esprit milling tutorial 02

Project 3: Mill on a Rotary Axis | 85

PRO

JECT

Mill on a Rotary Axis

ESPRIT’s 4-axis wrap milling is used for cu�ng while the NC

machine axis rotates. Wrap milling is designed to be used

with a barrel stock rota�ng about an axis. For a standard

milling machine, the rota�on axis can be parallel to the

x-axis (A-axis), y-axis (B-axis) or z-axis (C-axis). For a mill/turn

machine, the rota�on axis is typically the C-axis.

Wrap milling should not be confused with index milling.

Indexing, or 4/5-axis milling, refers to the situa�on where the

NC machine axis (or axes) rotates to a new orienta�on, then

cuts a�er the NC machine stops rota�ng.

This project will show you how to set up rotary axes in

ESPRIT and create rotary milling opera�ons to contour and

pocket the OD of a part. Wrap milling opera�ons can also be

performed on the ID and the face of a part.

3

Cut Along a Contour .................... 86

Rough and Finish the Pocket ..91

Copy and Rotate Operations ...94

The files for this project are available for download from

ESPRITWeb » File Library » ESPRIT 2009 and from the ESPRIT

CD.

All dimensions in this tutorial are in millimeters. Make sure

System Unit on the Tools menu is set to Metric.

Before you start this lesson, you can review and simulate the

cu�ng opera�ons in the following file:

Milling - Rotary\rotary_milling_complete.esp.

86 | Get Started with ESPRIT 2009

Cut Along a ContourYou will begin this project by crea�ng a contouring pass on the OD of the part.

Wrap Contouring

The Wrap Contouring command lets you easily cut solids and 3-dimensional geometry while the

stock rotates on the NC machine. You can create as many contouring passes as needed — a single

finishing pass along the outline of the feature or mul�ple roughing passes offset incrementally

from the feature. You can also define separate stock allowance values for the walls and floors.

Entry and exit moves can be created while the stock is rota�ng or the tool can approach and exit

the part without rotary mo�on.

Wrap Contouring is used for milling on the OD or the ID of a part. To cut on the face, Rotary Face

Contouring is used.

Machine Setup for Rotary Mill ing

To enable rotary milling, you need to define at least one rotary axis and set the angle limits for

the NC machine. Wrap milling opera�ons can be defined on any rotary axis or combina�on of two

rotary axes. If available, the secondary axis will be used as the rotary axis. Otherwise, the primary

axis is used.

Crea�ng a new rotary axis in ESPRIT is quite simple using the Machine Setup command on the

Common Machining menu.

Machine Setup lets you configure any type of 2-axis through 5-axis milling machine. You can define

separate linear mo�on in X, Y, and Z for your machine components as well as rotary movement in

A, B, and C. This allows you to customize the configura�on of the machine in ESPRIT to match your

milling machine exactly and provide an accurate display of all machine mo�on, including rotary

and index milling, during simula�on.

Open the Part File

On the 1. File menu, click Open.

Locate and open the following file: Milling - Rotary\2. rotary_milling.esp

This file contains all the features, cu�ng tools and machine parameters needed for this

project.

On the 3. Smart toolbar, click Common Machining to display the toolbar.


Let’s take a look at the machine parameters in ESPRIT.

On the 1. Common Machining toolbar, click Machine Setup.

Click the 2. Assembly tab.

Define Rotary Axes in Machine Setup

The NC machine for this project uses standard X, Y, and Z linear mo�on on the machine head.

The table has a rotary C-axis mounted on the A-axis.


Open the assembly tree for 3. Head and then open the tree for Axes. (Click the plus sign to open

a tree)

If you click on the X, Y, or Z axis you will see that they all have linear mo�on and that each has

its own axis vector that defines the direc�on of the axis.

Open the assembly tree for 4. Table and then open Axes.

The order of the axes listed in Machine Setup is important. The first axis in the list is the

primary axis. The second axis is the secondary axis and so on. In this case, the C-axis is

mounted on the A-axis. Movement will first occur on the A-axis, followed by movement on the

C-axis.

No�ce that the maximum rota�on allowed for the A-axis is 90 degrees.

The maximum rota�on allowed for the C-axis is a full 360 degrees.

Click 5. OK to close the Machine Setup dialog.


Step 1

Select the chain feature

around the contoured

shoulder

Step 3

Click Wrap

Contouring

Create a Wrap Contouring Operation

This opera�on will cut the contoured shoulder on the OD of the part with a single pass using a

25mm end mill. The diameter of the stock is 25mm. The entry and exit moves are performed

while the part is sta�onary. The lead-in and lead-out distances are both set to 20mm.

The Move Type se�ng on the Wrap Contouring technology page controls the posi�on of the

tool during the cu�ng moves. In this case, the tool axis is posi�oned on the radial axis. Since the

wall you are cu�ng is parallel to the radial axis, you do not need to use the Preserve Radial Wall

op�on to prevent any possible gouging.

Step 2

Click SolidMill

Tradi�onal -

SolidMill Produc�on


Step 6

Click OK to create the

opera�on

Step 5

Open the file:

Milling - Rotary\Technology\1-WrapContouring.prc

Step 4

Right-click inside the technology

page and click Open


Rough and Finish the PocketThis part has four pockets on the OD. To save �me, you will create opera�ons to rough and finish

one of the pockets then simply copy those opera�ons to the other three pockets.

Wrap Pocketing

Wrap Pocke�ng lets you easily cut solids and 3-dimensional geometry while the stock rotates on

the NC machine. Roughing passes, wall finish passes and floor finish passes can be combined in a

single opera�on and each type of cu�ng pass allows the selec�on of a different tool. Tool path can

be produced on the OD or the ID of cylindrical stock and all tool paths are drawn in 3D for be$er

visualiza�on.

With the excep�on of specific rotary op�ons, the se�ngs for Wrap Pocke�ng are iden�cal to the

SolidMill Pocke�ng technology pages.

Wrap Pocke�ng is used for milling on the OD or the ID of a part. To cut on the face, Rotary Face

Pocke�ng is used.

Rough the Pocket

You will first create an opera�on to rough the pocket using concentric cu�ng passes that start in

the middle of the pocket and move outward. A rough stock of 0.20 mm will remain on the walls

only. A second Wrap Pocke�ng opera�on will be used to finish the walls.

The roughing tool is defined in the General technology page and the cu�ng strategy is defined

on the Rough page.

Step 1

Select the chain feature

around the pocket

Step 2

Click Wrap

Pocke�ng


Step 3

Open the file:

2-WrapPocke�ng_Rough.prc

Step 4

Click OK

Finish the Pocket Walls

Next, you will create an opera�on that only outputs a single wall finish pass using a 10mm

finishing tool. The tool and cu�ng strategy are defined on the Wall Finish technology page.

Step 1

With the chain feature

s�ll selected, click Wrap

Pocke�ng


Step 2

Open the file:

3-WrapPocke�ng_Finish.prc

Step 3

Click OK


Copy and Rotate Operations

Step 1

Hold down the Ctrl key

and select the two Wrap

Pocke�ng opera�ons

Step 2

On the Edit menu,

click Copy

Step 3

Set Transforma�on Type to

Rotate and click Copy

Step 4

Set Number of Copies to 3

and press the Tab key

Step 5

Check Use Origin for

Rota�on Axis

Step 6

Click OK

You now have rough and finish opera�ons for one pocket. You will quickly copy those opera�ons to

the other three pockets. In this case, the default UVW axis will be used as the rota�on axis.


Simulate

esprit milling tutorial 02

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