HELP MACHINE DOWN!!! -Just kidding. This is all hobby stuff but thanks for taking the time to look at my issue!
Setup: I am attempting to cut a .690" wide slot in 7075 aluminum using a two flute .5" EM.
Problem: Actual width of the finished slot after machining is only .663" wide.
The machine is a Tormach PCNC1100 running the Tormach supplied embedded Mach3 software.
The cut is centered in the piece and the multiple DOC's (.25") are vertically straight as well as the finished depth is also perfectly perpendicular to the Z axis.
And actually a second slot in the same piece is supposed to be .52" wide and it is actually being milled to .508" So if anything, it appears that the wide slot is off .0135" on each wall and the smaller slot is off .006" on each wall -which really has me confused.
What I have done:
1. I tried running the same program on a "non-cutting pass" one last time after all the cuts were made to see if it was cutter/collet flex that was causing it. This pass didn't cut at all and just "dusted" the cut surface (As it should)
2. I verified the origin is still dead nuts on after running the program. (So it doesnt appear steps or positioning was lost in during the program execution) 3. I verified my code looks right (to me)
4. I reloaded all the software on the controlling computer and set up the bare minimum with the same identical result.
5. I mic'ed the cutter and it measures .5" exactly.
Here is the code for the wide slot I am running:N108 ( T239 | 1/2 FLAT ENDMILL | H239 )
N112 G20
N114 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
N116 ( 1/2 FLAT ENDMILL | TOOL - 239 | DIA. OFF. - 239 | LEN. - 239 | TOOL DIA. - .5 )
N118 ( 1/2 MAIN CHANNEL )
N120 T239 M6
N122 G0 G90 G54 X-3.5136 Y-.095 S1200 M3
N124 G43 H239 Z.5
N126 Z.45
N128 G1 Z.04 F.25
N130 Y.095 F.5
N132 X-5.0302
N134 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N136 G1 X-6.5181
N138 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N140 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N142 G1 X-5.2202
N144 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N146 G1 X-3.5136
N148 Z-.17 F.25
N150 Y.095 F.5
N152 X-5.0302
N154 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N156 G1 X-6.5181
N158 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N160 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N162 G1 X-5.2202
N164 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N166 G1 X-3.5136
N168 Z-.38 F.25
N170 Y.095 F.5
N172 X-5.0302
N174 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N176 G1 X-6.5181
N178 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N180 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N182 G1 X-5.2202
N184 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N186 G1 X-3.5136
N188 Z-.18 F6.42
I apologize for the long winded post and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
-Scott
Setup: I am attempting to cut a .690" wide slot in 7075 aluminum using a two flute .5" EM.
Problem: Actual width of the finished slot after machining is only .663" wide.
The machine is a Tormach PCNC1100 running the Tormach supplied embedded Mach3 software.
The cut is centered in the piece and the multiple DOC's (.25") are vertically straight as well as the finished depth is also perfectly perpendicular to the Z axis.
And actually a second slot in the same piece is supposed to be .52" wide and it is actually being milled to .508" So if anything, it appears that the wide slot is off .0135" on each wall and the smaller slot is off .006" on each wall -which really has me confused.
What I have done:
1. I tried running the same program on a "non-cutting pass" one last time after all the cuts were made to see if it was cutter/collet flex that was causing it. This pass didn't cut at all and just "dusted" the cut surface (As it should)
2. I verified the origin is still dead nuts on after running the program. (So it doesnt appear steps or positioning was lost in during the program execution) 3. I verified my code looks right (to me)
4. I reloaded all the software on the controlling computer and set up the bare minimum with the same identical result.
5. I mic'ed the cutter and it measures .5" exactly.
Here is the code for the wide slot I am running:N108 ( T239 | 1/2 FLAT ENDMILL | H239 )
N112 G20
N114 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
N116 ( 1/2 FLAT ENDMILL | TOOL - 239 | DIA. OFF. - 239 | LEN. - 239 | TOOL DIA. - .5 )
N118 ( 1/2 MAIN CHANNEL )
N120 T239 M6
N122 G0 G90 G54 X-3.5136 Y-.095 S1200 M3
N124 G43 H239 Z.5
N126 Z.45
N128 G1 Z.04 F.25
N130 Y.095 F.5
N132 X-5.0302
N134 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N136 G1 X-6.5181
N138 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N140 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N142 G1 X-5.2202
N144 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N146 G1 X-3.5136
N148 Z-.17 F.25
N150 Y.095 F.5
N152 X-5.0302
N154 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N156 G1 X-6.5181
N158 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N160 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N162 G1 X-5.2202
N164 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N166 G1 X-3.5136
N168 Z-.38 F.25
N170 Y.095 F.5
N172 X-5.0302
N174 G2 X-5.2202 Y.0075 I-.19 J.1625
N176 G1 X-6.5181
N178 G3 X-6.5256 Y0. I0. J-.0075
N180 X-6.5181 Y-.0075 I.0075 J0.
N182 G1 X-5.2202
N184 G2 X-5.0302 Y-.095 I0. J-.25
N186 G1 X-3.5136
N188 Z-.18 F6.42
I apologize for the long winded post and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
-Scott