Some general guidelines for machine design:
- You should design the machine in its home state. Design the machine in the file as it is when you first power-on the real machine.
- All FeatureCAM movements are programmed relative to the tool direction. For example, if FeatureCAM wants to move the tool in a positive X direction, and your machine tool is stationary, but the tables move, the +X tool direction is equivalent to moving your table in a negative X direction.
- If you are designing a 4-axis or 5-axis machine, a single solid can rotate only about one axis. Unlike the human wrist, for example, machine joints are modeled as single revolute joints (only allow rotation about one mechanical axis).
- Your .md file should match your .fm and .cnc files. If, for example, your part file (.fm) is defined as Indexing around the X axis, you should design your machine so that the degree of rotation is about the world X also. (Although we have plans to remove this restriction in the future, it simplifies the design process if your wrapping axis matches your .md file rotation axis). Also consider your post (.cnc file); if your .md file specifies two tool posts, you must use a .cnc file that enables twin tool posts or the simulation is unpredictably wrong, and so on.
- Using our approach, you should be able to model most lathes as well as most of the traditional 4-axis and 5-axis machines. (Traditional meaning table-on-table, rotating head(s), and so on). Non-traditional 4-axis or 5-axis machines such as a machine which 3 linear motors push and pull 3 different points of the table (or tool) to effectively rotate the table through A and B, are not supported by the framework. (It may be possible to program these in our BASIC API).
- Mixing units is supported, that is, you may model your machine in millimeters, and use it when simulating an inch .fm document and vice-versa.
- Keep the model simple. Only the necessary details of a machine should be modeled. Modeling every chamfer, fillet and tiny detail is only going to slow the simulation down.
- There are several attributes which are based on the name of the solid. This means if you want to rename some or all of the solids, you should use the rename commands before you begin using the machine design commands.
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FeatureCAM cannot distinguish a crash (sometimes called a clash or gouge) and the case where a table slides along another table such that the two tables share a common plane. We advise that you avoid modeling such solids. Use solid offset or transform by small amounts (for example, 0.005 inches) to eliminate false gouges in the simulation.
- Although you can use STL data for machine simulation, surface-based data is better.
- Solids must be closed. No open faces are allowed.