Learning to use the 4th Axis

[kevinro]

cuauhtemoc;

I'm glad you got it to work for you. Still clueless on my end.

I guess I'll have to learn how to do it the "Hard Way."

MetalShavings

There are two basic flavors to using the 4th axis. One is rotating the part to a new orientation and doing 3D operations at that new orientation . The second is doing a rotation operation that cuts while the A axis rotates.

For the first type, part of the job assignment parameters you can set is the rotation of the A axis. Say, for example, your part has a top set of holes, and a set of holes at 90 degrees. You would setup two hole machining operations. The top operation would be at A=0. The next operation would set the A axis to 90. Note that when you add the A axis, a new step needs to be added to your pre-start routine at the machine. You need to setup the A axis on the machine by finding zero for A.

The second type of operation which is rotation cutting is best done watching a tutorial first. Check the Tormach site for SprutCAM tutorials

[MetalShavings]

05kevin:

Many thanks. I thought I had viewed everything I could find on youtube pertaining to the 4th axis and a tormach machine.

Kevinro: I hear what you're saying. My problem is that I'm more of a "Hands-On" kind of learner. I can only get so much out
of a written descriptions. I think I may have some kind of dyslexia thing going on. This has always been the case for me.

If my eyes can watch it as it's being done it tends to click in my brain a whole lot quicker for me. For some reason, reading
about it just doesn't have the same effect.

Forgive me if I sound ungrateful. What you've stated is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for; it's just very hard for me to process
and then apply.

This will be a good start for me.

MetalShavings

[TXFred]

Sorry for dropping off of this thread. I got hit by a deadline, and have been spending the weekend doing a production run on the mill.

I got some free time today, and I put together a couple of simple 4th axis demos in Sprutcam. They should give you a good starting point.

One version uses Rotary Machining to make a part using a 1/2" ball end mill
The second version uses the usual surface operations to make the same part with the same tool. But there are four identical copies of the operation, with a different A axis value for each one. This causes the A axis to rotate to the new position before each operation.

Don't try to run these programs on the mill. Feeds, speeds, and cut depths do not reflect reality. You'll probably break something if you try to cut metal. These are for demonstration use only.

[MetalShavings]

Hi TXFred:

I downloaded the Zip file just now. I have a light work day tomorrow so I'll have a chance to take a good long look at it.

Also; the Youtube video link shed a little more light on this particular facet of CNC milling. I'm starting to see a little bit of light at the end of that proverbial tunnel now.

Unfortunately for me, this is the way I had to learn to use my mill as well. I'm still at the bottom end of that slippery learning curve with this 4th axis setup and use but, I think I'm moving in the right direction.

I guess it's time to take it out of the crate now.

Thanks guys. I appreciate your input. If you think of anything else please don't hesitate to let me know.

MetalShavings

[MetalShavings]

I was able to speak to Eric over at the Tormach/SprutCAM help desk. He let me send him an IGES file of a make-shift two flute reamer.

He emailed the completed file back to me so that I could study it and hopefully figure out exactly how to run similar drawings/IGES files in the future.

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to get the file to open, even after loading the latest version of SprutCAM on my computer.

I was making some headway but I seem to have lost traction and slipped back down to the bottom of that "Learning Curve."

Would one of you guys be willing to take a look at the same IGES file and possibly run it on your present version of SprutCAM so I can take a look at it?

I was able to open up TXFred's zip file with no problem so I think he still has a SprutCAM version that's compatible with my older version. Now that I have the latest version; in theory, I should be able to open up anyone's SprutCAM files.

My zip file of this particular IGES file can be found in the SprutCAM section of this forum under "SprutCAM and the 4th Axis."

I posted there first thinking one of the more experienced SprutCAM users might be able to offer some help. Although helpful, thus far I've only gotten one reply.

I would have posted that same zip file here but I deleted it yesterday thinking I wouldn't need it any more.

MetalShavings