Machining dimples on a contoured surface with ball nose? 1

[sekhon]

Hi friends, I need to machine dimples (.012" deep) with a 1/16" ball nose on a contoured face.I tried to use fixed contour with curve/point method and selecting all the points one by one as a drive geometry but nx generates path only for the last selected point.

I have attached a picture in which you can see the points as a 2d drawing and i would like to machine dimples on the side wall as shown in the picture.Please help me.Its a 3 axis machine with a ball nose mounted on a air grinder horizontally.

 

[joycejo]

Do you want to plunge into the surface with a ball mil - sort of like drilling?

I would
1. Project the points onto the surface
2. Use the drilling operation. Set the depth to tool tip .012


John Joyce
Manufacturing Engineer
Senior Aerospace CT
NX 10 Vericut 7.4.1

 

[markrief]

If you're just forming the dimple with the tool shape, then just drill them like John says.
If you can use the same sideways tool axis for all of them, it should be easy. Otherwise, you will need to go normal to the surface, but for a shallow dimple, you should not need to do that.
Also, for machining, I would tilt the tool slightly so that the tool tip is not at the center of the dimple.

Mark Rief
NX CAM Customer Success
Siemens PLM Software

 

[sekhon]

Thanks a lot john and Mark!!
John,your trick worked like a charm!!
First i tried to use simple spot drill operation subtype but it was outputting program as a normal Z-axis drill cycle and machine was confusing because tool was mounted along Y axis.Then i used peck-drill type and then NX generated all linear moves and it worked nicely!! I have attached the picture.