Mill/Turn
Tutorial
Disclaimer
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with respect to this manual. Geometric Technologies reserves the right to
revise and improve products as it sees fit, and to revise the specifications and
information contained herein without prior notice. Due to continuing product
development, specifications and capabilities described in this manual are
subject to change without notice.
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CAMWorks is a registered trademark of Geometric Ltd.
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All other brands and names are the property of their respective owners.
CW70g 03232010
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 LEARNING MILL-TURN BASICS
1-1
Mill-Turn 1 ...................................................................................................... 1-2
What You'll Learn...................................................................................... 1-2
Steps to Generate Mill Toolpaths and NC Code in Part Mode............ 1-2
Step 1: Model Part in SolidWorks/CW Solids or Import Part ............ 1-3
Step 2: Change to CAMWorks Feature Tree ...................................... 1-3
Step 3: Define the Machine................................................................. 1-4
Step 4: Define the Stock...................................................................... 1-6
Step 5: Define Machinable Features ................................................... 1-7
Step 6: Generate Operation Plan/Adjust Operation Parameters ....... 1-10
Step 7: Generate Toolpaths ............................................................... 1-11
Step 8: Post Process Toolpaths.......................................................... 1-13
Mill-Turn 2 .................................................................................................... 1-14
What You'll Learn.................................................................................... 1-14
Inserting Multiple Wrapped Features................................................. 1-15
Adjusting Operation Parameters and Machining Using C-Axis........ 1-15
Mill-Turn 3 .................................................................................................... 1-17
What You'll Learn.................................................................................... 1-17
Inserting a Wrapped Feature Using a 2D Sketch ............................... 1-17
Unwrapping a Cylindrical Face and Creating a Wrapped Feature .... 1-18
Adjusting Operation Parameters and Machining Using C-Axis........ 1-20
CHAPTER 2 LEARNING MORE ABOUT MILL-TURN
2-1
Mill-Turn 4 ...................................................................................................... 2-2
What You'll Learn...................................................................................... 2-2
Inserting 2.5 Axis and Multi Surface Machinable Features................. 2-2
Inserting Contain and Avoid Areas for 3 Axis Operations.................. 2-3
Adjusting Operation Parameters and Machining Using Y-Axis.......... 2-4
Mill-Turn 5 ...................................................................................................... 2-5
What You'll Learn...................................................................................... 2-5
Adjusting Entity Locations to Machine a Wrapped Engrave Feature . 2-5
Inserting a Wrapped Engrave Feature to Machine Text ...................... 2-6
Inserting a Plane to Control Index/Rotational Angle for Mill Setups . 2-7
Inserting a 2.5 Axis Wrapped Engrave Feature ................................... 2-8
Machining Using C-Axis ..................................................................... 2-9
INDEX
Table of Contents
ii
Mill-Turn 1
Mill-Turn 1
What You'll Learn
Steps to Generate Mill Toolpaths and NC Code in Part Mode
The following steps are used to generate Mill-Turn toolpaths and NC code:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Change to CAMWorks
Feature tree
Define machine
Generate toolpaths
Adjust operation
parameters as needed
Generate operation
plan
Simulate toolpaths
No
Are
toolpaths
correct?
Yes
Post process
Define Stock
END
Mill-Turn 1
When you install CAMWorks, the exercise parts are installed in the \Examples\Mill-Turn
folder in the CAMWorks data folder (e.g., \CAMWorksData\CAMWorksxxxx\Examples\MillTurn).
Mill-Turn 1
Turn Machine
Mill-Turn Machine
2.
3.
Wire EDM
Mill-Turn 1
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mill-Turn 1
8.
Mill-Turn 1
Mill-Turn 1
Features that have no operations and features that could not produce operations
because the feature conditions have not been defined in the Technology Database
display in a different color. You can set the color on the Display tab in the Options
dialog box.
4.
Right click Cutoff Feature1 in Turn Setup1 in the tree, select Delete on the shortcut
menu, then click Yes. The part will be held in a chuck so this feature is not needed.
5.
Right click Irregular Slot1 under Mill Part Setup3 in the tree, select Delete on the shortcut
menu, then click Yes. You are going to define this feature as a Corner Slot in Mill Part
Setup1.
Mill-Turn 1
Mill-Turn 1
3.
4.
5.
Click the Generate Operation Plan button on the CAMWorks toolbar. Clicking this
toolbar button is the same as selecting the command from the NC Manager level,
regardless of the active item in the tree.
CAMWorks generates the operation plan for all the machinable features and the
Operation tree displays.
Mill-Turn 1
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mill-Turn 1
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
CAMWorks also provides the ability to step through the toolpath using the Step Thru
Toolpath command.
15. Right click an operation in the tree and select Step Thru Toolpath.
Multiple step increment
The Step Thru Toolpath toolbar displays.
Show toolpath points
Radial/diameter
coordinate
display
Tip/center
coordinate
display
16.
Tool/holder display
Single step
Number of toolpath
segments to display
Mill-Turn 1
17.
18.
19.
The active toolpath node is highlighted and the XZY position of the tool displays on the
toolbar.
Set the Multiple step increment to 5 and click the Forward multiple steps button (double
arrow) several times.
Click the Goto End button. The toolpath is completed.
Click the X button in the upper right corner to close the dialog box.
3.
4.
5.
Mill-Turn 2
Mill-Turn 2
What You'll Learn
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Click the Extract Machinable Features button on the CAMWorks toolbar or right
click on the NC Manager in the tree and select Extract Machinable Features.
CAMWorks generates a Turn Setup, a Mill Part Setup and machinable features. The
items display in the CAMWorks Feature tree.
