What's new
What's new

Flow Path

canuckiron

Plastic
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Location
Ontario, Canda
Hi, I am new to this group and ask for forgivness in advance if I make a fool of myself. We got a waterjet from Flow and we have has some problems with Flow Path software. I anyone here familiar with it?
 
We use it mostly for flat cut metals such as aluminum and stainless steel. Letters for the sign industry. We have problem when the program encounters corners less than 90 degrees with control points too close together it makes a new path and actually puts a loop or keyhole type shape in the corner. Doesn't necessarily have to be a corner but a radius with a control point midway will get the loop too. We can't help but wondering if we are missing a setting or parameter to stop this problem.
Thanks
 
I use flow path and would be happy to try and program your part for you to compare toolpaths. I have not seen the problem you are having...yet.

Aaron
 
Sounds like it might be a problem with interpretation of arcs. Duh! :D

Try setting the post output for IJ arc centers instead of R, if that is what you are using.
 
i`ve seen this also.what version are you using?i would zoom in to the corner,delete a couple of lines on both sides of the corner and then draw a line from the corner and snap it to the end of the line that is left giving you one entity instead of two or three.i think the problem is that the line lenghts at that point are too short.if you drew the dxf in another cad program as i do, text are created using lines,arcs and splines.flow does not recognise splines or points so you have to explode the spline into lines and arcs.when you explode, these lines and arcs maybe very short,that is why i suggest trying the above.it`s been awhile since i encountered your problem so i`m trying to remember and i could be wrong.extending your lines will not cause any problems with the look of the letters as you are not really doing anything drastic.i use flowPATH version 3 to path the part and use flowCUT version 5 to cut the part.i found flowPATH ver 5 has some problems and believe it gives that triangle cut you describe.i will try to reproduce the error today and see if i`m right or atleast give you a real answer.
 
Thanks guys. Scrapbin, you see to hit the nail on the head. Especially when two control points are two close together, less than .060 then it is almost certain to loop. We got Mastercam 10 but the post they supplied us expired after 30 days and now we are trying to resolve that. The post came at the busy time of year and they would not send anyone to adequately learn the program so it sits on a shelf for now. I believe the version of Flowpath we are using is 5 but I will double check today.
 
I was happier doing my drawing in Mastercam, saving off an iges and loading it Flowpath. I spent a whole week at Flow and found trying to do everything in Flowpath a drag. Mastercam iges files are really clean, plus all you have to do is a 'convert to arcs' and your done.
 
Thanks guys. Scrapbin, you see to hit the nail on the head. Especially when two control points are two close together, less than .060 then it is almost certain to loop. We got Mastercam 10 but the post they supplied us expired after 30 days and now we are trying to resolve that. The post came at the busy time of year and they would not send anyone to adequately learn the program so it sits on a shelf for now. I believe the version of Flowpath we are using is 5 but I will double check today.

I've seen this issue before. It's caused by a small segment that is shorter than the cut width. When the software does the offset, it ends up on the wrong side of the line.
 
whats your problem. we have a flow machine

Hello, I am an IT Consultant and have installed Flow path in and a new PC and the default table size is too small, the customer is not sure how to make the table size bigger. Can someone help us with this issue. Thanks
 
Hello, I am an IT Consultant and have installed Flow path in and a new PC and the default table size is too small, the customer is not sure how to make the table size bigger. Can someone help us with this issue. Thanks

You can program and cut past the table limit...

but anyway

There's an interesting little file named Table.ini in C:\Program Files (x86)\Flow International\FlowCUT 7\System

first few lines:

Code:
UNIT
INCH
CUTTING TABLE SIZE
158.6
79.9
..


IT consultant
, huh? :rolleyes5:
 








 
Back
Top