Visual Mill Getting Started Guide

8/16/2019 Visual Mill Getting Started Guide

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VisualMILL 6.0 Getting Started Guide

Copyright 1998-2007, MecSoft Corporation, www.mecsoft.com

Create Tools ...........................................................................................161

Create Machining Operations .....................................................................165

V-Carving Roughing .................................................................................165

V-Carving ...............................................................................................174

Post Processing .......................................................................................180

Tutorial 6: Chamfering.................................................................................181

Introduction............................................................................................182 Preparing the part for Machining ................................................................182

Create Tools ...........................................................................................185


Chamfering.............................................................................................187

Post Processing .......................................................................................196

Tutorial 7: 3 Axis Milling...............................................................................198

Introduction............................................................................................199

Preparing the part for Machining ................................................................199

Create Tools ...........................................................................................209


3 axis Horizontal Roughing........................................................................212

3 axis Parallel Finishing ............................................................................220

3 axis Horizontal Finishing.........................................................................223

Post Processing .......................................................................................229

Tutorial 8: Profiling with Bridges (Tabs)..........................................................230

Introduction............................................................................................231


Create Tools ...........................................................................................244


2 ½ Axis Profiling.....................................................................................246

Post Processing .......................................................................................260

Tutorial 9: Hole Making................................................................................261

Introduction............................................................................................262


Create Tools ...........................................................................................271 Create/Extract Regions.............................................................................273


Hole Machining........................................................................................275

Creating the Drill operation for the 0.25” Holes ............................................286

Post Processing .......................................................................................288

Tutorial 10: Machining a Ring .......................................................................289

Introduction............................................................................................290


Create Tools ...........................................................................................303


4 axis Roughing.......................................................................................306

4 axis Finishing .......................................................................................313

Post Processing .......................................................................................317

Tutorial 11: Engraving on a Cylinder..............................................................318

Introduction............................................................................................319


Create Tools ...........................................................................................330


4 Axis Engraving......................................................................................333

Post Processing .......................................................................................342

Tutorial 12: Machining a Ring .......................................................................344





Introduction............................................................................................345


Create Tools ...........................................................................................357


4th axis Roughing.....................................................................................361

4th Axis Roughing operation #2..................................................................368

4th

axis Finishing......................................................................................373 Post Processing .......................................................................................377

Tutorial 13: Pocketing and Drilling on a Ring...................................................378

Introduction............................................................................................379


Create Tools ...........................................................................................390


4 Axis Drilling..........................................................................................394

4 axis Pocketing ......................................................................................403

Post Processing .......................................................................................411





Welcome to VisualMILL Getting Started Guide

Welcome to VisualMILL and thank you for choosing one of most powerful and easy to

use complete CAD/CAM packages on the market today.

VisualMILL is a unique CAM product plug-in that runs inside of VisualCAM. Plug-inscan be considered as independent applications that can be loaded and unloaded on

demand from the host program, which in this case is VisualCAM. This fully

integrated VisualMILL plug-in seamlessly integrates VisualCAM’s CAD functionalitywith toolpath generation and cutting simulation/verification, in one package that is

both easy and fun to use.

You can work with the native VisualCAM design data as well as use any of the datatypes that can be imported into VisualCAM such as solids, surfaces and meshes.

Then you can use VisualMILL with its wide selection of tools and toolpath strategiesto create machining operations and associated toolpaths. These toolpaths can then

be simulated and verified, and finally post-processed to the controller of your choice.

About this Guide

Welcome to the VisualMILL getting started guide. This file contains various tutorials

to help you get started with learning VisualMILL. Each tutorial lesson has twoassociated VisualCAM files that you can find located in the Tutorials folder under the

installation folder of VisualMILL. The first file is a completed file that contains all of

the completed toolpaths and machining operations and represents the file that youshould end up with after working through the tutorial. The other file is a starter file

that contains only the geometry. Use the completed file as a reference. Copy thestarter file and use this file to begin each tutorial.

Good luck and have fun!

Where to go for more help

Apart from the on-line help system you can download tutorials and projects from

MecSoft Corporation's web site at www.mecsoft.com. This will help you get startedwith using VisualMILL.

If you need additional help, or if you have any questions regarding VisualMILL, youmay contact us via e-mail at [email protected]

MecSoft offers Online training as well as personalized full day training sessions.

Please look up our website or email us at [email protected] for further details

Please do continue to visit our home page to learn about the latest updates toVisualMILL and any other help material.





Tutorial 1: Machining a Gasket





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining of a simple prismatic part such as this gasket

using 2-1/2 milling operations. Even though we have created a 3-D representation ofthe gasket, it will be seen later on that we can machine this using just 2-D curves.

The reason we are able to do this is because of the prismatic nature of this model.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.

Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provideinformation about additional options available.

Don’t forget to save your work periodically! You may want to save the file under adifferent name so that the original file will be preserved.

Strategy to Machine the Gasket

• We will machine the Gasket by using a 2-½ axis machining operation called

Profiling.• The part will be machined out of a 8 ½ x 5 x ¼ inch poplar wood sheet using

a ½ inch Flat End Mill.• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the

table using double-sided tape.

Main Programming StepsIn creating programs for each setup, the following steps will be followed:

• Create the Stock geometry

• Set the Machine zero point or Locate geometry with respect to the machinecoordinates

• Create / Select the tool used for machining

• Set the feeds and speeds• Set the clearance plane for the non-cutting transfer moves of the cutter

• Select the machining regions for containing the cutter to specific areas to cut

• Select the machining operations and set the parameters

• Generate the toolpath

• Simulate the toolpath.

You may have to repeat either all or part of these steps for subsequent operations.

Preparing the part for Machining

Loading the Part Model

“Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. You

can create parts within VisualMILL, but it is more typical to import geometry createdin another CAD system.

To load a part:





1. Select File / Open from the Menu, or click the Open icon from the Standard

bar.

2. From the Open dialog box, select the Gasket.vcp file from the Tutorials folderin the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoft

Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)

The imported part appears as shown below

Note: You can import solid models, Stereo-Lithography (both ASCII and binary)

format files. Surfaces can be imported from IGES, STEP or Rhino 3DM. Faceted

(triangulated) models can be imported from VRML, Raw Triangle, DXF / DWG facetdata, or Rhino Mesh. Non-faceted geometry, once imported, is immediately

converted and stored as triangulated data. Imported geometry is stored internally asa VisualCAM part file. This allows for much faster part loading time.





Setup Tab

1. Go to the VisualMILL- MOps browser and click on the Setup tab

2. Select Machine Setup from the setup tab.

3. Set the Machine type to 3 axis





4. Select Post from the setup tab to specify the post processor options

5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select

Haas as the post processor for this exercise. Set the posted file extension

type to .nc

Note: By default post processor files are located under

C:\Program Files\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMill 6.0\Posts





The program to send the posted output is set to notepad. This would output the G

code to a notepad.

Create Stock Geometry

1. Select Create/Load stock from the setup tab and create a Box Stock

2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters. Set the Length (L) = 8.50, Width W

= 5.00 and Height (H) = 0.125. Leave the other parameters as default and

Click OK.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock box isdisplayed on top of the part geometry.

4. The setup tab now displays the following information: Machine Type, Post

Processor, and Stock type as show below.





Locate Machine Zero

The steps below help you determine the machine home (also know as machine zero

or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.

1. Select Locate WCS from the Setup tab

2. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face toHighest Z, and Zero Position to South West corner. This sets the machine

home to the top of the stock material and the southwest corner of the partgeometry.





Note: You can change the stock model transparency under standard mode by

selecting Simulation Preferences that is located at the bottom of the MOps browser.





Align Part and Stock

In this process, we can align the part and the stock geometry. As we have set the

Machine zero to the Stock Box, we will now move the part relative to the stock.

1. Select Align Part and Stock from the Setup tab

2. Set to Object to Move as Move Part, Z alignment to Top and XY alignmentto Center





The part geometry is aligned to the center of stock in XY and top in Z. Click Save

to save the work and specify a file name as Gasket-Rev1. The file is now saved

with extension vcp. (VisualCAM Part File)

Create Tools

To machine the above part we will now create a ½ inch (0.5”) Flat End Mill.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-

MOps browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Flat EndMill.

2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.5, Tool Diameter = 0.5, Under theProperties tab set Tool Number = 1.





Setting Feeds and Speeds

You can assign Feeds & Speeds to a tool or you can load from a table. In this

exercise, we will assign feeds and speeds to the tool.

3. Switch to the Feeds & Speeds tab inside the create/select tool dialog.

4. Use the following settings for feeds and speeds.

5. Click Save as New Tool. The tool is now created and listed under Tools inLibrary. Click OK to close the dialog.

Note: You can edit the tool properties and click Save Edits to Tool to save the

changes. You can create additional tools by assigning a different name and specifythe tool parameters.

The created tools are now listed under the VisualMILL-Tools browser.





Create/Extract Regions

In order to machine the Gasket, we need to extract the curves from the 3d model to

select them as machining regions.

1. Select the Layer Manager from the Standard bar.

2. The layer manager is now open. Set the Layer01 as the active layer.

3. Close the Layer Manager.

4. From the Curves tab on the Geometry Bar to your right, select Single FlatArea Regions.

5. The command bar will now prompt the user to select a flat area to extract the

curves.





6. Select the top face (surface) on the Gasket. A selection list will display thegeometries that can be selected. Browsing through the selection tree willhighlight the surface that corresponds to the selection.

7. The curves are now created and displayed in red on the part geometry.





Note: You can toggle the stock model display by selecting Stock Visibility that is

located at the bottom of the VisualMill-MOps Browser

Create Machining Operations

In this process we will create a 2.5 axis profiling operation.

1. Switch to the Create Operations tab in VisualMILL-Mops browser.

2 ½ Axis Profiling

1. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose Profiling

This brings up the 2 ½ Axis Profiling Operations dialog. We will go over thesteps for creating the profile operations for the inner features of the Gasket.





Select Machining Features/Regions2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Select Curves as

Regions

3. Now select the 3 inner circles by using the left mouse click starting from leftto right.





4. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete the

selection.5. The selected regions are now displayed under Machining Regions





Selecting the Tool

6. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 2 ½ Axis Profiling operation.

7. Select the FlatMill-0.5. The 0.5” Flat End mill is now selected as the activetool and the Tool parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.





Set Feeds and Speeds8. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab.

9. Select Load From Tool. VisualMILL will now get the feeds and speeds

information that was set when the tool was defined.





Clearance Control10. Switch to Clearance Tab.

11. Set the Clearance Plane Definition to Automatic and Cut Transfer Method to

Clearance Plane.VisualMILL will determine a safe Z height for the Entry & Exit when set to

automatic. Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the automaticZ clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.





Specifying Cut Parameters

12. Switch to Cut Parameters tab

13. Set the Stock = 0 and under cut start Side check Use Outside/Inside forClosed Curves and select Inside. Alternatively you can also use Determineusing 3D model.

