Wire Training Tutorials

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Mastercam X4 Training Tutorials Wire Applications Date: August 6,2009 Copyright 1984 2009 InHouse Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. Software: Wire Mastercam X4 Author: Mariana Lendel ISBN: 9781926566399 Notice InHouse Solutions Inc. reserves the right to make improvements to this manual at any time and without notice. Disclaimer Of All Warranties And Liability InHouse Solutions Inc. makes no warranties, either express or implied, with respect to this manual or with respect to the software described in this manual, its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. InHouse Solutions Inc. manual is sold or licensed "as is." The entire risk as to its quality and performance is with the buyer. Should the manual prove defective following its purchase, the buyer (and not InHouse Solutions Inc., its distributor, or its retailer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, of correction and any incidental or consequential damages. In no event will InHouse Solutions Inc. be liable for direct, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the manual, even if In House Solutions Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. Copyrights This manual is protected under the copyright laws of Canada and the United States. All rights are reserved. This document may not, in whole or part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior consent, in writing, from InHouse Solutions Inc. Trademarks Mastercam is a registered trademark of CNC Software, Inc. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, MS, and MSDOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; Mastercam Verify is created in conjunction with Sirius Systems Corporation; Windows 95, and Windows NT; Windows XP are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Acknowledgements "Thanks to the InHouse Solutions team for helping in the production and marketing of this book. It simply wouldn't be the same without all your efforts. Finally, thank you, the reader for making this purchase; I hope it serves you well." Mariana Lendel

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Getting Started .................................................................................................. A1 Tutorials Tutorial #1, 2D Geometry Contour ..................................................................... 11 Tutorial #2, 2D Multi Contour ............................................................................ 21 Tutorial #3, 3D Geometry and 4Axis Wire path ................................................. 31 Tutorial #4, Punch And Die Created From the Same Work Piece ........................ 41 Tutorial #5, Multiple Tabs .................................................................................. 51 Tutorial #6, No Core Wire path .......................................................................... 61 General Notes.................................................................................................... B1

TUTORIAL SERIES FOR

TUTORIAL #2 WIRE 2D MULTIPLE CONTOURS

WIRE X4
Objectives: The Student will design a 2 Dimensional drawing by:
Getting a file already created. Deleting the outer rectangle. Mirroring the geometry about Yaxis. Creating a rectangle. Modifying the geometry by breaking a line in two pieces. Creating points.

TUTORIAL 2

The Student will create a Die using the Contour wire path by:
Setting the wire library for skim cuts. Selecting the contours using Window options. Setting the parameters in Contour Parameter dialog box. Editing the NCI file.

The Student will check the toolpath using Mastercams Backplot and Verify verification.

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WIRE X4 GEOMETRY CREATION USEFUL TOOLS TO START THE GEOMETRY CREATION

TUTORIAL 2

Before starting the geometry creation we should customize the toolbars to see the toolbars required to create the geometry and machine a Wire part. See Getting started page A4. Before starting the geometry make sure that the Grid is enabled. It will show you at each moment where is the part origin. See Getting started page A5 for details.

Toolpaths/Solids manager to the left of the screen can be hidden to gain more space in the graphic area for design. Press Alt + O to remove it.

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WIRE X4 STEP 1: GET THE TUTORIAL #1 FILE

File
Open Select Your Name_1

TUTORIAL 2

Select the OK button.

STEP 2: SAVE THE FILE WITH A DIFFERENT NAME

File
Save as Save the file as Your Name_2 Select the OK button.

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WIRE X4 STEP 3: DELETE THE EXISTING WIREPATH

Select the Delete all operations, group and tools button. Select the Yes button.

TUTORIAL 2

STEP 4: DELETE THE OUTER RECTANGLE AND THE THREAD POINT

Change the Graphic View to Top. Select the Fit icon. To select the entire rectangle Hold down the Shift key and select the rectangle as shown below.

Holddown Shift key and select this line

Note that the entire rectangle should be highlighted (yellow color).

