CNC Project - VESA Monitor Mounts using Fusion 360 Adaptive Clearing Toolpath

Hi all,

Didn't quite know where to put this thread, so thought it could go here as its the first of 3 VESA monitor mounts I need for my gaming cockpit project.

Anyway, it shows Fusion 360's adaptive clearing (trochoidal?) toolpath in action in 6082 Aluminium and wow is all I can say (I think I say a bit more in the video ;) ). Unfortunately the rest of the project was more a comedy of noob errors as you'll see - mostly due to me trying to multi-task and still learning Fusion 360's options, of which there are many, so fully mea culpa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l-RgapLhdI

A promising start with Fusion but I cringed when I heard the sound when the feed/speed was too aggressive. Tool weld was sure to follow!

Worth persevering with though as the clearance time was pretty good.

Yeah the adaptive clearing was awesome compared to normal strategies. The absence of any slotting and plunging really helps and the material removal was not too shabby either. I may have to try some larger tools as my understanding from Dean is trochoidal works better with more flutes and larger tools (lower stepover I expect as well).

I debated whether to put the failure cuts in the video, but I think its worthwhile so people new to CNC know what the sounds are like without doing it on their own machine...plus its kind of cool to see in a perverse kind of way..

just noticed the posts that the machine left. assuming you made holes there in you 3D model, you will need to select the projected profile of the holes when selecting the geometry. The other alternative is to create a new projected profile in a sketch.

Thanks Komatias,

Yes I ended up creating a new surface with a sketch and used that in a further refinement to the toolpath. In fact that method also helped me with a guitar neck I am currently CAMming up in Fusion. Hopefully AutoDesk add a profile on model outline function at some point, which would be easier, but that's a good method for now.

Cheers

Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Washout

I may have to try some larger tools as my understanding from Dean is trochoidal works better with more flutes and larger tools (lower stepover I expect as well).

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Yes 3 flute 8mm or 10mm carbide is my prefered weapons of choice for roughing and pocketing. Then full depth finish with 4 or 6mm HSS single flute.

Now you see why I love my i-machineing so much. It will cut 20mm plate just has easy has that full depth and similair speeds etc. Biggest challenge is clearing the massive amount of chips coming off.
It's actually amazing to watch and scares the bejesus out ya at first but the time savings are massive on some jobs. Also tool life is considerably increased because has you can hear the cutter is so much less stressed.

This type of tool path also works very well for small tools and you'll be surprised how much material can be removed with 3mm cutter.! I've never snapped a 3mm tool yet with i-machineing but yet conventional tool paths are like a lottery and at much lower DOC etc.

A follow up vid of sorts with better toolpaths and the little posts now missing.

Agree on i-Machining BTW Dean from what I have seen of it and probably more refined than Fusion 360 as unless I've missed the settings in Fusion 360 you don't have the same kind of built in control for aggressive vs conservative you have in i-Machining (a slider iirc) and instead you are manually changing optimum stepover and F&S from external programs like GWizard.

I wonder what the prices are like for i-Machining now as they were a bit "eye watering" for the amateur last time I looked.

Anyway video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN0cXqvgSOA

Nice work Washout!

Adaptive clearing certainly looks like the way to go. Jealous as I looked at Fusion 360 the other day then went to download it and realised that was only for 64 bit (which I knew but had forgotten in my excitement). I've only just upgraded to Win7 32bit on a SSD so it will have to wait for the next PC build.

By the way if the only operation on the flipside was the counterbores why didn't you just use the drill press and a counterbore bit? Save cutting the pocket in the wood and setting it all up again.

Anyway, coming together now . . .

You must have been reading my mind regarding the counterbores, as it was very tempting just to walk over to the drill press, but sometimes I get "stubborn" and do stuff the hard way just to try the technique out...

BTW - doesn't the key for 32Bit Win7 work for 64Bit Win7 also? - its been a while since I installed 32Bit (the CNC PC is the last one in my household), but I'm sure both versions used to get shipped with one key? Mind you I don't think MACH3 runs on 64Bit iirc so if you're using the same PC for both you may not be able to go 64Bit.