Wave form turning

[markfreeman]

some of the other cam based products on the market have the facility to program wave form turning as  edgecam call it.

Does featurecam have the facility yet?

if not when will it be availbale?

[kelbie.ockey]

I just watched a quick video and it looks like wave form turning is essentially back-and-forth roughing on a lathe. 

FeatureCAM does have the ability to back cut (changed on the strategy tab of a turning feature), but there is no back-and-forth style toolpath at this time.

Let me know if I can help answer any other questions!

[markfreeman]

the wave form turning is a very good with a button tool is a very effective strategy.

it does just machine back and fourth it arcs onto the curve and arcs off giving it a constant chip thickness.

under the strategy tab there is an option to do cut-grip which is a method of going back and fourth but it plunges into the cut giving it a full radius cut which causes vibration.

basically its like vortex machining in turning.

Many thanks 

[kelbie.ockey · Accepted solution]

We actually have a very similar technology coming to Fusion CAM/HSM shortly that follows the same concepts, and seems to be the best version of high-speed lathe roughing so far, which will be super exciting. 

To answer your original question though, FC does not have a comparable toolpath at this time. 

Let me know if you have any other questions! Have a solid week!

[markfreeman]

Good Morning

has there been any movement to applying the wave form turning stratergy to feature cam?

all of the competitors are now using it on there software.

[CGBenner]

@markfreeman 

Have you looked into the possible solutions mentioned in Post #4 on this thread?

[markfreeman]

we have never used fusion 360 we use Feature cam.

Can't the feature be duplicated across to feature ca some how?

Many thanks

[shawn6R83D]

Mark.  I haver attached a quick program of what others have spoken about in Featurecam.  In the strategies tab you use the cut-grip strat.  You could also do this with a toolpath feature but you would basically be hand programming the toolpath.  I hope this helps.

[markfreeman]

Hi Shawn

Yes I've used cut grip. its kind of got the idea but it doesn't give you the option for arcing in and out.

the whole concept of wave form turning is that is keeps a constant depth of cut, basically the turning same as the vortex milling.

the arcing in and out keeping a constant depth of cut is what makes wave form turning.

I've attached an example from edge cam. 

 

[shawn6R83D]

Sorry buddy.  I misunderstood what you were asking in my haste reading through the posts.

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

One thing I've done that is not perfect but closer to waveform than cut-grip is to use Vortex.  Vortex toolpaths is a milling strategy that controls the tool engagement angle on the tool so kind of like waveform.  What I did was to compute a milling toolpath with an endmill that had the same diameter as my round insert, then I wrote an addin to process all the points and create a turning toolpath feature from this toolpath and assign a round insert tool.  You can try to see if you are able to come up with a nice looking milling toolpath and if you do, I'm happy to share the addin to convert it with you.

[JHearons]

I can answer this question.  NO.  It is not going to happen in FeatureCAM.  It will be added to Fusion.  Hooray.

[markfreeman]

JHearons

Nobody uses fusion, feature cam is a good software, its in the top ten cam for precision engineering.

why not add it to feature cam. hardly anybody uses fusion?

every manufacturing industry is using wave form turning to reduce cycle times.

surly to keep up with competitors in the market, it would be a no brainer.

yes fusion is free with feature cam, but why go to the trouble of learning fusion and still keep paying for feature cam subscription? would be easier to have Edgecam installed? 1 software that does all. where's the logic come from for introducing another software that isn't as good as feature cam? we need to improve it.