5th Axis Pocketing???

[Ford25]

Hello all i have a question to ask the ones that have been doing this stuff prolly before i was born. With 5th axis pockets, i'm used to roughing out the pockets with 3 axis toolpaths and then using the 5th axis toolpath to just clean up the pocket to give it the 3 degree or so tilt. Is there a way to cut pockets out using just 5th axis and the pocket comes out good? I have experimented with the multipass option with 5th axis swarf and sometime the pocket comes out decent and sometimes it would leave me with some clean up. I'm currently using mastercam x4, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Blake

ya'll have a wonderful day!!

[Steve Arteman]

do you have a file?
Steve Arteman
www.cad2cam.net

[Ford25]

i do but the file is to large to upload on here

[Superman]

3 axis pocketing for hogging the pocket out would give cleaner and shorter code, and be a little easier to fudge by the programmer and the operator

then go into 5 axis toolpaths to finish walls and floors

if floors are flat, then a 3 axis op is all that is required to do these, unless you have overhangs, then it becomes harder

[Ford25]

the project i have now has the whole pocket tilted at an angle and i'm having to hog out the pocket then run a surface along the bottom and then run the 5th axis to clean up the walls. is that how its usually done?

[Superman]

The WCS is your actual set-up (your TOP)
T & C planes set to normal on the pocket floor ( note !...the origin of the T&C plane is the same as the WCS )

2D rough pocket the guts out, or Rough Pocket surface leave material on the walls if the draft is large
( both give Z-level slices in the pocket )

5-axis swarf on the walls using the floor surface to control the depth of the tool

[Mike Mattera]

Yep... What he said. Sounds like the right plan.

Mike Mattera