Vice Modelling

[pinguS]

Hi all,

Just wondering, do you generally model the whole machine vice when you are doing a new setup and save this as a seperate solidworks file to upload into all parts using the vice? If so, which would be the best approach?

Also not relevant to solidcam, but if you can recommend the best makes of machine vices, I am about to mill a part from a 180mm x 120mm block 45mm thick. Normally I would clamp this down to a sub plate, but was thinking in getting and modelling, unless cad is available a new machine vice.

Any suggestions on modelling technique and even the best vices out there would be helpful.

pinguS

[TheBigJW]

Hi all,

Just wondering, do you generally model the whole machine vice when you are doing a new setup and save this as a seperate solidworks file to upload into all parts using the vice? If so, which would be the best approach?

Also not relevant to solidcam, but if you can recommend the best makes of machine vices, I am about to mill a part from a 180mm x 120mm block 45mm thick. Normally I would clamp this down to a sub plate, but was thinking in getting and modelling, unless cad is available a new machine vice.

Any suggestions on modelling technique and even the best vices out there would be helpful.

pinguS

Kurt and Chick are very popular choices based on quality.

You should also have no problem getting solid models of these products. You might even find the samples in the CAM software use a Kurt vise.

John

[pinguS]

Cheers, I will have look through the cam software, but I have got a Kitagawa guy coming to see us, just wondering are they all the same and I'm assuming I can adjust the model to suit which ever vice we purchase?

[KevinWilkins]

Kurt has solid models of most of their products to download free from their website!

[pinguS]

Well I took the advice, I now have the Chick distributer coming over to give me a demonstration, so will also ask them about cad models. As far as Kurt, I have had a look, and they have good stuff aswell (well looks all the same to me) so will just go on instinct.

I have got in touch with the local distributer for Kurt. They also make the same claim as the Chick distributer, "there's is the market leader". Nice. All I was looking for is the most open source type, with easy accessable parts and cad models.

cheers for all the advice, this will be a hard choice where to spend the money.

Along with this, now which options in Solidcam will allow for clamping fixtures and automatically avoid them, or has this still not been implemented, I know in the standard face and profile ops, the fixtures are there to be hit. Solidcam will not automatically avoid them, unless I'm mistaken.

[dengo]

I modelled up my 5 Axis vice myself and saved it as an assy in a common location.
When you start a new cam job import in your vice using Solidworks techniques and mate it however it needs to look.
Then back in SolidCam right click on the operations folder and click on Define Fixture at the bottom of that menu. Then you can go through and select vice or fixture etc.
I think that your right in assuming that 2.5D ops won't avoid fixtures but 3D, HSM etc will.

[mattpatt]

Many times I just cheat and model a couple of simple blocks in the CAM part to replicate the vice jaws or whatever, and then select these as the fixture