4th axis porting?

[sethron71]

Hey guys, haven't posted here much just done a lot of reading in my time on here. Anyways I am trying to get my Haas 4th axis up and running. Machine is a 1997 Haas VF3 with HRT 210 4th axis. I am having trouble figuring out how to get the setup down in Mastercam X4. Seems it would be easiest to use the 5 axis porting function and just turn off the 5 axis in the programing but can't seem to figure it out.

I am trying to machine an inline 6 head which would be mounted along the y-axis so the head would have to be rotated about that. I will be using a lollipop endmill which allows me to get away with the 4 axis function as there is no undercutting in the 5th direction just straight vertical walls. So basically what I need it to do is follow the tool path while rotating the head about the y-axis. Obviously because of it the length and width of the head I am pretty limited in rotation but need roughly 15 degrees of motion.

Needless to say can you guys steer me in the right direction on what tool path type to use and to get the 4th axis to rotate about the y axis? I have gone through the Machine setting and placed the A axis in the appropriate area as well.

Thanks in advance!
Seth

[DRD]

Seth, You want to use the flow line tool path. The port will need to be 1 complete surface, and you will need to break the port into 2 surfaces, IE, runner, seat. The flow line will not let you select muliple surfaces.
Also, the port routine, is exactly the same as the flow line, but the port routine has less options than the flow line.

You should be able to turn on 4th axis output in the flow line set up. Make shure you draw you tool in master cam. You want to watch that the shank will not hit the wall.
Cutting ports is a real art, we have done it for 6 years now on a Haas with a 5 axis trunion.

[cadcam]

So DRD you are trying to tell him to use Flow 5axis ans set as 4th output correct. So how much time has Tom S spent at your shop?