In the same vain... what type of mill would make a good 5 axis conversion??
I just bought a large rotary table with an integral servo drive and motor. It has a 12" diameter slotted face plate and must weigh at least 6-800 lbs. I'm looking for suggestions on what VMC might be big enough to handle a sizeable rotary axis like this and also be adaptable to a tilting type head? Basically I am trying to figure out how to put together a substantial 5 axis mill on the cheap. I've been working with a company that makes and purchases a lot of parts made on 5 axis mills and the flexibility of a 5 axis setup is impressive. Or am I on the wrong track. Should I just look for a 5 axis mill with dead controls and convert it? Any suggestions? Dave On 5/3/2011 6:16 PM, Dave Caroline wrote: > As I hand code and can therefore control direction the rotaries move I can > cut against the play/backlash inherent in the cheap rotaries I use, often the > B axis will be locked though for greater rigidity. > Im mostly cutting light weight brass blanks though. > > A reason I hand code is I cannot afford CAM software to do the type of > work I do. > here the benefits of Ocode subroutines come into their own. > > So for a helical Im using XZ for the cut Y to cut deeper A for the > helix rotation along > the blank and B to set angle to get the cutter in line with the groove. > > so the gcode has a number of constants to set before use eg > #<teeth>=160 > #<depth>=[.100] (cut depth adjust as needed) > #<blank_thickness>=.25 > #<helixangle>=81 > > then after some preamble and calculations of settings for a particular gear eg > > #<drop_track_center_z>=[[sin[90-#<helixangle>]]*#<blank_thickness>] > > then the subroutine > O100 sub (subroutine to cut N teeth) > #<cnt>=0 > O101 while [#<cnt> lt #3] > G1 f4 X0 Y#2 (move to cut start) > G91 (set relative) > > G1 F4 x[0-#4] a[0-#5] z#6 > (M30) (stop to test if tool hits rotary table) > > G0 y[0-#2] > G1 F50 x[#4] a#5 z[0-#6] (actual cut) > ( G91 )(set relative) > G0 A#1 (rotate blank) > G90 (set incremental) > #<cnt>=[#<cnt>+1] > O101 endwhile > O100 endsub > > then the lines > (B can be locked after this next line) > G1 f60 b[0-#<helixangle>] (set helix 90 deg to cutter rotation) > O100 call [#<angle>] [0-#<depth>] [#<teeth>] > [0-#<drop_track_center_x>] [#<rotateangle>] > [0-[#<drop_track_center_z>]] > > I leave commented lines in > 1) to uncomment to stop the code at certain points while setting up and > 2) to remember what I did > I also use sensible names for the variables I hope. > > The touch off to get the cutter on the centreline in my case is a pain. > > > Dave Caroline > > On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 8:29 PM, Steve<[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Dave: >> >> So when are "special kinematics" needed? When are they not? Are you >> rotating your gear blank about A&B to establish the desired cutting plane, >> locking it in that position, and then cutting with XYZ? >> >> Steve Van Der Loo >> >> Message: 3 >> Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 06:36:04 +0100 >> From: Dave Caroline<[email protected]> >> >> For certain classes of work you dont need special kinematics, I have >> been cutting gears for clocks >> on a mill with stacked A on B, I hand craft the gcode though, as it >> happens to suit the work I do. >> >> Dave Caroline >> >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> WhatsUp Gold - Download Free Network Management Software >> The most intuitive, comprehensive, and cost-effective network >> management toolset available today. Delivers lowest initial >> acquisition cost and overall TCO of any competing solution. >> http://p.sf.net/sfu/whatsupgold-sd >> _______________________________________________ >> Emc-users mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users >> >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > WhatsUp Gold - Download Free Network Management Software > The most intuitive, comprehensive, and cost-effective network > management toolset available today. Delivers lowest initial > acquisition cost and overall TCO of any competing solution. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/whatsupgold-sd > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WhatsUp Gold - Download Free Network Management Software The most intuitive, comprehensive, and cost-effective network management toolset available today. Delivers lowest initial acquisition cost and overall TCO of any competing solution. http://p.sf.net/sfu/whatsupgold-sd _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
