Floating Tap Cycle

[eartaker]

I am looking to put some threads in aluminum. I don't feel comfortable with a rigid tap with my machine and would like to know how it would be possible to program the machine to tap using a floating tap holder like the Tormach taping head.

I went into the drill cycle and selected tap but not sure if this is for a rigid tap or floating. anyone ever done this or know how? am using MasterCAM X3.

[foxsquirrel]

By floating I am assuming this is not a torque limiting type of holder, its one that allows a little wiggle room going into the hole. If you have a digital spindle drive or a machine that was built in the last few years their is no need for torque limiting tap collets.

Best way to validate your rigid tap cylce is in a block of 2x4 pine. You should be able to select the rigid tap cycle in the drill menu, alot of this depends on if you have a post for a machine that has ridgid tapping.

Do you have the RT cycle shown in a drop down box withing the drill menu?

I just thought of this, do mean a self reversing tapping head, if that is the case stick with the rigid tap cycle. Tapmatic style heads are the fastest way to tap alot of holes but you must CAREFULLY program each cycle, yes it can be done in MC. Our old VMC did not have a tap cycle and I had 4 tapmatics in the changer. The pucker factor is pretty high the first time through but if all is done right they are sweet.

If this did not explain it please post an image of the head because I do not know anything about Tormach.

[eartaker]

I should have been more clear. I am looking to use a Tension/Compression Tapping Head. The only option I have is "Tap" at the top it says "feed in, reverse spindle, feed out". My machine is capable of using M3 and M4 codes. It is simply a 3HP 3PH motor ran by a VFD.

Here is what is showing on my screen.


here is a sample of the g-code Mastercam has spit out for a test. For this code I also set the Dwell to .1, not sure what it does.

%
O0000
(PROGRAM NAME -  T )
(DATE=DD-MM-YY -  23-01-11  TIME=HH:MM -  21:17 )
N100 G20
N102 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
(  1/4-20 TAPRH   TOOL - 199  DIA. OFF. - 199  LEN. - 199  DIA. - .25 )
N104 T199 M6
N106 G0 G90 G54 X.5 Y.5 A0. S300 M3
N108 G43 H199 Z.1
N110 G99 G84 Z-.25 R.1 F15.
N112 G80
N114 M5
N116 G91 G28 Z0.
N118 G28 X0. Y0. A0.
N120 M30
%

[jeffrey001]

I think that you should not have any problem using the rigid tapping from mastercam with a floating head.

For rigid tapping, you must have a servo controlled motor with indexer to watch the RPM of the motor but if you have a floating head, it will compensate for that.


Jeff

[eartaker]

I need to read up more on G-code but at what point in the code I posted does it reverse the spindle?

[TXFred]

G84

It's a canned tapping cycle. It will synch the Z feed to the spindle, tap to the specified depth, and then reverse the spindle to back the tap out.

Fred

[mactec54]

eartaker
Quote
At what point in the code I posted does it reverse the spindle?

When it reaches the set Z depth

Both the spindle speed & the Z axes feed have to be synchronized

Do you have an encoder on your spindle, you need to have this to do tapping, how you want with the tension/compression tap holder

[jeffrey001]

Here's an example of a G84 tapping cycle with a floating head

G84 Tap Cycle, VFD, Floating Tap Holder and Mach3: Video

The G84 cycle is intended for right-hand tapping.

0. Preliminary motion, as described above.

1. Start speed-feed synchronization.

2. Move the Z-axis only at the current feed rate to the Z position.

3. Stop the spindle.

4. Start the spindle counterclockwise.

5. Retract the Z-axis at the current feed rate to clear Z.

6. If speed-feed synch was not on before the cycle started, stop it.

7. Stop the spindle.

8. Start the spindle clockwise.


The spindle reverse is include in the G84.

Just look at this site, good explanation.

Canned Cycles


Jeff

[eartaker]

Awesome, Thanks for all of the info guys.