Cross Section Surface

The Version 20 software offers a large variety of surface creation functions.  The Cross Section surface is one of them and this lesson is going to show you how to use this function with an existing example file.

STEP 1

With a NEW drawing screen open go to the CAD FILE menu and select OPEN.  Locate the BobCAD-CAM Version 20 folder and double click on the Samples folder to open it.  Now locate the file called, “Cross section surface example.cad” and double click on it to open it in the CAD window. 

This is a series of cross sectional geometry (arcs) that we want to create a surface for so that we can machine it in the CAM. 

STEP 2

Let’s go ahead and open the CAM side of the software by going to the Special/NC CAM menu and selecting INSERT NC.  Locate the HAAS VF Series post processor and double click on it to fully open the CAM on the right side of the screen.

Now with the CAM open, go to the CAD side of the screen and click the View All icon from the main icon bar at the top of the software.

Now, have a look at the CAM side.  You will see the CAM icon bar that runs down the LEFT wall of the CAM.  Toward the bottom of this CAM icon bar you will see a button that has 3D on it.  Click that 3D button to turn the CAM 3D mode on for machining.

Now go to the TOOL menu on the CAM side and select TOOL CHANGE.  In the tool change box enter 1 under Tool Number and enter .25 under Tool Diameter.  Enter 2000 for the Spindle Speed, 3 for the Spindle Direction which represents clockwise motion and 8 for Coolant and click OK.

NOTE:  The HAAS VF Series post configuration will be different from other posts.  If you have a HAAS CNC machine you can use this post configuration.  If your post is not listed in the V20 demo, we either have it or can create it at no additional cost to the customer.

STEP 3

Go to the CAD side of the software and position your cursor at the bottom FRONT position of the far LEFT arc and click on it.  The direction arrow of the arc will be pointing toward you.  Now hold down the CONTROL KEY on your keyboard and click the same location of each arc going from the next across to the right until each arc is selected with all directional arrows going in the same direction.

When this is done go to the Solids menu, choose Surface Creation, Cross Section and then click the NEXT button.

This brings up the Cross Section box.

We do not need to “Equalize” these entities.  Therefore, do not check this box.  Simply click the OK button to generate the surface.

STEP 4

At this time the surface may be selected (highlighted in red).  If it isn’t, go ahead and click on one of the surfaces edge lines or an interior line of the surface.  The interior lines of this surface run lengthwise from end to end. 

Now go to the Solids menu and select Generate Toolpath to open the Planar Cut options box.

Enter the following:

Click the NEXT button.

Select the “To Part Edge” option and the “Use Full Part” option under the Z extents section and click the GENERATE button to create the toolpath and, when finished, open the Solid Tool Depth Settings” box.

STEP 5

The Rapid Plane (clearance) will provide a clearance value based off of the Material Top of where this part is located on the CAD screen. 

Check the ENABLE button under Automatic Roughing and enter .25 as the maximum depth (step down) for each cut. 

Now click the OK button to generate the g-code program.

STEP 6

Go to the EDIT menu of the CAM and click on the SELECT ALL function which will highlight all of the G-Code.  Now go back to the CAM EDIT menu and click on Run Time Estimate.

The new box will prompt you for a feed rate.  You can enter in the feed rate that you will be using. 

This will be in inches or millimeters per minute depending on what you have the software set to in the software environment settings (located in the CAD side edit menu under environment and coordinates tab).  Click OK.

This will produce your run time.

Click OK to exit the run time box.

Now go directly to the active color bar on the CAD side, click the small drop down arrow and click a different color than black.

STEP 7

Now that you have changed the active color, go to the CAM EDIT menu and select GEOMETRY FROM NC to backplot the toolpath from the g-code program.

Now go to the CAD EDIT menu and choose Select Entities and then SELECT ALL.  Everything will highlight.  Now go to the SOLIDS menu (also on the CAD side) and choose RENDER.

This is basically the roughing cycle.  You would now perform a tool change and go back to generate your finishing toolpath and g-code for finishing in the same program if this is how you wanted to program the part.  As you become familiar with how to create parts and machine them you will find BobCAD-CAM Version 20 to be both easy to use and fast in 2D or 3D part programming!