Re: 4-Axis CAM suggestions?

> Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 03:12:06 -0000
> From: allan_r9@...
>Subject: Re: 4-Axis CAM suggestions?
>
>I recently talked to Alan in the tech support dept. at OneCNC, asking
>questions about their Mill Professional CNC package. He said the
>latest build of the software does support 4th axis wrapping, using a
>linear distance wrapped around a circumference.

Those who have been purchasing the special edition of Vector-Cad only, may have noticed the Change-Wrap Cylinder function. It takes flat geometry and wraps it radially. You can see visually the effect that wrapping will have, before you try to drive a rotary axis. It also includes un-wrap & re-Wrap with compensation for different diameter of wrapping and tool radius.

> I'm looking for a 4
>or 5 axis CAM software myself, and this is the best
>price/capabilities package I have seen so far.

Bobcad 17 has a very basic capability, identical to what you describe. There is very little support, as the person doing the support has to have excellent 3D visualization to be able to help someone past engraving on a cylinder.

Vector rotary option includes full 3 axis contouring with any one being capable of rotary motion. There is also a 4th axis capability that should allow offsetting the tip(in Y for instance in an A axis rotary configuration) so that the cutting can be done with the larger radius portions of the ball of the cutter. Vector cuts whatever is drawn(and selected) in 3D as 3 axis rotary, in the direction and order selected, with the additional capability to offset by a Y amount. I have not played with this capability too much as it requires that I make some actual cuts and measure the results. (too little time & too many toys)

Vector also includes full 5 axis positioning, and can be set for part rotation or for spindle articulation. Of course the price is excellent, but there is no gouge checking for tool interference between the shank and the part, as would be wanted if you needed to contour inside a tube for instance. Just to purchase a simulator that would check for these conditions would probably cost over $5000, maybe more. The CAM systems that include full gouge and shank/toolholder interference checking will be at least $10,000-$15,000 more.

As part of the StlWork beta, we plan to look at a direct data transfer from StlWork to Vector rotary that would enable single rotation direction cutting of unpierced 3D shapes. I have done some work already that used the output from StlWork, backplotted it into Vector, then generated rotary axis code.

Best Regards, Fred Smith- IMService
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