Re: Traveling Salesman Syndrome

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., cncdxf@a... wrote:

> My GCodes are made in a text editor or with Turbocad. I
> found it strange nobody talks about making their GCodes faster
> by removing excessive traveling. I have trained myself to draw
> my DXF files the same way I want the part milled. I guess when
> your machine can move at 50ft per minute, 30 extra traveling
> moves make little difference. My machine only moves at 12" per
> minute so I have to be resourceful.
>
> Bob

Bob I agree with you about the way that parts are machined and the
time taken.
I use a CAD/CAM program called Dolphin. It's not sold in the US as
it's just a small company in the UK who write this.
The nice thing about it is that once you have drawn the part or
brought it in as a DXF file you then select which profiles you need
to cut, any order it doesn't matter. Once you go into the CAM side
you then select the order of cutting by just clicking on the named
profiles and it generates an operations list.
Once this list has been genertated you can edit each operation to
your hearts content without having to touch the profiles or drawing
again.
A while ago I had to do a big, deep spoked wheel, 16" dia by 4 " deep
with 8 spokes. By going into edit and telling it to cut at 22.5, 67.5
degrees etc, in other words 1/2 the segment angle I was able to save
well over 20 minutes on each segment. Using edit I was able to dry
run and time 5 different ways to machine these pockets and choose the
quickest.
Another thing I like about it is you don't need to draw any offsets
or hide profiles. It will only machine the named profiles you select.
If you select a 2" square and tell it it's using a 1/2" cutter then
it will automatically generate a square thats 2" plus 1/4" all round.
Go into edit change the cutter for a 3/4" one and it will
automatically generate the square 2" plus 3/8" and all you have on
the screen is the original 2" square.

John Stevenson.