This tutorial guides you through the process of using CAM Assist's ‘3+2 Axis’ machining mode, with a ‘User-defined' machining direction, to compute a toolpath strategy for a part.
When using the ‘User-defined’ machining direction:
The tool orientation comes from the orientation you specify in the Target setup(s) within CAM Assist.
A toolpath strategy will only be computed by limiting the tool to the specified orientation.
Facing operations will only be computed if the +Z Axis is selected.
The tool then operates on the part from a fixed orientation, which means that the orientation cannot change during cutting.
This tutorial uses CloudNC’s part ‘Demo 4’. However, the same process can be used for any part that can be opened in Siemens NX.
To magnify any image/screenshot, click it.
Preparation
Before you can follow this tutorial, you must have successfully completed the preparation steps:
Install CAM Assist - follow the instructions in Installing CAM Assist for Mastercam.
Open a part - this tutorial uses the part ‘Demo 4’ (for details on how to open that part, see Getting Started with CAM Assist).
Open CAM Assist - from the CAM Assist panel, select ‘CloudNC CAM Assist’, the first option.
Using the ‘3+2 Axis’ Machining mode
On completing the Preparation, you’ll see the CAM Assist user interface with the part ‘Demo 4’ open, as shown below.
To use the ‘3+2 Axis’ Machining mode with a ‘User-defined’ machining direction, you’ll take the following steps:
Specify the Machining mode
For Machining mode, CAM Assist provides you with two options: ‘3 Axis’ and ‘3+2 Axis’.
From the Machining mode drop-down, select 3+2 Axis
The Machining direction options are now displayed (see the image to the right).
Specify the Machining direction
For machining direction, CAM Assist provides you with three options: ‘Aligned to X, Y, Z axes’, ‘User-defined’, and ‘Automatic’.
Click on the option User-defined
Configure the Setup orientation
The content of the ‘Setup orientation’ section reflects the ‘Machine group’ configuration of the part, as displayed in Mastercam’s ‘Toolpaths’ view.
Check the Machine Groups
You’ll notice that the part ‘Demo 1’ has two Machine Groups: ‘Machine Group-1’ and ‘Machine Group-2’.
If you want CAM Assist to create a toolpath strategy for a Machine Group, ensure its respective checkbox is checked in CAM Assist (see below).
In CAM Assist:
Check the checkbox for Machine Group-1 and Machine Group-2
Selected plane
The ‘Selected plane’ must be configured for each checked Machine group.
For Machine Group-1, select ‘Top’ from the Selected plane drop-down.
For Machine Group-2, select ‘Bottom’ for the Selected plane drop-down
Select Avoidance geometries
Using Select avoidance geometries is an optional step
For details and step-by-step instructions, see the tutorial Using Avoidance Geometry.
Same direction for roughing and finishing
The content of the ‘Setup orientation’ section changes depending on whether ‘Same direction for roughing and finishing' is checked or unchecked.
The side-by-side screenshots below provide an example of the changes to the ‘Setup orientation’ section.
‘Same direction for roughing and checking’ is checked |
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Checking the box indicates you want the part to be machined using the same direction for both roughing and finishing operations. |
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Note the button:
You’ll use this button to indicate the same machining direction for roughing and finishing. |
‘Same direction for roughing and checking’ is unchecked |
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Unchecking the box indicates you want the part to be machined using different directions for the roughing and finishing operations. |
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Note the buttons:
You’ll use these buttons to indicate different directions for roughing and finishing. |
Specifying the same direction for roughing and finishing
At this point in the tutorial:
For Machine Group-1, check the box for Same direction for roughing and finishing
You’ll configure Machine Group-2 later on in the tutorial.
The ‘Select machining directions’ button (see the image to the right) is used to indicate the roughing and finishing direction by clicking on a face on the part, within Mastercam, that is perpendicular to the machining direction.
Click the Select machining directions button
Within Mastercam:
Click on the face of the part that is perpendicular to the direction that will be used for roughing and finishing.
