[IsakAndersson]

As the title suggests. Is it worth it? We almost never use CAM at work, 99% of the parts we make are just too simple to justify it. Although, I do use a lot of macros that result in a lot of tiny G01 movements. So the question is would this reduce cycle time and if so, how much? The price tag is a bit ouch but if It reduces cycle times by let's say 25%, then maybe it's worth it? What do you think?

[metalmayhem]

I personally think the high speed machining option is a must have to begin with but especially so with short segmented moves . Adding the high speed was a world of difference , and it was the difference of having mills nearly bouncing off the ground to smooth machining with fine line segmented code . One thing I noticed was that the machines wouldn't necessarily always reach high programmed feed rates , probably due to so much processing . Either way it was still much smoother and faster .

how much time you will save is going to be dependent upon your runs and it's tough to say how it'll react to macro but it should be an improvement . Has your mill already run the trial period ?

[IsakAndersson]

Has your mill already run the trial period ?

Right. I forgot about the trial thing. I tried it today but it only reduced the time by 4s (83s to 79s). That's only a 5% reduction if my math is right. The tool I'm using is a small backside chamfer tool that cant be run that fast (400mm/min at 5000rpm). If I use a normal chamfer mill I could run it at 12000rpm and 2400mm/min. Maybe then it would make a bigger difference?

Edit:
I tried running it in the air with a 2400mm/min feed rate. The difference was much greater this time. 35s compared to 55s so that's a 20s difference. That's a 36% reduction! Also, I did notice the machine was stuttering a lot without HSM.

Now the next issue. How to bring this up to my boss without giving him a heart attack.

[metalmayhem]

in the big scheme of things it's a cheap option for a business . The stuttering will affect surface finish because the tool isn't able to run at a constant feed . Time savings over a week are not going to be all that noticeable but over the lifetime of the machine it will pay off . I think it's much easier on the mill itself to be running smoothly which could be a potential sales pitch to the boss , " preventive maintenance "

When I started with the last company I was quick to have them upgrade all the mills after pleading my case , and at the time it was something like $2500 / mill . It improved everyday operations since most of the work was aluminum and we had the mills hauling pretty good
Now I only work for myself using hobby grade mills but the same principles stand out strong . I do a lot of surfacing and a previous control software tended to jitter a lot through short line segment code . Since crossing over to a better software which runs the same programs much smoother - long cycle times are shorter and surface finishes are better because the tools run at constant feeds vs little dwell points

have you tried g187 ?

[IsakAndersson]

have you tried g187 ?

I have not. I don't think corner rounding would make a big difference since there are no sharp corners in the tool path. Maybe using P1(rough) would tho? I'll try it next time I get a chance.

[metalmayhem]

I have my doubts but it's worth a shot . P1 would be the best one to try