When AFR is run on some parts, CAMWorks may not recognize all the features you
want to machine or AFR may recognize a feature that might not be suitable for the
intended machining process. When this occurs, you can delete unwanted setups and
features and define the setups and features interactively. In this exercise, the slot features
are treated as OD features instead of face features, so a different Mill Part Setup and
features are needed.
Right click Mill Part Setup1 in the tree and select Delete on the shortcut menu.
Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Right click Recycle Bin in the tree, select Empty, then click Yes.
Mill-Turn 2
Mill-Turn 2
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Target No Display
Click the Run button on the toolbar to start the simulation.
Mill-Turn 3
Mill-Turn 3
What You'll Learn
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Click the Extract Machinable Features button on the CAMWorks toolbar or right
click on the NC Manager in the tree and select Extract Machinable Features.
CAMWorks generates a Turn Setup, Mill Part Setups and machinable features. The items
display in the CAMWorks Feature tree.
Right click Cutoff Feature1 in Turn Setup1 and select Delete.
Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
Right click Mill Part Setup5 in the tree and select Insert Wrapped Feature on the shortcut
menu.
In the Insert Wrapped Feature dialog box, leave the Feature Type set to Wrapped Pocket
and pick Wrapped 1 in the list.
2D sketches that lie on a sketch plane that is parallel to and passes through the turn axis.
These sketches provide an alternative method of defining a wrapped feature. In most
cases, wrapped features will be created from edges and surfaces on cylindrical faces.
However, if the model does not have cylindrical edges or faces that can be used to create
the feature, a 2D sketch can then be used to create a feature.
Mill-Turn 3
3.
4.
5.
6.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In the Reference plane list, pick Top Plane, then click Insert.
The Reference plane is the plane to unroll the sketch into. You should pick a plane that is
parallel to and goes through the turn axis.
Click the SolidWorks FeatureManager tab.
Click Sketch10 in the tree and zoom out to view the sketch in the graphics area.
Right click Sketch10 in the tree and select Edit Sketch on the shortcut menu.
Change the Orientation to Normal To.
Mill-Turn 3
8.
9.
10.
11.
Figure 1
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Mill-Turn 3
You can leave the dialog box open and insert the final feature, which is the wrapped slot.
1. Change the Feature Type to
Wrapped Slot.
2. Pick the face of the slot.
3. Click the End Condition tab.
4. Pick the smaller OD on the part.
5. Click Insert, then click Close.
6. In the Feature tree, highlight
Wrapped Slot1 and drag it below
Wrapped Pocket2 to change the
machining order.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Target No Display
Click the Run button on the toolbar to start the simulation.
Mill-Turn 4
Mill-Turn 4
What You'll Learn
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Right click Turn Setup1 in the tree and select Insert Mill Part Setup on the shortcut menu.
Expand the MT_4 item in the graphics area, if necessary, and select the Top plane.
Click the Reverse Selected Entity button in the Mill Setup PropertyManager and
click OK.
Right click Mill Part Setup1 in the tree and select Insert 2.5 Axis Feature on the shortcut
menu.
In the 2.5 Axis Feature Wizard dialog box, set the Feature Type to Pocket.
Pick 2x Pocket in the list of sketches and click Next.
Leave the End condition type set to Blind.
Change the Depth to 2in and click the Reverse direction option.
Mill-Turn 4
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
10.
Mill-Turn 4
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Holder No Display
Target No Display
Mill-Turn 5
Mill-Turn 5
What You'll Learn
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Therefore, you need to move the text a distance of .58905in up or down vertically. This
will shift the text and start angle to start machining at 45 degrees off the center of the
rotational axis.
Mill-Turn 5
7.
8.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Mill-Turn 5
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Inserting a Plane to Control the Index or Rotational Angle for Mill Setups
In CAMWorks Mill-Turn, you can use Planes to control indexing angles or to create Mill
Setups.
1. Right click on Front Plane in the FeatureManager design tree and select Show.
2. Click View on the SolidWorks/CAMWorks Solids menu bar and select Temporary Axes
to turn it on.
3. Rotate the part as shown in the figure.
4. Select Front Plane in the tree to
highlight the plane in the graphics
area.
5. Click Insert on the SolidWorks
menu bar and select Reference
Geometry, then select Plane.
6. Pick the Temporary Axis running
through the center of the part.
Mill-Turn 5
7.
8.
10.
11.
9.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Mill-Turn 5
3.
4.
5.
6.
Holder No Display
Target No Display
Mill-Turn 5
Index
Index
Machine 1-4
Machine dialog box
Machine tab 1-4, 1-14, 1-17, 2-2, 2-6
Post Processor tab 1-5
Posting tab 1-6
Tool Crib tab 1-5
Manage Stock dialog box 1-6, 1-14, 1-17, 2-2, 2-6
Mill Part Setup, inserting plane to control angle 2-7
MT2AXIS-TUTORIAL 1-5
Multi Surface feature 2-3
NC program
file 1-13
generating 1-13
steps to generate 1-2
file
NC program 1-13
setup sheet 1-13
G
machinable features
creating Corner Slot feature 1-8, 1-10
creating Multi Surface feature 2-3
creating Wrapped Engrave feature 2-6, 2-8
creating Wrapped feature 1-9, 1-15, 1-17, 1-19
defining automatically 1-7, 1-14, 1-17, 2-2, 2-6
defining interactively 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, 1-15, 1-17,
1-19, 2-2, 2-6, 2-8
features recognized automatically 1-7, 1-14, 1-17,
2-2, 2-6
inserting 2.5 Axis feature 1-10, 2-2
Index
Stock 1-6
T
ii