[pzzamakr1980]

I have been using Mastercam for a good bit, but I have always had one issue that takes a good bit of extra machining time. When I do a pocket inside a pocket or face the part and remove material, how do I get the next pocket to start at the depth that I have already milled to. Currently, it goes back to zero and it has to work its way back to the depth to start cutting again. Also, what does clearance do? Thx

[cam1]

Hi:

For the lower pocket, why not make the top of stock=floor depth of the first pocket?
That way you get to the business right away.
I'm using Mastercam V9.1

regards

[cadcam]

Cam1 one is on top of it. but keep your clearance to the top to avoid any collisions, or at lease the retract min.

[cam1]

Ooops, sorry I didn't mention that cadcam.

regards

[cam1]

Pzza:
Clearance is the Z level that the tool retracts to when going from one location to the next ( ie from one pocket to the next pocket at a different xy location. This keeps us from crunching the tool into a clamp etc. when making rapid moves.

hope I got it right

regards

[pzzamakr1980]

Ok, sorry, Im using x. I understand what you are saying, but I'm unsure of how to implement it. So in the box next to the top of stock button, you are saying to put -.2 in there if the depth of my first pocket is -.2. Correct? Then make sure that my retract, which is right above top of stock, set to something high big enough to clear the work if necessary. Right?

[cam1]

Yup.
I think you can get away with leaving the retract what it is, but set the Clearance to give you room to clear obstacles.
The retract is what the tool retracts to between Z cuts for the pocket.
Backplot to verify.......or aircut to prove.

cheers

[pzzamakr1980]

Okay, thank you. That was perfect. And was I right on the settings for top of stock? Is that how you do that part?

[cam1]

Yes, in my opinion you are correct with the top of stock setting for the second (lower pocket). It's a bot misleading, because in this case the top of the stock is not really so, as it's really the floor for the first pocket.

regards

[pzzamakr1980]

Ill give it a try, thank you everybody.

[nabil_elbadri]

hi guys ,
i saw ur discussion about the clearance, and i want to tell u that i don't use this option at all i disable it ,instead i put the value of the feed plane 5 mm or less (depend on the top plane and the work piece i have and select absolut option , if u select increment option u have to take in consediration the vale must be more than highest z in the pocket and it's save more time for machining
i hope this help
thnx

[cadcam]

I do not suggest turning of the clearance, if you must try to limit the jump ups to that hight set to use and start and finish only then reference plane in between.