Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

All discussion related to the VisualCAD/CAM standalone product.
Post Reply
khalid
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:02 am

Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

Post by khalid »

I want to make grooving toolpath in exchanger tubesheet hole. I am using 2D profiling toolpath and want the tool to enter and retract from within the center of the hole but my tool does not retract and approach within the center. I have made many changes in lead in lead out angles, retract approach length settings but all in vain.

Consider my FaceMill tool is 17.2mm diameter with the tip of 3mm i.e. groove width., and the groove circle is 20.3mm diameter.

I am unable to make a toolpath to enter the tool from the exactly at the centre and retract exactly from the centre of hole? the retract and approach is just off-centre say 0.1mm etc...

I have generated the Gcode and changes the entry /retract cumbersomely in NC editor for a single hole but for lot of holes it will take a lot of time to manually change the gcode.

Any thought help?
DareBee
Posts: 496
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:15 pm
Location: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

Post by DareBee »

Yep - write your internal grove code ONCE in VM. Output it in INCREMENTAL format.
Now you can write a program using it is a subroutine.
All you need to do is write a program to move
- G90 XY
- G91(call sub)
- G90 XY
- G91 (call sub).
....

You learn to get good at work-arounds when parts need to be made.
integratedmechanical.ca
khalid
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:02 am

Re: Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

Post by khalid »

Thank you DareBee,
The method you mentioned is much easier as i was doing before, but i have more than 3000 holes for grooving. Is it any possibility to start and retract of the tool exact from the center of hole? or is their limitation?
Regards
DareBee
Posts: 496
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:15 pm
Location: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

Post by DareBee »

Once you have the toolpath correct for one hole, can you not just add the other holes by selecting them in the geometry tab?
integratedmechanical.ca
DareBee
Posts: 496
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:15 pm
Location: Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: Tool retract/Approach within the centre of circle!!!!

Post by DareBee »

Back to my 1st suggestion.

If your hole coordinates are in a nice grid, you could use a spread sheet to write your program for you then just add header, footer and sub program.
integratedmechanical.ca
Post Reply