Design Projects usingSolidWorks and Mastercam

TSA CO2 Car

Allegheny Educational Systems, Inc. January, 2007

1. Open Solidworks 2. Select File > Open > Pitsco-TSA Blank.sldprt

1. Click on Features

1. Click on the side face of the block.2. Your mouse cursor should change to resemble a curved sheet.

1. Click Normal To = turns the part to view that selected side2. Click Extrude Cut

1. Click on Hidden Lines Visible to show our CO2 cartridge hole.

1. The Sketch toolbar automatically opens.2. Click Spline.3. Be sure your cursor shows a red dot at this point before clicking.

1. Click several points to create a curved line similar to below. 2. Start the line here3. Once you click the last point on the right edge, press ESC key.

1. Click the Line tool. 2. Click drag and click to make a box around the outside of the block and connected to the spline end points. Basically create a cookie cutter to lop off the top of your car blank.

Start

End

1. Click Exit Sketch.2. Click dynamic rotation, then click near the drawing to move your viewport.

1. The Cut Extrude options open.2. Type in a depth of 60mm.3. Click the green check for OK.

*The top surface is cut away.

1. Click the Top plane from the Feature Manager Tree.2. The green top plane becomes visible.

1. Click Normal To.2. Click Features > Click Extruded Cut.

1. Click the Centerline tool.

1. Slowly move your cursor above the block outline near center and small dashed lines will appear showing that you are in line with center.

2. Click and drag a center line. Click again to end it.

1. Click on Spline. Draw a spline ending on top and bottom edges.2. Be sure to draw the spline outside of the box outline at the axle points.

1. Click on Line. Draw a line connecting the top and bottom ends of the spline. Again creating a cookie cutter shape with which to cut the car profile.

1. Click Mirror Entities

1. Click on your spline and lines to select them, which will then turn green.2. Click in the Mirror About box here, then on the centerline.

1. Click the green check and your drawing is mirrored.2. Click Exit Sketch.

1. Click on rotate or hold down the mouse wheel or click on the isometric view to rotate your view.

1. Select Through All from the drop down. 2. Click here to toggle the direction (shown by the gray arrow)

1. Click the green check.

1. Click on the Shaded with edges view

1. Click the Fillet tool.

1. Type in a radius dimension, if it does not show a yellow preview, type a smaller number. Usually between 3mm and 10mm works best.

2. Click in this box then on the edges of the part.

1. Click on the green check.

1. Rotate your part.2. Follow the previous steps to smooth the other top edge of the part.(Fillet tool > Type in radius > Select Edges > Click check mark to OK)

1. Click on the Right Plane.

1. Click Normal To.

1. Click on Hidden Lines Visible.

1. Click Extruded Cut.

1. Click Spline tool and draw the bottom profile to cut, this time enclosing the spline. Again creating a cookie cutter shape to profile the bottom of your car.

2. Click Exit Sketch.

1. Rotate the part to see clearly.2. Select mid plane, notice the gray arrow points in both directions.

1. Type 60mm. 2. Click the green check.

1. Click the Shade With Edges button.2. Click a Perspective view.

1. Select the Chamfer tool.

1. Click here, then on the bottom edge of the car on one side.2. Type in a diameter and angle for the chamfer.

1. Select the green check and repeat the previous steps to chamfer the other bottom edge.

*You’ve created a car.

*You may at any time go back and Edit Sketch by right clicking on the sketch drop down. Beside a Feature such as Cut Extrude click the plus sign then right click on Sketch

1. Click Normal To in order to view the drawing plane.2. Change the sketch by dragging existing points.

1. The other features update based on the edit automatically. 2. Notice the gray arrows showing the point you are adjusting, just click and drag.

1. If editing a corner point, you will need to delete the Coincident Relation before moving that point.

2. Click on Coincident to highlight, then press the keyboard delete key.

1. Now you can adjust the point by clicking, dragging and clicking again to place it.

*Add a Smart Dimension of 20mm to be sure the CNC mill will not hit our fixture.1. Click Smart Dimension, then the point of the spline, then the corner of the stock.2. Type 20 and click the green check.

1. Click and drag the top blue corner point until it snaps to a vertical position.

*The original Extrude Cut feature updates from our sketch adjustments.

1. Save the file.

1. Open Mastercam 2. File > Open > Change “File Type” to SolidWorks (*SLDPRT)3. Find your saved car file through “Look In” and click the green check.

1. Select your Machine Type from the drop down menui.e. Machine Type > Router > MPTECHNOX (or Ask your instructor for your specific machine.)

1. Press the F9 key to view the red origin guidelines.

X +

Y +

*For those of you with a car that is oriented in the Y axis (see below) there is no difference in toolpathing except once which is noted later on. Realize that the views will simply look different. Think of it as the car nose just pointing another way.

Y +

X +

1. Use the orthographic view buttons to see top, side, front, and isometric views of the car. Click each of them to get a better sense of the orientation of your car. 2. Notice the directional triad (X,Y,Z) changes with the views

Z

Y

1. Click here to shade then here to clear the color.

*Now we will begin running the toolpaths.

1. Click the Top View button.2. Click the Fit button to maximize your view of the full car.

1. Select Create> Line> Create Line Endpoint from the dropdowns.

1. Draw an outline around the car but be sure to cut across the front ½” of nose to leave as stock material.

2. Start on the red (0- X axis) an approximate ½” from the car body and click for the start then end of each line segment.

