[Jleworth]

Hey guys I have I am very close to completing my Seig X2 CNC conversion using the Hossmachine plans and I can't seem to find much information on how to zero the axes or to manually rotate or flip a part to machine the sides or under side. I will be using either MasterCAM, Mach3, or both to convert parts designed in Inventor to g-code and to control the machine. When manually machining I use a wiggler to find X=0 and Y=0 and a feeler gauge to find Z=0 but what is the best way to do this when I am using the machine as a CNC? Am I able to use the same tools/gauges? Are there other tools/gauges available to make the process considerably easier? Do you jog the axes manually or electronically?

Also, correct me if I am wrong but the plans available on the Hossmachine website, under the "CNC Conversion" tab will leave you with a 2.5 axis CNC mill as it can only cut from the top down and not from the side (no undercuts). If such is the case, and I wanted to machine a 3D part how would I go about it? Lets say I wanted to make a 3"x3"x3" cube with 3 center holes, one parallel to the x-axis, one parallel to the y-axis, and one parallel to z-axis. Perhaps a better example would be a 3"x3"x3" cube with fillets on every edge that 2 perpendicular planes meet. I assume the process is the same as zeroing the axes on the plane you wish to machine but is there anything else involved? Does the software allow me to do this with a single design or will I have to have a design for each time I rotate of flip the part?

Any information would be appreciated but I have not experimented with the software much as the electronics for my machine are not yet complete so if the software is completely self explanatory for this process or if information is available elsewhere please let me know and I apologize for asking a stupid question.

[Fastest1]

You can use your standard centering and or probing tools for touch offs and edge finding. That works the same as manual.

You will have to rotate your part to achieve your intention either manually, with an indexer or a 4 th axis. Certain tools could allow for some undercuts to be accomplished from the top but it would be complicated and have to be very close to an edge. There are many ways to do the same thing.

[mcphill]

The machine you describe is 3-axis - all three axes can be driven "at any time". A 2.5 axis machine would have a Z axis that locks in position and cannot be moved while moving the X and/or Y axis.

[awerby]

Even though you can only approach from the top, it's still considered 3D. "2.5D" is used for parts which are on various different levels in Z which don't contour into one another; just a series of flat planes. To do what you're talking about with the cube, you'd need a 5-axis machine with a spindle that tilts and swings.

[Jleworth]

Thanks for your replies guys, and thank you for clearing up the 2.5 vs 3 axis question. The examples I provided were just that, I basically am wondering if rotating a part by hand to machine different surfaces can be done within the software without a whole lot of messing around. Will the software recognize that I will not be able to drill a horizontal hole and (once it is finished) prompt me to turn the part over to complete the job?

[Wiggles84]

So when I program with MasterCam (9.1) I have to pick the entities, surfaces I want that particular tool to machine. Then you can post only the tool paths you select out into 1 program to run.

So basically it will only do what you tell it to do.

Maybe a newer version of MasterCam has a mode where it just go's off on it own and creates all the tool paths for you?

So following this train of programming thought...... your cad file that you use to program with in MasterCam would be laid out like a 2D part print.

I can go into more detail if you would like, not sure what level of experience you have and I don't to seem like I'm talking down to you. That's not my goal here

Andrew

[awerby]

Thanks for your replies guys, and thank you for clearing up the 2.5 vs 3 axis question. The examples I provided were just that, I basically am wondering if rotating a part by hand to machine different surfaces can be done within the software without a whole lot of messing around. Will the software recognize that I will not be able to drill a horizontal hole and (once it is finished) prompt me to turn the part over to complete the job?

No; if you're indexing by hand, the software won't know what you're doing. But you can lay out your parts as a series of 3D (or 2.5D) operations that are done at various angular orientations, and when your 3-axis machine is done with all the operations that need to be done at any particular orientation you can crank the rotary table to the next one, and do all the machining that's required at the 90 degree position (or whatever).

[Alax7]

Or you can get a trunnion table to tilt and rotate your parts but that sounds more complex than just having each face coded, you flipping to the new face, zero your axis, and machine away on the new face.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[mmoe]

Most high end modern software provide the ability to use different origins for each setup required to machine a part. In most cases, I'd expect to be able to just pan the part in the CAM application window so I can see a different face, then create a new origin for new toolpaths off of that plane without making any changes to the part geometry itself. In that way, there is no need to rotate the geometry since you can just rotate the perspective of the application instead by selecting a new point of reference for a toolpath. Those origins or reference points are a coordinate system within the global coordinate system, just like a workplane establishes in CAD.

You can then have the software program stops into the code, so the machine waits until you have changed the setup and then you can proceed. A lot of newer software also provides the ability to print out a sheet that gives descriptions of each operation that will take place, what the setup is for that operation and what tool needs to be in the machine for that operation. If you have the sheet printed out and programmed the part carefully, you should be able to perform a sequence of operations that are indexed to each other and produce an accurate part.

[Jleworth]

Thanks again for your responses, I feel my questions have been answered.

mmoe, I am interested in which software allows you to produce a printed itinerary? It seems to me that that would be very handy to have instead of going back and fourth to the computer.

[mmoe]

Thanks again for your responses, I feel my questions have been answered.

mmoe, I am interested in which software allows you to produce a printed itinerary? It seems to me that that would be very handy to have instead of going back and fourth to the computer.

I use Bobcad myself, currently V26 (they just released V27, so I'm a version behind). In Bobcad, it's called a setup sheet, and you can customize it to some degree with your company logo, as well as some of the specifics of what is output onto the sheet. While I don't spend that much time keeping up with everything other packages provide and I really prefer Bobcad to other products for it's interface (which has really come a long ways in my opinion), I do use other products from time to time where I'm required to by clients or just to demo and see what is going on with them since I'm always open to change where it makes sense for me. I believe that you can output cut sheets from Mastercam, OneCNC (called "job sheet" in their system), and Mecsoft (VisualMill, RhinoCAM, etc.). In Mecsoft products, it's called "shop documentation" and you can output it by highlighting the machining job in the CAM tree and right clicking to bring up a menu with the option in it. I imagine that other products like Gibbscam, SolidCAM, etc. probably also provide that function, but I just haven't used them and can't say for sure.

If you are looking for a CAM package, all I can say is two things. First, demo everything under the sun for enough time to really get an idea of how each product works. Everything but OneCNC is based on much the same core technology, and even then OneCNC is doing much of the same things as well with their own unique code. The big difference from product to product is just what feel most logical to you in terms of how you use the software. Having something that just fits right will save you enough time that I would put that as the number one reason to choose a system. After that, be sure that you can get a post processor that works with your machine out of whatever software you choose. Your machine should be very basic from the sounds of it, so I don't expect that's going to be an issue no matter who you go with, so it should really come down to what package fits your though process the best. There is no "best" CAM system, only the one that's best for each user. If a setup sheet is high on your list, I'd ask the sales person you deal with whether it's an included feature and what the sheet outputs specifically to see if it's useful to you. I'm fairly certain that most good packages are going to have that anymore as it seems to be coming more common place.