Stock Model, Large Part Files, Maching approach, Bar Stock Machining, Multiple Planes

I am looking for any advise I can gather regarding working with large part files in which multiple stock models are used to track material removal throughout operations list. I am machining Aluminum Bar Stock components mainly 7075 and 6061. Machining is being done on a 4-axis HMC with 15K RPM, AICC function, mostly high speed machining. I machine the parts clamped from the bottom of the prepped barstock using a Uni-Lock pull stud (bolted to the underside of the material) that then clamps into a Uni-Lock chuck mounted on top of my pedestal position on table center. I have access all around the part. I am basically replicating a casting so to speak and finishing the part at the same time. My Mastercam files are very large and can take a significant amount of time to recalculate toolpath should operations become dirty. Utilizing the stock model feature is very handy and has lessened the need for time consuming arbitrary boundary creation on multiple levels and planes. I am starting to question my approach though as it does take time as well for recalculating toolpaths should I have to make changes to operations that are parents to other paths and stock models in the tree. This leaves me at a cross road trying to decide what is best path to take. The Stock models certainly offer me a great deal of functionality where if not used an entire rendering would have to be performed to see if stock is remaining. I generally use the following paths:

(All high Speed)
Dynamic Rough
Waterline
Raster
Pencil
Project
Stock Model
& 2d Contour where possible

Anyone out there have any tips or best practices for machining parts this way? It is a lot like mold machining (core) except I have to contend with many vertical walls with small corner radii on the floors which are not flat usually.

What are practical tolerances used typically for: <curves>, <surfaces>, <toolpaths>, <Stock Models>, <system total tolerance> (I do arc filter in all planes) (I do use smoothing control - <shift points & Min points>)

I look for a part that is asthetically pleasing but can't take the time to make it finish mold like.

Any input here is appreciated sometime I tend to go too far in utilizing the whistles and bell of the software and find I am no longer on the Yellow Brick Road. I am stepping back and looking for another perspective.


My computer I would say is above average pushing 16GB RAM with Nvidia dedicated 2GB RAM with Intel i7-4600M 2.90GHz processor (HP Z-book)
my part file size is 100MB.

Well what you are making we usually call a valve body from solid stock. made many of them over the years. Are you using the Stock models to machine against? this really helps. but some time to many stock models in some the oler versions does slow it down. so useing STL as stock will stop the rendering of the stock model but are more work. Also in some cases you get a waterfall effect if not setting the STL for a higher res.
What version of Mastercam are you using?
Also a 100mb file is not that big for those I get them 500+ easily. The laptop you are using sounds fine.

Thank you for the response, I was wondering if I was going to hear back on this.

I am using Stock Models and typically end up with about 3 to 4 over 100 or so operations. Knowing that the 100mb should not be considered large is good to know however I sure would like to hear from you about your 500mb file and how many models you push tool against? What are the calc. Times when parent tool paths or geometry need changing or modification? Do you separate your parent child relationship between stock models in some logical way to maintain integrity of later paths in the tree?

I could place a myriad of questions here but I am constantly search for some direction here to reduce the calc. times I am currently experiencing over tedious boundary creation or steep shallow angles for cut off even predicting overlap from one tool orientation to another without having to render over and over. My machining is full 4 axis Horizontal but me generally just indexing my way around this type part to reach all the way around. I can sneak a simultaneous cut in from time to time but I do not have TCM and my dynamic offset is set to static and would upset everything to change it (this is another subject altogether.)

If I were to have to regen potentially all operations in my tree due to parent path corruption (dirty) I can see as much as 3 - 4 hours on a part like this. Most of the time is might take more though because there seems to be at this level some linking error with the later models in the tree and the toolpaths associated with them wanting to not wait their turn for threading. (Only when trying to regen all dirty) It is likely I am up against this Error as I called it due to something I have done through resequencing toolpaths in the tree even though I make sure the associated operations list in the stock model reflect my changes maybe I am missing something like legacy regen file or something that could cause this.

I have a great seasoned background in multiple software so throw the book at me if you have some good tech suggestions. My parts do not have to look like a mold but I want them to be as close as possible given the time I have to machine them and the tooling and machines I have available. There is probably some opportunity too to use 2D tool paths here and there mixed with 3D but extremely difficult here to do without mismatch.

Any direction experience appreciated.

Thank you

Sorry X9 and reviewing 2017 but not using yet, I have a concern about using the STL due to file locations across Multiple users and currently working on new dept. standard for our file structure on the server. If STL not in the right spot or unavalible to another engineer this presents a problem.

Some other tools I am trying to help me in this are

Ignore cusps, Machine small cusps, Stock Compare(with custom ranges and colors based on stock left)....however when looked at by the toolpath from another vector I am guessing that the tessellation is certainly throwing variability into these path trimming features. Pretty sure I will always want my path to not jump up and down and all over the place to machine little areas here and there it must be clean and little to no air if possible.