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Author Topic: Real 4th axis software for tilting spindle? Not trunnion table way...  (Read 4184 times)

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Offline Frank1959

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Re: Real 4th axis software for tilting spindle? Not trunnion table way...
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2017, 06:50:23 AM »
hi Roger, and Dude,
thx both for your input. I had seen references to FUSION but honestly thought it only was cabable of indexing, not continuous, and had so un-checked it off my list pf possible soultions, as indexing isn´t the way I need to go...large pieces cant easily be spun on a trunnion type rotation axis (A or B, or whatever you call it ).  Now I see that, yes, 5 axis continuous is possible. So i will continue investigating and try and see tutorials etc.
I came across videos of POWERMILL, and it looks exactly what I need, but haven´t been able to discover what price it´s at. Here´s a chinese tutorial video, in English.
Roger, have you considered "cnc tool kit"? http://www.cnc-toolkit.com/ It´s eems viable, free, but quite intensive at a programming level.
With regards our common interest in cnc machining stone, I´d be more than happy to share all info I find. Interested? Is your machine home built?
Yes, my web is at present only in Spanish. I´m Irish, but live in Spain and my customers are up to this only on a national level.
Are you considering using a diamond disc to rough out work before milling? It seems to be the way big industrial machines do it. But yet another complication when it come to programming, as I know of no software cabable of accepting the geometry of a flat disc and creating toolpaths for it. Ther is a high end  English industrial program, I cant think of the name at the moment, which does allow this.
More questions for you, Roger. How do you use AutoSketch at a 3D level?
Thanks again,
Frank.

Offline dude1

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Re: Real 4th axis software for tilting spindle? Not trunnion table way...
« Reply #11 on: December 03, 2017, 02:21:13 PM »
You have to talk to a reseller, or Autodesk to find the cost of powermill when it was up on the sight the cost was not that bad in the 000 

Offline rcaffin

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Re: Real 4th axis software for tilting spindle? Not trunnion table way...
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2017, 03:47:24 PM »
Hi Frank

When I first looked at Fusion it was cloud-only (if I remember correctly!), and I wanted something to also use on my CNC PC - which is of course NOT on any network. Since then I have written my own g-code, very much in a 'programmer' style (parameters, subroutines etc). For a lot of my work that has produced superior code and superior product - and been adaptable to a semi-production environment making 10-off at a time.

Yes, I know CNC tool kit. When I first looked at it some years ago it was a bit bare-bones. And I didn't need the STL capabilities anyhow.

My machine is not home built per se: it is a limited production Australian two-spindle machine which initially sold for around $30k. I bought it 2nd-hand, mostly unused, and had soon to replace ALL the electronics. The original was DOS-based with large plug-in cards! Fortunately I have more than enough electronics experience for that.

But the original machine was 3-axis designed for steel and aluminium, not stone, and for dry machining, no coolant (MQL these days actually). I added a good 4th axis to that - written up at http://www.cnczone.com/forums/linear-and-rotary-motion/261174-cnc-engineering.html - that was MYOG.

Since there is so much steel in the machine, I have had to add a 'bathtub' system to it so I can use diamond tooling with water coolant (1st photo). In the limited volume of my mill that has been tricky. I must be up to V3 or v4 so far. But note: my mill is MUCH smaller than your machines! A little bigger than 'desktop', but able to handle steel and titanium.

How do I use Autosketch for 3D? Well ... I guess you would have to say I don't. I use it in 2D - and i am fairly good at using it, but the 3D stuff happens first and in my head. But that is because the things I make can be done that way. They are not 'the head of Julius Caesar' as it were. One day maybe I will have to learn how to carve heads ... In the meantime, geometrical things. The 2nd photo shows a wood prototype from some time ago.

Finally, tooling. At present all the tooling I use for rock is diamond: no carbide. But that is because I am (so far) machining basalt and granite. I dare say that if I was working marble or limestone I could use carbide. I use larger diameter hole drills for roughing out as they can be used as a diamond disk to some degree (ie side on), but my spindle is vertical with no tilt. At this stage I am still learning!

Cheers
Roger