By shorton
November 23, 2013, 3:41 pm
New CNC user - help with first use of HSMA
I'm new to CNC with my first machine on the way. I am a mentor for a high school robotics team. Can someone help me with a basic walk through to determine speeds and feeds using this calculator?
Given:
Machine:
Max RPM 30000
Min RPM 5000
0.125 single flute carbide end mill
1.25 HP spindle
200ipm rapids
Material
Polypropylene (soft plastic)
0.25" thick
Operations:
1) Profile cut out a part (slotting rough cut)
2) finish cut hopefully at full depth
I think that's everything.
With that, can someone walk me through using HSMA to determine:
a) spindle speed
b) feed rate
c) depth of cut I can take
I'm particularly fuzzy on how to determine the depth of cut.
Thanks!
Eldar Gerfanov (Admin)
Updated by: Eldar Gerfanov (Admin)November 23, 2013, 6:38 pm
Hi.
Depth of cut is mainly determined by the geometry of your cutter.
By default when you are using stub length end mills your depth of cut should be around half the diameter.
It can be however be larger than that.
Chip clearance and end mill length are the main limiting factors here.
Also parameters like whether you are using coolant or not are very important as well.
With everything default my program will suggest you the safe cutting depth, speed and feed.
If you are slotting, then just check "Slot/Pocket" box and click on "DOC" label to re-calculate the recommended Depth Of Cut.
Below are a screenshots for roughing and finishing.
For finishing i reduced feed override to 50% to get better finish quality.