SurfCAM 2-Axis BeginningExercise focus:

-Environment orientation-View and C-View fundamentals-Layer control

The SurfCAM environment

Files new, opens a clean drawing

Files open, opens an existing drawing

Files save, saves the current drawing in the view port window

Use the files open button to open a file called 2D cover.dsn. This file is located in the Surfcam\dsn\samples directory.

-Fit the screen, puts all of the geometry that is in this file to the full size of the view port.

-Rotate, dynamically rotates geometry by click, hold, and dragging your mouse.

-Zoom, enlarges the image to focus on an area of detail. Click, drag, and click to open the rubber band box to surround the area you need to focus on.

-Zoom out, reduces the image on the screen 50 percent.

-Pan, dynamically pans the image in the view port. Does not rotate, or change the parts orientation to zero.

-View previous, sets the previous view. Stores up to 20 of the previous views.

-View previous, goes forward through the 20 stored views.

-Repaint your screen, redraws, or refreshes the image on the screen.

-Delete, short-cut icon to bring up the delete menu.

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-Transform, short cut to bring up the transformation functions.

-Locate the operations manager, opens the operations manager. This keeps track of your tool paths and machine tools. Think of this as the master control station for your file.

Things to note: By double clicking on the rotate, zoom in, and panning buttons, you can keep those commands modal. This way you do not have to go up and reselect them if you will be using that command more than once.

The previous buttons are considered part of the tool bar.

The following buttons are considered part of the status menu.

-Color, sets the current drawing color.

-View, sets current view.

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Pick the color you want. Anything you draw after that will be in that color

NOTES:

What you will see in this dialog box are the standard 8 orthographic views. This sets how you are looking at your part right now.

Things to note: You must set the view by double clicking on the view, typing the number of the view you want, or by highlighting the view and clicking the view button.Notice the greenish blue axis gnome in the lower left hand of the view port window.Notice how it moves with the part as you rotate your part.

Set Parent Child Views: World or View

"WORLD" Parent Child. Although CView is 2 (Front View) the Part is isometric in relation to the Normal XYZ axis

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"VIEW" Parent Child. CView is 2 (Front View) the Part is isometric in relation to CView XYZ axis

-Construction view, sets construction drawing, and machining view.

Things to note: You must set the c-view by double clicking on the view, typing the number of the view you want, or by highlighting the view and clicking the c-view button.Notice the yellow axis gnome located somewhere in your file. This is the c-view indicator.This yellow axis gnome represents the X,Y,Z zero coordinates in your file.

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-Layer control, Opened layer control dialog box

1.) The current layer is the layer you will be drawing on. Everything you draw gets placed on the current layer. 2.) You can select a current layer by highlighting the layer you want to make current and press current. Also, you can click in the column where the “c” is next to the layer you want to make current. This will also set that layer current.

3.) The visibility of a layer is easy to understand. If the layer is visible you can see it, if it is invisible you cannot see what’s on that layer.

4.) The selectability of a layer determines if you can actually use what is on that layer. If a layer is visible but unselectable, you will be able to see the geometry, but unable to touch it.

5.) The layer description and layer number, are user definable per their preferences to help them identify what is on that layer.

6.) You may have up to 256 layers in any given file.

-This button will render a drawing as wireframe, Shade w/wireframe & Shaded.

-When the coordinate toggle is set to world, everything is based from the absolute Cartesian coordinate system.

-When the coordinate toggle is set to view, everything is based from a user described coordinate system. This will be discussed at a later time.

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Sets the current layer.

Sets the visibility properties.

Sets the selectability of the layer.

-Depth of the crosshair in the view port window. This function only works during sketch mode.

-Scale factor of the view port window. This will update based on how much of the drawing you are seeing. This is not the scale factor of the part.

View and construction view fundamentals

-Short-cut for opening the view dialog box is ctrl “v.” Hold down control key and hit “v”. -Also, in SurfCAM 2000 and later, holding the control key down and hitting the associated number with the view you want, will set that to the current view. This will only work for the standard orthographic views.-Short-cut for opening the c-view dialog box is ctr “c.” Hold down the control key and hit “c”.

