MCam 9.1 4th axis operation!! Please help.

[deon]

Hi you guys

Ive been a Mcam lathe user for some time. Now I am starting to learn Mcam mill.
One of my very first projects is to manufacture sleeves for two stroke motorcycle barrels. For those that are unshure of what I am talking about, in simple terms it is a piece of round pipe with a number of different shaped pockets or holes machined into it.

For me the easy way out was to expand the drawing to a flat rectangle(working with the circumference and hight) and then drawing the pockets.After extruding to the thickness of the pipe I then use the roll command to roll it into the tube. Now if I apply the shading on the extrusion then only a wire frame is rolled and not the solid tube. Is this normal?

Now my main problem is the 4th axis tool pathe's. I do not understand the drive and check surfaces witch is requiered for the toolpathes.

Can someone guide me through the necassary steps to do the toolpathes to cut out the pockets and if there is an easier way to do the actual solid body construction.

Any help will be apreciated

Thanks
Deon Gerber

[cadcam]

Deon you can also say contour the walls and tell mastercam to unroll the geo so you do not have to draw it flat in all casses.

If you are drawing flat, I hope you are telling me that you are programming that way using standard pocket and contour right .
Then using the option on the first Paratator page to roll the tool path for most 4th axis contouring.

As for the Multi Axis 4th path using surfaces. The drive surfaces are the surfaces that you want to drive the tool over.
The Check surfaces are surfaces that you want to tell the tool not to touch that you might hae al ready done say a 2d contour or some thing on.

For what it sounds like you are doing you do not need this tool path.

If you want to share your file with me I can throw a few simple paths at it and give it back.

Cadcam

[Rekd]

x2 cadcam.

Also, fyi, drive surfaces and check surfaces: Drive surfaces are the surfaces your toolpath will be cutting, while Check surfaces are surfaces that are next to the surfaces your toolpath will be cutting. (Surfaces that the tool may touch while cutting the drive surfaces.) You can specify the distance you want to force the tool to stay away from the check surfaces, say +.010" or even -.125" if you want. Or you can not use them at all.

HTH

[deon]

Hi CadCam

Just in case you did not receive my mail Ive posted again.Looks like the *.mc9 file atachment not suported.Now I dont know what to do.

The attached file has been extruded to give you a wall thickness of 3mm . Please ignore the measurements, the file is suppose to be in metric and not in inch.(novice mistake) X axis to be used for rolling. The outside diameter of the rolled sleeve must be 69.69 mm(Because of my mistake I geuse
it will now be 69.69 inches). All the pockets must be cut out in the 4th axis mode.

Do I understand you correctly that the tool pathes can be done as is in the flat state with a added " roll the toolpath" command. Would that be easier. If so is it posible to guide me in that method.

Thanks for helping

Deon Gerber
South Africa