14. Select the Cut Levels Tab and specify the Total Cut Depth = 0.125. The cut

depth is always set as an absolute value.









Entry/Exit

15. Switch to Entry/Exit Tab and Set the Entry and Exit Type to None.

16. Click Generate. The 2½ Axis Profile toolpath is now generated and theOperation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Note: Toolpath display can be turned on/off by selecting Toolpath Visibility under theMOps browser.









Simulate ToolpathThe generated toolpath can now be simulated.

1. Switch to the Simulate tab in the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

2. Select the 2 ½ Axis Profiling Operation and click to Simulate.

3. The simulated part is as shown below.

Note: You can adjust the simulation speed by selecting Simulation Preferences that islocated to the bottom right corner of the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation and click Exit Simulation. Thisswitches back to the Create Operations tab.

Creating a 2 ½ Axis Profile for the Outer Region

1. Switch to the Create Operation tab.

2. Select Profiling from the 2 ½ Axis operations menu.

3. Under Machining Features/ Regions, select Remove All.

4. Now click on Select Curves as Regions and select the Outer profile of the

Gasket as the region.

5. Right mouse click to complete the selection.

6. Switch to Tools tab and select FlatMill-0.5 as the active tool.





7. Under Feeds/Speeds select Load from Tool.

8. Set the Clearance control to Automatic.

9. Switch to Cut Parameters tab, check Use Outside/Inside for Closed

Curves, and set the Cut Start Side to Outside

10. Go over to Cut Levels and set the Total Cut Depth = 0.125.

11. Click Generate to Create the 2 ½ Axis Profile Toolpath.

12. The 2 ½ Axis Profile Operation is now created and is listed in the MOpsBrowser.





13. Switch to Simulate Tab, select 2 ½ Axis Profiling, and click to simulatetoolpath.





Reports

1. Switch to Create Operations Tab.

2. Select the MOp Set1 and right click and select Information.

This provides the estimated machining time for the operations created under MOpSet1.

Note: You can also go over to Machining Operations and right click and select

information determine the estimated machining time for all the MOp Sets.





Shop Docs

Shop documentation can be generated selecting Machining Operations under the

Create Operations tab. Right mouse click and Shop Documentation.User can select from one of the 2 templates and generate shop documentation. This

is saved as an html file and can be printed and handed over to the operator inpreparation for the part to be machined on the CNC.





Post Processing

1. Select Machining Operations from the Create Operations tab and right click

and select post process.

2. Specify the File Name as Gasket.nc and click Save.

The post by default is set to Haas as specified under the Post processor setup. You

can change the post processor by selecting a different one from the drop down menu





in the list. The posted g code by default will be saved to the folder where the part file

is located.

End of Tutorial 1!





Tutorial 2: Machining a Slotted Gear





Introduction

This tutorial will introduce the usage of 2 ½ axis profiling and Engraving Machining

Operations of VisualMill. We will be using the Gear.vcp part file.

It should be noted that, even though the part file contains a 3-D geometry

representing the part, we could machine this entirely by using just 2-D curves due to

the prismatic nature of this model.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.

Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provideinformation about additional options available. However, if you prefer to work

straight through the steps without any additional reading, look for the followingsymbol:


Strategy to Machine the Slotted Gear

• We will machine the gear completely using 2 ½ axis-machining operations.

• We will use the Profiling operation to cut the outer shape of the gear and the

Engraving operation to cut the slots. The engraving option is preferred insituations where the cutter can be driven to create a slot that conforms to the

shape of the tool trajectory. This is because of the computational efficiency as

well as the accuracy of this method.• The part itself will be machined out of a 3 inch x 3 inch x ½ inch poplar wood

sheet.• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the


• The part will be machined using a single ¼ inch flat end mill.



• Set the Machine zero point or Locate geometry with respect to the machine

coordinates




• Select the machining operations and set the parameters• Generate the toolpath








Loading the Part Model “Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. You

can create parts within VisualMILL, but it is more typical to import geometry created

in another CAD system.

To load a part:


bar.2. From the Open dialog box, select the Gear.vcp file from the Tutorials folder

in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoftCorporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)

The imported part appears as shown below.





Setup Tab1. Go to the VisualMILL- MOps browser and click on the Setup tab.


3. Set the Machine type to 3 axis.





4. Select Post from the setup tab to specify the post processor options.

5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select Haasas the post processor for this exercise.








code to a notepad.


1. Select Create/Load stock from the setup tab and create a Box Stock.

2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters. Set the Length (L) = 3.00, Width

W = 3.00, and Height (H) = 0.25. Leave the other parameters as default, andclick OK.












Locate Machine Zero

The steps below help you determine the machine home (also know as machine zero

or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.

1. Select Locate WCS from the Setup tab.

2. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to Highest

Z, and Zero Position to South West corner. This sets the machine home tothe top of the stock material and the southwest corner of the part geometry.





Note: You can change the stock model transparency under standard mode byselecting Simulation Preferences that is located at the bottom of the MOps browser.





Create Tools

To machine the above part we will now create a ¼ inch (0.25”) Flat End Mill.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-MOps

browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Flat End Mill.

2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.25, Tool Diameter = 0.25. Under theProperties tab, set Tool Number = 1.







exercise we will assign feeds and speeds to the tool.











Create Regions for Machining

In the steps below we will extract regions from the 3D model and create curves for

engraving.

1. Turn off stock model visibility from the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

2. Select the Layer Manager from the Standard bar.

3. The layer manager is now open. Set Layer 01 as the active layer.


5. From the Curves tab on the Geometry Bar to your right, select Single Flat

Area Regions.

6. The command bar will now prompt the user to select a flat area to extract thecurves.

7. Select the top face (surface) of the part geometry. A selection list will displaythe geometries that can be selected. Browsing through the selection tree will

highlight the surface that corresponds to the selection.

The flat area curves are created and displayed on top of the part geometry.





8. Switch to the Top view and create a circle using Center and Radius.9. Select Circles & Arcs from the Geometry Bar and pick Circle Center & Radius.

10. Specify 1.5,1.5 as the center coordinates and hit the enter key.

11. Specify 0.99 as the radius of the circle and hit the enter key

We will now create lines, which can be selected for engraving the slots on thegear.

12. Turn on the Mid Point and Quad Point snap from the status bar and turn off

the other snaps.





13. Switch to the Top view and select Lines from the Geometry Bar and pick

Create Line.

14. For the first coordinate, snap to the quad point on the circle as show below.

15. For the second coordinate, snap to the center of the arc as shown below. A

line is now created at the center of the slot.

We will now array the line across other slots on the gear.





16.Select the Line, go to the menu at the top, and select Transform -> Polar

Array.

17. Use the following settings. Rotate about X = 1.5, Y = 1.5, Z = 0, Angle to Fill= 360, and Number of Copies = 6.

18. The lines created and shown below.





We have now created the regions for machining. Turn on the Stock Model Visibility

and save the file.






In this process we will create a 2.5 axis profiling operation.


2 ½ Axis Profiling

2. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose Profiling.

This brings up the 2 ½ Axis Profiling Operations dialog. We will go over thesteps for creating the profile operations.






Regions

4. Now select the inner circle first by using the left mouse click and then theouter circle.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete the selection.6. The selected regions are now displayed under Machining Regions.











Clearance Plane.VisualMILL will determine a safe Z height for the Entry & Exit when set to

automatic. Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the automaticZ clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.







15. Select the Cut Levels Tab and specify the Total Cut Depth = 0.25, Rough

Depth/Cut = 0.125. This would cut the profile in 2 cuts of each 0.125”. Makesure the cut level ordering is set to Depth First. This would profile the inner

circle and then the outer profile.





Entry/Exit

16. Switch to Entry/Exit Tab, and Set the Entry and Exit Type to None.





17. Click Generate. The 2½ Axis Profile toolpath is now generated, and the

Operation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Toolpath display can be turned on/off by selecting Toolpath Visibility under the

MOps browser.





Simulate Toolpath

The generated toolpath can now be simulated.













To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation, and click Exit Simulation. Thisswitches back to the Create Operations tab.

Creating an Engraving Operation

Now we will use engraving operation to cut the slots of the gear by driving the 0.25

inch tool in the slot. As already mentioned, the most efficient way of machining slotsis to use the Engraving option and drive the cutter along the center of the slot.

1. Switch to the Create Operation tab.

2. Select Engraving from the 2 ½ Axis operations menu.





Select Machining Regions

3. Under Machining Features/ Regions click on Remove All to deselect any

regions that could have been selected from the previous machining operation.

4. Now click on Select Curves as Regions and select the 6 lines on the slottedgear as shown below.





5. Right mouse click to complete the selection.

6. The 6 selected regions are listed under the Machining Features/Regions

Select Tool

7. Switch to Tools tab and select FlatMill-0.25 as the active tool.

8. Under Feeds/Speeds, select Load from Tool.

9. Set the Clearance control to Automatic.

Specify Engraving Cut Parameters

10. Switch to Cut Parameters tab. Under Cut Depth Control, set the Total CutDepth = 0.25, Rough Depth = 0.25, and Rough Depth/Cut = 0.125.





11. Click Generate to Create the Engraving Toolpath.

12. The Engraving Operation is now created and is listed in the MOps Browser.









Simulate Toolpath

13. Switch to Simulate Tab, select Engraving, and click to simulate toolpath.









in the list. The posted g code by default will be saved to the folder where the part fileis located.

End of Tutorial 2!





Tutorial 3: Machining a Shaft Base





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining of a prismatic part such as this Shaft Base using

2-1/2 milling operations. Even though we have created a 3-D representation of thepart, it will be seen later on that we can machine this using just 2-D curves. The

reason we are able to do this is because of the prismatic nature of this model. Thistutorial will introduce the usage of 2 ½ axis machining for a simple one sided part.

We will use profiling, pocketing and hole pocketing operations.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.

Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide

information about additional options available.


Strategy to Machine the Shaft Base

• We will machine the shaft base completely using 2 ½ axis-machiningoperations.

• The starting material for the Shaft Base is soft wood and the size is 5.5 x 3.25

x 0.75 inches.

• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the


• The part will be machined using a single ¼ inch flat end mill.• Determining the sequence of machining operations

o As the part thickness is 0.625” thick and the available stock is 0.75”the first operation would involve reducing the thickness of the stock

over the entire area from 0.75 to 0.625. To carry out this operation wewill use the 2 ½ axis Facing Operation as the toolpath extends past the

region.o The next step would involve machining the areas around and inside

the boss. As the thickness of material to be removed is not the same

for both the areas we would have to use 2 separate operations to clearthe material. We will use 2 ½ axis Pocketing Operation which is ideal

removing material inside a specified region.o We are now down to the level where the step holes need to be

machined. As the holes are circular we will use 2 ½ axis HolePocketing operation to machine the holes to its depth in 2 separate

operations.o The 2 inner holes can be drilled using an engraving operation to its

depth.

o Finally we will cut out the shape of the part from the rectangular using

a contour toolpath. This is accomplished using a 2 ½ axis ProfilingOperation which separates the finished part from the stock material.









