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I PREPARING A FILE
A) From your SolidWorks part file: File – New
B) Double-click on the drawing icon
C) Right click in the drawing area – Properties. Click on the “Sheet Format” drop-
down menu and select “None.”
D) While still in the “Properties” window, change the scale to 1:1 if necessary.
E) Click on Tools – Options. Click on the Document Properties tab. Select “units”
from the tree on the left and change the units to inches if necessary. Click OK.
F) Click on View – Hide All Types.
G) Remove any circle center marks, unnecessary lines, points, etc.
H) Click on Window – Tile Horizontally
I) Click on Insert - Drawing View – Named View
J) Click on the name of the part in the top of the feature tree in the part window.
K) Click on the name of the view you want in the left side of the drawing window.
L) Click anywhere in the drawing window and your drawing will appear. Note:
Your drawing may exceed the page borders on the screen, this is OK.
M) Click on File – Save As. Click on the “Save as type” drop-down menu and
choose “Dxf(*.dxf)”
N) Select the location and file name you want and click “Save”
10) Click on the middle tab labeled “Simple drill – no peck,” “Peck drill – full
retract,” or “Tapping…”
(a) Select the appropriate item from the “Cycle” drop-down menu.
(i) “Drill/Counterbore” for center drilling or boring.
(ii) “Peck drill” for normal drilling operations
(iii)Haas only – “Tap” for power tapping
(b) Enter retract height, top of stock, and depth. Note: The depth must be a
value lower than the top of stock. (i.e. If the top of stock is 0, the depth
must be negative.)
(c) Bridgeport only – The depth measurement begins at the retract height. If
your retract height is 0.1 and you wish to drill a hole 0.4” deep in the
part, enter –0.5 for the depth.
(d) Peck drilling – Enter a depth for the machine to drill per peck. This value
should generally be no greater than the radius of the drill bit and should be
the same value for “1st peck” and “Subsequent peck.”
11) Click “OK”
B) Creating Contours
1) Click on Toolpaths – Contour
(a) If the contour is continuous (i.e. a circle, one arc, etc.) click on the
contour.
(b) If the contour is a chain (i.e. a combination of arcs and lines):
(i) Click on “Chain”
(ii) Click on the chain at the point you would like to begin your cutting
operation.
(c) Ensure the arrow on the screen is pointing in the appropriate direction for
climb cutting. If not, click “Reverse.”
(d) Click “Done.”
(vi)Click on “OK.”
(vii)Skip to step (f) below.
(e) If there is a check next to the “Multi passes” button, remove it by clicking
on the check mark.
(f) If the depth of your cut is greater than the radius of your mill bit or if you
wish to step down your depth for any other reason, proceed to (i) below.
Otherwise skip to (g) below.
(i) If the “Depth cuts” button is grayed out, click in the box next to it.
This will put a check mark in this box and activate the “Depth cuts”
button.
(ii) Click on the “Depth cuts” button.
(iii)Enter the appropriate value for “Max rough step.” This is the
maximum depth you will cut per pass and should generally be less
than or equal to the cutter radius.
(iv)If you wish to make a finish cut(s) in the Z direction, enter the number
of finish cuts and the amount you wish to remove on each finish pass.
(This operation is a bit rarer than making finish passes in the X-Y
direction.)
(v) Click on “OK.”
(vi)Skip to step (h) below.
(g) If there is a check next to the “Depth cuts” button, remove it by clicking
the check mark.
(h) Often times, you want the cutter to enter and exit the rough stock away
from the contour. This will prevent under-cutting of material due to
chatter from the mill bit as it plunges into the material. If you wish the
cutter to enter and exit the raw material away from the contour, proceed to
(i) below. Otherwise click “OK” and skip the remainder of this section.
(i) If the “Lead in/out” button is grayed out, click in the box next to it.
This will put a check mark in this box and activate the “Lead in/out”
button.
(ii) Click on the “Lead in/out” button.
(iii)If you want your lead in/out to be a straight line:
(1) Enter the appropriate length in the text box next to “Length.” This
value can be expressed in either percent of cutter diameter or
inches.
(2) Choose whether your lead in/out will be perpendicular or tangent
to the start point you selected for your contour by clicking on the
appropriate radio button.
(3) Enter 0 in the text box next to “Radius”
(d) If the depth of your cut is greater than the radius of your mill bit or if you
wish to step down your depth for any other reason, proceed to (i) below.
