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Tutorial: X4-Mcfsw-7X9-Tutor - Indd 1 8/4/2009 12:53:50 PM
Tutorial: X4-Mcfsw-7X9-Tutor - Indd 1 8/4/2009 12:53:50 PM
TERMS OF USE Use of this document is subject to the Mastercam End User License Agreement. A
copy of the Mastercam End User License Agreement is included with the
Mastercam product package of which this document is part. The Mastercam End
User License Agreement can also be found at:
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III
Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................... 1
Tutorial Goals ...................................................................................2
Before You Begin .............................................................................2
If You Need More Help ....................................................................3
Additional Documentation ..............................................................4
2D Toolpaths ....................................................................................... 5
1. General Setup - Mold Core......................................... 7
Lesson Goals ....................................................................................7
About the Mold Core Part ...............................................................7
Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine ......................................... 8
2. The 2D Facing Toolpath ........................................... 11
Lesson Goals ..................................................................................11
Exercise 1: Defining the Tool plane......................................... 11
Exercise 2: Setting Up the Stock Model ................................. 13
Exercise 3: Creating the Facing Toolpath................................ 14
Exercise 4: Backplot and Verify the Facing Toolpath .............. 17
Exercise 5: Verifying All of the Toolpaths ............................... 19
Exercise 6: Posting the Toolpath ............................................ 20
3. 2D Area Mill ............................................................. 23
Lesson Goals ..................................................................................23
Exercise 1: Creating the Area Mill Toolpath............................ 23
Exercise 2: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpath............... 27
Exercise 3: Verifying All of the Toolpaths ............................... 28
Exercise 4: Posting the Toolpath ............................................ 29
IV MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Tutorial Goals
Set up a part in Mastercam for SolidWorks.
Define a tool plane and stock.
Create 2D High Speed toolpaths.
Create HST milling toolpaths.
Create FBM Mill and Drill toolpaths.
Backplot and verify toolpaths.
Post toolpaths.
Context Sensitive HelpMost dialog boxes feature a Help button that opens Mastercam
for SolidWorks Help directly to related information.
Online helpYou can search for information or ask questions on the Mastercam Web
forum, located at www.emastercam.com.
Mastercam ResellerYour local Mastercam Reseller can help with most questions about
Mastercam for SolidWorks.
Technical SupportCNC Softwares Technical Support department (860-875-5006 or
support@mastercam.com) is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. USA
Eastern Standard Time.
Documentation feedbackFor questions about this or other Mastercam documentation,
contact the Technical Documentation department by e-mail at techdocs@mastercam.com.
4 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Additional Documentation
You can find more information on using Mastercam for SolidWorks in the book Getting Started in
Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks, which is included in the Mastercam for SolidWorks package. You can
also find a PDF version of the book in the \Documentation folder of your Mastercam for
SolidWorks installation. The default installation path is C:\Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks.
Section 1
2D Toolpaths
6 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
LESSON 1
Before generating toolpaths for a part, you must prepare Mastercam for SolidWorks and the part
file. This preparation includes such tasks as selecting a machine definition and defining a tool
plane. Failure to set up the part correctly will give unpredictable results. This lesson introduces the
tutorial part files for Section 1, 2D Toolpaths and shows how to create a machine group.
Lesson Goals
Explore the part files.
Select a machine.
Copy a toolpath.
This tutorial covers only two of the toolpaths: Facing and Area Mill.
Note: To fully machine the part requires more operations than are described in this book.
The part files included for this portion of the tutorial are:
2DToolpath01.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 1
2DToolpath02.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 3
2DToolpathComplete.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 3
MoldCore.SLDPRTThe fully toolpathed part
TIP: To customize the Machine Selection list, choose Mastercam X4, Machine Selection,
Manage List. For more information on the dialog box that displays, click the dialog boxs
Help button ( ).
TIP: The machine group name can be anything you want, but choose a name that describes
the machine and its operations.
The first toolpath you explore in this tutorial is 2D Facing. Your starting part file,
2DToolpath01Tutorial.SLDPRT, already has a single toolpath defined (the 2D Core Mill
operation). In this lesson, you add the facing operation to the part file.
Lesson Goals
Define the parts tool plane.
Set up the parts stock model.
Add the 2D Facing toolpath.
Backplot the toolpaths.
Verify the toolpaths.
Mastercam for SolidWorks chains the selected geometry, as shown below, and Loop<1>
appears in the Chain Managers Selection tab.
