rotary machining

8/3/2019 Rotary Machining

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OverviewThis project is set up for Rotary Machining a mesh 3D part. In this

demo we will show you how to take one of the created ArtCAM

parts from the 2006 User Group and unwrap the STL mesh file into

an ArtCAM file. This will allow you to use ArtCAM to wrap the

part in order to create a rotary toolpath.

Importing the Mesh for Unwrapping

1. Open an ArtCAM file 24 X 5

2. Zero the part in the middle of the White Model Area (this

is very important for unwrapping)

3. Once ArtCAM opens a new project navigate to help Pull

Down Menu4. Choose Import-3D Model for Unwrapping

• See figure 1 for reference on the Import 3D Model for

Unwrapping location.

Rotary Machining

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Figure 1

5. Select the Ball and Claw.stl file from the Rotary folder from the prep folder and click Open

6. Click Center in the Paste 3D Model window

Change the Z Position to be -2.0” and click Apply

7. From the 3D Model Unwrapping window (left Assistant

Window)

Set the Unwrapping Cylinder Diameter to be 0.75

Set the Border Width to be 0.75

Click Create New Model

• Use Figure 2 as a guide to set up this mesh for

Unwrapping.

• Remember to not click Paste from the Paste 3D Model

window as this will only Paste the Mesh into ArtCAM

and not allow you to Unwrap it.

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Figure 2

• Once ArtCAM finishes the calculations you should see the part

unwrapped in the 3D View, use Figure 3 as a reference.

Figure 3

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8. Next, to view the part wrapped (as it was imported) we

need to navigate to the Relief Pull Down menu

9. Extend the relief Pull Down menu and choose Create

Ring

10.The Create Ring window will appear, select Wrap X andOK

• Once the part has been wrapped, it will appear in the

3D View. Use Figure 4 as a reference. Notice the

Inner Diameter that we have set to 0.75”.

Figure 4

• When viewing this part we can see that this part in

particular would not be the best part to apply a rotary

axis toolpath to. The reason being is we lost all thedetail from the side claws from the original part.

11.Close this ArtCAM file

12.Open a new ArtCAM file 24 X 5

13.Zero the part in the middle of the White Model Area (this

is very important for unwrapping)

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14.Once ArtCAM opens a new project navigate to help Pull

Down Menu

15.Choose Import-3D Model for Unwrapping

16.Select the CabrioleLeg.stl file from the Rotary folder and

click Open

17.Click Center in the Paste 3D Model window

Change the Z Position to be -2.25” and click Apply

18.From the 3D Model Unwrapping window (left Assistant

Window)

Set the Unwrapping Cylinder Diameter to be 0.75

Set the Border Width to be 0.75

Click Create New Model

• At this point ArtCAM will calculate the Unwrapping

calculations and create a new ArtCAM file with this

mesh unwrapped. See Figure 5.

Figure 5

19.Next, to view the part wrapped (as it was imported) we

need to navigate to the Relief Pull Down menu

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20.Extend the relief Pull Down menu and choose Create

Ring

21.The Create Ring window will appear, select Wrap X and

OK

• Once the part has been wrapped, it will appear in the

3D View. Use Figure 6 as a reference. Notice the

Inner Diameter that we have set to 0.75”.

Figure 6

• At this point we can create a rotary toolpath for this

file. The rotary toolpath will totally depend on the

axis you have wrapped the part on. In this case, the

way this file has been set up the rotary axis will be X.

This means that the indexing head on the machine is

bolted along the X axis. The post processor that we

would need to choose would be (Rotary X->A ) from

ArtCAM.

• If you wanted to use a Rotary Axis located along the Y

axis all you would need to do at this point is Rotatethe ArtCAM file to the right using the Model tools

prior to creating the toolpaths

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Machining the Rotary Part

• ArtCAM rotary toolpaths are created when the ArtCAM Relief is wrapped in either the X or Y axis.

1. Open the Toolpath window and choose Machine Relief

2. From the 2D View Select the Vector Outline of the

cabriole leg.

3. From the Toolpath window choose the Machine Relief

toolpath strategy

4. Set the toolpath up as follows:

Area to Machine = Whole Model

Strategy = Raster 90 degrees

Machine Safe Z = 0.25”

Tool = 0.25” Ballnose Endmill (Set tool parameters as

desired)

Do not set the Material (Rotary tools do not use the

Material Thickness)

Calculate Now and Close

• Figure 7 shows the created rotary toolpath.

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Figure 7

5. Save the toolpath out of ArtCAM with a Rotary Toolpath

Postprocessor

6. Click Save Toolpaths and choose Rotary X->B

Figure 8

• Included on the ArtCAM User Group DVD for 2006 is

a Rotary Axis Machining tutorial showing how to set

up an ArtCAM file for Rotary Machining from scratch. This includes an ArtCAM relief file and

explains how to set up the file for machining.

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rotary machining

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