Cutting holes with 3/8 end mill

[gary_k]

I am cutting (64) 1-1/8" diameter x .200" deep counterbores with through hole .650 diameter. I am trying to improve my efficeincy. I have not been able to get both cut at 1 time - it cuts the all of the counterbores and then comes back and cuts the holes or vice versa but not at the same time. Any suggestions on how I can program to cut both at the same time to improve my time to cut. I am using PRSalpa with the latest ArtCam Pro. Thanks for any help you may give!
Gary

[Brady Watson]

If you have ArtCAM, AND the hole design can be block copied, then you have it pretty easy:

1) Create one AreaClear toolpath & one Drill toolpath (let's say bottom left hole in the design)

2) Make sure both toolpaths are visible in 2D&3D views by selecting the check boxes next to each toolpath.

3) SAVE YOUR .ART FILE NOW!

4) Use the Toolpath Block Copy tool, with the option to Merge results, using the same block copy spacing you did to create the holes with vectors.

Save the file out & run it. Done!

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Otherwise, you may have to create 128 toolpaths (one toolpath of each type for each hole) and then save them out in the order you want them to cut. This seems like a daunting task, but if you are running this file in production, then it makes sense in the long run.

-B

[beacon14]

What I do is write a small file that cuts one set of counterbore & through hole, with the center of the holes at 0,0, optimized to cut exactly the way I want them cut.

Then I use a drilling toolpath to create a file that goes to the center of each of the holes on the sheet, and drills a hole by plunging and retracting.

Then I use the Find/Replace feature in the SB Editor to change each drilling plunge move in the second file to something like:

FP,firstfile.sbp,,,,,2

That way, the optimized file is run at each hole location. The five commas followed by the number 2 are to have the short file run in 2D offset mode.

[mikeacg]

Thanks for that tip, David!

I will definitely make good use of it!!!

Mike