Control of toolpath during a FLOW operation

[tedsmodeling]

I have a small piece from 1/4" AL stock that is being marred during a FLOW operation.

The toolpath is lifting up and swinging around on each side and in the process is scratching the finished sides.

This is the toolpath for this particular FLOW.

And this is the result.  You can see the yellow arc above the yellow FLOW procedure.

In the setup for FLOW, I don't have control of the retract in HEIGHTS or LINKING.

After these loops, the tool stays in contact with the surface.  

How do I change this so that the tool stays in contact with the stock?

I'm using a Pocket NC V2-10.

Here is the G-Code for this section.

(FLOW BODY TOP RIM)
N79765 G54 G0
N79770 G0 A0. B-9653.816
N79775 G1 X0.004 Y0.2513 F5000.
N79780 G43 Z0.2067 H25
N79785 G1 A0. B-9653.816
N79790 Y-0.31 F5000.
N79795 Y-0.3124 Z0.2062 F10.
N79800 Y-0.3144 Z0.2049
N79805 Y-0.3158 Z0.2028
N79810 Y-0.3162 Z0.2005
N79815 Z0.1636
N79820 Z0.1267
N79825 X0.0033 Z0.1237
N79830 X0.0011 Z0.1214
N79835 X-0.0018 Z0.1205
N79840 G93 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9650.366 F3061.4158
N79845 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9647.271 F3392.0867
N79850 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9643.82 F3061.3989
N79855 Z0.1205 B-9640.546 F3357.0142
N79860 X-0.001 Z0.1204 B-9637.093 F3055.3356
N79865 Z0.1205 B-9633.818 F3345.5807
N79870 X-0.0006 Z0.1203 B-9630.364 F3050.9802
N79875 X0.0001 Z0.1205 B-9626.727 F2796.9698
N79880 X0. B-9450. F63.1872
N79885 X0.0031 Z0.1203 B-9445.255 F1796.0399
N79890 X0.0051 Z0.1202 B-9442.667 F3149.7766
N79895 X0.0071 Z0.1203 B-9440.08 F3141.0056
N79900 X0.0028 Z0.1204 B-9438.897 F3452.0845
N79905 X0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9436.091 F3399.8256
N79910 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9434.366 F3431.4624
N79915 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9431.271 F3392.1646
N79920 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9427.82 F3061.3996
N79925 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9424.725 F3392.096
N79930 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9421.275 F3061.3784
N79935 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9418.18 F3392.1161
N79940 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9414.729 F3061.4272
N79945 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9411.634 F3392.0497
N79950 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9408.184 F3061.4401
N79955 X-0.0018 Z0.1205 B-9405.089 F3392.079
N79960 X-0.0014 Z0.1204 B-9401.638 F3061.3865

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Steinwerks]

Can you attach the file, or perhaps a dummy file showing this behavior?

[tedsmodeling]

Sorry for the delay.  I was trying to send my post program and realized it had to be the Fusion program.

[nick_p3dcreations]

There's some weirdness with your model that might be contributing. You might try re-drawing this from a single revolved sketch so you have contiguous edges.

I had better results by changing the linking type from "smooth" to "no contact" and by adjusting the Min tilt to 0 and Max Tilt to 180.


You may also try using the "Rotary" toolpath for this instead of multi-axis toolpaths. That may yield a may uniform finish overall since it'll just spin the axis continuously.

[HughesTooling]

I found the same problem, is it supposed to be like that? I redrew the part using a revolve and you can see the concentricity problem with the original.

After fixing the model I get this. I've attached the file, check the sizes in the new component, Sketch2.

[tedsmodeling]

Nick - I added the 5 degree tilt to see if there would be a difference.  I had the same overall result.

I'll try your suggestions.

Thanks for the help.  Especially this early on a Saturday.

[tedsmodeling]

Thanks for your insights.  I can't imagine what that outline is you have highlighted.

This is comprised of a couple of cylinders using flow to transition between them.

I'll look at your file.  Thanks for working on this.

[HughesTooling]

Not sure how you created the chamfer but it's not concentric. If you select the longer section of the broken edge it measures off centre.

And if you zoom in you see this.

Mark

[tedsmodeling]

Then the two cylinders aren't perfectly aligned.  I'll look at this - thanks.

The chamfer is a FLOW process between cylinders. I used it at the top angled transition and the for the sides.  It gives me a nice finish.

I looked at your file.  Did you bring the individual bodies in another design as a component?   In my design, I don't see a component or the sketch within the component that you show in your previous screenshot.

I didn't think of of Nick's suggestion to design this from a revolved sketch.  I didn't have actual dimensions when I started and thought the cylinders were easier to adjust.

[tedsmodeling]

The linking change to 'no contact' makes a big difference.

You mentioned Rotary toolpath.  Did you mean Radial?

I tried Radial, but I can't get a clean, smooth finish because the toolpath is vertical to the stock and the up and down cuts leave segmented edges.

I'll make a piece with the changes suggested and see how it turns out. 

[HughesTooling]

---

@tedsmodeling wrote:

Then the two cylinders aren't perfectly aligned.  I'll look at this - thanks.

The cylinders are slightly out, but because you have no history in the design these no easy way to find when the error crept in. One suggestion is don't use the primitive shapes like cylinder, make a fully constrained sketch and extrude. Oh and work with history enabled so you can go back and check or edit parts.

---

@tedsmodeling wrote:

I looked at your file.  Did you bring the individual bodies in another design as a component?   In my design, I don't see a component or the sketch within the component that you show in your previous screenshot.

When I reimport the design I attached above I see this.

Mark

[tedsmodeling]

Mark - I don't see the component and sketch in my original file and I even downloaded my submitted file above and don't see them.

How can we be so different?  Here is what i see (I named the sketches for clarity).

 

[HughesTooling]

At the bottom of post #5 there is a file attached, temp.f3d. Did you download it and import?

Mark

[tedsmodeling]

Yes.  It shows exactly the same as my original file.  The screenshot above is from the downloaded file.

[tedsmodeling]

I didn't intend to get off subject.  It's just after I saw the outline you show in your screenshot, I started to examine my design.  I'm making a new piece right now and I'll know shortly of the changes worked.

Thanks for your time and input.  It's really appreciated.

[nick_p3dcreations]

>You mentioned Rotary toolpath. Did you mean Radial?

Nope. Go to your preferences, scroll down to preview features, and toggle Rotary on.
It'll then show up under multi-axis. IMO it's great for this type of thing, you can have it just spin one of the axes continuously and spiral down your part (or a couple of other variations).