Newbie- Guidance On MasterCam

[straz]

I am ME & a SolidWorks user of 12+ yrs, and before that a Cadkey/FastSurf user back to 1993. We have Mastercam Mill v8.1 installed in our prosthetics manufacturing operation in SLC, UT. There is obvious commonality of this sw with Cadkey, but not enough for me to use it competently to define tool paths off of my generated parasolid etc data. Too many params/options that I don't know how to respond to appropriately. We have generally have fairly straight forward tool pathing reqments here, and the shop staff - who have had no formal training with Mastercam or any CAM - usually seem to manage to define something that works on the mill. However, whenever there is anything that is slightly tricky, the process spirals into chaos.
We often waste a whole lot of time blundering around with such - today it is an intricate & shallow logo engraving part geometry. We are not getting anywhere. Seems the resolution of the source data has created multiple boundary tesselations/entities so we can't get any sensible path results. Zip File of .X_T parasolid v12 data is attached.

We are looking for someone who can examine this data, perhaps convert it to a usable tool path, or tell us what we need to do to change the source data enabling us to converge from MC8 to a mill usable NC file. We would perhaps like to establish some ongoing line of contact so that we can request assists like this from time to time in the future.

We are prepared to pay for time as requested.

Please get back to me, either replying to this post, my email [straz@value.net], or office phone 801 326 3425. Peter.

[Derek Goodwin]

Engraving uses a tool to cut letter geometry into the part (I have always preferred contour to perform this operation)

In your application with raised lettering on the core pin, I would offset the circle geometry to the outside and to the inside, and then use those circles and your letter geometry to define a pocket.



We offer online Mastercam training that would get your team up to speed quickly, but you would need to upgrade to version X to get the real benefit.

Mastercam Training Online

[charger19690]

Originally Posted by straz I am ME & a SolidWorks user of 12+ yrs, and before that a Cadkey/FastSurf user back to 1993. We have Mastercam Mill v8.1 installed in our prosthetics manufacturing operation in SLC, UT. There is obvious commonality of this sw with Cadkey, but not enough for me to use it competently to define tool paths off of my generated parasolid etc data. Too many params/options that I don't know how to respond to appropriately. We have generally have fairly straight forward tool pathing reqments here, and the shop staff - who have had no formal training with Mastercam or any CAM - usually seem to manage to define something that works on the mill. However, whenever there is anything that is slightly tricky, the process spirals into chaos. We often waste a whole lot of time blundering around with such - today it is an intricate & shallow logo engraving part geometry. We are not getting anywhere. Seems the resolution of the source data has created multiple boundary tesselations/entities so we can't get any sensible path results. Zip File of .X_T parasolid v12 data is attached. We are looking for someone who can examine this data, perhaps convert it to a usable tool path, or tell us what we need to do to change the source data enabling us to converge from MC8 to a mill usable NC file. We would perhaps like to establish some ongoing line of contact so that we can request assists like this from time to time in the future. We are prepared to pay for time as requested. Please get back to me, either replying to this post, my email [straz@value.net], or office phone 801 326 3425. Peter.

Peter,

I would be willing to shoot you code for this if you want. It wouldn't be any problem. I only have access to the MasterCam X family though. So I wouldn't be able to shoot you back a compatible MX file, but the code would be good. What type of machine is this for?

send me an email if you still need help....mike at cncbasics.com

Mike in MN

http://www.cncbasics.com
http://www.cncbasicsforum.com
http://www.mastercamforum.com
http://www.mastercamblog.com

[Matt Berube]

Ugh, this reminds me how much I hate Version 8 & 9. To make matters worse I don't have a Space pilot here at home (doubt it would work in MC8 anyway)...

OK, enough whining.

This is pretty small engraving. I wasn't sure what tooling you wanted to use but the tool in the file represents a custom engraving bit that we often use.

Hopefully this will get you started. This one's on me. You can pay me next time. It took me about 90 minutes to do this because I am so out of practice with V8.

Be sure and let me know if this helps.

[straz]

Thank you, muchly degmc. I didn't expect you to shoot off on effort on your own like this. My colleague in the shop moved ahead to something that was going to be usable by lunchtime, by when a lack of progress would have been getting kind of critical. I was at a bit of a panic when I posted the call for help.
Your comments give me insight into how to approach future tasks generically. Techniques like this are part & parcel of the various CAD packages I am way familiar with, but I have never appreciated such a construction-enhanced method translates to CAM sw. Presumably the philosophy is compatibly relevant backwards to v8.1. I will save the info you present as a valuable future resource.
Please get back to me if you ever in need of an arm or leg.
Peter K. Strazdins
Development Engineer
Motion Control Inc.
115 North Wright Bros Drive,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116.
Ph 801 326 3425
Mb 650 888 1630

Originally Posted by degmc Engraving uses a tool to cut letter geometry into the part (I have always preferred contour to perform this operation) In your application with raised lettering on the core pin, I would offset the circle geometry to the outside and to the inside, and then use those circles and your letter geometry to define a pocket. We offer online Mastercam training that would get your team up to speed quickly, but you would need to upgrade to version X to get the real benefit. Mastercam Training Online

[straz]

A big thank you also to you, sir. I am just now able to get back to you and several others in thanking you for your inputs. Our machinist did manage to make some kind of a positive progress that afternoon, but this was only after some tedious manual selection of a whole bunch of extraneous surf ents surrounding all the chars, which he had neglected to include in selection during earlier tool path attempts, which were all met with discouraging & subject to non-interpretation app dialogue box responses (i.e. no-go).
Along the lines of what I have commented to another respondent, I am staggered by the enthusiasm of users like you jumping in and spending their time on helping out voluntarily. Be sure that these efforts will not go wasted - yours and that of one or two others I am studying study in order to understand how this task could have been approached, and learn up on for future.
As I have mentioned before, if you are ever in unfortunate absence of arm or leg, please get back to me.
With regards,
Peter K. Strazdins
Development Engineer
Motion Control Inc.
115 North Wright Bros Drive,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116.
Ph 801 326 3425
Mb 650 888 1630

Originally Posted by Matt Berube Ugh, this reminds me how much I hate Version 8 & 9. To make matters worse I don't have a Space pilot here at home (doubt it would work in MC8 anyway)... OK, enough whining. This is pretty small engraving. I wasn't sure what tooling you wanted to use but the tool in the file represents a custom engraving bit that we often use. Hopefully this will get you started. This one's on me. You can pay me next time. It took me about 90 minutes to do this because I am so out of practice with V8. Be sure and let me know if this helps.

[straz]

Thanks - charger, but I believe situation is resolved.
PKS.