4-Axis Machining

For this project I needed to design something that we could machine using a 3 axis CNC machine with a rotatory table attached making it 4 axis. The main problem that I had during this project is that since we were using a rotatory table, the only spot that we could attach the stock was at the bottom. I was using a window tabbing method (making an outline of the part and using built-in tabs to hold the part stable) my part secure while milling. 

This was my first attempt at making my 4-axis design that I scraped pretty early on because it was too wide for the window method. Also, it just wasn't looking how I imaged it would. 

My second attempt was a wand, this attempt was much better than my first because it worked well with the window method. Unfortunately, this would not be very possible to machine the middle twist, the handle, and anywhere that was smooth because I was limited to having the rotation at the bottom of the stock I couldn't get into the curved spots with out crashing the machine. 

The third attempt was the finale attempt, and I had to get rid of all the smooth parts because I couldn't find a way to machine it without it looking weird. This wand also does great with the window method. With this design I will be able to actually mill this part fully because it is more straight forward than the previous designs while still looking like a wand.  

To make sure that everything in the program was a realistic as possible I designed the fixture that we used that held my wand so that I could tell if any endmills ran into the fixture and prevent it from happening.

This if the first four toolpaths of my operation in the simulation. Where it is facing and getting the stock ready for the roughing toolpath. In these toolpaths the simulation says that it is "crashing" but it is just cutting into extra stock that I left at the bottom of my part, so its not actually crashing and this is according to plan.  

The next four are roughing and finish passes before it starts so clean up everything else, It cleans the part pretty well but it leaves a few imperfections. Which will be smoothed out in the next passes. 

After roughing and finishing the main part of my wand I needed to smooth out the tip of the wand, so the next 13 toolpaths are for smoothing out the tip. Next is the handle. 

Smoothing out the handle only took 8 tool paths and there were no problems in the simulation. Now I get to run the machine in real life. 

Before I can start to run the wand I need to make a dovetail on the bottom of the stock so that it can hold onto the rotary fixture. I hand wrote the  G-code that would be used to mill the dovetail. 

Before we actually start running the program we need to run a graphic run, to make sure that nothing will go wrong. Unfortunately something did go wrong in the graphic run, and it said that the face mill was going to cut the fixture (which we obviously don't want). I then had to go back to my program and I found out what the problem was on my setup the point where everything was taken off of was on top of the fixture instead of the center of the fixture, this made the face mill cut closer to the middle than it should have. 

One last thing we have to do before running the program is we have to offset our stock and tools.

Nothing went wrong during the run everything went as planed, and my wand came out how I designed it.

All that was left to do was take it out and debur the tabs off.