• Set the feeds and speeds

• Set the clearance plane for the non-cutting transfer moves of the cutter








“Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. Youcan create parts within VisualMILL, but it is more typical to import geometry created


To load a part:


bar.2. From the Open dialog box, select the ShaftBase.vcp file from the Tutorials

folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoftCorporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)






Setup Tab

1. Go to the VisualMILL- MOps browser and click on the Setup tab.












code to a notepad.








W = 3.25, and Height (H) = 0.75. Leave the other parameters as default, andclick OK.












Locate Machine Zero

1. The steps below help you determine the machine home (also know as

machine zero or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.















Front View

Top View





Create Tools

To machine the above part we will now create a ¼ inch (0.25”) Flat End Mill.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-MOps browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Flat End

Mill.

2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.25 and Tool Diameter = 0.25. Under theProperties tab, set Tool Number = 1.



















We will machine the Shaft Base using 4 different machining operations – Facing,

Pocketing, Hole Pocketing and Engraving.

The stock geometry has a thickness of 0.75” and the finished part is 0.625”. We willcreate a 2.5 axis facing operation to mill the 0.125” thickness of material from the

stock geometry.


2 ½ Axis Facing

1. Select 2.5 Axis Milling and choose Facing.

2. This brings up the 2 ½ Axis Facing Operation Dialog. We will now go over

the steps for creating the toolpath.





Select Machining Features/Regions

1. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Select Curves asRegions.

2. Select the Rectangle and right mouse click to complete the selection.Region1 is now listed under Machining Features/Regions.

3. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 2 ½ Axis Facing operation and select

FlatMill-0.25.

4. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab and select Load From Tool. VisualMILL

will now get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the toolwas defined.

5. Switch to the Clearance Tab and set the Clearance Plane Definition to

Automatic and Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.





Specify Cut Parameters

1. Click on the Roughing tab.

2. Set the Tolerance to 0.01, Stock to leave to 0, Cut Pattern to IslandOffset Cuts, and Step Distance to 50 (% Tool Diameter).

3. Switch to the Cut Levels Tab.





4. Use the Following Settings.

a. Pick Top = 0 (As the selected region at Z = -0.125”, we would need

to start the first cut from Z =0).b. Total Cut Depth = 0.125, Rough Depth = 0.125, and Rough

Depth/Cut = 0.0625.

5. Switch to the Entry/Exit tab and set the Entry and Exit parameters to none.

6. Click Generate. The 2½ Axis Facing toolpath is now generated, and the






7. Switch to Simulate tab, Select 2 ½ Axis Facing, and click Simulate to run

the simulation.





2 ½ Axis Pocketing

We will now use 2½ axis Pocketing operation to machine the area inside the boss.

Preparing the part for Pocketing

In Preparation for the pocketing Operation, we will now create regions by extracting

curves from the 3D model.

1. Turn off the Stock Model and Toolpath Visibility from the VisualMILL-MOpsbrowser.

2. Open Layer Manager and Select Layer 01 as the Active Layer.

3. Click on the Geometry Bar and select the Curves Tab. Select Single Flat Area

Region.





4. The command bar would now prompt the user to select a flat area to extract

the curves

5. Pick the flat area as shown below.

6. Flat area curves are created and are on Layer 01.

We are now ready to create the pocketing operation for the inner region.

7. Switch to the Create Operations tab.





Creating the Pocketing Operation #11. From the Create Operations tab, select 2½ axis Milling and Pocketing.

This brings up the 2 ½ Axis Pocketing Operations dialog. We will go over thesteps for creating the pocketing operation.

2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Select Curves asRegions.

3. Select the curve and right mouse click to complete the selection. Region1 isnow listed under Machining Features/Regions.

4. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 2½ Axis Pocketing operation and select

FlatMill-0.25.

5. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab and select Load From Tool. VisualMILL willnow get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool was

defined.

6. Switch to the Clearance Tab and set the Clearance Plane Definition toAutomatic and Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.






1. Click on the Cut Parameters tab.

2. Set the Tolerance to 0.001, Stock to leave to 0, Cut Pattern to Offset Cuts,and Step over distance to 25 (% Tool Diameter).







a. Location of Cut Geometry at Bottom (As the selected region is at the

bottom of the part, and we need to cut above it).

We will determine the Total Cut Depth from the 3D model by snappingat 2 points.

b. Select the Depth measuring tool located to the right of Total CutDepth. This will minimize the Pocketing Operation parameters

dialog.

c. Turn on the End Point Snap from the Status bar.

d. Pick the top of the boss as the start point and the bottom of the boss

as the end point as shown below.

e. The pocketing operation dialog shows up and determines Total CutDepth = 0.25.

f. Set the Rough Depth = 0.25 and Rough Depth/Cut = 0.05.





This would machine the pocket in steps of 0.05 resulting in 5 cut levels.

Note: You can also specify the Total Cut Depth by entering the depth values underTotal Cut Depth.





5. Switch to the Entry/Exit tab.

6. Use the following settings for Entry/Exit. Make sure to check Apply Entry/Exit

at all cut levels.

7. Click Generate. The 2½ Axis Pocketing toolpath is now generated and the

Operation is listed under the 2 ½ Axis Facing Operation in the VisualMILL-

MOps browser.

Note: You can rearrange the operations in the MOps browser by selecting the

operation and dragging and dropping.





8. Switch to Simulate tab, select 2 ½ Axis Pocketing, and click Simulate to runthe simulation.





Creating the Pocketing Operation #2We will now create a 2nd pocketing operation for machining the region around the

boss.


2. Open Layer Manager and select Layer 01 as the active layer.

3. Click on the Geometry Bar and select the Curves Tab. Select Single Flat AreaRegion.

4. The command bar would now prompt the user to select a flat area to extractthe curves.






Copying a MOp1. Switch to the Create operations tab.

2. Select the 2 ½ axis Pocketing Operation created from the previous step, rightmouse click, and select Copy.

3. Right click and select Paste.

4. This would create a copy of the 2 ½ axis Pocketing Operation listed below thefirst pocketing operation as show below.





5. Expand the 2 ½ Axis Pocketing (1) folder and double click on Machining

Features.





6. Click Remove All under Machining Features and click Select Curves as

Regions.

7. Select the rectangle and curve and right mouse click to complete the selection.

8. Region1 & Region2 are now listed under Machining Features/Regions. Click

Save to Close the Machining Regions Dialog.

9. Double click under Parameters and switch to the Cut Levels Tab.10. Use the Following Settings.

a. Location of Cut Geometry – Select Pick at Top = – 0.125 b. Total Cut Depth – Set this to 0.375

c. Set the Rough Depth = 0.375 and Rough Depth /Cut = 0.05 d. Switch to the Entry/Exit tab and set the Retract Motion to Linear,

Length = 0.1 and Angle = 0

e. Click Generate.





11. The pocketing toolpath is now created and displayed in the MOps browser.





12. Switch to Simulate tab, select 2 ½ Axis Pocketing (1), and click Simulate to

run the simulation.

Note: To turn on/off the toolpath and stock model visibilities use the controls locatedat the bottom of the MOps Browser.





Hole Pocketing Operation

In order to machine the 6 holes, we will now use 2 ½ axis hole pocketing operation.

Preparing the part for Machining1. Open the Layer manager and Make Layer 03 as the active layer.2. Click on the Geometry Bar and select the Curves Tab. Select Single Flat Area

Region.3. The command bar would now prompt the user to select a flat area to extract

the curves4. Pick the flat area as shown below.

5. Flat area curves are created and are on Layer 03. We are now ready to createthe pocketing operation for the inner region.


Creating the Hole Pocketing Operation #1

1. Select 2 ½ Axis Milling and Hole Pocketing.





2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Select Curves as

Regions.

3. Select the 6 circles and right mouse click to complete the selection. Regions1 to 6 are now listed under Machining Features/Regions.

4. Switch to the Tools tab inside the Hole Pocketing operation and select

FlatMill-0.25.

5. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab and select Load From Tool. VisualMILLwill now get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool

was defined.




8. Use the following Settings

a. Tolerance to 0.001,

b. Hole Depth (H) =0.0625, Uncheck Use 3D model to Detect Depth,

c. Hole Diameter (D) = 0.5,

d. Step over distance = 25 (% Tool Diameter),

e. Step Down Control (dZ) = 50 (% Tool Diameter),

f. Cut Direction = Climb (Down Cutting).





9. Switch to the Entry Exit Tab and set the Helix Diameter = 0.25.





10. Click Generate. The Hole Pocketing operation is now created and is listed

under the MOps browser.

11. Switch to the Simulate tab, select Hole Pocketing, and click Simulate to runthe simulation.

12. The simulated part is shown below.









Creating the Hole Pocketing Operation #2


7. Open Layer Manager and select Layer 04 as the active layer.8. Click on the Geometry Bar and select the Curves Tab. Select Single Flat Area

Region.

9. The command bar would now prompt the user to select a flat area to extractthe curves.


11. Repeat the flat area region for the other 5 holes. The extracted curves are asshown below.

Creating the Hole Pocketing Operation

12. Select the Hole Pocketing Operation created from the previous step, rightmouse click, and select Copy.

13. Right click and select Paste.

14. This would create a copy of the Hole Pocketing Operation listed below the first

Hole Pocketing operation as show below.





15. Expand the Hole Pocketing (1) folder and double click on Machining Features.

16. Click Remove All under Machining Features and click Select Curves asRegions.

17. Select the 6 inner circles and right mouse click to complete the selection.

18. Regions 1 to 6 are now listed under Machining Features/Regions. Click Saveto Close the Machining Regions Dialog.

19. Double Click under Parameters and set the Hole Depth = 0.1875, Hole

Diameter = 0.315.





20. Switch to the Entry/Exit tab and set the Helix Diameter to 0.09.

21. Click Generate. The Hole Pocketing Operation for the inner holes is now

created.





22. Switch to the Simulate tab, select Hole Pocketing(1), and click Simulate to

run the simulation.









2 ½ Axis Engraving Operation

Now we will use engraving operation to drill the 2 holes. This can also be

accomplished by using a drilling operation that is available under Hole Machining.

Preparing the part for machiningTurn on the Center Point Snap from the status bar and turn off the other snaps.

1. Click on the Geometry Bar and select the Points Tab. Select Create Point.

2. The command input bar will now prompt the user to pick or enter thecoordinates for the point. We will now use the pick option by creating a point

that snaps to the center of the circle as show below.

3. Repeat the above steps for the other circle.





Creating the Engraving Toolpath

1. From the Create Operations tab, select 2 ½ Axis Milling and Engraving.

2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab, click Remove All under MachiningFeatures, and click Select Curves as Regions.

3. Select the 2 points as regions for engraving. Right click to complete the

selection.

