Application Tutorial: STL Machining

3-Axis Roughing and Finishing (HSR/HSM)

and Sim. 5-Axis Finishing
 About STL

STereoLithography (STL) is a 3D printing technology used for producing

models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts.

In 1986, Charles (Chuck) W. Hull, patented it as a method and apparatus for

making solid objects by successively "printing" thin layers of an ultraviolet
curable material one on top of the other.

This file format is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided
manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three
dimensional object without any representation of color, texture or other
common CAD model attributes.

STL files are closed and connected like a combinatorial surface, where every
edge is part of exactly two triangles, and not self-intersecting.

One of the advantages of STereoLithography is its speed; functional parts can

be manufactured as shortly as within a day.

Prototypes made by STereoLithography are strong enough to be machined and

can be used as master patterns for injection molding, thermoforming, blow
molding, and various metal casting processes.

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In this tutorial, machining of this part is described.

You will observe how different settings in SolidCAM are used to machine this
part.
5 Axis simultaneous machining is also directly applied to some areas of the STL
part.

An STL model is comprised of

triangles of many shapes as shown in
the image:

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 Opening the Part

1. Double click the SolidWorks icon.

Click SolidCAM > New > Milling - STL.

This error appears if the user directory is

not created:

If you have already defined the user directory, the error does not appear and
the New Milling Part window appears

3. Create a user directory and click Browse

to open the file STL_MACH.stl.
Click OK.

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 CAM Part Definition

Machining an STL geometry is very different from machining the regular

CAD models in which the edges and surfaces are available that make the
settings easier. But, in the STL file used in this tutorial, you can see there are
no surfaces or edges that can be picked up in SolidCAM and SolidWorks for
machining.

Define the post processor in Milling Part Data section.

1. In the CNC-Machine list, click DMU60_ New.
Leave the fields of Program Number & Subroutine
number with the default settings.
Click Define button in Coordinate System tab to set
the coordinate system for this part.

Before defining the UCS, change the

view of the part to front view.

2. Click View Orientation > Front.

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3. Click Normal to current view option in the
Define CoordSys options section.
Click Capture current view CoordSys.
Click to confirm the selection.

You can see that the User Coordinate

System has been defined away from
the part, but the STL geometries work
this way.
To edit, we need a geometry
encompassing this STL geometry.

4. Click Stock.

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 You can see that the required
geometry is created by the stock:

When you clicked stock, it created a box with absolute coordinates.

5. Click Add box to CAD model.

Click to confirm the selection.
Click to exit Milling Part Data.
Now you must put the UCS in its appropriate
position.

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6. Click CoordSys Manager >
Open.

7. Click 1-Position > Edit.

8. Click Edit > CoordSys.

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9. Click by 3 points (associative) option in the
Define CoordSys options section.

10. Select the points as shown in

the image.
Click to confirm the
selection.
The CoordSys Data window
appears.

11. Click Part Lower level.

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12. Select the point as shown in the image.

The value now is -309.788.

Click

13. Double click OK.

The UCS looks like this:

Click to confirm the
selection.

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 The height pointed by the green line is
309 mm. You must lift the model beyond
the machine table by at least the height.
As you are using a DMG machine in which
the head tilts, you must lift the part by at
least 675 mm.

14. Right click Operations > Machine

Setup.

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15. Enter a value of 675 in Z column.
Click OK.

You have completed defining the CAM part.

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 Roughing

1. Right click Setup > Add Milling Operation > HSR.

The tool height will be too long if you use the first UCS. Therefore, you must
add a local User Coordinate System.

2. Click CoordSys.

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3. Click 1- Position > Add.

4. Click by 3 points (associative) option in the

Define CoordSys options section.

5. Select the points as shown in the image.

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 Click to confirm the selection.

7. Click Part Lower level.

8. Select the point as shown in the image.

9. The value is -195.816.

Click

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10. Click OK.
Click to exit CoordSys Manager.

11. Click Tool > Select.

Click icon to add a new tool.
Select BULL NOSE MILL as the tool.

12. Enter the tool parameters as

shown in the image.
Select the Holder check box.

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13. Select BT40 ER 32x60.
Click Select.

14. Select the Calculate minimum tool length check box.

15. Click Constraint

boundaries.
Click the Created
manually option.
Click the New
icon under Boundary
name.

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16. Select the boundary as shown in the image.

17. Click the Auto-constant Z option.

Click to confirm the selection.

18. In the Boundary - Tool

Relation list, click
External.
Click Passes.

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19. Enter the parameters as shown in the image.
Click Z-Bottom.