TIP: Notice the Chain geometry section in the Toolpath Type page. To the left of the Select
chains button is (1), which means you have specified one chain for the toolpath. The chain
referenced is the one you created in Step 2.
TIP: To increase Backplots speed, drag the Backplot dialog boxs slider to the right.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation, as shown in the following
picture.
THE 2D FACING TOOLPATH 19
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates both of the cutting operations, as shown in the
following picture.
20 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
TIP: To verify the toolpaths more quickly, click the Fast Forward button( ), instead of Play.
Mastercam for SolidWorks then processes the toolpath without updating the screen until the
Verify completes.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes all operations and creates the NC file for the part.
Because you selected the Edit option, the NC file displays in Mastercam Editor, as shown in
the following picture.
2D Area Mill
3
Another toolpath used to cut the mold core part is Area Mill, which will cut the pocket using a
smooth, clean motion. In this lesson, you add the Area Mill toolpaths to the part. Note that the part
file you use contains three toolpaths, the two from the previous part file and an Area Clearance
toolpath.
Lesson Goals
Add the Area Mill toolpath.
Backplot the toolpaths.
Verify the toolpaths.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation, as shown in the following
picture.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates all of the cutting operations, as shown in the picture
below. The full verification might take several minutes.
TIP: You can click the Stop button at any time to see how far the verification process has
proceeded, and then click Fast Forward to pick up where Verify left off.
As you learned in Section 1, before generating toolpaths for a part, you must prepare Mastercam for
SolidWorks and the part file. Because the exercises in this lesson use a different part than the first
three lessons, you need to set up the new part for your machine. As before, this preparation
includes such tasks as selecting a machine definition and defining a tool plane. Failure to set up the
part correctly will give unpredictable results. This lesson introduces the tutorial part files, as well as
teaches you to set up the parts for toolpathing.
Lesson Goals
Understand the part files.
Select a machine.
Create and set the tool plane.
Define the stock.
This tutorial covers only a subset of the toolpath types used to machine the part. These toolpath
types are as follows:
Core Roughing
Rest Roughing
Scallop
Waterline
Note: To fully machine the part (shown in the following picture) requires more operations than
are described in this book.
The part files included for the phone cradle portion of the tutorial are:
PhoneCradle01.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 1
PhoneCradle02.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 1
PhoneCradle03.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 2
PhoneCradle04.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 3
PhoneCradle05.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 4
PhoneCradleComplete.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing all lessons
PhoneCradle.SLDPRTThe phone cradles full SolidWorks drawing, with no toolpaths
GENERAL SETUP - PHONE CRADLE 35
TIP: To customize the Machine Selection list, choose Mastercam X4, Machine Selection,
Manage List. For more information on the dialog box that displays, click the dialog boxs
Help button ( ).
36 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes the parts geometry and creates stock of the
appropriate size, as shown in the following picture.
In this lesson, you program the roughing toolpath that removes the majority of the material from
the phone cradle. Because the feature to cut is a dome-shaped core, and because the tool can
approach the feature from the outside, you will create an HST Core Roughing toolpath to rough out
the part. The following picture shows the Core Roughing toolpath being cut on a Makino vertical
machining center.
Lesson Goals
Set a containment boundary.
Set toolpath parameters.
Generate the toolpath.
Backplot and Verify the toolpath.
Post the toolpath.
CAUTION: The steps in this exercise describe only the key settings required to create the
Core Roughing toolpath for the phone cradle part. Your toolpath settings might vary
depending on your selected parameters, including machine definition, tooling, material,
toolpath type, surface finish requirement, and cycle time requirement. For this reason, as
you work through this exercise, review all settings in each dialog box to ensure that the
settings are correct for your situation.
15 Click OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the
Core Roughing toolpath. (It might take a
minute or so.)
THE CORE ROUGHING TOOLPATH 45
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation as shown in the following
picture.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes all operations and creates the NC file for the part.
Because you selected the Edit option, the NC file displays in Mastercam Editor, as shown in
the following picture.
Before you apply the finishing toolpath, the part needs further roughing. The Rest Roughing
toolpath is a good choice, because it removes only stock remaining from previous toolpaths, rather
than cutting the entire part. Here, you program the Rest Roughing toolpath that will smooth out the
surface of the main phone cradle. The following picture shows the toolpath being cut on a Makino
vertical machining center.
Lesson Goals
Create a containment boundary from construction geometry.
Set the toolpath parameters.
Generate the Rest Roughing toolpath.
Backplot and Verify the toolpaths.
16 Click OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the
Rest Roughing toolpath. (It might take a
minute or two.)
