adaptive clear path - a lot of retractions in a simple hole

[maker9876]

In the 3D adaptive clear toolpath below, the "simple holes" have a lot of retraction moves that don't seem to be doing anything useful.

I've done a similar toolpath on a simpler part and normally it just helixes downwards, spiraling out to the full circumference at each stepdown.

Here the holes are about 25mm deep and maximum stepdown is 3mm so expect a lot of levels but not all these retractions.

Any ideas what might be going on?

ps file contains components and so could not export it as an f3d archive file....

[LibertyMachine]

For files containing components, you can provide the a360 link and that will allow us to download the .f3z file, if you aren't opposed to that.

[HughesTooling]

I've seen something similar if the holes have been roughed out by a previous op or you've modeled the stock with the hole and you have rest machining enabled. Try adjusting Minimum axial engagement.

Mark

[maker9876]

Here's the link for download:

http://a360.co/2drT4wu

I've had to close the model for a moment because it's giving repeated "component out of date" errors (even though none are out of date) ever since I activated public sharing.

So haven't yet tried @HughesTooling 's suggestion.

[maker9876]

Restart cleared the warnings issue and re-examined the model.

It's the first operation with rest machining enabled from setup stock.

Tried increasing "minimum axial engagement" to 1mm to no avail.

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

Seems to be a tolerance problem , set it to 0.01mm and it works fine.

You might find selecting your boundaries like this works better, depends on whether you want to clear the whole face or pocket. done like this you can do away with the second op.

Mark

[HughesTooling]

Here's something you might want to try for the adaptive and contour pocket with the 4mm cutter. I've attached a copy of your file after breaking the links with the ops setup like my screencast.

Mark

[maker9876]

Thanks.

Set Minimum Axial Clearance to 0.01mm but still got a haystack of yellow lines?

( Split into a 2d and 3d adaptive clear because the part is clamped in a vice across the middle.

Tried for ages to get the 3d adaptive to ignore the side faces but do the ends - but had no luck. )

[HughesTooling]

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@maker9876 wrote:

Thanks.

Set Minimum Axial Clearance to 0.01mm but still got a haystack of yellow lines?

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You need to set the tolerance to 0.01 top of the passes tab.

Mark

Edit and this is the 3d adaptive cut in the file above, is that any good?

[maker9876]

Making chips! 

😄

tx.

[maker9876]

Incidentally, in this model file there is a second aluminium part named "upper_arm".

I thought that by activating it in the model it would be possible to set up toolpaths in the CAM but that doesn't seem to work?

Am I now committed to doing CAM on only one part (Lower_arm) in this file or is there a trick?

[HughesTooling]

What i'd do is copy\paste the setup you have then edit the setup and select the other arm under Model in the copied setup.

Mark

[maker9876]

Sounds like a good plan.

The confusing thing is that when I select the other model it doesn't appear in CAM. Indeed the old model stays there just as it was?

[HughesTooling]

The display of the model has no effect on what the setup uses or sees. When you duplicate the setups you have edit them and unselect the first body, unhide the second arm you want to use and select. Now you can activate any setup and it will use the body you selected, it will not change visibility of the bodies for you though.

Sometimes the X doesn't display to unselect, if this happens just double click where it says Body and it will unselect.

Mark

[maker9876]

OK got it. Works brilliantly. Many thanks.

Have been through the screencast for the 4mm cutter several times and must confess don't understand what you have done. (Not just because you're amazingly fast!)

The final toolpath looks similar to the one I had before? And you have a go at achieving it in two different ways? What should I be doing?

[HughesTooling]

The first go I used stock contours but I thought that might not be the safest way so I changed it to use rest machining instead. The advantage to the path I selected and changing the containment to tool outside boundary is it allows the tool to plunge outside the stock rather than pocketing.

I'm pretty sure the screencast run fast it's a pity there's no slow motion. Here's another screencast I made that shows how to modify a path selection, what I do is click an edge then click the blue path that's generated, you can then pick other curve segments to change the path. 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/4ce7a6a9-fc3f-4e7b-9199-6dd277f8ab72

Mark

[maker9876]

Got it. Thanks!