Ideas for reducing cycletime of this part?

[btu44]

I have another short run of these parts coming up next week.

If willing, please look at this video and make any suggestion on what you would do different. Just keep in mind that if pushed hard, the fins will bend. Also my machine is in my garage. It points right at my incredably understanding neighbors home office. So it can't more noisy than it already is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM9rIaNMyBk&feature=plcp]Heat Sink Machined on a Tormach PCNC1100 - YouTube

Sorry about the not so good production quality. I'm low on time and basically suck at it.

Barry

[tbaker2500]

I'm no expert. Here are my thoughts, since you asked for them.

It looks like the beginning rough cut, the machine is spending about 25% of the time not cutting, either retracting or rapid moving. It looks like you are trying keep climb milling exclusively? Have you compared to see if you can get away with a mixture?
Since you are taking out a whole fin at a time, what about just defining a pocket for the whole area, and let it step over a fin's width? Then it would progress through the pocket without any retracting and rapids.

It's hard to tell in the video, but it looks like you are drilling the holes with end mills? Is there a reason to not be using a drill there? You can go a lot faster with a drill.

Lastly, while roughing, are there dimensional requirements preventing you from using a 1/2" EM?

[proengines]

Is there enough room to fit 2 of them at once on the machine? You'd have twice the number of parts machined for the same amount of tool changes doing it that way if it's possible.

[Steve Seebold]

Other than turning your part 90 degrees and running 3 or 4 parts at a time, and incresint the feedrates on your finish cuts, I think you've got it as fast as it's going to get.

If you turn your part 90 degrees, you can make a fixture to hols 3 or 4 parts using Mitee-Bites.

Just remember, these machines move slow, and when you're moving to and from a tool change position and changing tools, you're not making any money. A few seconds over 100 pieces can add up to several minutes. And when you run your program, don't always start at your G54 position. If you run G54 through G57, start your second tool at G57, your third tool at G54 and so on. Don't rapid all the way back to G54 every time you start another tool

I run my machine in my garage as well, and I have one neighbor, ( a 90 year old man ) who will come over and get a real time viewing of the TV show "How It's Made".

I run my machine between the hours of 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM. Never before 8:00 AM, never after 10:00 PM and no one bothers me. We have a home owners association here and if someone comes to check me out, I tell them I'm making parts for either my remote control race boats or cars/trucks. It's not a job, it's a hobby. They can't stop me from persuing my hobby. I have race boats that run in the 60 to 75 MPH range and I'm working in one that will go 100 or a little more.

[leix_99]

No idea, but the other videos showing the pump bracket are awesome! BTW, i could not find part two of the tts making, have you uploaded it?

Nice job, cheers

[btu44]

tbaker,

The idea of climb and conventional cut is interesting and have wanted to use this before. I just can't figure out how to program it. I tested a hand program once and found that the feed rate for the convensional needs to be less than the climb. Not sure if this is possible in Mastercam.

Now pocketing a fin width is a good one. I may have to use 1/4 EM so as not to hit the near by fin. I'll try this.

Yes, for hole making, I'm using 135 chisel point drills.

I've decided not to use 1/2 EM because it pushed the fin so bad it went into a chatter spasm. It was ear splitting.

Proengines,

I just finished installing a power draw bar. This saved me 5 minutes by it self. Another vise is next on a long list. But since these parts are 8" long it maybe too tight.

Steve's suggestion for a fixture and Mighty Bites is something I'll consider next time, if there is a next time. The company I make them for may hire me to run their HAAS VMC. Now that would get the cycle time down.

Steve,

I like your RC boats. If I had a suitable body of water I'd get into it. My RC hobby is planes. Sure is nice having the Tormach for custom parts

Leix 99,

Thanks for the kind words. Part 2 of the TTS used to be there. I'll check later.


Thanks everybody for the suggestion, it's appriciated.

Barry

[Steve Seebold]

Steve's suggestion for a fixture and Mighty Bites is something I'll consider next time, if there is a next time. The company I make them for may hire me to run their HAAS VMC. Now that would get the cycle time down.

Barry

The only thing you will gain with the Haas is the tool changer. Your speed won't be that much faster.

On the Haas, instead of having to go up 4 inches to change tools, you'll have to go up 16. Of coarse, you'll be doing it at 720 IPM instead of 65.

I used to own a Haas, and it was wonderful.

Airplanes are way too expensive for me. One wrong move can cost thousands to repair.

[tbaker2500]

Either of these attached milling patterns would help, IMHO. They mill in both directions, not just right to left like you are doing right now. Therefore you remove all the rapids in a given pocket. Now wether this works with the non-rigid material or not is another matter.

[FannBlade]

Off Topic.
It just hit me Steve when you mentioned RC boats that I recognized the name. I used to own Crapshooter Boats (Now owned by Stu)....small world if your one in the same?

Wish I had a Tormach back then!

[Steve Seebold]

Off Topic.
It just hit me Steve when you mentioned RC boats that I recognized the name. I used to own Crapshooter Boats (Now owned by Stu)....small world if your one in the same?

Wish I had a Tormach back then!

That's me!!!

[WOTDesigns]

What vs mastercam are you running? What EM'S are you using?

[btu44]

Sorry for the late replys...got kinda busy here.

Steve,

If I may respectfully rebute about the HAAS. I did some change in MC like up the RPM and feed rate to suit a HAAS MiniMill. Also I think the MiniMill could remove a fin in one depth instead of 2 with the extra HP. Along with the modest 600 IPM rapid on a MiniMill, the cycle simulates at 9 min 32sec.
The Tormach is over 19 min. Plus on the Tormach I have to baby sit the chips, the MiniMill I could walk away and programing other parts.

tbaker,

I tried a pocketing tool path to cover two fins at once. I believe that is what you are suggesting. It works well except in certain places during the cut. If it trys to cut convensional, the fin bends into the EM and makes a hell of a noise. Thanks anyways.

Priddy,

I'm using MC X3 (lic #117929).

The first EM is a 3/8 MiniCut powdered metal, 3 flute AL rougher. Later I finish with a 3/8 carbide, 3 flute with a .015" radius.
I originally used 1/2" EM but could not stop the chatter during rough plunge. I think it pushes the fin too hard and it bends.

I think Steve is right. Other than machine multiple parts, it is what it is.