Region curves vs extruded curve

It's a common thought that the Region curves function is a "hard" boundary that the cutter can't leave. This is a negative assumption. The region curve tells the tool path generator where to cut the model, it doesn't fence the cutter in that area. There is a simple way to make a fenced area with an extruded curve, for example the region curve itself. This will cause the cutter to stay inside the region. Here is a simple example:

Tip! Make a region curve, expand it with a bit more than the cutter radius. Make an extruded curve with the new expanded curve and then use the the smaller curve for the region. Doing it this way the tool path will not climb the wall, it will go directly to the model surface. Here is a bit more sophisticated version, yet simple though:

Knurling and textures

There was a discussion in the MadCAM forum at cnczone.com how to produce textures and as usual it's so much easier to see it visually. Here are my contributions. Knurling The classical line cutting is pretty straight forward, it's just a matter of making the polyline pattern you like and then do it with a Project Curves command. There's a catch though (There will be a check for this in coming releases); you need to cut below the surface to get the lines in the material. You set Stock To Leave to a negative number to do that. But you can't set Stock To Leave to a value lower than the cutter radius! 2 mm cutter, -1 at most. 4 mm cutter, -2 at most and so on. This is only happening on the negative side though. The algorithm behind the path calculation will find edges in the mesh and fall through. BUT there's a simple work around for this. The Project Curves command is only following the polylines with the tool tip and which tool you choose in the cutter dialog doesn't matter for the tool path itself. The only thing that will happen if you choose a bigger cutter is that the simulator will not show the exact result. Select a 4 mm cutter and you can cut to -1.9 with no problem.

Textures When it comes to a 3D surface like a plastic pistol grip, this is how I have done it. There are for sure 10 other ways to do it but this came out very good. * I'm splitting the area of the surface where I want to make the 3D pattern. * Use the ApplyDisplacement command that takes an image and "bumps" the surface. Play with the image itself and the texture settings. I've used an image of gravel. ApplyDisplacement is using the contrast in the image to make the texture within the height you specify in the dialog. A Black and white image with very little shades will make the surface "worse", a softer image will make the surface smoother. * This is not yet a real surface, it's just a visual context. Extract the bumps with MESH->From Nurbs Object, and then apply the mesh on the surface with Mesh->Apply To Surface! * At last, remove the original surface, reselect the working box, make a region and prepare a toolpath.

(And of course, the vid's are available in HD)

5 Axis indexed

This is a small triangle with facets that I made as an example to show 5-axis indexed. This will make the tool tip perpendicular to the surface and the facet will be smooth right away with even with big steps.

Old but nice vid, rear wing model

Old vid showing some Rhino and MadCAM 4 work. These are the sides for a rear wing. The base is taken from measures directly on the car to get a smooth and solid mount. The width is making the wing wider than the coupe and it's resting a bit above the roof.

As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

Toolpath Array

How to make an arrayed toolpath in MadCam. You need to make a Group Repair to reconnect the new paths with the original path.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view. As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

3D toolpaths for 4-axis indexing

Making indexed 3D toolpaths for 4-axis machining is simple in MadCAM. Generate the toolpaths for each step and rotate them together with the model to make next toolpath. Before simulating or post processing, select the machine setup you are working with and the processing will take care of the indexing.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view. As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

Making a mirrored toolpath

There are two ways to do a mirrored copy of a toolpath in MadCAM. Either you make a copy of the toolpath and rotate/move the copy into the new position, OR you do a mirror command and then Group repair. When doing a mirror of the toolpath MadCAM looses the reference to the start point for the new path, but that's an easy fix with the Group Repair command. To see the the new path in the simulator you have to reselect all the parts.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view. As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

Three alternatives, same model

These are a couple of examples (a Rhino file from cnczone.com discussion) to cut a small diamond style model. I have no idea what type of material this is going to be made of, so these strategies might be bad. If it's any type of soft material, from alu to sponge, this would be fine. In alu there should be a roughing path of course.

I'm doing the edge surfaces with 3D milling, and restrict the area with different kind of regions. Not needed, but it makes the milling time so much shorter.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view. As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

AND, there's a fourth way to do it, which also us a prefered way if you would like to use all steps in 3D-surfacing. Z-levels, by Joakim himself (MadCAM).

