Need 4th axis help in Featurecam 2008

[Mottbone]

Hi everyone, I'm Rick.

Would someone here be willing to give me the basics on how to properly configure the stock and any essentials to get featurecam to identify, index and drill multiple .250 diameter holes shown in the attached pic? The main FeatureCam programmer moved on to other things and I'm sort of stuck with it. I'm really only familar with 3 axis and even with that, I have limitations. Part is 6.000 inch dia. x 2.500 wide cylindrical. Model is from Solidworks.

Thanks in advance.

[dcalp]

The very first thing is to make sure your "stock axis" and your "rotating axis" are lined up together. Look under "view", then "show" to get your stock axis to show up. This HAS TO BE the same as your UCS to even get started. The help secton for 4th axis index or wrapping will help after that. Come back here if you get "stuck".

[Mottbone]

Thank you dcalp for that advice. The stock axis and ucs has been correctly established. What I need in this 4 axis setup is how to properly choose just the .250 holes and what selections in the "Features" menu should I execute, or any other procedure I may need to know. Using an endmill or a .250 drill is fine but I think the original Solidworks model .250 holes were created by using an "extruded cut" routine, not by the "hole" menu, if that makes any difference in using a drill or endmill, which I think it may.

Luckly, this project isn't due until the end of September.

Thanks much.

[hasanwafa]

hi Rick
may name is hasan ,
first maybe you find my language not good thats because I'm from Jordan middle east
any way i have 4 axis and i dont do that like this
farst i drow at master came rectangle 6 inch X 2.5 inch and Distribut the point wich you wont to drill it as you like then male driling parameter Exactly like a flate plate
then at the first screen toolpath/operations /parameters/Confirmed the rotary axis on
open the rotary axis chick Axis substation ON then pot the dimeter of your work pice per unet 6 inch/ok otamticly the post prosesor generate the post as 4 axis
if you cant send me the drowing ill make it for you
at hasan_wafa@hotmail.com
good luck

[dcalp]

Do you have "feature recognition?

[Mottbone]

Do you have "feature recognition?

Yes, and not with good results.
Hasan, thank you for your help and I think I understand that you're explaining that I need to set up my pattern as if I'm working with a flat plate, then wrap it around a diameter. Is that what you are saying? Or maybe not. but anyway, I would think I can just drill the holes by simply importing the solid from solidworks , which I have done, set up my axies (sp?) and select the proper selections from the "Features" menu. Am I wrong to assume that that should work? But if I'm correct, how do I select the holes and which selection do I use in the "Features" menu?

[dcalp]

I don't understand. If you have a solid, and the feature recognition, why you can't just go to new feature, holes with feature recognition, look for with "automatic" around the axis of rotation and FC should find all the holes.

[Mottbone]

Hi decalp,

This is what I did:
-Hole, extract with feature recognition,
-around the index axis,
-Tried both hole recognition methods,
- Pointed at holes,
Results: "Unable to find any features from the surfaces".
'Automatic' gave me the same results.

Could it possibly be a bad solid model? As I mentioned earlier, I think the holes in the model were created using a 'cut extrude' method rather using a 'hole' method. Could that be a reason why FeatureCam can't find the holes?

[dcalp]

Sounds like you might be on the right track. Open the feature recognition and click on "verify solid" and see what it says. Can you post that model so I can take a look at it? I'm kinda interested now!!