At the end of this discussion you should be able to:

- Manipulate how you are seeing your part. - Be able to locate the operations manager. - Understand the difference between view and c-view. - Be able to create a new layer. - Move geometry from one layer to another. - Set layer properties to what you need.

PROJECT #1:

Topics covered during drawing of this part:6

- Part orientation to zero.- Definition of snaps.- Arc orientation and placement.- Fillet functions.- Trim and break functionality.- Creating lines at specific angles.- Basic transformation tools.

Topics covered during machining of this part:- Basic part contouring.- Tool information tab.

o Defining custom tooling.o Defining specific materials.o Machine offset values.o Spindle speed and feed rate setting.

- Cut control information.- Drilling parameters.- Introduction to some operations manager functions.- Basic understanding of verify functionality.- Post processing of tool paths.

Description of the tool paths:Material thickness is .500.500 end mill contour around the entire part profileCenter drill the two holes and the point in the small rectangleDrill the two holes and the point with a .4375 twist bitCounter sink the two holesTap the two holes with .500\13 tap.250 end mill contour around small rectangle

Contour PerimeterStep one: chain your part. Where you click to start your chain is where you cutter will come into you part. Chain completely around the perimeter.

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Started chaining here. Notice the arc in lead moves

Drill holes and point

Contour inside profile of small box

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-Hide Tool path, Removes tool path from the screen.

-Back plot Tool path, Will show the tool animated on the screen, you can control the speed and image you see.

-Show Tool path, This button will throw the tool path on the screen. This will not animate the tool. Just bring the tool path back out on the screen.

Information about tool paths back

plotted.-While a tool path is being back plotted, the “enter” button will stop the tool.-Once stopped, the “space bar” will take you one block at a time through the tool path.-The “tab” button will toggle the display from no tool, tool by its self, and tool with the tool holder. -The number keys control the speed that the tool path is back plotted on the screen. “9” is the slowest. “0” is the fastest. It gets progressively faster as you count down to “1”.

Create stock model

Right click Setup

Specify Stock

-Runs Verify,Will open Predator integrated verify, a solid rendering of your part being machined.

Post Process

Part Verified

Tool paths posted out

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Play Verify Speed Playback

Searches for next spindle speed change

Searches for next feed rate change

Searches for next tool call out

Useful programming calculators. Check Feeds, Speeds,

Coordinates

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Sets cutting direction

Sets safe vertical retract clearanceDistance to the top of

the tool path where it should stop rapiding. and start feeding.

Overall depth of

How much depth to take each Z depth.

Specifies the number of finish passes with this tool.

Physical size of the finish passes

Where you turn on your lead moves

Stock to leave can be a positive or negative value.

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This is where you will select your cutter for this tool path

This is where you select the material you will be machining

Where is this tool located in the tool changer?

Where are you going to be putting the length and diameter offset at the control?

What work coordinate will you be using?

Set spindle speeds and feed rates here

Automatically calculated chip load factors. These will dynamically change your feed rates

Drill process form

12Open a previously saved hole drilling operation.

Add new set up section for organization.

Create set up sheets for your operators

Right click on a specific operation to bring up this menu

Properties – allows you to rename the operation description, an output file name if this operation is posted.

Edit Properties- allows you to change anything in the tool information tab but not in the cut control tab.

Regenerate and reselect geometry- allows you to change parameters and reselect different geometry.

Regenerate with original geometry- allows you to change any parameters and it will automatically re-chain selected profiles.

Select the machine you want to create G-code for.

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Preview the result before accepting, this way you can make changes without regenerating.

Once loaded, you will see description of each tool as you select them.

If you don’t want a particular operation, unselect it. In this case no countersink will be used.

Notice on operation 2, the drilling command has the depth to the shoulder at .750. Look at the total depth of that operation.

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This will show the X, Y, Z locations of the selected holes or points. You can add points, insert points from a file, or modify point locations right in this field. Manual sorting will drill the

holes in the order they were selected.

All drilling operations that were selected are contained in one single operation.

