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New to 4-axis Wire

CRC13SG

Plastic
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Sep 6, 2017
The setup that I am running is MasterCam with a Mitsubishi 1200S wire EDM. I'm curious if anyone has experience with programming 4 axis taper cuts with this software/machine combination? My problem is that I need set certain parameters (for Z1/Z5) in MasterCam so that it posts properly and then set different values at the machine for the Z1/Z5. This really only is an issue when my bottom geometry is above the work table. Essentially I am putting my WCS in MasterCam at that lower geometry, not the bottom of the part (work table).

I have gotten the taper to burn properly but, I'm just not sure this is the proper way to be programming 4 axis.


Any help will be greatly appreciated!
 
The setup that I am running is MasterCam with a Mitsubishi 1200S wire EDM. I'm curious if anyone has experience with programming 4 axis taper cuts with this software/machine combination? My problem is that I need set certain parameters (for Z1/Z5) in MasterCam so that it posts properly and then set different values at the machine for the Z1/Z5. This really only is an issue when my bottom geometry is above the work table. Essentially I am putting my WCS in MasterCam at that lower geometry, not the bottom of the part (work table).

I have gotten the taper to burn properly but, I'm just not sure this is the proper way to be programming 4 axis.


Any help will be greatly appreciated!

I don't have that machine software combo but I do use mastercam for all my programming. I run a Sodick, and for 4axis work when my bottom geometry is above my work table, I place "0" at the bottom of the part (as long as it is sitting level with the table) and use my "Table to Program" (bottom geometry) and "Table to Next" (top geometry). The values mastercam gives me in the 4axis parameters are the values I set on my machine to control the upper and lower guide. For me when I use this way of cutting 4axis I have to use G74 and G75.

If your part is sitting above the table, to use the same method, whatever the distance off the table you are, you need to set "0" the same distance in Mastercam.

Not sure if that will help at all but I hope is does.
 
No mastercam here but if you program the cad with the bottom geometry at table zero and you are going to be above the table I make those changes to the code at the controller, not sure about other makes but Mits machines will let you put math in to compensate. Here is an example where I had the piece raised 5/8" off table zero. This works with 4 axis and taper cutting. Making changes this way ensures if you ever use the code again and your set-up is slightly different you can be confident the Z values are correct as long as you account for mounting plate thickness.


%
(INCH)
H001=000.00700
(H900 RESERVED)
H900=000.00000
G70
G90
G92 X0.0 Y0.0
Z1=1.378+0.625
Z2=0.689+0.625
Z5=0.000+0.625
G00 X1.61881 Y-3.71063
 
I don't have that machine software combo but I do use mastercam for all my programming. I run a Sodick, and for 4axis work when my bottom geometry is above my work table, I place "0" at the bottom of the part (as long as it is sitting level with the table) and use my "Table to Program" (bottom geometry) and "Table to Next" (top geometry). The values mastercam gives me in the 4axis parameters are the values I set on my machine to control the upper and lower guide. For me when I use this way of cutting 4axis I have to use G74 and G75.

If your part is sitting above the table, to use the same method, whatever the distance off the table you are, you need to set "0" the same distance in Mastercam.

Not sure if that will help at all but I hope is does.
Revisiting this thread because I'm once again learning 4 axis in mastercam but, now with a Sodick machine. Reading your reply you say that you use G74 and G75.... Where do these come into play? Where are they located in the NC code?

Thanks in advance!
 
So with G74 and G75...they turn on/off 4axis cutting using wire dia offsets along with G41/G42. Typical use of G74/G75 is when you have seperate top and bottom geometry.

When you program using G74/G75 you must make sure all your values are correct from your programming software to your machine parameters. You need to have certain values established on your machine....
Table to Limit
Table to upper
Table to lower
Table to program
Table to next
These are all very crucial to having success in 4axis cutting on Sodicks.

As far as the code location in the program...G74 goes at the beginning and G75 at the end to cancel. My post automatically spits them out when I select the certain post.

There is also another accurate way to cut 4axis using Table to Upper and Table to Lower.
 
JZ,

I thought table to limit, Table to upper, and Table to lower, were set by the taper calibration program from Sodick?

