5 Axis/face machining in Camsoft

[alfalfa]

Has anyone completed a 5 axis/face mill using a Camsoft control? I am considering it, but wonder about the kinematics. Any examples would be great. (Also looking at Siemens controls if anyone has experience with them.)

Thanks,
AL

[n174k]

Please define your 5 axes. We have completed a CamSoft CNC Pro 5 axis vertical mil, X, Y, Z, A, & B. The mill has a 30 hp spindle and is configured like a very oversized Bridgeport where A axis is the tilt and B axis is the rotate.

[HuFlungDung]

N174k,

And how does it work? I've never run Camsoft on a mill, but I bet that high feedrate contouring should work pretty slick.

One other thing I have wondered about though, is the implementation of special gcodes (to turn smoothing on and off) when configuring a post processor from any of the modern cadcam systems.

Any general details would be interesting. Thanks.

[alfalfa]

We have a large planer mill with a 30hp spindle, and A and C rotary axes on the bottom of the head. C rotates around the Z axis and A perpendicular to the Z axis (I hope that makes sense). It has the ability to do any angle in between the 90 degree faces, but at this point I will keep it simple and focus on just the 5 faces. A and C are not coordinated axes - that is they are used for positioning only not for actual cutting. (They have to be clamped after movement).

AL

[Karl_T]

By this definition, it should be a piece a cake for Camsoft. I'm doing something with five axis - same only different. Full four axis control on a CNC knee mill. The knee has a servo to raise/lower the table for tool and part offsets - fifth axis.

Of course, it looks like you'll be manually G coding. Or at least tweaking the code developed by a CAM package.

You most likely already know this, you need another axis for the spindle. It will take a six axis Galil card to do this.

Karl

[alfalfa]

"By definition.......cake" - heard that before:-)

I will be nc programming this manually, so most of the work will have to be done in the .cbk file to G and M codes. I have an 8 axis card, so plenty of room there.

AL

[Mr Piston]

After finishing my lathe last year I started a 5 axis project . This is a 5x10 gantry mill/router that has a 4th and 5th axis swinging head I call A & B axis.

It was an old machine that was only 3 axis. I had some help making it 5 axis with a head that was meant for a wood router. I pieced this together and saved over $100,000 from what is the going rate. I have been told this head won't cut metal but it does. It is heavy but sill fast and solid.

Camsoft gave me the routines for the 5 axis kenimatics. I had help with the math and logic, did some myself but the hardest part is the 5 axis programing. I don't have a 5 axis programing system and have been writing programs by hand to do 5 axis. I will get 5 axis cad/cam software later but for now I am just happy it works.

The Piston Man

[cnc-it]

Hi,
Are you doing simultaneous 5 axis cutting with this system or just 5 axis positioning..?
I am looking around for a pc based control retrofit for simultaneous 5 axis machining and just interested to know how the camsoft performs and how easy it is to install.

Thanks, John.