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NX3 manufacturing - fixing IPW collisions

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nsmith40

Mechanical
Apr 14, 2007
19
I am trying to generate machine code for an aluminum case using NX3 and I am having some issues getting a clean cutting path.

I am using Cavity Mill on a set of selected faces (all the faces on the outside of a contoured case)

The piece of rectangular blank material will be bolted down in the corners to the mill table, so the corners will remain unmachined.


I am getting a lot of in process workpiece collisions on rapids between cuts. I have enabled the following options and do not know what else to do to avoid these collisions:

--I have set a clearance plane and set the transfer method to clearance plane
--Automatic engagement is set to engage "On Shape"
--Follow Part is the cut method
--Cutting --> Containment is set to use 3D IPW and trim by silhouette



What can I do to be able to machine this part by basically milling a "trench" around the part with no IPW collisions?
 
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I've played around with it a bit more and here is an update:

Turns out Cutting->Containment->Trim->Silhouette was a bad idea. I've reset it to "None"


I have been able to get an acceptable toolpath if I leave the Cut Levels as default, but as soon as I delete the lowest cut level, the toolpath completely changes and and becomes something other than acceptable. It may come down to generating through the bottom then manually deleting the lowest cut level. This may get a bit tedious since I would like to do a rough, semi-rough, then finish pass, and THEN cut the lowest level, thus releasing the part from the blank after installing a few cleverly placed toe clamps.

Any help or insight on how NX3 thinks for this kind of operation would be greatly appreciated!
 
"I am trying to generate machine code for an aluminum case using NX3 and I am having some issues getting a clean cutting path.

I am using Cavity Mill on a set of selected faces (all the faces on the outside of a contoured case)

The piece of rectangular blank material will be bolted down in the corners to the mill table, so the corners will remain unmachined."

What are you using the "selected Faces" for?
Part geometry or Cut area?

Cavity mill is a volume removal process and works best when there are two solids, Part and Blank. Use the Cut area to define the faces of the part that you want to machine.

You can create a surface region to make the selection of multiple faces easier.

When using a cut area the cut levels seem to work better.

Define the faces you do not want to cut as Check geometry

John Joyce
Tata Technologies iKS
1675 Larimer St.
Denver, CO
 
I am using the set of selected faces (all of the faces on the outside of the case) as my cut area. I have my "workpiece" geometry set up with the solid body of my part as the "part" and another solid model of my blank as the "blank" (that sounds redundant, but I think it makes sense)

The issue arises with the cutter colliding on rapids with small areas of the uncut blank just to the outside of the "trench" around the part. I have a feeling it is an engage/retract issue, but I don't know how to properly tweak the settings
 
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