I don't know where you get that information from in mastercam.

Table to program and table to next, isn't that for the program plane on the part itself, and then table to next is the plane on the other side of the part?
 
JZ,

I thought table to limit, Table to upper, and Table to lower, were set by the taper calibration program from Sodick?

I don't know where you get that information from in mastercam.

Table to program and table to next, isn't that for the program plane on the part itself, and then table to next is the plane on the other side of the part?
Yeah, your Table to Limit,upper and Lower are all established and you'll need those numbers if you are programming 4axis without using G74and G75. You have to set your values in Mastercam and your part/geometry to match what you will have on your machine. Your guide heights from machine to mastercam need to match.

With using G74/G75, your right about TP and TN. Those numbers will change to correlate with your set-up.
 
So with G74 and G75...they turn on/off 4axis cutting using wire dia offsets along with G41/G42. Typical use of G74/G75 is when you have seperate top and bottom geometry.

When you program using G74/G75 you must make sure all your values are correct from your programming software to your machine parameters. You need to have certain values established on your machine....
Table to Limit
Table to upper
Table to lower
Table to program
Table to next
These are all very crucial to having success in 4axis cutting on Sodicks.

As far as the code location in the program...G74 goes at the beginning and G75 at the end to cancel. My post automatically spits them out when I select the certain post.

There is also another accurate way to cut 4axis using Table to Upper and Table to Lower.
Thank you for the information. So I am in the process of converting from Bobcad to MasterCam. I see that my Bobcad post does have the G74/G75 utilized. I posted from MasterCam and made everything identical as far as code, TP and TN numbers that I have in Bobcad. When I graphed it out on the machine it gave me 2 different max taper angles on the screen between the 2.
 
Is there any change in your -Z- height or Origin from Bobcad to Mastercam, and what are the max angles it gives you?
 
Is there any change in your -Z- height or Origin from Bobcad to Mastercam, and what are the max angles it gives you?
No change in Z heights. The Mastercam post is graphing out at 3.9 degrees and the Bobcad post is graphing at 4.8 degrees. Upon further investigation, it seems as though the Mastercam is the accurate one and the Bobcad is off. Makes me question everything I was shown on Bobcad these past 6 months.
 
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So with G74 and G75...they turn on/off 4axis cutting using wire dia offsets along with G41/G42. Typical use of G74/G75 is when you have seperate top and bottom geometry.

When you program using G74/G75 you must make sure all your values are correct from your programming software to your machine parameters. You need to have certain values established on your machine....
Table to Limit
Table to upper
Table to lower
Table to program
Table to next
These are all very crucial to having success in 4axis cutting on Sodicks.

As far as the code location in the program...G74 goes at the beginning and G75 at the end to cancel. My post automatically spits them out when I select the certain post.

There is also another accurate way to cut 4axis using Table to Upper and Table to Lower.
Would you be able to point me in the right direction on where to find these first 3 you listed please? I recognize that the "table to program" and "table to next" are the TP and TN that I set for my chain heights at the beginning of my program. I just don't know where to check and verify the other 3 are set correctly.
 
Would you be able to point me in the right direction on where to find these first 3 you listed please? I recognize that the "table to program" and "table to next" are the TP and TN that I set for my chain heights at the beginning of my program. I just don't know where to check and verify the other 3 are set correctly
Yeah for sure, easy to find.
There is a program for your machine that will set these values, it is always done at the machine set-up. Table to Limit and Table to Lower should never change once they are set, UNLESS you change out the type of guide you typically use.

Table to Upper will change depending where your -Z- is (they move together).

To find these values, goto Settings, then User 2...Look towards the middle top of your screen and you should see the what your looking for.
 
Yeah for sure, easy to find.
There is a program for your machine that will set these values, it is always done at the machine set-up. Table to Limit and Table to Lower should never change once they are set, UNLESS you change out the type of guide you typically use.

Table to Upper will change depending where your -Z- is (they move together).

To find these values, goto Settings, then User 2...Look towards the middle top of your screen and you should see the what your looking for.
Thank you very much, I located where these settings are. We DO change the guides everytime we switch back and forth from the "4-axis heads" to the standard setup. Basically it's different flush cups and guides.
 
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