At the end of this discussion you should be able to:

- Place your part where you want to for machining purposes.- Discuss the difference between geometry snaps.- Have a good understanding of how to use the trim feature.- Understand how to start and end your chaining for contouring.- Select the correct tooling for machining.- Maintain a specific chip load on your cutting tools.

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Shortest distance is just that.

Linear allows you to pick a distinct direction and retrace options.

Accurate positioning mode allows you to position in one direction towards “all” holes.

Keep in mind that your posted code will have to turn off the canned cycle between every hole location thus increasing the size of you program.

This will allow compensation for machine positional error due to backlash issues.

- Set the depth of cuts and step down for a tool path.- Perform multiple drilling operations on the same holes quickly.- Drill only a specific diameter of holes.- Regenerate tool paths to make changes to machining parameters.- Bring tool paths in to SurfCAM verify.- Create a stock model that represents your starting material boundaries.

Post process tool paths and have basic editor skills

PROJECT #2:

Load drawing2.dsn

Topics covered during the machining of this file:- Basic part pocketing.- Zig Zag and Zig pocketing options.- Path island heights at multiple Z-levels.- Helical plunging.- Chaining selection procedures.- Maximum feed between settings.

Description of tool paths used:- Material thickness 1.00.- .250 end mill .750 deep.- Leave the circles standing as bosses.

Pocket internal area using the spiral command

Step one: Chain the outside profile of the part. Also chain the circles. Circles have a natural break point at “zero” degrees. Therefore you will need to click on each of them twice. Once, to start the chain. Once, to end the chain.Step two: Once everything on the screen has been selected, hit the done key.

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The spiral technique will locate the center of the pocket, and machine to the edge.

Pocket internal area using the Zig Zag command

Spiral: Will locate the center of the pocket and work its way to the edge. Zig Zag: Will cut back and forth at a vector that you define.Zig: Will cut in one direction at a vector that you define.

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If you want SurfCAM to machine around something it has to be selected

This is where you select pocket cutting style.

I used the element selection to define my vector, and picked this line

Notes:- You need to always read your prompt line at the bottom of the view port window.

- When it is asking you for a vector, look at the tool bar for these options.- The element you pick will force the tool path to run parallel to that element. - You can use the keyboard to define the vector, or even sketch two points.- Read the prompt line.

Pocket internal area using the Zig command

Point of detail to notice when using the zig command on this file

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Zig still maintains the vector, however notice how it picks up after each pass and repositions.

Notice how it is not returning to the rapid plane in this area as well as others.The tool is staying down due to a setting called “maximum feed between.” What maximum feed between does: if the distance between the end of one segment of the tool path, and the start of another is between the “maximum feed between value,” it should just feed over to the start instead of returning

Any time you see a field like this, it will take the number and multiply it by the cutter radius. It’s a variable.

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In this case, if the start of the subsequent tool path and the beginning of the next is within 4 x the radius of the cutter which is .125, it should just feed over to it.

If I need it to pick up every time I will make this value smaller.

Notice how it now picks up between each pass.

While it is performing the feed between, at what rate should it do it? Feed, plunge feed, or as a rapid move.

Verified image of this part

Next we will move geometry to different z-levels.-We will take the top two circles of the bolt pattern, and move them down .250 in Z only.-We will then take the center two circles and move them down .500 in Z only.

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Move these two down .250 in Z only.

Move these two down .500 in Z only

Play Simulation

Single Step

Fast Forward

Stop & Reset Sim

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Leave these alone.

Important note:The goal is for SurfCAM to detect the different Z levels automatically. We need to set a parameter for this.

- We need to set this parameter here so it will look to multiple Z levels.- If we did not set this, SurfCAM would assume everything at the same Z level, Similar to our

Notice how it cuts over the tops of bosses where it can.

Pretty cool hey?

You can modify the default rough spacing by changing an option in the 2-axis options tab.

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Notice how you can no longer specify an amount to remove on the sides. A pocket routine has to remove all the material from within the boundaries specified. Any value that you could specify here would be pointless for a pocket.

SURFCAM’s default step over is 40 percent of the diameter of the selected tool.

At the end of this file you should be able to:

- Understand the three available pocket cut modes and how they work.- Cut pockets with multiple island heights.- Chain geometry using the auto single, and auto visible function.- Use the maximum feed between parameters to get tool paths the way you want them. - Have a better understanding of how to use verify and verify functions.