4. Switch to the Tools tab inside the Engraving operation and select FlatMill-0.25.

5. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab and select Load From Tool. VisualMILL will

now get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool wasdefined.


Automatic and Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.7. Switch to the Cut Parameters tab and use the following parameters -

Tolerance = 0.001, Location of Cut Geometry At Top, Total Cut Depth =0.375, Rough Depth = 0.375 and Rough Depth/Cut = 0.05.

8. Set the Entry and Exit to None under the Entry/Exit tab.

9. Click Generate. The Engraving operation is now created.

10. Switch to Simulate tab, select Engraving, and click Simulate to run the

simulation.









2 ½ Axis Profiling

1. Switch to the Create Operations tab and select 2.5 Axis Milling and choose

Profiling.2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab, click Remove All under

Machining Features, and click Select Curves as Regions.3. Select the outer curve. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to

complete the selection.

4. The selected region is now displayed under Machining Features/Regions.

5. Switch to the Tools tab inside 2 ½ Axis Profiling operation and Select the

FlatMill-0.25.

6. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab. And select Load From Tool. VisualMILL willnow get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool was

defined.7. Switch to Clearance Tab. Set the Clearance Plane Definition to Automatic and

Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.






8. Switch to Cut Parameters tab and use the following Settings

a. Tolerance = 0.001,

b. Stock = 0,

c. Cut Start Side- Check Use Outside/Inside for closed curves and pick

Outside.






Depth/Cut = 0.05.

10. Switch to Entry/Exit Tab and Set the Entry and Exit Type to None.

11. Click Generate. The 2½ Axis Profile toolpath is now generated and theOperation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Toolpath display can be turned on/off by selecting Toolpath Visibility under theMOps browser.





12. Switch to the Simulate tab in the VisualMILL-MOps browser. Select the 2 ½Axis Profiling Operation and click to Simulate.







To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation, and click Exit Simulation.





Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as Shaftbase.nc and click save.




End of Tutorial 3!





Tutorial 4: Simple V-Carving





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining a Sign using 2-1/2 axis-engraving operations.

We can engrave the sign using 2-D curves. This tutorial will introduce the usage of 2-½ axis simple V Carving using V bit.

V carving refers to a cutting strategy employed by sign makers to create sharp

corners. V carving is performed using a tapered bit or conical tool (as shown below)usually known in the industry as a V Bit.

The V-bit is made to rise from the cutting depth to the top of the surface at thecorners in such a way that the tapered sides of the cutter are always in contact with

the corners. When the cutter finally reaches the top surface, only the bottom tip ofthe tool will be in contact with the corners, thereby creating clean and crisp cuts at

the corners.

The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.


Don’t forget to save your work periodically! You may want to save the file under a

different name so that the original file will be preserved.

Strategy to Machine the part

• V carving is performed using the 2 ½ axis Machining Operation.

• The part itself will be machined out of a 10.75 inch x 4 inch x ½ inch poplarwood sheet

• The part would be machined using a single V-Groove bit.

• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on thetable using double-sided tape.




coordinates














Loading the Part Model “Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. Youcan create parts within VisualMILL, but it is more typical to import geometry created


To load a part:


bar.

2. From the Open dialog box, select the V-Carve1.vcp file from the Tutorials

folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoftCorporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)

The imported part appears as shown below.





Setup Tab









5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select Haas

as the post processor for this exercise.




code to a notepad.








W = 4.00 and Height (H) = 0.5. Make sure to set the corner position toSouthwest corner Top of Stock as shown below.






4. The setup tab now displays the following information: Machine Type, PostProcessor, and Stock type as show below.





Locate Machine Zero


machine zero or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.2. Select Locate WCS from the Setup tab.
















1. Select Align Part and Stock from the Setup tab.

2. Set to Object to Move as Move Part, Z alignment to Top, and XY alignmentto Center.






to save the work and specify a file name as VCarve-Rev1. The file is now saved

with extension vcp. (VisualCAM Part File)

Note: You can toggle the stock model display by selecting Stock Visibility that islocated at the bottom of the VisualMill-MOps Browser

Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a 60-degree Taper Tool.


browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to VeeMill.

2. Set the tool name as VeeMill1, Taper Angle = 30, Flute Length = 0.4, ToolLength = 2. Under the Properties tab set Tool Number = 1.





Note: Taper Angle represents the included angle for a taper tool. For example a 60-

degree taper tool would have a included angle of 30 degrees. If you have a tapertool with a diameter select Chamfer Mill or Taper Mill under Create/Select Tool.







exercise we will assign feeds and speeds to the tool.



5. Click Save as New Tool. The tool is now created and listed under Tools in

Library. Click OK to close the dialog.

Note: You can edit the tool properties and click Save Edits to Tool to save thechanges. You can create additional tools by assigning a different name and specify

the tool parameters.







In this process we will create a 2.5 axis operation.


V-Carving

2. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose V-Carving.

This brings up the V-Carving Operations dialog. We will go over the steps forcreating the toolpath.






Regions.

4. Now, select the text by using the left mouse click, starting from left to right.Make sure to get the inner curves on the letters ‘e’ and ‘o’. Each curve is

separate (by curves, not by letters) and must be selected separately.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete the selection.

6. The selected regions are now displayed under Machining Regions.





Selecting the Tool

7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the V-Carving operation.

8. Select VeeMill1. VeeMill1 is now selected as the active tool and the Tool

parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.













12. Set the Clearance Plane Definition to Absolute Z Value = 0.25 and CutTransfer Method to Clearance Plane.

Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the Absolute Z value

clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region toanother.






13. Switch to Cut Parameters tab.

14. Set the Tolerance = 0.001, Cut Side = Inside, Location of Cut Geometry =

At Top, Total Cut Depth = 0.2, Rough Depth = 0.2 and Rough Depth/Cut =0.05.

15. Click Generate. The V-Carving toolpath is now generated and the Operation is

listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.












2. Select the V-Carving Operation and click to Simulate.







To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation, and click Exit Simulation. Thisswitches back to the Create Operations tab.

Post Processing

1. Select Machining Operations from the Create Operations tab and right clickand select post process.





2. Specify the File Name as V-Carve.nc and click Save.


can change the post processor by selecting a different one from the drop down menuin the list. The posted g code by default will be saved to the folder where the part file

is located.

End of Tutorial 4!





Tutorial 5: Embossing





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining a Sign using 2-1/2 axis-engraving operations.

We can engrave the sign using 2-D curves. This tutorial will introduce the usage of 2-½ axis V Carve Roughing with a Flat End Mill and V Carving using V bit.

V carving refers to a cutting strategy employed by sign makers to create sharp

corners. V carving is performed using a tapered bit or conical tool (as shown below)usually known in the industry as a V Bit.

The V-bit is made to rise from the cutting depth to the top of the surface at thecorners in such a way that the tapered sides of the cutter are always in contact with

the corners. When the cutter finally reaches the top surface, only the bottom tip ofthe tool will be in contact with the corners, thereby creating clean and crisp cuts at

the corners.






• Embossing is performed using the 2 ½ axis Machining Operations.

• The part itself will be machined out of a 20 inch x 4 inch x 1 inch poplar woodsheet

• The part would be machined using a Flat End Mill and a V-Groove bit.

• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on thetable using double-sided tape.


• Create the Part
















Creating the Part Model “Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product.

To create a part:

1. Select File / New from the Menu, or click the New icon from the Standard

bar. This creates a new session of VisualCAM.

2. Switch to the Top View by double clicking on the Top View under theViewport.

3. Create a rectangle by selecting the Create Rectangle tool that is located onthe Geometry Bar under Lines.

4. Under the Command bar, specify the First Corner as 0,0.

5. Specify the Second Corner as 20,4.

6. Create a 2nd rectangle with the First Corner as 0.25,0.25 and Second Corner

as 19.75,3.75.





Create Text geometry

7. From the Curves Tab under the Geometry Bar, select Create Text tool.

8. This brings up Text to Create Dialog. Use the Following Settings.

9. Text Size = 2.5, Uncheck Auto Kern, and use the slide bar to specify the

kerning for the text as shown in the picture below. Use Text to Create =VisualCAM.





10. Click Done once you have the above settings.

11. The text would now appear on the screen and would expect the user to

specify the Start point of text.12. Specify 0.75,0.75 as the start point under the command bar. The text is now

created and displayed as shown below.

13. From the File Menu, select Save and save the file under the Tutorials Folder

as Embossing1.vcp.14. The part geometry is now created. We are now ready to generate toolpath to

machine the part. We will now switch to the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Note: You can skip the above steps for creating the part geometry by loadingEmbossing.vcp file into VisualCAM. This is available under the Tutorials folder in

VisualMILL 6.0





Setup Tab













code to a notepad.







2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters and set the Length (L) = 20.00,

Width W = 4.00 and Height (H) = 1.0. Make sure to set the corner position toSouthwest corner Top of Stock as shown below.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock box is

displayed on top of the part geometry.

4. The setup tab now displays the following information: Machine Type, PostProcessor and Stock type as show below.





Locate Machine Zero



3. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to Highest Z

and Zero Position to South West corner. This sets the machine home to thetop of the stock material and the southwest corner of the part geometry.











2. Set to Object to Move as Move Part, Z alignment to Top, and XY alignmentto Center.






to save the work and specify a file name as Embossing-Rev1. The file is now

saved with extension vcp. (VisualCAM Part File)

Note: You can toggle the stock model display by selecting Stock Visibility that islocated at the bottom of the VisualMill-MOps Browser





Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a 1/8th inch (0.125”) Flat End Mill for

the V Carve Roughing operation and a VeeMill for the V Carve (finishing) operation.



2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.125 and the Tool Diameter = 0.125. Under

the Properties tab, set Tool Number = 1.


















6. Create a 2nd tool of type VeeMill.

7. Set the tool name as VeeMill1, Taper Angle = 30, Flute Length = 0.4, and

Tool Length = 2. Under the Properties tab, set Tool Number = 2.

Note: Taper Angle represents the included angle for a taper tool. For example a 60-

degree taper tool would have a included angle of 30 degrees. If you have a tapertool with a diameter select Chamfer Mill or Taper Mill under Create/Select Tool.





8. Switch to the Feeds & Speeds tab inside the create/select tool dialog and use

the following settings for Feeds/Speeds for the VeeMill1.








In this process, we will create two 2 ½ axis-machining operations.


V-Carving Roughing

2. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose V-Carve Roughing.

This brings up the V-Carve Roughing dialog. We will go over the steps forcreating the toolpath.






Regions.

4. Now, select the inner rectangle and text by using the left mouse click, starting

from left to right. Be sure to include the inner curves for the letters ‘a’ and ‘A’as well as the dot of the ‘i’. Each curve is separate (by curves, not by letters)

and must be selected separately.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete the selection.6. The selected regions are now displayed under Machining Regions.

Selecting the Tool

7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the V-Carve Roughing operation.