Foam core - double sided milling

These two cores prepared in this video clip are supposed to sit on a car that a tuning team works with. They are first made in XPS foam for testing directly on the car. When tested and perfected, the cores are made 3 mm thinner to compensate for the carbon fibre laminate. The milling (on each side) is a roughing step and then directly two planar steps with different directions. Foam cores are so easy milled that the Z-level is not needed.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view.
As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

Clipping planes and extend your stock

How to extend the the stock model to include the cutter size (makes the cutter go on the outside of the model) and how to use clipping planes to restrict the cutting space. In this clip I change the stock model to include the cutter size, which makes the cutter climb the outside of the model as well and not only parts "inside" the stock. I also use regions for to restrict the cutting depth of the model, I don't want to go as deep as the model is this time.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view.
As usual, I run this demo in a virtual environment and it makes the simulator acting a bit odd. Try it for real!

Making regions

Here are a few simple examples how regions will help you to restrict the working area for a toolpath. Note that if you want to make a roughing or Z-level and a lot of "islands" it's better time wise to generate a toolpath for each region instead of selecting multiple regions. In that way the toolpath will finish one region and then move to next. When a group of regions are used to make a rough/Z-level each level will be finished in every region and therefore a lot of extra movement will be added. On a small model it's not a problem, when doing batches or uge moulds it will take more time. When all regions are generated, make all wanted toolpaths visible and post process them into one program.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view.

Colourized simulation and making a different stock

In the latest release of MadCAM (4.3) the simulator makes every toolpath cut in a colour, which give a very nice visualization where the cutter really made a cut. It's easy to add or change the cutter colours. Here's how. I also modify the stock model to show the difference in the toolpath when the stock is changed with the options "Enclose", "Model + Cutter" and defining a true stock model.

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view.

Making an open mould for epoxy resin moulding

Here's an open mould for a finbox made in carbon/glass fiber and epoxy resin that we're working on. The box type is called "slotbox" and is an open standard for windsurfing boards.

Well, here goes!..

This clip is available in HD. Maximize the video screen and increase the resolution and you'll have a crisp clear view.

3D indexed.

If you have access to a machine that is capable of indexing (tilt head) this is a very powerful and easy way to make your machine access areas on the workpiece where it normally shouldn't reach. In this example we need to tilt the head 45 degrees to cut the hidden part if the side. This is how I do it.

1. Select everything in the Front-view and click the Toolpath Calculation icon (the first button in the MadCam toolbar). Now the green wireframe for calculation appears.
2. Reselect everything in the Front-view and rotate 45 degrees.
3. Click the Toolpath Calculation once again. This is to tell MadCam that the object has been moved.
4. Choose cutter, I use the 8 mm ball end in this example.
5. Choose Axis Mode -> 5 axis indexed mode -> CPlane World Top. As you can see I have selected 5-axis Head/Head in the Axis Setup in Options.
6. Now I make a normal 3D Roughing.
7. Select Undo CPlane in the Front-view menu.
8. Select everything, rotate with -45 degrees.
9. Once again, click the Toolpath Calculation icon to tell MadCam about the change.
10. Simulate, and you'll see that the cut is made with the head tilted 45 degrees.

Now, post process and transfer the program to your machine. Tilt the head 45 degrees and go!

Hiding tool paths

Every new tool path created will occur in a new layer. There can be many tool paths at the same time, but you might want to run only a few of them. For example if you create paths for different machines or different cutters. In this example I've made a holder for a dampener, it uses a ball cutter and a flat cutter.

As you can see there are multiple path layers. Let's disable or enable a few of them and see what happens in the simulator. What happens in the simulator is what you get when you post process (WYSIWYG).

How to find your MadCAM version

Sometimes you need to figure out your installed version of MadCAM. This is how you do it.

1. Start Rhino 3D
2. In the command line, type madcamcommand and hit Enter, Madcam will load.
3. Now type version and hit Enter.

You should now have a dialog in front of you specifying the version you have.