Rotary Machining

Overview
This 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 Menu 4. Choose Import-3D Model for Unwrapping

See figure 1 for reference on the Import 3D Model for Unwrapping location.

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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. window as this will only Paste the Mesh into ArtCAM and not allow you to Unwrap it.

Remember to not click Paste from the Paste 3D Model

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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 and OK

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 the detail 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 Rotate the 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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