*Fully enclose the car in outline.

1. Switch back to an isometric view by clicking here.

1. Select Toolpaths> Surface Rough> Rough Pocket Toolpath from the dropdowns.

1. Ignore the NC name screen, just click the green check. You will save and name your toolpaths later.

*The prompt asks you to select drive surfaces. 1. Click on the car body, it highlights in yellow. 2. Then click the green go button.

1. Once this window pops up, click on the containment arrow.

*The chaining window pops up. 1. Just click on the outline you drew. 2. Then click the green check mark.

1. Now click the Entry Point arrow.

1. Click on the left corner of the containment geometry.

1. Now click the green check mark in this window.

*The toolpath parameters window pops up. 1. Click Select Library tool.

1. Select a ¼” ball cutter.2. Then click the green check mark.

1. Make sure the ¼” Ball Cutter is highlighted.2. Type a “1” in the Tool #, Head #, Len. Offset, and Dia. Offset boxes if any other numbers are shown there.

1. Click the next tab Surface Parameters. *Do not click the green check mark yet. You must set parameters in each tab first.

1. Click Absolute for Retract and leave it at .25”.2. Leave Incremental and .1” for Feed Plane.

1. Click the Rough Parameters tab.2. Type .25” in Maximum Stepdown. (For a finer finish, .05”, or .1” is recommended) 3. Then click Cut Depths.

1. Click Absolute. 2. Then set Maximum depth to -0.9 and the Minimum depth to -.25. 3. Then click the green check mark.

1. Select Zigzag. 2. Check the box for Use quick zigzag.3. Type 75 in the Stepover Percentage, then you may finally click the green check mark.

*The 1st toolpath is created.

1. Click the green check with the green arrow.*Notice a check mark appears in the folder for the toolpath in the tree on the left.2. Click the Verify icon to visualize the toolpath.

1. Click on the Play button to watch an animated simulation.

*You may press rewind then play to watch again.1. If you’re satisfied with the simulation, click the green check mark.

*Now we’ll create the next toolpath.

Click Toolpaths > Surface Finish > Finish Parallel from the dropdown.

1. Click on the car body to again “select the drive surface.” The car body turns yellow.2. Then click the green button.

*The toolpath selection window pops up. 1. Click the arrow button next to Containment.

1. Click the Top View button. 2. Then click on the outline geometry you drew before.3. Then click the green check mark.

1. Then Click the green check when this window pops up.

*The main parameters window will appear.1. Select the ¼” ball mill selected previously.2. Click the next tab, Surface Parameters.

1. Click Absolute for Retract and type in .25”.2. You can leave Feed Plane as Incremental and .1”.3. Click the Finish Parallel tab.

1. Type 0.05 for Stepover. *(If your fixture runs in the Y Axis) then type 90 in Machining angle2. Click the blank check box next to Depth limits (which is grayed out until checked).

1. Select Relative to: Tip2. Type -0.9 into the Maximum Depth box.3. Click the Depth Limits green check then the Surface Parallel green check.

*The 2nd toolpath appears in blue along with the 1st.

1. Click the isometric view button and fit button.

1. Click on the chamfered-block-icon to run an animated verification of your toolpaths.*The Verify player window opens.

1. Click the Play button to verify your toolpaths. 2. Then Click the green check mark to close the window.

1. Click the G1 in the toolpath tree. 2. Leave all of the defaults set in the Post Processing window and click the green check.

*Save screen appears. Name and save your “toolpath code” in the appropriate folder.Ask your instructor for more detail.

*The Gcode screen appears. Close it by clicking here.

Setup your CNC machine:

1. Open the appropriate interface program.2. Open the .NCD file you just created.3. Cut this side of your car.4. See instructor for further detail and setup checkout.5. Once you have cut one side of your car you will need to toolpath the opposite side of the car.6. Return to your saved Mastercam file. (*.mcx)

1. Click on the Wireframe icon.2. Then click the front view button. (Although users in the Y orientation may need to

select a different view button to view the car as seen below.)

1. Hide the toolpaths for clarity with the wavy blue lines here. “Toggle toolpath display”

1. Click, drag, and click to use a window to select the car body. *Be sure to also enclose your 2D containment geometry.

1. Click Xform> Rotate from the dropdowns.

*The Rotate window appears. 1. Click this crosshairs button to select the center of the rotation.

1. Click carefully at the center of (your cursor should “snap” to) the CO2 cartridge hole.

*The Rotate window reappears.1. Click Move instead of Copy, then type 180 in the degree box.2. Notice the purple box representing the preview, then click the green check mark.

*Your car is flipped to the opposite side. The toolpaths must be regenerated next.1. Select your Isometric view again to check your reoriented geometry.2. Click on the Green Check Mark-with-Arrow icon to select all operations.

1. Click on the toolbit-with-arrow icon to “regenerate all selected operations.”

1. Click on the Toolpath Toggle button to show the regenerated toolpaths.

1. Verify the toolpaths for your car’s opposite side.

1. Again, Click the G1 button to save the toolpath for the opposite side of the car.

*Save screen appears. 1. Name and place the file in the preferred location.

*The Gcode screen appears, which you may close.

Congratulations!

You have successfully designed a car in SolidWorks and created the toolpaths needed to cut it on your

Techno CNC Machine with Mastercam X2

Go mill a CO2 Car and have fun racing your design.

Thank you.