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spectraCAM Lathe
spectraCAM Lathe
Assessment: Knob
Assessment: Knob
Setting Parameters
Setting Parameters
From the Setup Menu , choose Stock and then Select...
When the Select Stock dialog box appears, click on 2 x 0.75 Aluminum in the stock window, and then on the Select button to select it.
The stock in the drawing area will change size.
Snaps Setup
Snaps Setup
Next set the grid size. This will help keep the drawing accurate.
From the Setup Menu, select Snaps.
In the Set Snaps box, choose Grid/Space in the Constraints window, and enter 0.01 in the space field.
Click on OK to save your changes.
Draw the Arc
Draw the Arc
Click on the Radius Arc button on the draw toolbar, or select Radius Arc from the Draw menu.
Click the cursor on the point (2.0, 0.0)
Move the cursor to the point (1.54, 0.14) and click.
A line joining the two points appears, and the Quick Entry toolbar changes, allowing you to enter a radius. You can either move the cursor to the radius box, or simply begin typing. Enter 0.25 in the radius box, and click on Apply.
Move the cursor back to the drawing area so that the arc looks like the one shown here, and click in the drawing.
Create a second arc.
Simply enter 1.22 for Z and .25 for X and press enter.
Either move the cursor to the radius box, or simply begin typing. Enter 0.18 in the radius box, and click on Apply
Move the cursor back to the drawing area so that the arc looks like the one shown here, and click in the drawing.
Press the Escape button on the keyboard to end the operation.
Drawing Lines
Drawing Lines
Select the Line button from the Draw toolbar, or Line from the Draw menu.
The cursor changes. Select the end point of the arc as the start point for the line. Move the cursor down and enter 1.22, 0.375 and press enter.
Save the Drawing
Save the Drawing
From either the File menu or the Standard toolbar, select Save.
The Save As dialog box appears the first time you save a file. Type a name for your file (Sample 1 will do for this exercise), and choose a directory in which to save it. The default directory is the samples folder in the program directory.
spectraCAM saves the file as a Session file, for use in the second part of the CAD/CAM/CNC process.
Generating Toolpath
Generating Toolpath
The next step is to turn your drawing into toolpaths the tool will follow when it cuts the part. Again, there are operation parameters that need to be set before creating the toolpaths.
From the Setup menu select Post Processor . The Post Processor window appears, allowing you to select from a number of post processor files. Choose the one appropriate for the machine you will be turning on, such as the spectraLIGHT Turning center.
On the Dialog Bar, Layer _0 should be displayed as the current layer. If not, click on the down arrow next to the Layers window and select Layer_0.
Click on the Select button next to the Layers window. The part outline will appear dashed indicating everything on that layer is selected.
In the Operations toolbar click on the Rough button. A bracket appears, with an outline of a tool, showing the intended toolpath.
The Quick Enter Bar also changes, showing other parameters for the operation. The Tools window allows you to select the tool used. Be sure Tool 1 is selected.
Step Size and Finish Amount should be set to 0.015.
Click on the Generate Toolpaths button on the Operations toolbar. The toolpaths appear on the screen, along with a dialog box asking if you want to accept the toolpaths. Click on Yes.
If you are using the split screen, you will see the toolpath code information in the NC Edit window, and a graphic verification will take place in the Verify window.
Save as an NC File
Save as an NC File
After you have seen the verification, save the session. Then you will generate the NC file that will be read by the CNC Lathe when turning the part.
From the File menu select Save NC.
A dialog box appears, prompting you to name the file, and select a directory to store it. The default directory is the WCAMT folder, however you may choose to store it in any directory.
When you are satisfied with the location, click on Save.
Congratulations! You have just completed the first two steps of the CAD/CAM/CNC process!
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