Otherwise skip to (e) below.
(i) If the “Depth cuts” button is grayed out, click in the box next to it.
This will put a check mark in this box and activate the “Depth cuts”
button.
(ii) Click on the “Depth cuts” button.
(iii)Enter the appropriate value for “Max rough step.” This is the
maximum depth you will cut per pass and should generally be less
than or equal to the cutter radius.
(iv)If you wish to make a finish cut(s) in the Z direction, enter the number
of finish cuts and the amount you wish to remove on each finish pass.
(v) Click on “OK.”
(vi)Skip to 8) below.
(e) If there is a check next to the “Depth cuts” button, remove it by clicking
on the check mark.
8) Click on the “Roughing/Finishing parameters” tab.
(a) Under “Cutting method,” click on the pattern you wish to use for cutting.
(b) If you selected any spiral method, click in the space next to “Spiral inside
to out.” Ensure a check mark appears in this box.
(c) If you wish to do a finish pass in the X-Y direction:
(i) Place a check next to “Finish” by clicking in the text box to its left.
(ii) Specify the number of finish passes (generally 1) in the “No. of
passes” field
(iii)Specify the amount of material you wish to remove on your finish pass
in the “Finish pass spacing” field.
(d) If you wish to do a lead in/out, you may do so here. See the contour
section II. B.8).h). for lead in/out instructions.
9) Click on “OK”
D) These are the basic operations in Mastercam. Continue these operations until all
toolpaths are complete.
IV EDITING A TOOLPATH
A) Click on Toolpaths – Operations
B) Find the toolpath you wish to edit and click on “Parameters”
C) Edit the toolpath using sections 3.1 – 3.3 as appropriate.
D) Click on the “Select all” button.
E) Click on the “Regen path” button. This will prompt the software to regenerate the
toolpaths, incorporating the new changes.
F) Click on “OK.”
V Saving your Mastercam file
A) Click on File – Save.
B) Follow normal saving procedures.
VI Preparing a file for the CNC mills.
A) Preview your file
1) Click on Toolpaths – Operations.
2) Click on the “Select all” button.
3) Click on the “Regen path” button.
4) Using the “Verify” command
(a) Click on the “Verify” button.
(b) This screen operates like a DVD player.
(c) When you are finished, “x” out of the screen.
5) Using the “Backplot” command.
(a) Click on the “Backplot” button.
(b) Use the commands in the menu area on the left to either run the entire
program or step through it.
(c) When the preview is complete, and approximate time will appear in the
lower-left corner of the window.
(d) View your toolpaths in different views using the icons at the top of the
screen.
(e) When you are done, click on “BACKUP.”
B) Preparing a set-up sheet:
1) Click on Toolpaths – Operations.
2) Click on the “Select all” button.
3) Click on the “Regen path” button.
4) Right click anywhere in the white space where the toolpaths are displayed.
5) Select “Options” – “Setup sheet.”
6) A window may appear asking if you wish to overwrite an existing file. This
relates to an internal temp file and the answer is always “Yes.” If no window
appears, skip to 6.2.7.
7) In the window that appears, you will see a large button with four different
tools. It will also have #1, #2, #3, and #4 on it. Click this button.
8) Print this page.
9) Click on the X in the upper right-hand corner.
10) Click “Cancel.”
11) Click on “Backup.”
12) Click on “OK.”
C) Sending a file to the post processor. (The CNC mills cannot read the Mastercam
file. You must post process the file into “G” code.)
1) Click on Toolpaths – Operations.
2) Click on the “Select all” button.
3) Click on the “Regen path” button.
4) Click on the “Post” button.
5) Click on the “Change post” button.
6) Bridgeport only:
(a) Select the “UIPOST1.PST” file.
(b) Click on “Open.”
(c) Check the box next to “Save NC file” by clicking in the text box to the left.
(d) In the text box under “NC file extension” erase “.nc” and type “.txt”
7) Haas only:
(a) Select the “HAAS1.PST” file.
(b) Click on “Open.”
(c) Check the box next to “Save NC file” by clicking in the text box to the left.
(d) Ensure the text box under “NC file extension” has “.nc” in it. If anything
different is here, change it to “.nc”.
8) Click on “OK.”
9) Save the file with a descriptive name on a floppy disc. The file name can be
no greater than seven characters (not counting the .txt file extension.)
10) Click on “Save.”
11) Click on “OK.”