[VintageOverland]

I am still learning to program my Ultimax control (console only says Ulitmax, not 2 or III) for my BMC 40.

When programing a face mill operation, the following problem occurs:

The control seems to partially ignore my x length value (Y bi-directional milling), in that it will only make passes at 60% the cutter diameter.

I am using a 3/4 endmill so it only makes passes of .45" width. If on the second to last pass there is .2" of material left to remove, it wont take only that ammount. It will either stop .2" short or it will take the next .45" pass.

The programing manual says the machine will take 60% diameter passes but may take less on the last pass, and goes into no further detail. My question is this: is there a command to tell the control not to take the full 60% on the last pass if needed? Is this something the control should be doing on its own?

Thanks,
Scott

[glovebox20]

Hello

Far as I know 60% of the dia is the default stepover when face milling and you can't change it, however, there are other ways of programing to go around this.

One way is to mill a line across a the part, then use pattern linner to step the contour over as many times you want and as far as you want. The pattern linner block must before the milling countour and there must be a pattern end block after the milling countour block.

IF the face is farly narrow (I belive 1" is max) you can mill a line using profile left/right and use the step over value and max offset to adjust the face size and step over. This method is rather slow and clumsy to work with so I don't suggest doing it.

Another way you can try is by changing the End mill dia to "fool" the contorl to change the stepover value, but this may mess up your speed & feed values if you use the auto cal. function in the tool set up.

In the end, your probly better off accepting the fact that the standard default is 60% step over when using the facing function.

The best way I found out to face a part, is to take a face cutter, drive it down the one half of the part while pushing the burr into the part, then mill over, than go back the other way taking the second half of the part using Line and arcs with no "cutter comp". But if the part is close to 2x or wider than the cutter, this operation will not work eathier.

good luck

glovebox20

[JWC]

I just change the tool diameter value till I get the step over I want.

[VintageOverland]

Thanks guys,

After posting yesterday I had milled a line to cover the last strip of material, but didn't want to have to use the extra step if it wasn't needed. Thanks for the suggestions on other methods to go about solving this - its much appreciated.

I'm sure i have at least a few more questions as i get in this a little further.

Scott