8. Select FlatMill-0.125. FlatMill-0.125 is now selected as the active tool and the

Tool parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.






10. Select Load From Tool. VisualMILL will now get the feeds and speedsinformation that was set when the tool was defined.







Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the Absolute Z valueclearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.







14. Set the Tolerance = 0.001, Stock = 0, V-Carving Finish Tool Taper Angle =

30, Cut Type = Offset, and Cut Direction = Mixed. Check the CornerCleanup option.

Note: V-Carve Finishing Tool Taper Angle represents the included angle of the Vbitthat would be used after the V-Carve Roughing Operation. If you have a 60 degree

V-Bit, the Taper Angle would be 30 degrees.





15. Switch to the Cut Levels tab and use the following settings.

16. Specify Location of Cut Geometry = At Top, Total Cut Depth = 0.25, Rough

Depth = 0.25, and Rough Depth/Cut = 0.125. Click Generate. The V-Carving

toolpath is now generated and the Operation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Note: Toolpath display can be turned on/off by selecting Toolpath Visibility under the

MOps browser.









2. Select the V-Carving Operation and click to Simulate.







To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation and click Exit Simulation. This

switches back to the Create Operations tab.

We will now generate V Carve Finishing to finish the sign with a Taper Tool.

V-Carving

1. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose V-Carving.

This brings up the V-Carving Operations dialog. We will go over the steps for

creating the toolpath.


2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab. The regions from theprevious operations stay selected and the Machining Features would list the

13 regions.

3. If the regions are not listed under Selected Machining regions use singleselect and select the inner rectangle and the Text as shown below. Right

mouse click to complete the selection.

4. The selected regions are now displayed under Machining Regions

Selecting the Tool

5. Switch to the Tools tab inside the V-Carve Roughing operation.

6. Select VeeMill1. VeeMill1 is now selected as the active tool and the Tool

parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.





Set Feeds and Speeds

7. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab.








Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the Absolute Z value

clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region toanother.







12. Set the Tolerance = 0.001, Cut Side = Inside, Location of Cut Geometry =

At Top, Total Cut Depth = 0.25, Rough Depth = 0.25, and RoughDepth/Cut = 0.25.

13. Click Generate. The V-Carving toolpath is now generated and the Operationis listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.











1. Switch to the Simulate tab in the VisualMILL-MOps browser and Select theV-Carving Operation and click to Simulate.

2. The Simulated part is as shown below.







Tutorial 6: Chamfering





Introduction

This tutorial is intended to show an easy way to chamfer and smooth sharp corners

by using 2 ½ axis Chamfering operation. A tapered tool is suitable for this purpose.In this example, the chamfer is not modeled in the part.

We plan to chamfer the edges of the part using a 30 degree taper tool that has 0radius at the tip.

The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide





• Chamfering is performed using the 2 ½ axis Chamfer Machining Operation.

• The part would be machined using a single V-Groove bit.• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the





coordinates



• Set the clearance plane for the non-cutting transfer moves of the cutter• Select the machining regions for containing the cutter to specific areas to cut






Loading the Part Model “Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product. You

can create parts within VisualMILL, but it is more typical to import geometry created


To load a part:

1. Select File / Open from the Menu, or click the Open icon from theStandard bar.





2. From the Open dialog box, select the Chamfer.vcp file from the Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoft







Setup Tab

1. Go to the VisualMILL- MOps browser and click on the Setup tab. The loaded

part has the stock model defined and includes a 2 ½ axis Facing Operationwith a 0.5” Flat End Mill. The Machining Operation information is listed in

the MOps browser as shown below.





Create Tools

To machine the chamfer, we will now create a 60-degree Taper Tool.


MOps browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type toChamfer.

2. Set the tool name as ChamferMill1, Taper Angle = 30, Flute Length = 1,and Tool Length = 2. Under the Properties tab, set Tool Number = 2.

Note: Taper Angle represents the included angle for a taper tool. For example a 60-degree taper tool would have a included angle of 30 degrees. If you have a taper

tool with a diameter select Chamfer Mill or Taper Mill under Create/Select Tool.












Note: You can edit the tool properties and click Save Edits to Tool to save thechanges. You can create additional tools by assigning a different name and specify








Switch to the Create Operations tab in VisualMILL-Mops browser.

Chamfering

1. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose Chamfering.

This brings up the Chamfering Operations dialog. We will go over the steps forcreating the toolpath.





Select Machining Features/Regions2. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click remove all if any

Machining regions are listed.3. Click Select Curves as Regions.

4. Now, select the curve that follows the profile of the spanner as shown

below.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete the

selection.6. The selected region is now displayed under Machining Regions.





Selecting the Tool

7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the Chamfering operation.

8. Select ChamferMill1. ChamferMill1 is now selected as the active tool, and

the Tool parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.













12. Set the Clearance Plane Definition to Absolute Z Value = 0.25 and Cut

Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.

Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the Absolute Z valueclearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.







14. Set the Tolerance = 0.001, Stock = 0, Chamfer Parameters use Chamfer

Width = 0.05, Cut Side = Outside. Click Generate. The Chamferingtoolpath is now generated and the Operation is listed under the VisualMILL-

MOps browser.


MOps browser.





Reorder a Machining Operation

If the chamfer operation is created above the 2 ½ axis Facing operation, you can

reorder the MOp using the steps below.

1. Minimize all MOps inside the Mop Set1.

2. Select the Chamfering MOp and drag it over the 2 ½ axis Facing MOp. Thiswould move the Chamfer MOp below the Facing MOp.







2. Select the 2 ½ Axis Facing Operation and click to Simulate.

3. Once the Facing operation is simulated, select the Chamfering Operationand click Simulate to run the simulation.


Note: You can adjust the simulation speed by selecting Simulation Preferences that is

located to the bottom right corner of the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation and click Exit Simulation. This


Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as Chamfering.nc and click Save.








End of Tutorial 6!





Tutorial 7: 3 Axis Milling





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining this Mold using 3 axis-milling operations.

This tutorial will introduce the usage of several 3-axis operations such as horizontalroughing, parallel finishing, and horizontal finishing.

The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.Reading this text will help you understand the tutorial methodology and provide




Strategy to Machine the mold

• We will machine the mold completely using 3 axis-machining operations.

• The part itself will be machined out of a 5.5 x 6.5 inch x 1.25-inch wood

block.• The stock may be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the table

using double-sided tape or by clamps.• The part will be machined using 0.5” flat end mill, 0.25” & 0.125” ball end

mills.




coordinates












To load a part:

1. Select File / Open from the Menu, or click the Open icon from theStandard bar.





2. From the Open dialog box, select the 3Axis_Example1.vcp file from the

Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program

Files\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)






Setup Tab









5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will selectHaas as the post processor for this exercise.




code to a notepad.







2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters. Set the Length (L) = 5.50,Width W = 6.50, and Height (H) = 1.25. Leave the other parameters as

default and click OK.


















Align Part and StockDuring this step, we will align the part inside the stock geometry.


In this step, we will position the part to the bottom of the stock and center inXY.

2. Use the following settings, Object to Move: Move Part, Z alignment:

Bottom and XY Alignment: Center.

3. The part is now aligned inside the stock as shown below.





Front View

Top View





Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a ¼ inch (0.25”) Flat End Mill.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-MOps browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Flat

End Mill.

2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.5 and Tool Diameter = 0.5. Under theProperties tab, set Tool Number = 1.










5. Click Save as New Tool. The tool is now created and listed under Tools inLibrary.



6. Create a Ball End Mill with the following parameters.

a. Tool Name: BallMill-0.25, Tool Number = 2.

b. Switch to Feeds & Speeds tab set Spindle Speed = 5000 rpm, plunge& approach feed = 35 ipm, approach feed = 40 ipm, cut feed = 45ipm, retract and departure feeds = 50 ipm. Set the Transfer

Feedrate to Use Rapid.

c. Click Save as New Tool.





7. Create another Ball End Mill with the following parameters.

d. Tool Name: BallMill-0.125, Tool Number = 3.

e. Switch to Feeds & Speeds tab set Spindle Speed = 5000 rpm, plunge

& approach feed = 35 ipm, approach feed = 40 ipm, cut feed = 45

ipm, retract and departure feeds = 50 ipm. Set the TransferFeedrate to Use Rapid.

f. Click Save as New Tool.







We will machine the mold using 3 different machining operations – Horizontal

Roughing, Parallel Finishing, and Horizontal Finishing.The first step in machining the mold will be a roughing operation. This type of

machining is very efficient for removing large volumes of material and is typicallyperformed with a large tool. Roughing is typically followed by semi-finishing or

finishing toolpaths.


3 axis Horizontal Roughing

1. Select 3 Axis Milling and choose Horizontal Roughing.

2. This brings up the 3 Axis Horizontal Roughing Operation Dialog. We will

now go over the steps for creating the toolpath.

3. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 3 axis Horizontal Roughing operation and

select FlatMill-0.5.























9. Set the Intol and Outol = 0.001, Stock to leave =0.025, Cut Pattern toStock Offset, Cut Direction = Mixed, Step over distance = 40 (% Tool

Diameter).







a. Step Down Control (dZ) = 25 (% Tool Diameter).

b. Check Clear Flats under Cut Levels.

12. Switch to the Engage/Retract tab and leave the entry/exit parameters as

default.

13. Click Generate. The 3 axis Roughing toolpath is now generated, and theOperation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





14. Switch to Simulate tab, select Horizontal Roughing, and click Simulate to

run the simulation.









3 axis Parallel Finishing

We will now use 3 axis Parallel Finishing operation to pre-finish the part using a

0.25” Ball End Mill.

This is an efficient method of finishing or pre-finishing, typically used when part

surfaces are relatively flat. A 2D linear zigzag pattern is generated on the XY planeabove the part geometry. The tool moves along this cut pattern, following the

contours of the part geometry below.

1. From the Create Operations tab, select 3 axis Milling and Parallel Finishing.

This brings up the Parallel Finishing Operations dialog. We will go over the

steps for creating the pocketing operation.

2. Switch to the Tools tab inside the Parallel Finishing operation and select

BallMill-0.25.


will now get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool

was defined.









6. Set the Tolerance to 0.001, Stock to leave =0, Cut Direction = Mixed, Stepover distance = 15 (% Tool Diameter).

7. Click Generate. The Parallel Finishing toolpath is now generated, and the

Operation is listed under the 3 Axis Horizontal Roughing Operation in theVisualMILL-MOps browser.





8. Switch to Simulate tab, select Parallel Finishing, and click Simulate to runthe simulation.





3 axis Horizontal Finishing

We will now create a Horizontal Finishing operation for machining steep area regions.

This method is used for pre-finishing or finishing in constant Z levels, typically used

when the part has large vertical surfaces and when Parallel Finishing will not yieldsatisfactory results.

Preparing the part for Horizontal Finishing

In preparation for the Horizontal Finishing operation, we will now create regions by

extracting curves from the 3D model.

