On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 10:11:20 -0500, Cliff
wrote:
On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 20:07:08 -0600, F. George McDuffee
wrote:
Also I am doing range checking [min/max values] and would
appreciate advise on the following points, assuming you are using
small endmills for sign creation, etc.
(1) What are the min/max vertical feedrates and units that you
would ever use?
(2) What are the min/max horizontal feedrates and units you would
ever use?
(3) What is the min/max distance above the surface you would ever
use?
(4) What is the min/max plunge below the surface you would ever
use?

Let the user input them & save them in a default file for the user.
Next time use the defaults with an option to change & save them.
==================
Sorry for the confusion in terminology. Range checking limits
the max/min feed rate that you can set. For example, 1 ipm to 20
ipm verticle feed rate. You can choose anything you wish in
between these values. As not everyone using this program will
have extensive experence, it is an effort to minimize tool
breakage.

Also I can see turning all the layers in your cad drawing off
except the pocket with crosshatching, plotting and macnining (key
is to use the offset command) the pocket with a larger tool /
feed rate, and then turning the pocket layer off and the
lettering layer on to plot the lettering at the bottom of the
pocket with a much smaller (possibly ball) end mill and and thus
a much smaller feed rate. This is where the clearence above the
surface for pen-up [G00] moves, and the maximum plunge below the
surface comes in.

With careful attention to tool offsets and using the offset
command in the cad program, you can get very good results in
milling cams with this. If anyone is interested I have a lisp
[lsp] program I wrote to generate cycloid curves that works with
autocad and intellicad.

Uncle George



Uncle George.