Advanced Mastercam Milling Features to Try
As you become more adept and confident with your software, your focus may shift from simply turning out programs quickly to finding the most efficient, refined approach to cutting. This is where advanced Mastercam milling techniques come into play. By applying advanced technologies to routine parts, you can halve cycle times, save excess material, and lengthen tool life. This idea was the inspiration for many of the latest features in Mastercam 2023. Read on to explore some of the most valuable Mastercam milling features. Detect Undercut Stock During Machining You can now enable your Mastercam software to detect undercut stock conditions when you use Dynamic OptiRough and Area Roughing toolpaths. With this feature enabled, the software will automatically check for undercuts and adjust roughing accordingly, significantly reducing air cuts. Use this feature when a complex part has “hidden” undercuts that otherwise would require major time and painstaking coding to program. Identify and Machine Material in Corners The same style of thinking that developed the Undercut Detection feature also made it possible for the Equal Scallop toolpath to identify leftover material in corners. The software will now detect this material and adjust machining so that the excess is removed in one or multiple [...]
Metal 3D Printing with UltiMaker
Today’s blog post will show you how easy it is to produce high-quality metal 3D prints on your desktop FDM printer. We’ll be looking at a revolutionary metal filament from BASF, which comes in both 316L and 17-4 stainless steel in 1.75mm and 2.85mm filament widths. We will discuss some design considerations for printing with metal and the process of turning your green parts into fully sintered metal prints. Cura is a free FDM slicing software that is compatible with a wide range of FDM 3D printers. In our example, we used an Ultimaker S5 with a 0.6mm ruby Olsen nozzle. Steel filaments are naturally abrasive, so while you can use the brass nozzle that comes standard with your printer, it’s best to use a hardened steel or ruby-tipped nozzle. Some basic parameters that you should consider For the best part strength, consider printing your parts with 100% infill. If your parts need to be lightweight, consider using 50% infill with a grid or gyroid pattern. The most important factor for print success is the part geometry. When designing your parts for metal 3D printing, keep simplicity in mind. Try to keep overhangs below 45 degrees to minimize the need for support. Avoid [...]
Mastercam 2023 Stock Models
This blog post will demonstrate the importance of using the Mastercam 2023 stock models in 3D machining. First, let’s explain what a stock model is. Stock Model is a utility that allows you to create a “snapshot” of the workpiece at any given point during the machining process. This “snapshot” can then be used to streamline toolpath motion for irregularly-shaped stock and re-machining operations. In this example, we will use a 3D High-Speed Area Rough toolpath setup to rough the part with a High feed mill. When we look at the toolpath from the front view and turn the stock shading on, we can see that there is an excessive amount of air cutting. Take note of the cycle time. Now we need to create a stock model to represent the initial cylindrical stock shape. Right-click and drag the original toolpath onto the stock model and select Copy After. Open up the Toolpath Parameters, go to the Stock page, turn on Rest Material, select One Other Operation, and select the stock model. Now, when viewing your toolpath again from the front view, you can see that it has removed all the unnecessary air cuts and reduced the cycle time by just over four [...]
New HP Jet Fusion 5420 Capable of Printing White Parts
HP has unveiled its new polymer Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) 5420 system. This machine is capable of 3D printing high-quality white parts for customers in the automotive, consumer, healthcare, and industrial markets. It features a 380 x 284 x 380 mm build volume and a 3380.84 cm3 per hour print speed, the system is designed to allow users to manufacture with industrial-grade reliability, a low cost per print, and enhanced part performance predictability. According to HP, the technology has already allowed beta users such as DI Labs, Prototal Industries and Weerg to address “innovative white applications.” In fact, Jan Löfving, CEO of Prototal, says it has seen “immediate interest in the new white applications made possible by the latest addition to HP’s Multi Jet Fusion family,” and this makes it proud to be a HP Digital Manufacturing Partner. More Details
Formlabs Upgrade & Automate Printer Farm
Upgrade & automate your printer farm with the new Automation Ecosystem. Our friends at Formlabs are introducing their new Automation Ecosystem to further advance desktop 3D Printing and help bring new ideas to life faster than ever with the Form Auto, the Fleet Control, and the High Volume Resin System. The Automation Ecosystem achieves 24/7 part production without operator intervention, enabling high throughput 3D Printing at scale. Reach new levels of productivity and lower cost per part without increasing the complexity of running a fleet of 3D printers. With Formlabs Automation Ecosystem, production doesn’t have to ever stop. Form Auto: Instantly automate any new or existing Form 3/B/+ 3D printer with a hardware extension that will automatically remove finished parts and start the next print for back-to-back production. Fleet Control: Simplify multi-printer management with a suite of new, advanced features in Dashboard including centralized queue management and automatic printer assignment. High Volume Resin System: Continuously print on a Formlabs SLA printer for five times longer with the seamless delivery of 5L of resin through a pumping system. Also, upgrade if you own a Form 3 with these discounts. Learn More
Metrology Minute – Airfoil Analysis Using Control X
Analyzing airfoil shapes is easier than ever using the Control X Airfoil Analysis technology. Upon completion of scanning the airfoil and aligning with the nominal CAD model, the software is able to return dozens of useful parameters, necessary for complete airfoil analysis. Some of the parameters include: Leading and trailing edge radii Leading and trailing edge positions in space Maximum chord height Leading (and trailing) Edge position in space relative to the model origin Axial chord length The leading and trailing edge thicknesses, as well as maximum airfoil thickness across the widest section, may be easily requested using this powerful tool making complete airfoil analysis simple with just a few clicks of the mouse. Additionally, analyzing airfoils often requires identifying points along a section’s periphery and comparing those to the corresponding points from the nominal CAD model. Deploying the Comparison Point function in Control X, this too is handled by just a click or two of the mouse. For any questions or comments, please contact Joel Pollet by clicking below. Contact Joel