1. Turn off the Stock Model and Toolpath Visibility from the VisualMILL-MOpsbrowser.

2. Open the Layer Manager and select Layer 01 as the Active Layer.

3. Switch to the Top View by double clicking on the Top View under theViewport.

4. Create a rectangle by selecting the Create Rectangle tool that is located on

the Geometry Bar under Lines.





5. Turn on the grid snap from the status bar and pick the first corner and

second corner by snapping to 2 points on the grid as shown below.

6. The created rectangle is displayed in red and is on Layer 01.

We are now ready to create the horizontal finishing operation.

1. Switch to the Create Operations tab.2. Select 3 axis Milling and Horizontal Finishing.







5. Switch to the Tools tab inside Horizontal Finishing operation and selectBallMill-0.125.


was defined.





9. Set Intol, Outol = 0.001, Cut Direction = Cilmb/Conventional.





10. Switch to the Cut Levels tab.

11. Set the Step Down Control (dZ) = 15 (% Tool Diameter).

12. Leave the entry/exit parameters at default.

13. Click Generate. The Horizontal Finishing operation is now created and is

listed under the MOps browser.





14. Switch to the Simulate tab, select Horizontal Finishing, and click Simulate to

run the simulation.15. The simulated part is shown below.





Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as 3axisMold.nc and click save.


can change the post processor by selecting a different one from the drop down menuin the list. The posted g code by default will be saved to the folder where the part file

is located.

End of Tutorial 7!





Tutorial 8: Profiling with Bridges (Tabs)





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining of multiple parts on a single sheet of stock using

2-1/2 milling operations.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.





• We will machine the part using a 2-½ axis profiling operation.

• We will define bridges so that the parts do not fall off the sheet once its cut to

its full depth.

• The part will be machined out of a 36 x 24 x ½ inch poplar wood sheet using

a 0.25 inch Flat End Mill.• The wooden sheet will be held to the machine table or the spoil sheet on the

table using fixtures/clamps.

Main Programming Steps

In creating programs for each setup, the following steps will be followed:

• Create part geometry



• Create / Select the tool used for machining• Set the feeds and speeds• Set the clearance plane for the non-cutting transfer moves of the cutter







Creating the Part Model “Part” refers to the geometry that represents the final manufactured product.

To create a part:

1. Select File / New from the Menu, or click the New icon from the Standard

bar. This creates a new session of VisualCAM.





2. Switch to the Top View by double-clicking on the Top View under the

Viewport.

3. The part will be modeled in Inches. VisualCAM status bar displays the modelunits. To switch units select Preferences->Part Units

4. Select Preferences from VisualCAM menu and Grid Preferences. Use thefollowing grid settings.

5. Create a rectangle by selecting the Create Rectangle tool that is located on

the Geometry Bar under Lines.

6. Under the Command bar, specify the first corner as 0,0.

7. Specify the second corner as 36,24.





8. A rectangle of 36” X 24” is now created and displayed on the screen. Thisrepresents the extents of our stock model in XY plane.

Create Rounded Rectangle

We will now create the part geometry to be cut out inside the sheet.

1. Create a rounded rectangle by selecting Create Rounded Rectangle tool that is

located on the Geometry Bar under Lines.

2. Under the command bar, specify the following parameters.

3. First corner as 0.5,0.5.4. Specify second corner as @3,4 (or you could specify in absolute dimensions

as 3.5,4.5).

5. Set the radius to 0.25.

6. This creates a rounded rectangle of size 3 x 4 and a radius of 0.25.





Create Rectangular Array

We will now create multiple copies of the rounded rectangle to fit it to a sheet of 36 x

24.

1. From the Transform Menu, select Array.

2. Select Pick Objects under Array Objects Dialog and pick the rounded

rectangle. Right click to complete the selection.





Step 1. Step 2

.

Step3

3. Set the X Spacing = 3.75, Y Spacing = 4.75, and Z Spacing = 0.





4. Set # of X Copies = 8, # of Y Copies = 4, and # of Z copies = 0.

5. Click OK.

7. We now have 5 rows and 9 columns of the rounded rectangle. A total of 45

parts on a sheet of 36 x 24

6. From the File Menu, select Save and save the file under the Tutorials folder.

8. The part geometry is now created. We are now ready to generate a toolpathto machine the part. We will now switch to the VisualMILL-MOps browser.

Note: You can skip the above steps for creating the part geometry by loading

Profile_Tabs.vcp file into VisualCAM. This is available under the Tutorials folder inVisualMILL 6.0





Setup Tab













code to a notepad.







2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters. Set the Length (L) = 36, Width W

= 24, and Height (H) = 0. 5. Make sure to set the corner position toSouthwest corner Top of Stock as shown below.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock box is

displayed on top of the part geometry.






Locate Machine Zero


















2. Set Object to Move as Move Part, Z alignment as Top, and XY alignment asCenter.






to save the work and specify a file name. The file is now saved with extension

vcp. (VisualCAM Part File)

Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a ¼ inch (0.25”) Flat End Mill.



2. Set the tool name as FlatMill-0.25 and Tool Diameter = 0.25. Under the

Properties tab, set Tool Number = 1.












changes. You can create additional tools by assigning a different name and specify








In this process, we will create a 2.5 axis profiling operation.


2 ½ Axis Profiling

2. Select 2.5 Axis Mill and choose Profiling.

This brings up the 2 ½ Axis Profiling Operations dialog. We will go over the

steps for creating the profile operation.





Select Machining Features/Regions3. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab, click Remove All, and click

Select Curves as Regions.

4. Now, select the all the rounded rectangles. Use Select From the Menu andchoose polycurves. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad tocomplete the selection.










Selecting the Tool

6. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 2 ½ Axis Profiling operation.

7. Select the FlatMill-0.25. The 0.25” Flat End mill is now selected as the activetool and the Tool parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.














Clearance Plane.

VisualMILL will determine a safe Z height for the Entry & Exit when set toautomatic. Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the automatic

Z clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.







13. Set the Stock = 0. Under Cut Start Side, check Use Outside/Inside forClosed Curves and select Outside.






Depth = 0.5, Rough Depth/Cut = 0.125. The cut depth is always set as anabsolute value.

Note: The stock material is 0.5” in thickness. We will generate the toolpath to cut toa depth of 0.51to ensure that the part is cut to its full depth.





Entry/Exit

15. Switch to Entry/Exit Tab and set the entry and exit type to None.





Advanced Cut Parameters

16. Switch to Advanced Cut parameters tab and check Use Bridges/Tabs.

17. Specify bridge height = 0.1, bridge length = 0.6, and # of Bridges on eachpart = 4.

In the next step, we will sort the order of machining the parts.








MOps browser.









Note: You can adjust the simulation speed by selecting Simulation Preferences that is

located to the bottom right corner of the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation, and click Exit Simulation. This






Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as Profile_Tabs.nc and click Save.




End of Tutorial 8!





Tutorial 9: Hole Making







2. From the Open dialog box, select the Bitholder.vcp file from the Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program Files\MecSoft







Setup Tab









5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select Haas

as the post processor for this exercise. Set the posted file extension type to

.nc




code to a notepad.







2. This brings up the Box Stock parameters. Set the Length (L) = 7.00, WidthW = 8.50, and Height (H) = 0.75. Leave the other parameters as default and

Click OK.











Locate Machine Zero



3. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to Highest Z

and Zero Position to South West corner. This sets the machine home to thetop of the stock material and the southwest corner of the part geometry.















2. Set to Object to Move as Move Part, Z alignment as Top, and XY alignmentas Center






to save the work and specify a file name. The file is now saved with extension

vcp. (VisualCAM Part File)

Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create 2 tools.


browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Drill Tool.

2. Set the tool name as Drill-0.5 and Tool Diameter = 0.5. Under the Properties

tab, set Tool Number = 1.







Create/Extract Regions

In order to machine the holes, we need to extract the curves from the 3d model to

select them as machining regions.

1. Select the Layer Manager from the Standard bar

2. The layer manager is now open. Set the Layer01 as the active layer.


4. From the Curves tab on the Geometry Bar to your right, select Single Flat

Area Regions.

5. The command bar would now prompt the user to select a flat area to extract

the curves.





6. Select the top face (surface) on the part.

7. The curves are now created and displayed in red on the part geometry.

Note: You can toggle the stock model display by selecting Stock Visibility that is

located at the bottom of the VisualMill-MOps Browser






In this process, we will create a 2.5 axis profiling operation.


Hole Machining

2. Select Hole Machining and choose Drilling.

This brings up the Drilling Operations dialog. We will go over the steps forcreating the toolpath.





Select Hole Features3. Go to the Hole Features tab and click Select Drill Points/Circles.

4. Switch to the Top view and select the larger radius circles by using the

rectangular selection as indicated below.






6. The selected regions are now displayed under Hole Features.





Selecting the Tool

7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the Drilling operation.

8. Select the Drill-0.5. The 0.5” Drill is now selected as the active tool and the

Tool parameters are displayed to the right of the Tools window.













Clearance Plane.

VisualMILL will determine a safe Z height for the Entry & Exit when set toautomatic. Setting Cut Transfer to Clearance Plane would apply the automatic

Z clearance between transfers when the tool moves from a machining region to

another.







14. Set the Drill Type to Standard Drill, Drill Depth = 0.75, Check Add Tool Tip

to Drill Depth, Location of Cut Geometry – At Top, and Approach Distance

= 0.1.

Note: Adding Tool Tip to Drill Depth adds the taper height of the drill tool to the drill

depth to make it a through hole.





15. Select the Sorting Tab. Use Directional Sort, leave the primary sort direction

Start Angle = 0, Secondary Sort direction (s) – Low to High and TraversePattern to ZigZag.

The holes will now be sorted row first starting from the lowest point moving up

in Y in a ZigZag pattern.

16. Click Generate. The Drilling toolpath is now generated, and the Operation is

listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.


MOps browser.


















To exit the Simulation mode, pause the Simulation and click Exit Simulation. Thisswitches back to the Create Operations tab.





Creating the Drill operation for the 0.25” Holes

1. Switch to the Create operations tab

2. Select the Standard Drill Operation created from the previous step, right

mouse click, and select Copy.3. Right click and select Paste.

4. This would create a copy of the Drilling Operation and lists below the firstpocketing operation as show below.

5. Double click on the Standard Drill (1) to edit the Hole Features.6. Click Remove All from the Hole Features Dialog to remove all the regions

from the list.7. Now use Select Drill Points/Circles and select the smaller radius circles

using the rectangular select as shown below.


9. The selected regions are now displayed under Hole Features.10. Switch to the Tools tab under the Drilling Operations dialog and select Drill-

0.25.





11. Click Generate. The toolpath for Drill Operation (1) is now generated.

12. Switch to Simulate tab and select Drill Operation (1) and click to simulate

toolpath.





Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as Drilling.nc and click Save.

