keyway machining on machine

[timmydabull]

i seen some videos where keyways were being cut on a vmc using a carbide insert on a toolholder using a series of up and down plunge cut motions while inching forward to square up a machined contour.

i am curious as to which toolpath to use in Mastercam x4 and a haas tmp1 to perform this same idea.

also if i wanted to cut several keyways in the same bore along different rotations is the a way to index and lock the spindle,or will i need a rotary axis on the z axis to index the part instead of the spindle
thank you for any advice.

[Ydna]

I've done that before but I simply programmed it manually. one thing you might be worried about is the tool rotating during the movements. When I did it I put the machine into low gear and also knocked it up against a gauge setup to ensure it was correct. In retrospect it was barely a CNC operation when finished.

In masterclam you might be able to use that z-plunge toolpath (or whatever it's called), as long as you get it to work in a straight line. I've never used that feature before myself.

[behindpropeller]

I would call HAAS and ask if a TM-1 is strong enough to do this?

You might be better off buying a small shaper for this one task instead of ruining your machine.

Tim

[Donkey Hotey]

Ultimately, this really is all about chip load. If the tool is taking 0.002" shave cuts per pass, there probably isn't actually any force at all on the z axis. In fact, it's probably still falling under its own weight to take that light cut at a keyway width. There is obviously some load on the spindle bearings but, it can't be that great.

[djr76]

If the spindle is rotating, then there shouldnt be a problem, if its stationary then I wouldn't recommend that since it can/will cause false brinelling of the spindle bearings.