help with error creating 3d contour finishing pass

[maker9876]

I'm sitting by the machine trying to perform the last finishing past but get error messages on the last step, a 3d contour.

Can anyone help?

(archive file attached)

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

There's 2 reasons it doesn't work.

1. You have Tool Containment set to Centre. If you want to machine the outside you need it set to Tool Outside boundary.

2. You have Rest machining enabled with an adjustment offset of 0.5 and there's only 0.3 from left from roughing. Personally for a finish cut I'd turn rest machining off.

I've got to ask why are you using 3d finishing on a part like this, you would be better off using 2d contour you'll get a far smaller file. See attached file setup2 for another way of machining the part.

Mark

[maker9876]

The rest machining was an error; the Tool Containment I wasn't aware of. Thanks a lot!

Successive 2D contour operations certainly is very neat.

Although this part - and the stock are very symmetrical - I've been trying to get into the habit of using the Adaptive Strategies more on the grounds that they are supposed to offer a more consistent chipload throughout the toolpath?

(Also regarding the boring strategy - though here with an 8mm bit and a 12mm hole boring does pretty much the same thing as the Adaptive...)

[maker9876]

ps I had played with the Tool Containment option but found it confusing (unlike in the 2D strategies where there is a clear icon showing where the tool will pass).

For example, although you've selected "outside", after milling outside the selected perimeter, it then moves to the centre of the part and mills out a hole. Now see that the tool tip does perhaps point in that direction. Will study carefully when get home.

In the meantime, two nuts successfully milled!

[HughesTooling]

The boundaries behave a bit differently with 3d ops, with it set to centre the tool will not fit between the outside of the part and the silhouette offset by the radius or the cutter. If you want to stop the op machining the bore use Touch\ Avoid surfaces, select the hole surface and make sure touch is unselected.

Mark

[maker9876]

Yes that makes sense and the avoid/touch feature works brilliantly, just as you said.

That is the 3d Contour milling strategy. As a matter of interest, what would it take to get the 3d Adaptive Strategy to mill inside the hole (as well as outside).

I tried to do that in the beginning of the first setup and failed. 

And now with what you have taught me about inside/outside was sort of optimistic could get it to work.

Tried exactly the settings form the Contour strategy (Silhoutte / tool outside) but 3D Adaptive won't mill in the hole. Tried just about every other sensible sounding combination - including selection - but no luck?

[HughesTooling]

The adaptive is leaving the hole because the minimum ramp diameter on the  linking tab is too big, try setting it to 1.0mm. 

Mark

[maker9876]

Bullseye.

Thanks very much! 😉