unwanted features

[caddisfly]

I am using V23. I am milling a 3d surface that has holes with countersinks using the 3d slice planer option.The model is an imported iges file.
The problem I am having is that the software wants to mill the countersunk surface. I have the ignore holes parameter activated but the countersink must not be considered part of that hole. Is there a way to suppress the countersink surface so the toolpath will not try to machine it?

thanks
caddisfly

[BurrMan]

If you look under options, have you chosen "Part Bottom" under extents?

Have you chosen those countersinks as geometry in the feature?

If you have a sample surface we could be more specific.

[moldmker]

I usually use one of the Surface features to skin over holes.
Extract edges first, to have geometry to work with.
Pay attention to surface tangency, if surface is complex.

No need to Stitch them into the model when done, just window select whole model.

Put all the skin surfaces on their own layer so you hide them when not needed.

This being said, I sometimes let the holes alone if I know I won't be using a small enough tool to drop thru them.
Especially helpful if holes are being drilled as a second operation. The divot locations left from the surfacing tool will confirm if my 2nd op. set-up is located correctly.

(FWIW, Ignore Holes doesn't work for me either)

moldmker

[BurrMan]

I guess I dont understand the question?

[nlh]

Ignore holes has never worked for me, from V2007 on. However I don't use geometry created within V23, mostly stp files from Alibre. I think the ignore holes might work if the drawing was created from within BCC, but I have never confirmed this.

Burrman, was that sample part created in bcc?

[BurrMan]

Ignore holes has never worked for me, from V2007 on. However I don't use geometry created within V23, mostly stp files from Alibre. I think the ignore holes might work if the drawing was created from within BCC, but I have never confirmed this.

Burrman, was that sample part created in bcc?

Yes! All I selected as geometry was the surface I wanted to cut. I didnt select all the solid and try to ignore holes that way.

Can you post an Alibre file with similar holes so I can see what your saying?

[nlh]

Burrman,

I've attatched a sample part that I did in Alibre express and then loaded into V23. It's no frills, took about 3 minutes to do but it is enough for our purposes here.

You'll notice I have 3 toolpaths, 2 Z-Level Rough's, and 1 Planar. The notes associated with each roughing path detail how the geometry was selected. You may need to unblank the toolpaths.

Notice, it want's to cut the holes no matter what is tried, at least that is my experience. It's either no toolpath, or toolpath with holes, even without holes selected in geometry!

When I first got V2007 I noticed this and brought it up in the BCC forums but thus far no fix has been issued.

Unless of course, I am doing something wrong, in which case.....I'm an idiot!

Let us know what you find out.

[moldmker]

Yes! All I selected as geometry was the surface I wanted to cut. I didnt select all the solid and try to ignore holes that way....

Your example looks good.
But what if there is higher surrounding geometry?
Possibility of gouging is too risky, in my opinion.

I think it's just what one is used to seeing.

I routinely see mold core/cavities with ejector pin holes in odd locations (see attached) which is why I create surface patches for them.

99% of my models do come out of Solidworks.

moldmker

[BurrMan]

Hi NLH,
If you extract the edges of the "holes" and include them in the Boundry selection, then it will act as you need. I'm trying to figure out how you would cut this part htough as the boundry thats selected doesnt contain the toolpath from cutting off the raised edges of the part. I offset the inner extracted edge by half the cutter width, then needed to do some trimming as that starts to move into where the holes are and if you encorporate the hole as a whole, then the path moves outside of the outer boundry again.

[nlh]

BurrMan,

Don't read too much into that part. It isn't a real part. It's just something a came up with real quick in Alibre just to demonstrate the hole issue. I threw in the .2" deep pocket as an afterthought.

I know now about skinning over a hole, which is what I do to on any 3D parts I do. Luckily mine aren't too complicated. It's a pretty quick fix so I've never brought up anything about "ignore holes" until I saw this thread.

I had not thought about extracting the edge of the hole and including it in the boundary. Probably becuase it's so simple. Would this still work on Z level rough considering that toolpath doesn't have a dedicated boundary selection?

[tobyaxis]

Ignore holes has never worked for me, from V2007 on. However I don't use geometry created within V23, mostly stp files from Alibre. I think the ignore holes might work if the drawing was created from within BCC, but I have never confirmed this.

Burrman, was that sample part created in bcc?

If your using Alibre to create the STEP file you can Suppress Hole Features then Export as a Step, or you can use the Push Pull Feature for Dumb Solids.

See Screen Shots below

[BurrMan]

Hi nlh,
If you use "no boundry" then it doesnt drop down in. With the boundry needed, including the holes edges produces the same result.

For the Z level stuff, I think the innermost, outermost will control if it goes into the holes or not.

Cant figure out what the criteria is for that ignore holes either though.

It would appear that ignore holes is not working as intended.