MasterCAMSurfacingTutorial

Surfacingisafeaturethatallowsyoutocutathreedimensionalcontouronapart.Itistypicallydone intwointwosteps,aRoughpassandaFinishpass.Twoincreasethequalityofthesurfacefinisha smallertoolwithtightercutscanbeusedbutthiswillincreasethetimeittakestomachinethepart.

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TheschoolsversionofMasterCAM allowsyoutoworkdirectlywith SolidWorks.Fromthefilesoftype dropdownmenuselectSolidWorks files.OpenthedesiredSolidWorks partfileinMasterCAM. Oncethepartappears,pressF9to bringuptheX,Y,andZaxes.Thiswill helpyouseewherethecurrent locationoftheoriginisonyourpart. Definetheoriginbyselectingthe entireobject(part).Inthemenu toolbar,selectXform>Xform Translate .SelectMoveinthetop oftheTranslatedialogbox.Select the+1button ,selectthenew originontheobjectwhichshouldbe oneofthetopcorners.SettheX,Y, andZfieldsatthetopofthescreen in to0,andthenpressENTER.Then pressthegreencheckmark .

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Selectfromthedropdownmenu MachineType>Millflyout>and select C:\MCAMX\CNC_MACHINE\HAAS _MILL.MMD.IntheToolpathstab intheleftsectionofthescreen, MachineGroup1appears.

5) ExpandPropertiesunderMachine Group1andSelectStockSetup. TheMachineGroupPropertiesdialog boxappears.Inthedarkgrayfield, enterthedimensionsofthestock pieceofmaterialthatwillbeused. Also,usingthearrowprovidedselect thecornerthatwillbetheorigin. ChecktheDisplayandWireframe boxesontheleftsideoftheMachine GroupPropertiesdialogbox.Select thegreencheckmark .Thepart shouldnowbeenclosedinared dashedbox.Ifitisnotyoucan changethelocationoftheoriginon thestockmymovingthearrowin thedarkgreyfieldtothecorrect corner. 6) Rightclickredarrowinthe Toolpathtab>selectMillToolpaths >SurfaceRough>Parallel. WhentheSelectBoss/Cavitydialog boxappears,selectUndefinedthen greencheckmark .

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Selectgreencheckmark newNCnamedialogbox.

onEnter

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Selectthedesiredcontouronthepart tobesurfaced.Thepartwillappear yellow.PressENTER. TheToolpath/SurfaceSelectiondialog boxappears.Selectgreen checkmark .

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IntheSurfaceRoughParalleldialog box,clickSelectLibrarytool.Thetool librarywillappear.Forasurfacing feature,youwillwanttouseaballend mill.Thesizeoftheballendmill dependsonyourpart.TalktoRuss aboutthecorrectsizeballendmill. Afterselectingtheappropriateball endmill,clickthegreen checkmark .GototheRough ParallelParameterstabintheSurface RoughParalleldialogbox.TheMax Stepoverwillneedtobechangedto accommodatethebitbeingusedand thedesiredsurfacefinish.Itisaruleof thumbtosettheStepovertohalfthe diameterofthebit.TheMaxStepdown willnowneedtobeset.Itisafunction ofthecuttingspeedandofthematerial hardness.Theruleofthumbforthis situationistousethediameterofthe bit.ForquestionsabouttheStepdown oftheStepovertalktoRussofoneof thementors.Whenyouarefinished withthesesettingsselectgreen checkmark .

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Amulticoloredtoolpathwillbe generatedonthesurfacecontourof thepart. SelecttheVerify buttoninthe Toolpathtabtoolbar.AVerifydialog boxwithplaybackbuttonswill appear.Presstheplaybutton.The computerwillthensimulatethepart beingcut.Towardthebottomofthe dialogboxyoucanadjustthecutting .Ayellow speed surfaceindicatesacut.Ared surfaceindicatesacollision.Ifred appearsbytheendofthe simulation,yourtoolsettingsneed tobeadjusted.Selectgreencheck mark box. toexittheVerifydialog

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15) Youarenowgoingtodoafinishing pass.Rightclicktheredarrow> selectMilltoolpaths>Surfacefinish >Parallel. Reselectthesurfacecontourtobe cut.TheSurfaceFinishParallel dialogboxwillappear.SelectFinish ParallelParameterstab.SetMax. Stepovertoatmostonehalf(1/2) thediameterofthetool.NOTE:The smallerthestepoverthebetterthe surfacefinish,butthelongerthe machiningtime.Selectthegreen checkmark .

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HighlightToolpathGroup1inthe Toolpathstabontheleftsideof thescreen. SelecttheVerify button.Press playtosimulatetheroughingand finishingpasses.Ifsimulation runscorrectly,partisfinished. Selectgreencheckmark .

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Youarenowreadytosurface machineyourpart!