Complex part - problem

[TeoDR]

Hello to everybody, we have a FIRST MCV1000 machining center at work and i am trying to make the part of the attached picture.
Here are the specs of the machine: LONG CHANG MACHINERY CO., LTD. manufactures milling machine, machining center, roller guide way, box way, double column machining center in Taichung, Taiwan.
The material is Ertalon and it will be a block with the external dimensions of the part we need to make.
I am using Solidworks CAM software (built in Solidworks 2018) but it cannot cut the curved surfaces correctly. It makes the surfaces in steps and not smoothly.
Maybe the machine cannot do it or i don't use the CAM software correctly?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
I attach an image of the finished parts and also i attach the part in .stp format.

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[handlewanker]

My 2 cents worth........after you rough out the profile with an ordinary end mill.....whatever.....use a ball nose end mill to do a second pass and smooth up the steps.

Don't use the ball nose end mill to do the initial roughing work as it's not designed to remove lots of material.
Ian.

[NIC 77]

My 2 cents worth........after you rough out the profile with an ordinary end mill.....whatever.....use a ball nose end mill to do a second pass and smooth up the steps.

Don't use the ball nose end mill to do the initial roughing work as it's not designed to remove lots of material.
Ian.

What you said is mostly true. But not always. It depends on the geometry of what you're cutting.

Have you seen bits like these before?



That's a ball nose roughing end mill. By the way, not saying that particular end mill is suitable to cut the OP's material, ertalon, I actually don't know the best bit to use for that. Just making a point.

When using a ball mill, the stepover is usually very small to get good resolution for your curved surface. That's why it takes forever to do true 3D work.

If you start your operation off to the side of the piece, you can use the long edge of the bit to take off all the material and do it in a single operation (ie: the finishing pass), as the stepover is small to get the good resolution you need on the surface, the long edge of the bit can handle that material on top at the same time.

It depends on the geometry of what you're cutting, if there are any sharp valleys where the bit will plunge too far then you can't do it this way. If you have any tight radius, and you can't use a fairly stout ball nose bit, then you can't do it this way either (well you could, but you'd have to clean up those spots with a smaller diameter bit after).

I have used this technique for cutting aluminum with very small step overs.

Teo, if you're using a ball nose end mill and getting "steps", then your step over is too large. Also, I haven't looked at the cad files, but judging by the picture, the piece should be oriented up, not on it's side, so you can cut both curves at the same time. But perhaps this is just a piece of what you're doing, like I said, I haven't looked at the cad files, just the pics.

[handlewanker]

Hmmmmm.....very exotic.....probably cost a bomb too.

As a standard ball nose cutter is all end work it wouldn't be too costly to "re-purpose" an end mill by radiusing the end that had the side flutes too worn for normal milling work due to the change in diam that occurs with side flute or diam re- grinding.

If you use a radius gauge you "could" re-grind a cutter on the end by hand ......maybe even grinding away one of the flutes near the end to make it a single tooth radius cutter.
Ian.

[daniellyall]

On a cnc hand regrind is a good way to stuff the bearings in the spindle, try it in your machine Ian and run it for an hour measure the run out before and after run it at 10 k

[handlewanker]

I don't know where you got that snippet of info from Dan, but it's BS.........I frequently use a fly cutter and with the cut rate I use noth9ing has come amiss.

BTW.....the final cut with a ball end mill on a 3D program is very light and in no way would that MESS up the spindle bearings.......EVER.

I don't expect everyone to be able to hand grind a tool, but with a simple jig it is a completer success.
Ian.