4 sided part

[cncuser1]

I've been struggling with a 4 sided part.

I can't get MCx to use an axis of rotation of my choosing. I have a line drawn in the file I want to use, but MCx will only use the X axis shown in the lower left hand corner of my screen.

I can get the facing operation to position the tool orthogonal to the surface but all other machining ooperations aren't .

I have tried defining all kinds of T/Cplanes and WCS's but no dice.

I can choose a generic X axis to be the 4th axis, but not a specific selection in my part. My part is positioned at odd angles in space.

Am I missing somethiing or does MCx not support this?

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by cncuser1 I've been struggling with a 4 sided part. I can't get MCx to use an axis of rotation of my choosing. I have a line drawn in the file I want to use, but MCx will only use the X axis shown in the lower left hand corner of my screen. I can get the facing operation to position the tool orthogonal to the surface but all other machining ooperations aren't . I have tried defining all kinds of T/Cplanes and WCS's but no dice. I can choose a generic X axis to be the 4th axis, but not a specific selection in my part. My part is positioned at odd angles in space. Am I missing somethiing or does MCx not support this?

MCX will support this but I have never gotten that far into this type of Multi-Sided Machining. I believe that you have to set a Custom WCS and find a way to define the angle of the Part to be Machined on a specific Plane.

I have most likely confused you more. CADCAM, Matt, and Mike should be here shortly to answer this a lot better than I can. LOL, they are the Masters of Mastercam.

[Matt Berube]

I'd like to see the part if it's something you can share. I don't really have any 4-5 axis experience but I know the WCS pretty well.

[Frankbals]

The way I do it in Mastercam is physically move the part where you want it. Use Xform, translate, and move it to the centerline you want the part at. You also may need to rotate it also. I am not real familair with the WCS so I always do it that way. If your using a horizontal machine, make front view, your starting face, then rotate your cplane by clicking on cplane, rotate, and move to the next face you want to cut. If you are on a vertical machine with a 4th axis use top view as your first face. You also need a post that supports this.

Good luck,
Frank

[joecnc1234]

I think you need to move your part to the origin. on programs like pro-e you can choose a couple of lines as your wcs. on mc you need to move your part to origin than you can rotate about x or y in your t/c planes, rather than machine out in space you can pick different planes as your work tool and consturction plane even construct your own planes. I think it will be alot easier to define axis of rotation when your part is at origin in mc. I'm sure ther'e a few different ways to do it but if you start out at origin it takes the guess work out.

[joecnc1234]

To be honest with you, and I know Mike is going to give me a hard time but to make it simple program each side as its own entity then rotate the wcs around to the next face and program that side etc. then move your operations so that each tool works on each side at the same time you can use work coordinates to achieve this. Their is no easy button for multi axis machining but if you want to get the job done as quickly as possible my method works well. Just make sure and know all of your angles and z positions off c/l of the part.
Joe

[Steve Arteman]

CNC user,
Send me you part I will look at it and see if we can make someting ( short video) up so you don't have to move the part. wcs sounds like the way to go and is pretty simple to use if someone shows you how it works. To move a part in X and machine all side in seperate files is a huge waste of time, but if you don't know how to do it with WCS it could be the only way depending on what you need to do to the part.

[Frankbals]

Also don't pay any attention to the xyz at the bottom left, that just shows where your at in relation to top. Press F9 and that will show where your part is. Make sure you are in 3d and select all, choose transform between points, and from (choose the part of the line that you want as z0) then to, origin, and everything should be where you need it. If you could email the part I could help a lot more. Good Luck, Frank

[cncuser1]

Well first off, I am not sure that my problem is WCS or T/Cplanes. I messed with them alot and didn't get anywhere, so my problem may be that or something else, 'dunno.

I am actually doing my solids in Solidworks, then importing into MC, so I am trying to avoid manipulating and moving the part. But I will if I have to.

I feel that I should be able to define any vector to be my A-axis, rather than move my part.

Steve Artemen, I'll try to send it within the next few minutes, I have never done that yet on these boards, so we'll see how it goes, and thanks.

[Mike Mattera]

The part MUST be on the center line of the rotating axis.

Mike Mattera

[joecnc1234]

Steve,
I'm not sure if you were refering to my post or not but you have to move the part to the origin on c/l to rotate about it. otherwise you create a problem in defining your origin why not make it easy.
Joe

[Steve Arteman]

Joe,

I didn't refer to your post you were correct. cncuser1 look at this I moved the part but I could of used and rotated off the view I made. Remember there are always at leat 3 ways to do the same thing in mastercam sometime more and many people may not do it this way but I thought it may be easier to show you.


http://www.cad2cam.net/zany.html