4th axis simultaneous toolpath issues

[Blanchfieldp]

I am trying to chamfer the edge of a model. I am not allowed to attach the actual model but made a generic to explain my issue. The material is sticking out of a circular fixture in a 4th axis. It rotates on the A axis you can see in the model.

When I finish the CAM toolpath the tool ends up being shown in a position that is impossible on a 3 axis machine with a 4th. It also will not post saying something to the effect of 'illegal axis'. So my guess is that Fusion is making a 5 axis toolpath.

I do have my machine configuration set as VMC+4th and I use this 4th on positional stuff all the time with no issues. I just change the tool orientation and it rotates the 4th for that operation. But I need it to follow around that radius on this model.

Trying to break this down into a bunch of different 2D chamfers kind of works but it is messy and they are all off just a bit. I would have to fool with it forever and I feel that it would be a moving target in production constantly needing oversight. I do not have the manufacturing extension. I would consider getting it but at this time I don't see it being capable of doing this non circular simultaneous 4th motion either. Thanks for any help.

What it does with the tool position.

[Anonymous]

VMC with A axis,....... it means you cannot tilt Z axis or A axis so multi-axis contour will not work with your machine and post.

Here is something that should work, or at least give you some clues.

[Blanchfieldp]

Thanks for the reply. I should have been more detailed in my description. The WCS zero point in my example is from an existing real world fixture. I can not move it. There is a very complicated final product that is 99% machined with it pivoting from that center line. Here is a picture of the fixture: It bolts to the flats.

So what I am trying to do is start with it in a horizontal position, run the chamfer up to the radius, then have the A axis rotate while the chamfer tool follows the part as it comes up vertical then across the top and back down the other side. Then repeat on the outside chamfer. I have seen this move a hundred times in videos and such but have never tried to program one myself. All I can find is ways to do this around a cylinder which this obviously is not.

Fusion seems like it is able to do this as it keeps trying do weird 5 axis moves that are much more complicated. But as I said it seems confused by the having to confine it's movement to A axis only. And the weird tool position makes no sense as I have nothing set to use 5 axis in my machine configuration.  I assume I have something set up wrong. Thanks again for any insight.

[Laurens-3DTechDraw]

Simply put, Fusion has no option for limiting swarf or Multi-axis contour to just 4-axis at this moment.

Flow on the other hand does. So @Anonymous  was on to something here. Problem is I can't get it to work properly on this model.

[Anonymous]

Well, working with what was presented, my point was to not program tool paths that your machine cannot execute.

Move origin in setup back to where you want it, regenerate and discard tool paths that are in conflict with fixture.

[Blanchfieldp]

I have to admit if what Laurens said is true and that Multi-Axis and Swarf tool paths are both 5 axis only then they really should add that to the description. My time is valuable and I spent a few hours changing machine configurations and tweaking settings in those operations to make them work. They both crash my 3 axis or 4 axis posts so they must be 5 axis only. A (5AX only) note next to the name would have saved me a lot of time and frustration.

I will try messing with Flow. This can't be this hard. I must be missing something. These toolpaths aren't magic, you can hand code them if you have enough time and skill. I sadly don't.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to say it but here is the simple truth. You can program 5 axis tool paths in Fusion but if you know that your machine cannot tilt Z axis or A axis, you should not be spending any time "tweaking" things.

Your only options are in tool orientation and using A axis as indexer or using ball endmill and 3D tool paths to machine all accessible features.

I simply duplicated tool paths, selected another tool orientation and adopted other parameters to that tool path.

Fusion works in sink with kinematics of your machine, your machine is a limitation in this case if you choose wrong strategy.