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This is the default setting for the rough spacing. .800 x radius of the cutting tool….40% of the diameter. Modify this value to change the default on the cut control tab.

This is the default setting for the rapid plane value in the cut control tab.

This is the default value for the plunge clearance in the cut control

SurfCAm fully gouge checks its plunge moves. Notice here, I specified one radius, however it couldn’t fit in these areas so it reduced the physical size to fit in to the area available.

Radius call out.

Ramp angle and pitch parameters.

PROJECT #3:

Topics covered during machining of this part:- Contouring with a material boundary- 2 axis rest machining- Pilot hole tool path- Multiple pockets and chaining order- Controlling how SurfCAM cuts depths in regions or areas

Description of the tool paths:- Material thickness 1.00.- 1.00 E.M. Contour around the perimeter of the part taking all the material from the

boundary.- Rest machine the perimeter with a .250 e.m.- Pocket the three internal areas with 1.00 e.m. .500 deep.- Rest machine the pocket routine with a .500 e.m.- Pilot hole the pocketing routine 1.00 twist bit.

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Notice how it always maintains a climb cut situation

Also note that the material tab also controls a few things with this tool path.

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When contouring with a material boundary. You must first chain the part profile, then click the material icon, then chain the material boundary then done. If you don’t do this, you treat both profiles as a cut boundary.

When contouring with a material boundary, you must specify an amount to remove on the sides larger than the largest gap between the part profile and material boundary. The bottom line “GO BIG” it will be cut back to the boundary.

This is a contour not a pocket. Notice how it cuts over the material boundary, and cuts up to part boundary. This is important to understand.

-After drawing this part you know that the corner radius of the perimeter is much smaller than the radius left by our original 1.00 end mill. -This is what rest machining is. It will hunt down and locate areas where the larger tool could not get to, and machine them only. -The operation description is called rest material.

There are two ways of 2 axis rest machining. We are going to talk about the manual way first.

Make sure you read your prompt line carefully. Follow its instructions right through.

NC, 2-Axis, Rest Material

Next follow the prompt line and rechain your part, select a side, and select the next tool the .250 e.m. Check your depths and depth per pass and hit o.k.

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This controls where the tool center will finish. Here, I told the tool center to go beyond the material by 1 x the cutter radius. This way it will come completely off the part by the radius of the cutter.

This window is not the operations manager. It looks like it, but its not. It wants to know which operation you want it to analyze for material that was not touched yet.Highlight the toolpath and hit o.k.

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Notice how it only machines these two corners. That’s only where the large tool could not get into.

When dealing with a rest material boundary, how far should it overlap the original tool path?

When it finds the boundary, should it apply a pocket routine or a contour routine strategy to the remaining material?

- Now rest material the three internal areas with a .500 e.m. Use the same technique as the previous rest material tool path. Read your prompts carefully.

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Next pocket the three internal areas as one tool path. Chain the middle pocket first then the top then the bottom.

Chain this pocket 1st.

Chain this pocket 2nd.

Chain this pocket 3rd.

Once you have a tool path. Hide it and back plot the tool path. Notice how it did not machine in the order that you picked the pockets.

We will now regenerate this tool path.

Change this parameter.

When the sort type is set to auto. Surfcam will auto sort the boundaries however it thinks it should do them. When you set sort type to none, it will machine them in the order that you select them.

The last operation is going to pilot hole the pocket routine. A pilot hole tool path will predrill the plunge locations of a pocket routine.

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Notice where it placed the tool path. Even though we did it after the pocket. Surfcam knows it must do this operation first.

Notice how you cannot specify a drill depth. It will use the depth of the pocket as the depth of the hole.You probably don’t want to touch the drill to the finish depth of the pocket. Leave clearance will keep the drill off the bottom of the pocket by the amount specified.

At the end of this lesson you will be able to: - Control how SURFCAM orders machining areas.- Manual rest machine 2-d profiles- Pilot drill a pocket routine.- Contour cut with removing all material up to a boundary.- control overlap of rest machining tool path.