Constant Load Volume Milling

[ptc-4688327]

Gentlemen,

I am relatively new to programming using Pro NC and I am wondering if anyone knows much about the "CONSTANT LOAD" function for rough voluming. Everytime I try to use it in a closed pocket it retracts when it encounters a wall. It creates a 3D curve retract back to the retract plane for the sequence. I have had success going through channels but I had to use a retract plane that was just above my cut plane. It doesn't seem very safe to create a retract plane that is down inside a pocket.

I would appreciate any insight or links to tutorials about this tool path. It looks like Mastercam has Pro beat in this area.

-Scott

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[SteveLucas]

Scott,

Try these Parameters. With these it will only retract the retract amount plus the pull out disatnce for each step in volume roughing. Not all the way to the top of the part. I am not sure if it will go around or over a boss in the pocket or what will happen if there is an l shaped poocket, but at least it stays down closer to the cut. I need to do more testing but it's a start for you to try.

The last picture is a front view and you can see the red cuts are the rapids at each level of cut.As I stated above the retract is the retract amount plus the pullout distance in the parameters.

[ptc-4688327]

Thank you very much Steve! This is definitely closer than I was. I can't seem to get the tool not to retract back to the previous cut height though. I was hoping to only have the tool come up off the floor about 0.005" or 0.010". Any ideas on that?

[SteveLucas]

Scott,

This as close as it gets, I think unless someone else has any Ideas. There was a discussion on here a while back about using mill volumes from Nick M. but I think you mentioned you were already doing the mill volume trick with the retract set to the floor of the slot or pocket to keep the tool down.

This has been a problem forever with ProManufacturing.

Steve

[BarryS · Accepted solution]

Scott,

Jose Coronado posted in July, coming improvements to “Linking” otherwise known as retracts.

It hard too see, but the image below the difference in amount of retracts.

Hang in there.

Barry

[SteveLucas]

Barry,

I forgot about that. It's supposed to be in creo3.0 next year isn't it ? Or when ever 3.0 is due out.

Steve

[ptc-4688327]

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for the info. I appreciate the information, help and willlingness to share knowledge. As a community it is important to share knowledge as a means of improvement and development. I have been struggling to try and get the software to do something that it is not currently capable of.

I look forward to the new release and added functionality.

-Scott