Select the Thread Point as shown to the right. Select the Delete entities icon Select the Repaint button. Select the Thread Point

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WIRE X4 STEP 5: JOIN THE TWO COLINEAR LINES

Edit
Join Entities [Select entities to join]: Select the lines as shown in the picture.

TUTORIAL 2

Select the first line here

Select the second line here Select the End Selection button.

STEP 6: MIRROR THE GEOMETRY ABOUT Y AXIS

Step Preview

Xform
Mirror [Mirror: select entities to mirror]: Holddown Shift key and select the chain as shown.
Note that the entire chain should be highlighted (yellow color).

Hold the Shift Key and select the chain here

Select the End Selection button.

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WIRE X4
Enable the X axis in the Mirror dialog box. Make sure that Copy, Preview and Fit are enabled as shown. You should see the previewed geometry as shown below.

TUTORIAL 2

Select the OK button to exit Mirror dialog box. Select the Clear Colors icon.

STEP 7: CREATE THE OUTER RECTANGLE

Create
Rectangle Enter the Width = 8 Enter the Height = 5.5 as shown to the right.

Make sure that you press Enter key once you type the values.

[Select position of first corner]: Select the Fast Point icon. Enter the coordinates: 4.0, 0.50 (Enter) Select Fit icon. Select the OK button to exit the command.

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WIRE X4 STEP 8: CREATE WIRE THREAD POINTS

TUTORIAL 2

See page A7 to A9 in the Getting Started chapter to create the Thread /Cut Points toolbar

Select the Create Wire Thread Point icon. Select the Fast Point icon. Enter the coordinates: 2.0, 0.45 (Enter) Select the Fast Point icon. Enter the coordinates: 2.0, 0.45 (Enter) Select the OK button to exit the command.

The final geometry should look as shown

STEP 9: SAVE THE FILE

File
Save

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WIRE X4 WIREPATH CREATION STEP 10: MACHINE SELECTION AND PROPERTIES SETTINGS
To display the Toolpaths Manager press Alt + O.

TUTORIAL 2

Machine type
Select Wire Select WIRE DEFAULT.WMD

STEP 11: CONTOUR WIREPATH

Toolpaths
Contour Enable Window in the Chaining dialog box.

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WIRE X4
Select options Enable Break closest entity to thread point. Select the OK button to exit the Chaining Options. [Contour: select chain 1]: Create a window as shown below by selecting the first corner (upper right) and the opposite corner (lower left).

TUTORIAL 2

Select this corner as approximate start point [Sketch Approximate Start Point]: Select the lower left corner of the geometry.

Select the OK button to exit the Chaining dialog box.

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WIRE X4 STEP 12: SETTING THE CONTOUR PARAMETERS

TUTORIAL 2

Select and set the Wire / Power parameters and enable Associate to Library as shown below: Select the Options button show.) (Only after you select Associate to Library Will the options button

The Wire Parameters tab specifies the power settings library, work origin points, miscellaneous values, and canned text for the operation.

Click on the Select Library button.

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WIRE X4
Select the Power library that you created in Tutorial #1.

TUTORIAL 2

Select OK button. Select the OK button to exit the Edit Library dialog box. Select the Cut Parameters page and make the changes as shown in the following screenshot.

The Cuts dialog box page lets you define the type and number of cuts you will make in the wire path. You can se up the tab width and the skim cuts that will be cut after the tab. Enable Reset pass number on tab cuts to ensure that the wire cuts the tab using the power settings of the roughing pass.

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WIRE X4

TUTORIAL 2

Select the Compensation page to set the compensation type and direction as shown.

Select the Stops to set the control stop codes.

Stop code set to As glue stop creates an optional stop (M01).

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WIRE X4
Select the Leads page and change the parameters as shown.

TUTORIAL 2

Lead in and Lead out determine the moves the wire makes when it enters and exits the part. Mastercam Wire generates the lead in and lead out for each pass around the wire path.

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WIRE X4
Select Tab/Finish Leads and change the parameters as shown.

TUTORIAL 2

Tab cuts and finish cuts (skim cuts after tab) can have lead ins and outs of their own and can have settings different from the contour lead in and lead out. For more details see General Notes, Wire path parameters.

