2D milling of Solidworks part file with splines

[William Stewart]

Hello,

I have a Solidworks part that can be manufactured on a X-Y router table (Sidewinder XPR). It is essentially a shape cut into MDF with a router. This part uses splines for its profile definition.

I have tried exporting my Solidworks files as .dxf/.dwg and sending those to the vendor. But they have been unable to produce my parts.

The vendor uses Mozaik software that converts files to GCode.

I am wondering:

• What do I need to do to convert my file to something Mozaik can read?
• Is it possible to maintain the smooth spline shape without conversion to a polyline? Or, if conversion to a polyline is necessary, can I specify the number of points in the polyline to emulate a spline?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Bill Stewart

 

[Milland]

It's a router (if one that seems decent), so you're not dealing with the highest accuracy anyway. Convert to polyline or better still arcs if you can. Just pick a resolution (there should be an option for this, but I'm not familiar enough with SW to say for sure) that allows the profile to be cut as you need. If lines test a couple "fineness" options to see what you can live with, unless the machine has sufficient memory and throughput such that you can go really short (.001") without causing hesitation on the cut path.

 

[len_1962]

Hello,

I have a Solidworks part that can be manufactured on a X-Y router table (Sidewinder XPR). It is essentially a shape cut into MDF with a router. This part uses splines for its profile definition.

I have tried exporting my Solidworks files as .dxf/.dwg and sending those to the vendor. But they have been unable to produce my parts.

The vendor uses Mozaik software that converts files to GCode.

I am wondering:

• What do I need to do to convert my file to something Mozaik can read?
• Is it possible to maintain the smooth spline shape without conversion to a polyline? Or, if conversion to a polyline is necessary, can I specify the number of points in the polyline to emulate a spline?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Bill Stewart

Bill,
Here is the first thing I will ask, are they able to read the DXF\DWG's or do they fail to open or get just part of the geometry?
also what version of DXF\DWG are you sending, there are options to save from R12 to 2018 one may be better than another?

Sounds like your vender needs better CAM software or you need to find one that can cut splines.
Most CAM software can cut splines day in day out and have been able to for more than 25 years.
Also most CAM software can now open a native SolidWorks file without some sort of export.
I've been using SW and some sort of CAM since 1997 dealing with these types of issues with people using cheap CAM cause they don't see the need for a better CAM.

Now do you have SolidWorks CAM? you may be able to write the GCODE for your vendor??

If not you may have to redesign your parts with arcs then export to DXF\DWG.

lenny

 

[Areo Defense]

Sounds like the vendor is using a very incapable software and/or an ancient version software. Is this a garage shop?? The vendor should be the person telling you EXACTLY what he needs to quote the job or if he can even take the job at all, it may be above his level. I would prod him a bit to up his game and see what HE can do for you.

 

[memphisjed]

Industrial cutting out machines do not take splines. Some have polyline conversion, most do not.
You need to ask their preference for layers and file types. Arcs and lines with no overlap is best. This way you can control the arc conversion for smoothness and accuracy.

 

[len_1962]

Industrial cutting out machines do not take splines. Some have polyline conversion, most do not.
You need to ask their preference for layers and file types. Arcs and lines with no overlap is best. This way you can control the arc conversion for smoothness and accuracy.

THE OP said the shop is using "Mozaik software" so it is not the machine but the CAM thats the issue

 

[Areo Defense]

THE OP said the shop is using "Mozaik software" so it is not the machine but the CAM thats the issue

We used to send some wedm work to a small shop and he did very nice work but was running really old cam, something v2 on a Win95 box lol! He couldn't take any sort of 3d solids and we always had to chop up a wireframe model and give him ONLY the geometry he needed to complete the work, otherwise he couldn't read anything in. Eventually we only sent him relatively simple jobs because it was too much of a hassle to set up large jobs with him.

@William Stewart
I've looked in Solidworks and can't find anything that could help, if it's in there I'm not seeing it.

Since this is simple router work you could create a nc file in a typical cam system and send it to the vendor; he should be able to tweak it easy enough to cut your parts.