Need Help!- Digitizing a head port

[H0gie]

Im currently new to the CNC game, so im a newbie. I have a job at a machine shop, and we have a fadol vmc4020. And we're going to be using mastercam for our software. our ultimate goal is to do some head porting. Instead of doing reverse engineering, how should it be done correctly if i were to digitize it to get the factory layout and then port from there. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations on how to do this properly?? Also giving me read ups and sites to look at will be great as well, any help is appreciated. Also i would like to know what kind of probe to use and so forth. Like i said I'm fresh meat to CNC and no one else in my shop is knowledgable as well

thanks, Hogie

[Delw]

I did porting on a arcoloc cnc mill way back when mainly doing 202 heads and the newer at that time 205? yeah old ones LOL
I probally did it the old school way, using a old cmm and lots of hours worth of programming and setting up the first head.

one word of advice make sure you make a PERFECT fixture, with out a good fixture forget it. I ended up making a fixer for a 4th axis to get in even deeper and it worked pretty good.
If I had to do it all over again and on used heads I would make an adjustable fixture to fine tune it. we found that lots of heads were slightly different up to .050 for postitioning. then will ruin your day if you go through a port wall.

one other thing if you are doing it for one or 2 set's its not even worth it, use a die grinder, I have done hundreds of heads with a die grinder and gastkets, of coarse I scrapped a few as well.

[carbidecraters]

Reverse engineering is simply the quickest way and the easiest way. You port a couple of runners and then you probe them. Since your going to use only 4 axis you may end up with some hand work. We are looking to do the exact same thing and have everthing we need except the probe heads.

[H0gie]

for our fixture we going to have plates made and put dowels in them to match the heads every time. but what probes do you guys recommend using?? we looking right now to get the reneshaw probe, are there any other options to look into cause we're also on a tight budget

thx for the help

[carbidecraters]

You could probly painstakingly use a ball touch probe and then stack the areas. Chec out the software video from this link

http://www.rottlermfg.com/machine_in...products_id=61

[orizaba]

I finished a head for a single cylinder engine a few weeks ago. After the client "plays' with it for a week or so on his flow bench he will send it back with clay and epoxy in the ports. He wants me to match it. I'll bet its going to be a bugger.

[carbidecraters]

Welp I will help you find a solution because we are trying to do something very similar. One thought was the 5 axis head for the fadal but its 50K (LOL over budget). May look at just a vh65 and a good probe.

[H0gie]

Originally Posted by carbidecraters Welp I will help you find a solution because we are trying to do something very similar. One thought was the 5 axis head for the fadal but its 50K (LOL over budget). May look at just a vh65 and a good probe.

where can i find the v65 probe i can't seem to find through a search engine

On the rottler head porting machine thery are using a reneshaw probe but what software are they using? does any one know of a good software to use?

[carbidecraters]

If you have 28"s in your Z axis you may be able to run two vh65's with a large table adaptor and get your 5 axis machining. You may need to unbolt and extend the sheetmetal in the fornt of the machine but it is possible I guess.

[DRD]

I am using A 2008 haas vf3 with a 2 axis trunion table. We probe ports, chambers ect in 5 axis mode, using master cam to drive the probe . I had a custom post that was writting for my application by my mastercam dealer.
We can probe a port in 20 minutes, pull the data into mastercam, tweak the data, and lay down a tool path pretty easy, and cut away. The finish on my ports are perfect, and I can push the machine as fast as the cutter can handle it.

I will say this, get a 5 axis trunion table on your machine, haas makes them. I have some friends, with rotarys stacked on a rotary and so on, and they don't work correctly.
The only way to CNC port heads the right way, is on a 5 axis machine, and to probing on the machine is a big plus also. You probe on the machine you cut on. There are a few companies doing this now.

Talk to your mastercam dealer about them getting you a post that drives 5 axis, and will drive a probe, G31 protected moves.. The post will not be free, they will charge you for it.

They have post that will drive a probe.

Good luck.

[carbidecraters]

Can you post a pic of how you hold the head? I am having a ahrd time seeing how a Haas trunnion can do that.

[DRD]

Go over to my website:

www.drdracingheads.com
go to the gallery, heads, and there are some pictures of the machine and fixture there.
Our email, is info@drdracingheads.com, if you want to emial us.