4th Axis Newbie question

[slideleft]

Hi all,
Using MCX I'm trying to program my Haas head for the first time (Haas mill). My part is a ring with 1" outer radius and .015" radius fillets leading to vertical walls. I am using a 1/8" ball endmill. I am able to get satisfactory tool paths for the 1" radius, but how do I get the paths to go the full radius of the endmill to wrap around edge of fillets (.0625" beyond part edge) ? Tool center only seems to move in X axis to edge of part. I hope this is somewhat clear.
Thanks in advance.
Jeff

[Mike Mattera]

Did you try using a Lead in/out value?

Mike Mattera

[Mike Mattera]

I'm gathering that this is a spiral on the OD of a cylinder. Is it a solid or is it a flat layout and your doing a "Wrap"?

Mike Mattera

[slideleft]

Hi Mike,
Please look at attached jpeg. I have the ring on a mandrel in my Haas head and it is the outer surface that I am trying to machine with a 1/8" ball endmill. That surface is approximately 1" in radius, but it is the extreme edges (.015" radius) that I can't get the toolpath to wrap around. Hope this makes sense.
Jeff

[mastercamguru]

Looks like the tool radius doesn't fit. Try an 1/8" bull nose with a .015" rad.

I'm assuming your mandrel is a check surface, since we wouldn't want to cut that.

[slideleft]

I don't understand what is not to fit with a radius tool forming a convex surface. I was assuming that as long as I have a small enough step increment like .001"(and don't care about cutting into my mandrel), that the tool path would roll over the edge approximating the corner round. No matter what parameters I input the tool's centerline does not go past the surface's edge.
Also- if I try to input a bull nose tool as you suggest, it says "tool not allowed for this operation, only ball nose".

And Mike-
Where does one input a lead in/ lead out value? I don't see that in any parameter options.

Thanks again for trying to enlighten me. I do appreciate it.

Jeff

[slideleft]

So, as I merrily plugged in new values to understand the various 4-axis parameter options, as a last resort I checked "Axial Cut" instead of "Radial Cut" (which I'd been using). And... I finally got the tool path to wrap over the corner round as I was hoping for. I CAN cut my part this way, but it will probably take a LOT longer and look very different (maybe better). Can anyone explain to me why this works and the other way doesn't? Anything I can do about it?
Regardless of your answers, I am very happy to have one solution to work with.
Thanks again,
Jeff

[cadcam]

you can do this part as simple indexing the use the path of choice.