Mastercam 2017 Lathe Groove glitch?

dodgin · May 31, 2017

Been struggling with this on a few programs over the course of a couple months - lathe grooving tool isn't following the chain I tell it to, it will offset one side or one wall of a groove by about .020" no matter what. For instance, this morning building a grooving path for a .086" wide groove with an .062" wide insert...first toolpath fails because I can't leave any more than .002" finish on Z. Take the stock left on rougher down to .000 and it will rough and then follow the (Z-) chain in X, come back out and finish the (Z+) chain in X, but the entire contour will be offset to (Z-) by .020".

Just figured out a "fix" for the issue a few moments ago - edit the grooving insert, take the corner rads off completely, regenerate path, then toolpath runs just as I want it to. Go back in, add proper corner rads, regenerate...and the toolpath runs just as I want it to.

Anyone else seen this? I'm glad I know how to operate around it now but it'd be nice if there was a proper fix to where, I don't know, it wasn't happening at all anymore.

brian.pallas · May 31, 2017

I've never had that issue. I recommend posting on the emastercam.com website. Put up your mastercam file and someone can probably help figure it out, because it shouldn't be doing what you are describing.

I would suggest looking over the insert definition and make sure everything is at it should be there. Try creating a new tool and see what you get. I am just guessing at a few things without seeing a file, but I would check out if the problem is in the tool definition.

Once you have the tool working as it should with your work around, can you save it to your lathe tool library, start a new file and do a groove with the saved tool? Does it work as it should, or doing as before?

Mtndew · May 31, 2017

dodgin said:
Been struggling with this on a few programs over the course of a couple months - lathe grooving tool isn't following the chain I tell it to, it will offset one side or one wall of a groove by about .020" no matter what. For instance, this morning building a grooving path for a .086" wide groove with an .062" wide insert...first toolpath fails because I can't leave any more than .002" finish on Z. Take the stock left on rougher down to .000 and it will rough and then follow the (Z-) chain in X, come back out and finish the (Z+) chain in X, but the entire contour will be offset to (Z-) by .020".

Just figured out a "fix" for the issue a few moments ago - edit the grooving insert, take the corner rads off completely, regenerate path, then toolpath runs just as I want it to. Go back in, add proper corner rads, regenerate...and the toolpath runs just as I want it to.

Anyone else seen this? I'm glad I know how to operate around it now but it'd be nice if there was a proper fix to where, I don't know, it wasn't happening at all anymore.

You may have found a bug. I'd post it on the Official Mastercam forum.
http://forum.mastercam.com

dodgin · May 31, 2017

Thanks guys. I'll make up some posts on those websites and do some further investigating also.

Today I was just thankful to find a workaround, last time I was under the gun and ended up offsetting my geometry to get the path to run how I wanted. I hate changing geometry.

aldepoalo · May 31, 2017

Where was the reference point set for your tool. Tangent? If so that might be the reason why the toolpath was running inside your profile in the corners.

dodgin · Jun 1, 2017

aldepoalo said:
Where was the reference point set for your tool. Tangent? If so that might be the reason why the toolpath was running inside your profile in the corners.

Do you mean the approach and retract reference points?

brian.pallas · Jun 1, 2017

I believe aldepoalo is referring to the insert, what is the reference point on the insert? On the "define tool" page, hit the draw tool button and look at how the insert is positioned in relation to 0,0.

dodgin · Jun 1, 2017

I understand. Yes, the radius is tangent to 0.

iMillJoe · Jun 4, 2017

I don't have Matercrap in front of me at the moment, but there is a little tick box on the second tab of the lathe groove dialogue that should almost always be set to tangent, even though it almost never defaults to that, and thats about the only thing on that particular tab that is ever important. Mastercam lathe defaults in 2017 will also go to 'factory' default settings rather than custom, after the project has been closed and reopened.

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

Mastercam 2017 Lathe Groove glitch?

dodgin

Hot Rolled

brian.pallas

Hot Rolled

Mtndew

Diamond

dodgin

Hot Rolled

aldepoalo

Stainless

dodgin

Hot Rolled

brian.pallas

Hot Rolled

dodgin

Hot Rolled

iMillJoe

Hot Rolled

Similar threads