Two things happen when you click on a face (as shown in the top image to the right):
In Mastercam - the face is highlighted.
In CAM Assist - ‘Select machining directions (0)' is greyed out.
Press the ‘ESC’ key
Two things happen in CAM Assist when you press ‘ESC’ (as shown in the bottom image to the right):
‘Select machining directions (0)’ changes to ‘Select machining directions (1)’ - indicating one valid selection.
The ‘Clear Selection’ button is displayed - click this to clear the selected direction.
That’s it, you have specified the same machining direction for roughing and finishing.
Specifying a different direction for roughing and finishing
Next, for this tutorial:
For Machining Group-2 - uncheck the box for Same direction for roughing and finishing.
With the box unchecked, you'll have to specify the roughing directions and the finishing directions separately.
First, the roughing directions…
The ‘Select roughing directions’ button (see the image to the right) is used to indicate the roughing direction by clicking on the part's face, within Mastercam, that is perpendicular to that direction.
Click the Select roughing directions button
Within Mastercam:
Click on the face of the part that is perpendicular to the direction that will be used for roughing.
Two things happen when you click on a face (as shown in the top image to the right):
In Mastercam - the face is highlighted.
In CAM Assist - ‘Select roughing directions (0)' is greyed out.
Press the ‘ESC’ key
Two things happen in CAM Assist when you press ‘ESC’ (as shown in the bottom image to the right):
‘Select roughing directions (0)’ changes to ‘Select roughing directions (1)’ - indicating one valid selection.
The ‘Clear selection’ button is displayed - click this to clear the selected direction.
You have now specified the machining direction for roughing on Machine Group-2.
Within CAM Assist:
Next, the finishing direction…
The ‘Select finishing directions’ button (see the image to the right) is used to indicate the finishing direction by clicking on the part's face, within Siemens NX, that is perpendicular to that direction.
Click the Select finishing directions button
Within Mastercam:
Click on the face of the part that is perpendicular to the direction that will be used for finishing.
Two things happen when you click on a face (as shown in the top image to the right):
In Mastercam - the face is highlighted.
In CAM Assist - ‘Select finishing directions (0)' is greyed out.
Press the ‘ESC’ key
Two things happen in CAM Assist when you press ‘ESC’ (as shown in the bottom image to the right):
‘Select finishing directions (0)’ changes to ‘Select finishing directions (1)’ - indicating one valid selection.
The ‘Clear selection’ button is displayed - click this to clear the selected direction.
You have now specified the machining direction for finishing on Machine Group-2.
Keep roughing order
The checkbox could be:
Checked - tool orientations will be ordered in the same sequence as they are selected (this applies to ‘Select roughing directions’, see below).
Unchecked - tool orientation will be sequenced by CAM Assist but may not be in the order selected.
For ‘Machine Group 1’ and ‘Machine Group-2’,
Check the box for Keep roughing Order
Set the Workholding security
CAM Assist will choose roughing tools suitable for the specified workholding.
Set the slider to the required position between the two extremes:
Excellent - a more secure ('excellent') workholding, such as a vise with serrated jaws, will result in CAM Assist selecting larger tools or more aggressive cutting parameters. This will result in faster toolpaths, but with more force on the workpiece.
Poor - a less secure ('poor') workholding, such as a thin part held by a soft jaw, will result in CAM Assist selecting smaller tools or less aggressive cutting parameters. This will produce slower toolpaths, but with less force on the workpiece.
For Machine Group-1 and Machine Group-2,
Set Workholding security sliders to 'Excellent’
Examining CAM Assist’s other tabs
Before clicking OK, it’s a good idea to examine the other tabs to ensure that the requirements for CAM Assist’s tool strategy are fully configured:
Compute a Toolpath Strategy
When you've fully configured CAM Assist:
Click OK 
On clicking OK, CAM Assist closes and computes a toolpath strategy, which is displayed within Mastercam’s ‘Toolpaths' view (as illustrated in the following screenshot).
