re:re:Re: 5-axis cnc

It would be possible to have the vectors pointing towards a single
point or even a control curve at the center of the pocket opening,
forcing the tool to pass through the opening.

Rab

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "Elliot Burke" <elliot@h...>
wrote:

> Thanks, Rab.
> This process sounds ideal for putting a shallow pattern on a

surface whose

> normal does not change direction very rapidly, ie, decorating

surfaces.

> Looks like it does a beautiful job.
>
> Would it be applicable to a different sort of multi axis problem,

for

> example, carving out the interior of a curved hole? Or a simpler

problem,

> milling a conical hole by rotation around a tilted axis?
>
> I suspect that these are much more difficult problems to solve.

Even

> visualizing them is difficult.
> What I'm thinking about is lightweighting structures by making

funny shaped

> pockets in them.
>
> regards-
> Elliot B.
>
>
> >It's a three stage process;
>
> >1) Create the lines that describe the toolpath, for 3D objects by
> >projecting the design or roughing pattern onto the object or
> >by 'waterlining' the object.
> >A design can be imported from a CAD program or from the likes of
> >Corel Draw or as G-Code.
>
> >2) Determine the cutting angle at each point along the toolpath by
> >getting the surface normal vector of the object at that point or by
> >taking the angle from an arbitrary point, control spline, etc. A
> >vector indicator is produced at each point.
>
> >3) Determine where all the axes have to be positioned for each

point

> >of the toolpath and output the G-Code. This process is machine
> >specific, but it's relatively straightforward to modify for
> >accommodating different machines and axis arrangements (even
> >Hexapods).
> >In a way, this stage does what a post processor would often do,
> >translating the toolpath to the machine. In fact, the whole plugin
> >could be treated as a 5-axis post-processor if you wanted to use
> >another CAM program to do your toolpaths.
>
> >Drop me an email off list if you want to use it.
>
> >Regards,
> >Rab
>
> > Is there any way you could give us some idea about how your five
> axis
> > software works?
> >
> > Are the 3DS Max designs described as 5 axis solids, or is there
> some magic
> > way the plugin fits them to the capability of the machine?
> >
> > Thanks for the inspiration.
> >
> ---
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