B-Axis Contour Turning Enhancements

Three major enhancements have been added to the B-Axis Contour Turning operation:

• Ability to manually edit tool axis vectors.

• Ability to manually edit usable insert area.

• Adjust stock function.

Together, these new features give you even more control over how the tool contacts the part. These enhancements further the optimization of tool life and surface finish, while also streamlining the workflow.

Editing the Toolpath Vectors

If you have manually defined the tool axis vectors, Mastercam now lets you edit them after they have been created. Do this to fine-tune the resulting toolpath without editing or creating additional geometry.

The new options are on the Basic Motion Control page. Select Modified, and then click the Edit vectors button.

Mastercam displays the current tool axis vectors in the graphics window. Click on a vector and use the angle dial to rotate it to the desired orientation. Press the [Shift] key to display an outline of the tool along with the vector. While you are editing the vectors, the tool rotation is stopped and boundary is displayed in red if a collision is detected.

Double-click anywhere on the contour to add additional tool axis vectors. Sections of the contour, where the tool is not able to contact the part, are highlighted in red; if you double-click in a non-contact area, Mastercam will add the new tool axis vector at the closest possible location.

Press [Enter] to return to the function panel. Mastercam does not edit the original wireframe geometry that was used to create the initial tool axis vector.

Note that if you are working with a part that was created in an earlier version of Mastercam with the Automatic setting, you will need to regenerate the part before the Modified option is available.

Manually Defining the Usable Portion of the Insert

Mastercam now lets you manually define the allowable portion of the insert. Do this when you would rather define the insert visually instead of entering a dimension, or when you wish to define a usable insert area that is irregular or non-symmetrical.

The new options are on the Advanced Motion Control page. Choose Manual, then the Edit depth button. Mastercam returns you to the graphics window where you can edit the boundaries of the usable portion. Use your mouse to drag each colored ball to the desired location on the insert boundary.

Also, a new Preview button has been added. Click it to see the updated insert boundaries in the graphics window. This can be used no matter which method you use to define the usable insert area.

• Mastercam displays the insert with the proper insert-up or insert-down colors.

• The display takes into account the Holder clearance value.

• For collision-checking purposes, the unused portion of the insert is treated like it is part of the holder.

  

Adjusting the Stock

Many turning operations in Mastercam include the Adjust stock function. B-axis Contour Turning operations now also include this feature. However, the interface has been completely redesigned for an easier workflow.

Click Adjust stock to edit the stock model at the beginning and end of the toolpath. Do this to control how the tool enters and exits the stock.

When you click the button, Mastercam displays the existing remaining stock model relative to the chained geometry in a temporary viewsheet. A green ball indicates the beginning of the chain, and a red ball indicates the end. The gray dashed line indicates the current stock boundary.

Click and release one of the balls to edit the stock model at either end of the chain. Drag the ball to the desired location on the stock boundary, and then press [Enter].

White dots indicate up to three locations to which the cursor will snap:

• The location perpendicular to the direction of the cut.

• The location parallel to the direction of the cut.

• The location parallel to the direction of the chain.

In these pictures, the white dots are displayed in red for sake of clarity. For example, you can drag the ball to the stock margin to extend the stock to the face of the part, or drag it down to create a chamfer.

When you are done, click [Enter] to return to the function panel. Click Reset to undo the changes and restore the original stock.