some "uncut" material. It might work better to take roughing passes radially (with only a couple of step-downs) rather than going downward in Z in such small axial increments.

PM

[James_Buckle]

At a quick glance (more later)....

It appears that in your 2nd and 4th operations, the amount and/or order that profiles or faces have been selected (to machine) could be causing some of the issues. I would experiment by changing those selections.

It also appears that in your first op/contour, there ends up being some "uncut" material. It might work better to take roughing passes radially (with only a couple of step-downs) rather than going downward in Z in such small axial increments.

PM

Yep, I think you're right, but I can't seem to fathom how to stop the nonsense. No matter which contours I pick I can't seem to get it to not plough straight through the upstanding sections and still clear the centre. I'll keep trying and see if I can figure it out. In the mean time I've done a second setup to face the base and drill as you suggested, which looks pretty robust.

[precisionmetal]

Sometimes choosing a face instead of a contour edge can provide a different result.

PM

[C*H*U*D]

I tried similar selections in HSMexpress but got different results again - generally not crashes but total lack of machining in some areas etc..

HSMXpress is only 2.5 axis...are you not running 3D adaptive clearing in Fusion?

I would also machine the bottom first, but I'm not sure I would bolt it down...probably just make softjaws. Then I would use a 3D adaptive clearing strategy on it first. I'm at work now, so I didn't download your model.

[James_Buckle]

HSMXpress is only 2.5 axis...are you not running 3D adaptive clearing in Fusion?

I would also machine the bottom first, but I'm not sure I would bolt it down...probably just make softjaws. Then I would use a 3D adaptive clearing strategy on it first. I'm at work now, so I didn't download your model.

I've been trying not to throw all the tools in the box at it until I understood the basics, but having just re-run with 3D adaptive clearing and it does exactly what I expected

I'm not sure if the link above still goes to the current model or the old model, but I've totally re-vamped it to work primarily from one face, so I can just flip it and skim off the base. Being a fairly light machine I've dropped the tool engagement a little and really dropped the feeds to what FSWizard suggests is more logical for the tool. Ideally I'd have a high speed spindle but I'm limited to 3Krpm until I bolt a brushless spindle to the side of it!

I seem to have one crash indicated but it doesn't look like a crash - I'll fiddle some more with that.

Feel free to view/criticise what I have so far, I'll give it a go for real later in the week.

Thanks for your help so far folks.