Gaps in surfaces

[WingNutz]

I seem to be having problems with surface gaps where one surface meets another (and this includes solid faces). I wouldn't be so concerned with it, but my .060 ball end mill wants dive into that gap like it was a ***** This is not an isolated incident. I asked a co-worker to open the same file and he does not have the gaps that I do. We compared configuration settings, but the few things we synced did not do any good. I have contacted MC in regards to another similar issue and I still don’t have a solution. When I create a surface from curves, and analyze dynamically, my curve is not constant, it varies and it should not.

[Steve Arteman]

Many time this is just graphic and the cutter should not be going down in a gap you see.
make sure you and your co-worker are picking the model the same way to machine. sometimes when you pick only certian surfaces or solidfaces this could happen. I just made a how make and fix surface cd on my site that may be of interest.

http://www.cad2cam.net/mastercamx_basic_surface%20.html

If you could share your part this may help.

Steve
www.cad2cam.net

[Mike Mattera]

What system are you getting the file from?
What format do you bring it into Mastercam in (IGES, SWorks, Inventor).
You said you have gaps in your solidmodel. That's not possible. A Solid model is solid. If your converting the solid to surfaces, you could have gaps.

ProE makes the biggest gaps. It has to do with the tolerances.

Did you and your partner bring in the same file, in the same format and have different gaps. Always check and compare the same, same. Different files, different sizes, different tolerances = Different gaps.

Mike Mattera
Tips For Mfg

[WingNutz]

The original file is a Solid works file converted to a parasolid which were opened on 2 different computers, side by side, to compare visual gaps and there is a difference.

As far as the toolpath, we haven't tried comparing yet. The toolpath I generated has too many vertical (rapid) moves near the "seams" of the surfaces. I realize some are expected but when there are close to an equal amount of rapid moves as feed moves then something is not right.

Thanks for all your suggestions/advice.

[JROM]

two qiuck things to check or do
First check your surface normals and make sure everything is pointing the right way.
Even with zero thickness surfaces one surface with the normal pointing the wrong way can jerk you around pretty bad.

Then try loosening up you filtering numbers, this will reduce the number of tool moves and smooth up your tool path.
good luck

[cadcam]

Well if it is solid there are no Normal issues as a solid is a single water tight model. as for the gaps as you are calling being were the tool lifts what type of paths and are you setting gap setting. if you see gaps in the surface model bigger on one computer to another look into the shade settings. there are a tollrence settings that can make them better but this has nothing to do with cutting. do you want to share the Solid works file. being the SLDPRT file?