20. Select the highlighted point.

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 The value is -97.9082.
Click to confirm the selection.

The set corner radius is 3. As you must cross that radius, change its value.

21. Change the Z-Bottom value

to -100.

22. Click the Adaptive step

down tab.
In the Adapt Step down by
list, click None.
Click Link.

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23. Click the Climb milling
option.

24. Click the Ramping tab.

Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.

25. Click the Retracts tab.

Click the Minimal vertical
retract option.

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26. Click the Save and Calculate icon.
Click the Exit icon.

The User Coordinate System for this operation was changed. Thus, redefine
the stock before you start the simulation.

27. Right click Stock > Define.

You must change the values as they were

of the earlier defined coordinate system.

28. In the Defined by list, click Extruded

boundary.

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29. Select the highlighted
boundary.

30. Click the Auto-constant Z option.

Click to confirm the selection.

31. Right click the operation >

Simulate.

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32. Click SolidVerify.
Click the Play icon.

The simulation looks like this:

You have finished roughing of one side and this operation must be repeated
for the other two sides.

33. Click the Exit icon.

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34. Right click the operation > Copy.

35. Right click the operation > Paste.

36. Right click the operation >

Edit.

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37. Select Rest roughing in the
Technology section.
Click CoordSys.

38. Right click 2 - Position > Add.

39. Click by 3 points (associative) option

in the Define CoordSys options
section.
Select the points as shown in the
image.

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40. Click

41. Click Part Lower level.

42. Select the point as shown in the image.

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 The value now is -201.861.
Click

43. Click OK in the CoordSys Data window.

Click

44. Click Constraint boundaries.

Click the New icon under
Boundary name.

45. Select the boundary

as shown in the image.

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46. Click the Auto-constant Z option.
Click

47. Click Passes.

Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.
Click Z-Bottom.

48. Select the highlighted

point.
The value is -100.931.
Click
Change the Z-Bottom
value to -104.

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49. Click the Adaptive step
down tab.
In the Adapt Step down by
list, click None.

50. Clink Link.

Click the Ramping tab.
Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.

51. Click the Retracts tab.

Click the Minimal vertical
retract option.

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52. Click the Save and Calculate icon.
Click the Exit icon.

53. Right click the operation >

Simulate.

54. Click SolidVerify.

Click the Play icon.

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 The simulation looks like this:

Click the Exit icon.

You must now complete finishing of the third side.

55. Right click the operation > Copy.

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56. Right click the operation > Paste.

57. Right click the operation > Edit.

58. Click CoordSys.

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59. Right click 3-Position > Add.

60. Click by 3 points (associative) option

in the Define CoordSys options
section.

61. Select the points as shown in the

image.
Click

62. Click Part Lower level.

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63. Select the point as
shown in the image.

The value now is -201.861.

Click
Click OK in the CoordSys Data window.
Click

64. Click Constraint boundaries.

Click the New icon under
Boundary name.

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65. Select the boundary as shown
in the image.

66. Click the Auto-constant Z option.

Click
Click the Save and Calculate icon.
Click the Simulate icon.

67. Click SolidVerify.

Click the Play icon.

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The simulation looks like this:

You can see that some material is remaining at the back.

This is because of the tool length as a shorter tool length is used and
because the holder is touching the area marked with the black arrow.

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 The part looks like this after the roughing of three sides is completed.

68. Click the Exit icon.

69. You will now look at one more finishing operation using HSM.
Right click the operation > Add Milling Operation > HSM.

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70. In the Technology list, click Linear machining.
Click Geometry.
In the list, click MAC 1 (2-
Position).
Click Tool > Select.
Click icon to add a
new tool.

71. Select BALL NOSE MILL as the tool.

Enter the tool parameters as shown in the image.
Select the Holder check box.
Select BT40 ER 32x60.
Click Select.

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72. Select the Calculate minimum tool length checkbox.
Click Constraint boundaries.

73. Click the Created

automatically option.
Click Passes.

74. Enter the parameters as

shown in the image.
Click Z-Bottom.

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75. Select the highlighted point.

The value is -97.9082.

Click

76. Click Link.

Click the bi-directional
option.

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77. Click the Retracts tab.
Click the Minimal vertical retract option.
Click the Save and Calculate
icon.
Click the Simulate icon.

78. Click SolidVerify.

Click the Play icon.

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The simulation looks like this:
Click the Exit icon.

You have completed roughing of this part.

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 5-Axis Finishing Strategies

You will now look at a few 5 axis finishing strategies.

