Use clearance only at start and end of operation

[DavidB]

This has been bugging me for a while now.

 

I do engraving with, Top of stock Inc 0,

Depth Inc -0.25mm, Feed plane Inc 3mm

This gives a great toolpath but soon as I tick Clearance 40mm and Tick "Use clearance only at the start and end of operation" Mastercam uses this 40mm Clearance height between each letter and NOT only at start and end of the toolpath?

[Guest]

Then don't do it

 

[DavidB]

It's on a 5-axis machine and I need clearance at start and end of op only.

I can use Ref points but the contour toolpath itself should do as the text says "Use clearance only at the start and end of operation"

[Guest]

Is your retract value by chance set to the same number?

 

Also make sure you are using a retract number or it will retract to the clearance plane regardless of the start and end only

 

If you use a retract value and tick start and end only you'll get this

code:

---

G00 G90 G54 X.6191 Y.7857 S6000 M03

G43 H6 Z2.

Z.1

G01 Z0. F35.

G03 X.3331 Y1.0016 I-.286 J-.0815 F25.

X.0471 Y.7857 I0. J-.2974

X0. Y.5 I.8438 J-.2857

X.0471 Y.2143 I.8909 J0.

X.3331 Y-.0016 I.286 J.0815

X.6191 Y.2143 I0. J.2974

X.6661 Y.5 I-.8438 J.2857

X.6191 Y.7857 I-.8909 J0.

G01 Z.1 F50.

G00 Z.25

X.8661 Y1.

Z.1

G01 Z0. F35.

Y.5 F25.

X1.4733 F25.

Z.1 F50.

G00 Z.25

Y1.

---

same code, no retract, start/end only clearance is checked

 

code:

---

G00 G90 G54 X.6191 Y.7857 S6000 M03

G43 H6 Z2.

Z.1

G01 Z0. F35.

G03 X.3331 Y1.0016 I-.286 J-.0815 F25.

X.0471 Y.7857 I0. J-.2974

X0. Y.5 I.8438 J-.2857

X.0471 Y.2143 I.8909 J0.

X.3331 Y-.0016 I.286 J.0815

X.6191 Y.2143 I0. J.2974

X.6661 Y.5 I-.8438 J.2857

X.6191 Y.7857 I-.8909 J0.

G01 Z.1 F50.

G00 Z2.

X.8661 Y1.

Z.1

G01 Z0. F35.

Y.5 F25.

X1.4733 F25.

Z.1 F50.

G00 Z2.

---

 

[ 04-11-2006, 09:40 PM: Message edited by: John Paris @ Kevlin Microwave ]

[DavidB]

NO retract at all

[Guest]

You have to use a retract to keep it down or the MC does not know how far to pull back to get to the next cut, so it'll use the clearance instead

[DavidB]

OK will do Thanks John

[Guest]

a little late to the party here, but you need a retract value otherwise it will use the clearance value. For example if your feed plane is 3 mm, set retract to 4 mm.