I own vCarve Pro9 and don't mind upgrading to Aspire if that's what it takes to make this possible.
I need to fit a thin laminate (Formica) "A" into a 90 degree corner. Of course, as a top view when everything is mounted this will look like a perfect triangle. But being bend down over a 80 degree curve with a radius of 434mm, I have 2 big challenges:
- The Formica itself, How do I go about creating the outline for the toolpath when the piece gets unfolded, for me to be able to cut it as an 2 dimensional flat on the CNC?
- The cleats I will put against each side of the corner "B & C", mirror image each). Their top surface (in green) starts as a perfect horizontal flat in the back corner, but this angle changes as we move towards the front of the path the Formia will be fit against. It's a compound angle between the curves of that unfolded triangle, and moving toward a perfect straight corner between the sides by the end of the cleat.
In my mind it is easy to cut the top side of these cleats in a template that is fixed in a rotary axis, . I can see how the combination of the 5th axis turning the part at the right time, with the right toolpath on X and Y to move from end to end, makes this a simple straight cut for the Z-axis.
No, I do not have the option to cut this path into the sides, I need to create these cleats. I would need to cut about 50 each left and right per month for a long time to come, so I think it's worthwhile figuring it out, to give me the flexibility of modifications in the future.
If it doesn't work graphically, I see myself making a long excel sheet with angles and sines calculating a thousand points on the path, but there's going to be a lot of trial and error before I get that translated into 5th axis G-code .
Compound angle for rotary axis.
. I can see how the combination of the 5th axis turning the part at the right time, with the right toolpath on X and Y to move from end to end, makes this a simple straight cut for the Z-axis.
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