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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    1538

    4th Axis Parts Production

    Hi Folks.

    Another subject to consider - 4th axis production. I'll start the ball rolling with this video.

    Please post your thoughts and experiences on this subject.

    Cheers Cliff


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    653

    Re: 4th Axis Parts Production

    I use the 4th quite a bit to make parts that would otherwise need multiple setups, but never tried stacking them like that. IME deflection can creep in the further out you get from the 4th, especially with thinner parts. The tailstock helps but isn't perfect.

    Another fun setup is for long round or tubing 4th work that overhangs the bed, you can use a lathe steady rest around the OD instead of a tailstock.

    Haven't used Bobcad in a while, but IIRC it wasn't hard to do indexed A-axis moves in the code-- there was a box somewhere in the operation dialogs to put the angle into and the post would spit out an A move when needed.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails CIMG8919s.jpg  

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    1538

    Re: 4th Axis Parts Production

    Thanks for those points Shred. Yes I must not forget about my lathe steadies!

    I cant find a A axis facility in my version of Bobcad, maybe mine is an earlier or 'light' version. What version is yours?

    Cheers Cliff

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    653

    Re: 4th Axis Parts Production

    Quote Originally Posted by keen View Post
    Thanks for those points Shred. Yes I must not forget about my lathe steadies!

    I cant find a A axis facility in my version of Bobcad, maybe mine is an earlier or 'light' version. What version is yours?

    Cheers Cliff
    It may not show up unless your Bobcad license has 4th axis enabled, and if so you might then need to modify your machine definition to include the A axis (pic below of what I think the relevant bits) but once that's all sorted, in V25 there's an 'output rotary angle' checkbox and data field in the feature posting screen (where the work offset selection is) to enter an angle and if you select those it then posts out an A move before the operation.

    It's not that much easier than just hand-editing the code, but makes the simulator work properly and keeps you from forgetting if you tweak the code and re-post..

    If you want to do 4-axis wrapping for things like engraving on a cylinder there was a way to do that too where it remaps an axis (Y in most cases) to A. I think higher levels of the 4th axis license enable continuous 4th operation, but I never had those.

    I vaguely remember V23 was similar without the machine definition, but haven't tried it in V31.
    .

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