pocket problem

[David Egnoski]

I'm having a bit of a problem cutting this pocket. I created a display panel and used part editor to draw a 2" circle. Selected cut pocket .25" deep and wrote the .twd file. Sent the file to the control and nested the part. Everything looks good so far. When I ran the part, the attached picture is the result. It's using a .5" diameter comp tool to cut the pocket. It goes to the center of the circle and cuts the straight segment to the perimeter, cuts the perimeter and then goes back to the center. I'm guessing that I have some setting incorrect in control nesting but my tests haven't changed a thing. I've cut through pockets like this before. Anyone like to turn the light bulb on for me?

Thanks for any help.

Dave

[Brad McIntosh]

What version of Control Nesting are you running with?

[David Egnoski]

I'm on 5.43.

It appears that cn sees this pocket as a drill operation.

[Brad McIntosh]

Hmmmm...

Kinda makes sense if you think about it. What Control Nesting (CN) is actually seeing is a CIRCLULAR feature at a non-through depth - basically a blind drilling operation.

If you were to place a very,very small flat section in it (like a line 0.002" in length), it would no longer be a CIRCLE which triggers the DRILL OP, but might instead see it as a POCKET candidate. The tiny line introduced would not be noticeable.

[Larry Epplin]

David,

Check your drilling tool operation settings. I'm guessing you have a max interpolate value set too high. This looks like an interpolation operation has been performed which obeys the max diameter setting.

[Ryan Hochgesang]

David,

Typically we will recommend that operators setup the Max Interpolate Dia. so that it is NO more than twice the cutter's dia. This way when the cutter makes the full circle cut, all material is removed and no plug will be left behind. Then, the Pocket Tool which is setup in the SETTINGS can be used to pickup pockets with geom. that needs to be cleaned out entirely, or leave a plug for those cuts that are a cut Thru, but meet the Min. area requirement that is setup.

[David Egnoski]

You guys nailed it. For what ever reason, the max interpolate setting was more than twice the diameter of the tool. I double checked and made sure all tools are set to .001" less than twice the diameter of the tool. I ran another test and it worked perfectly. I must have been fooling around, I mean testing, and made that change sometime in the past.

Thanks for your help.

On a side note, it sure would be nice to have tool tips in the Control Nesting software. It helps refresh my understanding of what each setting does. Also, a print button in the Tool List would be nice. I sit in my office and can't remember which tool is where or what the diameter is. It's a long walk from my office to the shop. I do a screen shot and print that but as I add tools that may not work well.

Anyway, thanks again.

[Larry Epplin]

For printing you can use the Confirmation Screen to get a print out of your current tooling configurations.