As you cannot select a surface in an STL data, you cannot directly machine
using 5-axis. You require some guide surfaces to machine STL data on a 5-axis
machine. These guide surfaces are used to machine the STL data. The tool
path is directly projected on the STL model after it is calculated on the guide
surface.
In this tutorial, some guide surfaces are already created for your reference.
You insert them as an additional component to the assembly model.

1. Right click Insert > Component > Existing Part/Assembly.

2. Click Browse in the Part/Assembly to Insert section.

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 Browse for the part SURFACES.SLDPRT.
3. Click SURFACES.SLDPRT.
Click Open.

You must place this exactly in the STL data as you have one set of surfaces and
the STL data. So, if you place it outside, you will not be able to mate it. The
surface must be exactly at the same origin as the STL data.
Click to place the surface exactly at the origin of the STL data.

4. Click the Feature Manager Design Tree icon.

Right click STL Graphics1 > Hide.

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 You can see that now there is a set of three different surfaces.

In this tutorial, two surfaces will be used for 5-axis machining.

5. Click the SolidCAM Manager icon.

Right click the operation > Add Milling Operation > Sim 5 Axis Milling.

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6. In the Technology list, click
Morph between two
boundary curves.
Click Geometry.
Click the New icon
under Drive surface.

7. Select the highlighted face.

Select the Show direction for
selected faces check box.

If the direction of the arrow is pointing downwards, as shown in the above

image, the direction must be reversed.

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8. Right click Face1 > Reverse.
Click

9. Click the New icon under

Start edge curve.
Select the highlighted curve.
Click
Click

10. Click the New icon

under End edge curve.
Select the highlighted curve.
Click
Click

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11. In the Type list, click Full, start and end at exact surface edges.
Click Margins.

12. Enter the values as shown in the image.

Click OK.

13. Click Tool > Select.

Select the 12 mm BALL NOSE
MILL that was used for an
earlier operation.
Click Levels.
Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.

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14. Click Link.
Click the Links tab.
Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.

15. Click Tool axis control.

Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.

16. Click Gouge Check.

Select the check boxes as
shown in the image.
Click the New icon
under Check surfaces 1.

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17. Click Browse to select the STL file.

18. Browse STL_MACH.stl.

Click Open.
Click

19. Click Motion control.

In the list, click Choose
between two surfaces.
This will help to use
the machine limits
properly.
Click the Save and
Calculate icon.

The calculations are done in three stages.

1. Firstly, it creates sections.
2. Secondly, it creates links.
3. Finally, it projects the tool path using the collision check, back onto the STL
file.
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20. Click the Simulate icon.
You can see that the tool is tilted by
around 15 degrees.

21. Click Machine Simulation.

Click the Run icon.

You can see that the head remains

steady at -15.

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The simulation looks like this:

Click the Exit icon.

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22. Click the Exit icon to come out of the Operations Manager.

23. Right click the operation > Copy.

24. Right click the operation > Paste

25. Right click the operation > Edit.

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26. Click Geometry.
Select the New icon under Drive surface.
Select the surface as
shown in the image.

27. Select the Show direction for selected

faces check box.

The direction looks like this:

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28. Click
Click the New icon under Start edge curve.
Select the highlighted curve.
Click
Click

29. Click the New icon under End edge curve.

Select the highlighted curve.
Click
Click

30. Click Tool > Select.

Click to add a new tool.

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31. Select BALL NOSE MILL as the tool.
Enter the parameters as shown in the image:
Select the Holder
check box.
Select BT40 ER
32X60.
Click Select.

32. Click Tool path

parameters.
Click the Sorting tab.
In the Cutting method
list, click Spiral.

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33. Click Tool axis control.
Enter the parameters as
shown in the image.
Click the Save & Calculate
icon.

This will create a tool path that will wrap on the object in a spiral manner and
machine the entire object from bottom to top at a single go. This will complete
the finishing in a single operation.

34. Click the Simulate icon.

Switch on the tool path to ensure if the entire part has been machined.

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 This is the closer view of the
machine simulation

35. Switch off the tool path to run the simulation.

Click the Play icon.

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 You can see that 5-axis machining is now in progress.
Observe that most of the movements happen in Y, Z , C and B columns. There
is no movement in X as it is placed at the centre.

36. Click the Exit icon.

Click the Exit icon to close the Operations Manager.

37. Select the check box in front of the operation to see the tool path.
To visualize the tool path, switch off the STL data else the tool path will be
hidden inside the STL data.

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The final tool path looks like this:

You have completed finishing of this part.

End of the tutorial

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