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WIRE X4
Select the Taper page and make sure that the parameters are set as shown below.

TUTORIAL 2

The Taper page allows you to cut parts that have the same general shape in both XY plane, the lower contour, and UV plane, the upper contour.

Select Flushing and turn it ON.

Your machine definition might be limited to a simple On/Off toggle. You can also turn on several different coolant options at the same time, if your machine definition allows it.

Select the OK button to exit the Wire path Contour parameters.

Select the OK button to exit the Chain Manager Dialog box.

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WIRE X4 STEP 13: VERIFY THE WIREPATH USING BACKPLOT

Make sure that the Wire Contour operation is selected, otherwise click on the Select all operations button.

TUTORIAL 2

In the Toolpaths Manager select the Backplot selected operations button.

Change the graphic view to Isometric. Select the Fit icon. Enable only Display tool in the Backplot parameters as shown to the right.

Select the Play button as shown below.

If you would like to watch the toolpath run slower, instead of Play, select Step forward. Hold down the S key on your keyboard or keep pressing the Step forward key and you will be able to see the entire program at the speed that you wish, and be able to stop it at any time.

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WIRE X4
Enable Quick verify to see shaded wire.

TUTORIAL 2

Select the Play button again.

To exit Backplot select the OK button.

STEP 14: MODIFY THE WIREPATH TO CUT THE TABS SEPARATELY (NO DROP OUT METHOD)
Select the Parameters in the Toolpaths Manager.

Select Parameters

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WIRE X4
Select the Leads page and enable Tab Cuts (no dropout method).

TUTORIAL 2

Select the OK button to exit Wire Contour parameters. Tabs that use either the line and radius or (2) line and radius moves combined with an overlap can create a sliver or slug of material. Using the no dropout method eliminates the slug.

Select the Regenerate all dirty operations button.

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WIRE X4 STEP 15: VERIFY THE NEW WIREPATH USING BACKPLOT

Select Backplot button and set the parameter as shown in STEP 13 Change the Graphic View to Top. Select the Play button. Select Zoom Target icon. [Pick point to zoom from]: Select the point as shown below.

TUTORIAL 2

Select this point

Select the point at this corner [Choose a second corner of your zooming box]: Select the point at the corner as shown above. The wire path should look as shown.

Select the OK button to exit Backplot.

Change the graphic view to Isometric. Select Fit icon. Select the OK button to exit the backplot interface

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WIRE X4 STEP 16: ESTABLISH THE PART STOCK

Select Stock setup in the Toolpaths Manager. Change the parameters to match the following screenshot.

TUTORIAL 2

Select Stock Setup

Select the OK button to return to the user interface

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WIRE X4 STEP 17: VERIFY WIREPATH VERIFICATION

Expand the Toolpaths Manager if necessary by dragging the right side.

TUTORIAL 2

Drag Select Verify selected operations button.

Select Options button.

Enable Cutter comp in control and Remove chips.

Select OK to close the verify options menu.

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WIRE X4
Set the Verify speed by moving the slider bar in the speed control bar. Change the Graphic View to Isometric. Select Machine button to start simulation.

TUTORIAL 2

The finished part should appear as shown in the following picture. Select the Die

Enable To keep (one only) and select Pick button. Select the die as shown above.

Select the OK button to exit Pick a chip. Select the OK button to exit Verify.

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WIRE X4 STEP 18: RUN THE POST PROCESSOR TO OBTAIN THE GCODE FILE
Select the Post selected operations button from Toolpath Manager.

TUTORIAL 2

In the Post processing window, make all the necessary changes as shown to the right.

NC file enabled allows you to keep the NC file and to assign the same name as the MCX file Edit enabled allows you to automatically launch the default editor.

Select the OK button to continue.

Enter Your_Name1 to save. Select the OK button to save.

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WIRE X4
Select the red X box at the upper right corner to exit the Mastercam X Editor.

TUTORIAL 2

STEP 19: SAVE THE UPDATED MCX FILE

File
Select the Save button to save the file with the same name.

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