Running a Channel around a Cylinder 2

[niart17]

My company is running in to a problem trying to model a cylindrical part that has channels running around it in specific paths. The problem we have is trying to maintain that the center of the sweep cut is always radiant to the center of the cylinder and that the walls do not form an undercut. The ultimate goal is to establish a path for a ball endmill to create the actual part. We realize there will probably need to be multiple guide curves but can't figure the most practical way to establish those guides.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Theophilus]

Have you tried sweeping a solid cut (as opposed to a 2D sketch)? Also, do you need help establishing your paths on the cylinder or is it more the cut itself? For paths, I wonder if the Wrap feature might work as a simple solution (as compared with the not-simple solutions).



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

 

[niart17]

Several people are trying different things so I don't know everything that has been attempted so far. I do know we have successfully swept cut a solid object (shaped like the endmill)around the cylinder by using a spiral helix as the path and that worked for a visual representation but not an accurate model of the real part and it's not as controllable a path as we need. The issue is keeping the bottom of the endmill always facing to the center of the cylinder. In theory, it seems if there is a way to make a center axis of the cylinder one of the guides and a spline path on the surface the other guide, that would be what we need. But it gives me errors if I try that. Does the object you're using to sweep cut have to physically touch the guide paths?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Try this.

 

[rstupplebeen]

Check this option out. Hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

 

[EEnd]

If you use the Google Custom Search at the top of the page and search for barrel cam you will find several threads which might be related to what you are attempting.

Eric

 

[niart17]

Hey CorBlimey, That is pretty much what one of my attempts looked like. At first I thought that would do it, but once you start trying a path other than a spiral helix, it begins to distort the channel and develops undercuts.

Rob, This is VERY close to what we need. The draw back I have trying this method is getting the start point and the stop point of the cut to end at a very precise location (within .000") For example a cut might start 3.000" from the edge of the cylinder at the 90 degree position and end up 6.000" from that edge at the 270 degree position. The path itself just needs to avoid other paths and maintain walls without undercuts, but the start and end MUST be at an exact location and of an exact radius.

Thanks again everyone. It's getting closer.

 

[rstupplebeen]

Is this closer? I only rounded the one edge of the cut but I think it gets the point across. I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

 

[rstupplebeen]

Pic

Any idea why I can not get these posts to have the picture in them? I use this command with the square brackets surrounding it instead of the quotes.
"img

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...4c8b-a90d-daeae5283fd3&file=CutCylinder2.JPG"

Rob Stupplebeen

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

You have to change a portion of the link ... from getfile to download

 

[rstupplebeen]

Thanks CBL that has been annoying me for a while.

Rob Stupplebeen

 

[kellnerp]

Strangely I just solved that problem. See my post on invalid equation driven curves. There is an example part there. As long as you make sure the parameters are entered in increasing order you can use an equation to drive a "trench" around a cylinder. If your actual generatrix is more complex you can use the edges of the cut I did as guide curves.

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