NC - this should be simple

[jwood]

This should be simple, I've got a large rectangular block (30" X 18" X 16") and I need to remove a lot of stock. The inner wall is at a 45 degree angle and goes down about 12". To save inserts on the 6" cutter I plan to use, I want to climb mill ALL the time! I made my incredibly simple volume, but can't find how to make the cutter start on the end of the block and step in to the 45 degree wall. Using TYP_ONE_DIR the first pass takes a full cut next to the 45 deg wall and then all the next passes convential mill to the end of the block. Thanks for any help Jon
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[ptc-1897690]

Jon, check your CUT_TYPE should be set to CLIMB and set to ROUGH_OPTION to ROUGH_&_PROF. Also make sure to set your ROUGH_STOCK_ALLOW and PROF_STOCK_ALLOW. Wes

[ptc-1897690]

Jon, check your CUT_TYPE should be set to CLIMB and set to ROUGH_OPTION to ROUGH_&_PROF. Also make sure to set your ROUGH_STOCK_ALLOW and PROF_STOCK_ALLOW. Wes

[ptc-116743]

Jon, Here's how we rough stock away from a part that stands in the center of the stock and still climb mill the whole time: 1. Create a volume where the outside wall is larger per side than the stock by the cutter diameter plus whatever clearance you want the cutter to have when it plunges down beside the stock. Remove the part from the volume by using Trim or if it is simple enough you can exclude the part in your volume sketch. 2. Start a Volume Milling sequence and pick the volume you just created. 3. Pick all of the outside walls as approach walls. 4. In your Parameters, set SCAN_TYPE to FOLLOW_HARDWALLS. If you are cutting a lot of air on the corners, you can put rounds on the corners of the volume to help minimize this. If you do put rounds, then remember to go back in and select those round surfaces as approach walls as well. I hope this helps.

[jwood]

Thanks for the replies. Clifton that is exactly what I want to do. Only problem is that the start of the first pass and the end of the last pass start outside the volume (as expected). The block is to be mounted to an angle plate and machined on a boring bar (horizontal mill). Starting 9" off the block with a 6" cutter could put the table of the machine at risk. I'm using a chamfer on the start pass side of the volume to shorten this up. Overall result will be a 90 minute saving on machine time (compared to the scan type = spiral, I had used) and longer life to the cutter inserts. Thanks again Jon

[ptc-116743]

Jon, I'm glad it worked out. Have a great day. Clifton