FeatureCam cutter comp

[Jim Bass]

Hi All,

I'm using ver. 7 of FeatureCam with a Bridgeport V2xt mill. My problem is that in some of my programs if I enter a cutter comp value on the mill control the cutter will take some weird paths. If I reset the cutter comp value to .000 on the machine control then the program runs fine. When I view the program in FeatureCam the tool paths always look perfect. Have any of you experienced this phenomenon.

Thanks, Jim

[ger21]

I haven't used featurecam, but it sounds like your post is writing incorrect cuttter comp code for your control.

[pmurray]

Read this thread (completely) from the Practical Machinest Forum. Sounds like the same problem you are having.

http://www.cnczone.com/ub...=001052#000000

Hope this helps your problem.

plm

[dmealer]

Hello
I had a similar problem with a Mori Seikie with a fanuc controll. The problem was, on a finish path with multiple steps, the post was not cancelling cutter comp before the tool dropped to the next level. When it got to the next level, it issued the cutter comp command again, and the controll doubled the value. This made my cutter take off into space, thinking it had a huge comp value to deal with.
I hope this helps.
Dalen

[duluthboat]

I have had cutter comp problems with several CAM packages and on several controllers. If you really need it then spend some time working out the bugs if you don’t need it turn it off. I find it much faster to repost the code if I change cutter diameters, then to chase a hidden glitch in the drawing. Cutter comp is great if you have large runs and a box full of odd cutters but these days that is seldom the case.
Gary

[Engineer1]

Have you also had a problem w/ helical ramping while using cutter comp?
We are just getting into cutter comp, but FeatureCAM screws up helical ramping on counterbores when cutter comp is turned on. They tol me it is a bug they are going to fix, but right now I am trying to find a work around and still use Feature Recognition.

Thanks,

Matt

[zfarkas]

Hey Jim,

You need to have cut comp enabled in FCam under strategy and your Bridgeport needs one linear and one arc move just before cut comp. See your manuals...It's a Bp thing

To achieve this: Click arc lead in under stepovers...see attached picture..

hope it works on Version 7. I am using 12.

If you still have any problem let me know I went through the same thing about 2 years ago... with the same machine tool and same Cam software..



cheers,

Zoltan

[Fireflowers]

Featurecam only uses cutter comp for finish passes. The roughing cycle just comps the tool over dependent on the diameter you have set in your Featurecam tool library. This means that the D number(tool radius value) in the machine tool library ,if your using Fanuc, can be adjusted to take smaller or larger final finish passes without having to mess around changing the Featurecam tool library and reloading the g code.
Works great!
JJ

[lakeside]

Cutter comp can be a pain you have to turn on in a linear move only (G0 G1) it best to turn on at r-plane and turn off after returning to r-plane this seems to be a issue with a lot of software I've tried to get Bobcad to have the post do this but the told me the amount of programming time is not practical with all of the post out there and I can kind of see there point one this one

[Fireflowers]

Cutter comp is a nice programming tool with Featurecam Mike. If the "part line program" box is checked and cutter comp is enabled in the post options box it will revert the cutter path back to the centre of the tool for the finish pass. Then it's just down to the machine opperator to add the required comp into the machine tool library to offset the finsh tool the required amount. Means small adjustments can be made quick and easy at the control without any need to alter the G code!
JJ

[lakeside]

cutter is a great thing to have although I have not used Featurecam in the software that I have used they tend to turn on when at cutting depth which can be a issue if you have some tight walls I always turn on before going to z depth and turn off at r-plane one point I was trying to make is that it must be turned on in a linear move only not on a line with G2 or G3 as comp. will not turn on it must be in a line with either a G0 or a G01