The post by default is set to Haas as specified under the Post processor setup. Youcan change the post processor by selecting a different one from the drop down menu


End of Tutorial 9!





Tutorial 10: Machining a Ring





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining this Ring using 4 axis-milling operations.

This tutorial will introduce the usage of several 4-axis operations such as 4 axis

roughing and finishing.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.




Strategy to Machine the ring

• We will machine the ring completely using 4 axis-machining operations.

• The part itself will be machined out of a cylindrical blank.

• The stock will be held to the machine table using a rotary chuck.

• The part will be machined using 0.125” and 0.0625” ball end mills.




coordinates.

• Set the rotary axis and rotary center.





• Generate the toolpath• Simulate the toolpath.





To load a part:


bar.2. From the Open dialog box, select the RingExample_1.vcp file from the

Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\ProgramFiles\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)










Setup Tab



3. Set the Machine type to 4 axis and Rotary Axis to X axis. For most controllers

rotation along X represents A axis and rotation along Y represents B axis. Wewill set the Rotary Center once we determine the Machine Zero.









The program to send the posted output is set to notepad. This would output the Gcode to a notepad.






1. Select Create/Load stock from the setup tab and create a Cylinder Stock.

2. This brings up the Cylinder Stock parameters. Set the Axis (rotary) = X,

Radius = 0.56” and Length (L) = 0.866142. Leave the other parameters as

default and click OK.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock is displayedon top of the part geometry.

Isometric View Front View





4. You must switch the simulation model to Polygonal model to run 4 axis

simulations. Select Preferences->Simulation Preferences from the Setup Tab

and switch the simulation model to Polygonal if set to Voxel.







Locate Machine Zero





Z, and Zero Position to East. This sets the machine home to the top of thestock material and the right most edge of the part geometry.


















In this step, we will position the part to the center of the stock in XY & Z.

2. Use the following settings, Object to Move: Move Part, Z alignment: Center and XY Alignment: Center.







Specify Rotary CenterIn this step we will determine the rotary center for the part geometry. The rotarycenter must pass thro’ the entire part geometry. VisualMILL will not compute a

toolpath if the part/feature is below the rotary center as this is considered as anundercuts in the part.


In the above example, the stock diameter is 1.12”.

2. Set the rotary center in X and Y = 0 and Z = -0.56 which is the center of the

stock geometry.

The rotary center is represented by an arrow and displayed on the part geometry

when the Machine Setup Dialog is invoked.









Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a 0.125” Ball End Mill and a 0.0625”

Ball End Mill.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-MOpsbrowser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Ball End Mill.

2. Set the tool name as BallMill-0.125 and Tool Diameter = 0.125. Under the

Properties tab, set Tool Number = 1.













6. Create a 2nd Ball End Mill with the following parameters.


b. Switch to Feeds & Speeds tab set Spindle Speed = 5000 rpm, plunge,approach & engage feed = 20 ipm, cut feed = 30 ipm, retract anddeparture feeds = 20 ipm. Set the Transfer Feedrate to Use Rapid.








We will machine the ring using 2 different machining operations – 4 axis Roughing

and Finishing.The first step in machining the ring will be a roughing operation. In this cut method,

the tool cuts the stock in successive levels. The spacing between these levels arespecified by the user. This type of machining is very efficient for removing large

volumes of material and is typically performed with a large tool. Roughing is typically

followed by semi-finishing or finishing toolpaths.






4 axis Roughing

1. Select 4 Axis Milling and choose Roughing.

If the rotary center is not set to the same location as the Machine Zero, a

warning message dialog would be displayed at all times when a 4 axismachining operation is selected. Users can override this message by clicking

OK in the dialog.





Note: You can check Do no show this dialog again to stop the warning message

appearing again when you create/edit a 4 axis machining operation.

2. This brings up the 4 Axis Roughing Operation Dialog. We will now go over thesteps for creating the toolpath.

3. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4th axis Roughing operation and select BallMill-0.125.











5. Switch to the Clearance Tab and set the Clearance Plane Definition to Automatic

and Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.







7. Set the Intol and Outol = 0.001, Stock to leave =0.005, Cut Pattern to AcrossAxis, Zig Zag and Low to High, Cut Containment Low Value = -0.866142,

High Value = 0 (as the machine zero is set to the right edge of the stock/ part),

Step over distance = 25 (% Tool Diameter).

8. Switch to the Step Down Control Tab.





Step Down Control9. Use the Following Settings.

a. Cut Levels, Check Top (T) and specify Top (T) = 0.56 (radius ofstock material)

b. Step Down Control (dR) = 75 (% Tool Diameter).

10. Click Generate. The 4th axis Roughing toolpath is now generated, and theOperation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





11. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Roughing, and click Simulate to run thesimulation.





4 axis Finishing

We will now use 4th Axis Finishing operation to finish the part using a 0.0625” Ball

End Mill.

In this method, the tool is always normal to the axis of table rotation (continuous

mode). The tool motions can be parallel to or normal to the rotation axis.From the Create Operations tab, select 4 axis Milling and 4 Axis Finishing.

This brings up the Finishing Operations dialog. We will go over the steps for

creating the pocketing operation.

1. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4 Axis Finishing operation dialog and select

BallMill-0.0625.





2. Click on the Feeds and Speeds tab and select Load From Tool. VisualMILL willnow get the feeds and speeds information that was set when the tool was

defined.

3. Switch to the Clearance Tab and set the Clearance Plane Definition to Automaticand Cut Transfer Method to Clearance Plane.







5. Set the Tolerance to 0.001, Stock to leave =0, Cut Pattern = Along Axis, ZigZag, Low to High, Set Cut Containment Low Value = -0.7, High Value = -0.1,

Step over distance = 10 (% Tool Diameter).

6. Click Generate. The Finishing toolpath is now generated, and the Operation is

listed under the 4th Axis Roughing Operation in the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





7. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Finishing, and click Simulate to run the

simulation.





Post Processing

1. Select Machining Operations from the Create Operations tab and right click and

select post process.

2. Specify the File Name as Ring.nc and click save.




End of Tutorial 10!





Tutorial 11: Engraving on a Cylinder











Setup Tab




rotation along X represents A axis and rotation along Y represents B axis. We willset the Rotary Center once we determine the Machine Zero.






5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select Haas asthe post processor for this exercise.










2. This brings up the Cylinder Stock parameters. Set the Axis (rotary) = X, Radius

= 1” and Length (L) = 8”. Leave the other parameters as default and click OK.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock is displayed ontop of the part geometry.


simulations. Select Preferences->Simulation Preferences from the Setup Tab andswitch the simulation model to Polygonal if set to Voxel.










Locate Machine Zero

1. The steps below help you determine the machine home (also know as machine

zero or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.2. Select Locate WCS from the Setup tab.

3. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to Mid Z, and

Zero Position to West. This sets the machine home to the center of the stockmaterial and the left most edge of the part geometry.












In this step, we will position the part to the center of the stock in XY and Z.

2. Use the following settings, Object to Move: Move Part, Z alignment: Center andXY Alignment: Center.





Specify Rotary CenterIn this step we will determine the rotary center for the part geometry. The rotary

center must pass thro’ the entire part geometry. VisualMILL will not compute atoolpath if the part/feature is below the rotary center as this is considered as an

undercuts in the part.


2. Set the rotary center in X, Y and Z = 0 which is the center of the stock geometry.

In this tutorial both the Machine Zero and the Rotary center are at the same

location.

The rotary center is represented by an arrow and displayed on the part geometrywhen the Machine Setup Dialog is invoked.





Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a 15 deg V-Bit.


browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to VeeMill.

2. Set the tool name as VeeMill1, Taper Angle = 7.5, Flute Length = 0.5, ToolLength = 1. Under the Properties tab set Tool Number = 1.























We will engrave the text on the cylinder using 4 Axis Engraving.

This method machines text or logos by following the contours of the selected regionsby projecting the text onto the cylinder.


4 Axis Engraving

1. Select 4 Axis Milling and choose Engraving.






warning message dialog would be displayed at all times when a 4 axis

machining operation is selected. Users can override this message by clickingOK in the dialog.



2. This brings up the 4 Axis Engraving Operation Dialog. We will now go over thesteps for creating the toolpath.






3. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Select Curves as

Regions.

4. Now, select the text by using the left mouse click, starting from left to right.

Make sure to get the inner curves on the letters ‘a’, ‘0’. Each curve is separate(by curves, not by letters) and must be selected separately.







7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4th Axis Engraving operation and select

VeeMill1.























11. Set the Tolerance = 0.001, Check Project Curve(s) to Model, Check FinishingPasses and set # of finishing passes = 2, and R Depth (Rf) = 0.05 (this is the

depth/pass. Total depth = 0.1”).

12. Click Generate. The 4 axis Engraving toolpath is now generated, and the






13. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Engraving, and click Simulate to run the

simulation.





Post Processing

1. Select Machining Operations from the Create Operations tab and right click and

select post process.

2. Specify the File Name as 4AxisEngrave.nc and click save.








End of Tutorial 11!





Tutorial 12: Machining a Ring





Introduction

This tutorial will illustrate machining this Ring using 4 axis-milling operations.

This tutorial will introduce the usage of several 4-axis operations such as 4 axis

roughing and finishing.The stepped instructions are accompanied by explanatory and introductory text.




Strategy to Machine the ring




• The part will be machined using 0.0625” and 0.03125’ ball end mills.




coordinates.

• Set the rotary axis and rotary center.





• Generate the toolpath• Simulate the toolpath.





To load a part:


bar.2. From the Open dialog box, select the RingExample_2.vcp file from the

Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\ProgramFiles\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)










Setup Tab




rotation along X represents A axis and rotation along Y represents B axis. We willset the Rotary Center once we determine the Machine Zero.






5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will select Haas asthe post processor for this exercise.










2. This brings up the Cylinder Stock parameters. Set the Axis (rotary) = X, Radius

= 0.48” and Length (L) = 0.4. Leave the other parameters as default and click

OK.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock is displayed ontop of the part geometry.







simulations. Select Preferences->Simulation Preferences from the Setup Tab and

switch the simulation model to Polygonal if set to Voxel.







Locate Machine Zero

1. The steps below help you determine the machine home (also know as machine

zero or tool touch off point) for the part/stock geometry.


3. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to Highest Z,

and Zero Position to East. This sets the machine home to the top of the stockmaterial and the right most edge of the part geometry.














In this step, we will position the part to the center of the stock in XY & Z.

2. Use the following settings, Object to Move: Move Part, Z alignment: Center and

XY Alignment: Mid-East.












center must pass thro’ the entire part geometry. VisualMILL will not compute a

toolpath if the part/feature is below the rotary center as this is considered as anundercuts in the part.


In the above example, the stock diameter is 0.96”.

2. Set the rotary center in X and Y = 0 and Z = -0.48 which is the center of thestock geometry.

The rotary center is represented by an arrow and displayed on the part geometrywhen the Machine Setup Dialog is invoked.





Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create 0.0625” and 0.03125” Ball End Mills.

1. Go to the VisualMILL-Tools browser that is located below the VisualMILL-MOpsbrowser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Ball End Mill.

2. Set the tool name as BallMill-0.0625, Tool Diameter = 0.0625 Flute Length =

1” and Tool Length = 1.5”. Under the Properties tab, set Tool Number = 1.

















6. Create a 2nd Ball End Mill with the following parameters.


b. Switch to Feeds & Speeds tab set Spindle Speed = 5000 rpm, plunge,approach & engage feed = 20 ipm, cut feed = 30 ipm, retract anddeparture feeds = 20 ipm. Set the Transfer Feedrate to Use Rapid.








We will machine the ring using 2 different machining operations – 4 axis Roughing

and Finishing.The first step in machining the ring will be a roughing operation. In this cut method,

the tool cuts the stock in successive levels. The spacing between these levels arespecified by the user. This type of machining is very efficient for removing large

volumes of material and is typically performed with a large tool. Roughing is typically

followed by semi-finishing or finishing toolpaths.






4th axis Roughing

1. Select 4 Axis Milling and choose Roughing.



OK in the dialog.







2. This brings up the 4 Axis Roughing Operation Dialog. We will now go over thesteps for creating the toolpath.

3. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4 Axis Roughing operation and select BallMill-0.0625.



















7. Set the Intol and Outol = 0.001, Stock to leave =0.005, Cut Pattern to AlongAxis, Zig Zag and Low to High, Cut Containment Low Value = -0.4, High Value

= 0.03, Step over distance = 25 (% Tool Diameter).

8. Switch to the Step Down Control Tab.





Step Down Control9. Use the Following Settings.

c. Cut Levels, Check Top (T) and specify Top (T) = 0.48 (radius ofstock material), Bottom (B) = 0.4, Step Down Control (dR) = 75 (%

Tool Diameter).

10. Click Generate. The 4 axis Roughing toolpath is now generated, and the






11. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Roughing, and click Simulate to run thesimulation.





4th Axis Roughing operation #2

We will now create a second 4 Axis Rough operation to machine the pocket areas

around the ring by limiting the toolpath using start, end angle cut containments.

Copying a MOp

1. Switch to the Create Operations tab in the Mops Browser.

2. Select the 4 Axis Roughing operation, right click copy.3. Now right click and select paste.

4. A copy of the rough operation is created below the 4th Axis Roughing

operation. The operation name is labeled 4th Axis Roughing(1) and is asshown below.









Specify Cut Parameters5. Double click on 4th Axis Roughing(1) to edit the operation.

6. Switch to the Cut parameters tab and use the following parameters.a. Leave the global parameters and cut pattern unchanged

b. Under Cut Containment change the Start Angle (S) = -90, End

Angle (E) = 90, Uncheck Do not cut past.

7. Switch to the Step Down Control tab





Specify Step Down Control8. Use the Following Settings.

a. Cut Levels, Check Top (T) and specify Top (T) = 0.4 (as we hadlimited the toolpath to a radius = 0.4 on the 1st Rough operation),

Step Down Control (dR) = 75 (% Tool Diameter).

9. Click Generate. The 4 axis Roughing toolpath is now generated, and theOperation is listed under the VisualMILL-MOps browser.





10. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Roughing, and click Simulate to runthe simulation.





4th axis Finishing

We will now use 4th Axis Finishing operation to finish the part using a 0.03125” Ball

End Mill.

In this method, the tool is always normal to the axis of table rotation (continuousmode). The tool motions can be parallel to or normal to the rotation axis.

From the Create Operations tab, select 4 axis Milling and 4 Axis Finishing.

This brings up the Finishing Operations dialog. We will go over the steps for

creating the pocketing operation.

1. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4 Axis Finishing operation dialog andselect BallMill-0.03125.






was defined.








5. Set the Tolerance to 0.001, Stock to leave =0, Cut Pattern = Along Axis,Zig Zag, Low to High, Set Cut Containment Low Value = -0.4, High Value =

-0.03, Step over distance = 10 (% Tool Diameter).

6. Click Generate. The Finishing toolpath is now generated, and the Operation

is listed under the 4 Axis Roughing Operation in the VisualMILL-MOpsbrowser.





7. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Finishing, and click Simulate to run the

simulation.





Post Processing



2. Specify the File Name as Ring2.nc and click save.


can change the post processor by selecting a different one from the drop down menuin the list. The posted g code by default will be saved to the folder where the part fileis located.

End of Tutorial 12!





Tutorial 13: Pocketing and Drilling on a Ring





Introduction

This tutorial is intended to describe the 4 axis pocketing and hole making operations.

Pocketing machines closed regions as if they were pockets - completely enclosed by

inner and outer regions. The tool cannot go beyond the outer region, and cannot gowithin inner regions. This is unlike Facing, in which the outermost region is

considered to enclose material to be removed. Hole making operations are used tocreate holes in a part; the hole types varying from simple drill holes, counter sunk

holes, through holes to tapped and bored holes. Here you will learn to drill simpleholes.





Strategy to machine the part




• The part will be machined using a 0.0625” Flat End Mill and 0.125” Standard

Drill




coordinates.

• Set the rotary axis and rotary center.• Create / Select the tool used for machining











To load a part:

1. Select File / Open from the Menu, or click the Open icon from the

Standard bar.





2. From the Open dialog box, select the 4AxisPocketing_1.vcp file from the

Tutorials folder in the VisualMILL 6.0 installation folder. (C:\Program

Files\MecSoft Corporation\VisualCAM 1.0\Plug-ins\VisualMILL 6.0\Tutorials)






Setup Tab



3. Set the Machine type to 4 axis and Rotary Axis to X axis. For most

controllers rotation along X represents A axis and rotation along Yrepresents B axis. We will set the Rotary Center once we determine the

Machine Zero.






5. Set the current post processor that is on your controller. We will selectHaas as the post processor for this exercise.










2. This brings up the Cylinder Stock parameters. Set the Axis (rotary) = X,

Radius = 2” and Length (L) = 1”. Leave the other parameters as default

and click OK.





3. The stock geometry is now created, and a semi-transparent stock isdisplayed on top of the part geometry.






simulations. Select Preferences->Simulation Preferences from the Setup

Tab and switch the simulation model to Polygonal if set to Voxel.







Locate Machine Zero




3. Under Set WCS Origin, choose Set to Stock Box, the Zero Face to

Highest Z, and Zero Position to East. This sets the machine home to thecenter of the stock material and the right most edge of the part geometry.













In this step, we will position the part to the center of the stock in XY and Z.

2. Use the following settings, Object to Move: Move Part, Z alignment:

Center and XY Alignment: Center.






center must pass thro’ the entire part geometry. VisualMILL will not compute atoolpath if the part/feature is below the rotary center as this is considered as an

undercuts in the part.


2. Set the rotary center in X, Y and Z = -2 (which is the center of the stockgeometry Diameter of stock = 4”).

The rotary center is represented by an arrow and displayed on the part geometry

when the Machine Setup Dialog is invoked.





Create Tools

To machine the above part, we will now create a 0.125” Drill (Standard Drill) and a

0.0625” Flat End Mill.


MOps browser and select Create/Edit Tools. Select the Tool Type to Drill.

2. Set the tool name as Drill-0.125, Tool Diameter = 0.125, Tip Angle =120. Under the Properties tab set Tool Number = 1.

















6. Create a 2nd tool, a Flat End Mill with the following parameters.

a. Tool Name: FlatMill-0.0625, Tool Diameter = 0.0625, Flute Length =

1,Tool Length = 1.5, Tool Number = 2.

b. Switch to Feeds & Speeds tab set Spindle Speed = 5000 rpm, plunge,approach & engage feed = 20 ipm, cut feed = 30 ipm, retract and

departure feeds = 20 ipm. Set the Transfer Feedrate to Use Rapid.








First we will drill the holes on the cylinder using 4 Axis Drilling.As in any other 4 axis operations, the tool is positioned normal (perpendicular) to

the rotary axis. Once the holes (regions) are selected, the dialog boxes are similar tothe 3 axis hole making operations. Sorting of holes is also possible to optimize the

tool motion.






4 Axis Drilling

1. Select Hole and choose 4 Axis Drilling.



OK in the dialog.







2. This brings up the 4 Axis Drilling Operation Dialog. We will now go over thesteps for creating the toolpath.

Select Hole Features

3. Go to the Machining Features/ Regions tab and click Hole Features.

4. Now, select the 12 circles around the part (represented in green color). Youcan also use the Select tool from the menu bar and use Select->By Layer

and choose Layer 04.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete theselection.

6. The selected regions are now displayed under Hole Features.





7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4 Axis Drilling operation and select Drill-

0.125.







9. Switch to Clearance tab and set the Clearance Plane Definition to Stock Max

R + Dist = 0.25. Set the cut transfer method to Clearance Plane.











11. Set the Drill Type = Standard Drill, Drill Depth = 0.1, Check Add Tool tipto Drill Depth and Approach Distance = 0.1

12. Switch to Sorting tab in the 4 Axis Drilling dialog.





Sorting

13. Use Minimum Distance Sort and specify the Start Point as Lower Left 14. Click Generate. The 4 Axis Drilling toolpath is now generated, and the






15. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Drilling, and click Simulate to run the

simulation.





4 axis Pocketing

1. Select 4 Axis from the Create operations tab and choose 4 Axis Pocketing

If the rotary center is not set to the same location as the Machine Zero, awarning message dialog would be displayed at all times when a 4 axis

machining operation is selected. Users can override this message by clickingOK in the dialog.





Note: You can check Do no show this dialog again to stop the warning messageappearing again when you create/edit a 4 axis machining operation.

2. This brings up the 4 Axis Pocketing Operation Dialog. We will now go over

the steps for creating the toolpath.






Regions.

4. Select all the curves on Layer 02 using the Select from the menu, Select-

>By Layer and choose Layer 02.





5. Right mouse click or select enter from the keypad to complete theselection.


7. Switch to the Tools tab inside the 4 axis pocketing operation and selectFlatMill-0.0625.















11. Set Tolerance = 0.001, Stock = 0, Cut Pattern = Offset Cuts, CutDirection = Mixed, Start Point = Inside, Step Distance = 25% (Tool

Diameter), Check Corner Cleanup.

12. Switch to Cut Levels Tab.

13. Use the following Settings

a. Location of Cut Geometry – At Top.

b. Total Cut Depth = 0.1, Rough Depth = 0.1





c. Rough Depth/Cut = 0.025.

d. Cut Level Ordering = Depth First.

14. Click Generate. The 4 Axis Pocketing toolpath is now generated, and the






15. Switch to Simulate tab, select 4 Axis Engraving, and click Simulate to runthe simulation.




Post Processing

1. Select Machining Operations from the Create Operations tab and right clickand select post process.

Documents

Visual Mill Getting Started Guide