Could this part be that complex???

[avayan]

Hi Group,

I am sorry I am posting this here and asking this possibly superbly stupid question, but unfortunately reading the manual and watching all the sample videos has not helped to get this part properly designed.

This is a track roller I designed in Inventor. I am attaching the IGES files and the Sprutcam project. As you can see, the top of the part is quite convoluted. I tried doing a roughing and leaving about 10 mils of stock, only to follow with a waterline finishing. I tried a bunch of different mill sizes thinking that this was the reason the angled faces were not being fully carved. Should I have used a combination process?

Another question. As you can see, there is a gazillion faces on this top portion. Selecting them all 1 by 1 is not the end of the world, but it is certainly something I would love not having to repeat on a continuous basis. Is there an easy way to say transform an action such as finishing waterline into finishing combine without having to go through selecting all the faces again? I don't think copy paste worked.

Thanks to anybody that can shed some light on why this is not working as expected. Do note that I realize that if I had a vertical milling machine and the right cutter, these slots would be a mere piece of cake. Needless to say, I do not have said piece of equipment and since this is a CNC machine capable of carving a face on a piece of stock, I would imagine carving belt slots should be piece of cake!

Thanks!

JIQ

[Live]

Originally Posted by avayan Hi Group, I am sorry I am posting this here and asking this possibly superbly stupid question, but unfortunately reading the manual and watching all the sample videos has not helped to get this part properly designed. This is a track roller I designed in Inventor. I am attaching the IGES files and the Sprutcam project. As you can see, the top of the part is quite convoluted. I tried doing a roughing and leaving about 10 mils of stock, only to follow with a waterline finishing. I tried a bunch of different mill sizes thinking that this was the reason the angled faces were not being fully carved. Should I have used a combination process? Another question. As you can see, there is a gazillion faces on this top portion. Selecting them all 1 by 1 is not the end of the world, but it is certainly something I would love not having to repeat on a continuous basis. Is there an easy way to say transform an action such as finishing waterline into finishing combine without having to go through selecting all the faces again? I don't think copy paste worked. Thanks to anybody that can shed some light on why this is not working as expected. Do note that I realize that if I had a vertical milling machine and the right cutter, these slots would be a mere piece of cake. Needless to say, I do not have said piece of equipment and since this is a CNC machine capable of carving a face on a piece of stock, I would imagine carving belt slots should be piece of cake! Thanks! JIQ

Hello, Avayan.

To the first question. You'd better remove all the faces from the job assignment and set the appropriate bottom level. The easiest way to do that is to add a face specifying the desired bottom level into the job assignment with the <Bottom Level> button.

To the second question. You can copy parameters of one operation including the job assignment into another operation by right clicking on the second operation and selecting the <Parameters by operation...> command from the popup menu.

[avayan]

OK Guys, I was able to solve one of the problems, but I am stuck. I am trying to cut the angles now and it just does not work! This is what I mean:



I have tried using roughing waterline, finishing waterline and finishing complex. However, the angled areas end up being processed as squares. Even when I use a ball ended mill, the result is still not the angles I am looking for. Clearly an angled mill would solve the problem in a snap, but as much as I have looked there is no such a thing.

I also realize that to cut this with minimal cuts may seem preposterous. so maybe angling the part would solve the problem. However, as you can see on my first attachment, I have angled cuts in all directions and there is no way to solve this by angling the part. Plus I don't have an angle vise, which renders the point mute.

I am actually thinking of canning the small synchronous belt teeth cuts, but the long angled cuts by the side are imperative!!!

Thanks for any pointer you may be able to add.

[dblox]

I opened your project and it simulated pretty well. There are tweaks that need to be made for roughing but the angled surfaces appear to have been machined.

[kevinro]

Originally Posted by avayan Clearly an angled mill would solve the problem in a snap, but as much as I have looked there is no such a thing.

You might want to check out this page first!

1/2 Drill Mills

[avayan]

I forgot to post an update on how I solved the side angle issue. Went to my local Machine Shop Surplus store and bought a humongous countersink carbide bit. It worked gorgeously! The results were basically identical to what I required. I did not CAM it, though. Just ran the part manually.

I have still not run the teeth section. May not need to do them, but too early to tell. Thanks to all of those who answered to my question!