THE REST ROUGHING TOOLPATH 53
TIP: To turn off the animated display, and so get to the results quicker, click the Fast
Forward button in the Verify dialog box. Verify might still take a while to complete, but not as
long as it would take if Mastercam for SolidWorks needed to concurrently update the
display.
THE REST ROUGHING TOOLPATH 55
With the roughing complete, its time to apply a finishing toolpath to the phone cradles surface.
The high speed Scallop toolpath uses a 3D stepover distance that is measured along the surface,
instead of parallel to the tool plane. This ensures a consistent scallop height, regardless of the
surface direction. In this lesson, you create a Scallop toolpath to finish the surface of the main
phone cradle. The following picture shows the toolpath being cut on a Makino vertical machining
center.
Lesson Goals
Set Scallop toolpath parameters.
Generate a Scallop toolpath.
Backplot the toolpath.
Verify the toolpath.
58 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
17 Click OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the
Scallop toolpath. (It might take several
minutes.)
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation for all the toolpaths. The first
picture following shows Verify in progress, whereas the second picture following shows the
completed cut on the actual part.
THE SCALLOP TOOLPATH 63
The last toolpath covered in the phone cradle tutorial finishes the wall areas of the part. Due to the
angles involved, which can be constrained to between 30 and 90 degrees, a Waterline toolpath is
appropriate. Waterline toolpaths are similar to finish contour toolpaths, but use Mastercam's high
speed toolpath techniques for a smoother, more efficient tool motion. In this lesson, you generate
the Waterline toolpath for the phone cradle part.
Lesson Goals
Set Waterline toolpath parameters.
Generate a Waterline toolpath.
Backplot the Waterline toolpath.
Verify the Waterline toolpath.
16 Click OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the
Waterline toolpath. (It might take several
minutes.)
FBM Mill
1
The part files included for the FBM portion of the tutorial are:
FBMPart01.SLDPRTThe file for starting the FBM section of the tutorial
FBMPart02.SLDPRTThe file after completing Lesson 1
FBMPartComplete.SLDPRTThe FBM tutorial file after completing Lessons 1 and 2
FBM Mill is a powerful feature-based machining (FBM) strategy that analyzes a solid part, detects
all machining features in a specified plane, and generates the 2D milling toolpaths needed to
machine the detected features. In this lesson, you use FBM Mill to generate toolpaths for the part
shown in the following picture. The goal is to generate toolpaths for the following operations:
Facing the top surface
Contouring the parts outside edges
Cutting the main pocket
Cutting the slots in the main pocket
Cutting the two large holes in the main pocket
74 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Lesson Goals
Set up a machine group.
Define the parts stock.
Generate FBM Mill toolpaths.
Modify FBM Mill parameters.
Backplot and Verify the toolpaths.
Exercise 1: Set Up
1 Load the part file FBMPart01.SLDPRT,
which was supplied with this tutorial
2 So that you do not overwrite the original
during this tutorial, save the file as
FBMPartTutorial.SLDPRT.
6 Click OK.
The Stock Setup dialog box closes, and
Mastercam for SolidWorks displays the
stock as dashed red lines.
FBM Mill generates all of the 2D operations needed to machine the detected features, as
shown in the following picture.
5 Click OK.
The dialog box closes, and Mastercam for
SolidWorks marks the FBM Mill operation
as dirty.
FBM Mill regenerates the toolpaths, this time including the smaller hole as a detected
feature, as shown in the following picture.
80 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation. The following picture shows
the results.
FBM Drill
2
FBM Drill is a feature-based machining (FBM) strategy that can detect holes in a solid and
automatically generate a complete series of drill operations for the selected features. With FBM
Drill you can:
Detect holes in a solid using specified criteria.
Review the detected features list and edit or delete features.
Preview toolpath operations and make additional changes before they are generated.
Automatically generate a complete series of drill operations for the selected features.
In this lesson, you use FBM Drill to generate toolpaths to drill the holes indicated in the following
picture.
Lesson Goals
Generate FBM Drill toolpaths.
Adjust feature detection.
Customize FBM Drill toolpaths.
Backplot the toolpaths.
Verify the toolpaths.
84 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
FBM Drill analyzes the part and displays a set of operations for all detected holes, as shown
in the following picture. Notice that the 20mm hole, which was toolpathed by FBM Mill in
the previous lesson, is in the list.
FBM DRILL 85
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation. The following picture shows
the results.
FBM DRILL 89
X4-SW-PDF-Tutor
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