Warning: saved toolpaths vs re-calculating on the fly almost cost me a $2,100 job

I was running a batch of aluminum parts last week and decided to use a saved toolpath from a similar job 3 months ago instead of re-calculating for the new stock size. Big mistake. The saved path was off by about .015 in one corner and it started chattering bad around pass 4. I had to stop, re-do the CAM, and scrap two parts before I caught it. Now I always re-calculate fresh for every new run, even if it looks the same. Anyone else get burned trusting old toolpaths?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_nguyen721d ago

Got bit by the same bug on a batch of 6061 last fall. @adam_hernandez is right about that extra 10 minutes being cheap insurance. I figure it costs me about 15 bucks in spindle time to recalculate versus losing a $200 blank and two hours of setup. The real killer is trusting that "close enough" feeling. Even with the same stock size, tool wear changes the cut dynamics over a few months. Now I force myself to run a fresh simulation before every job, no shortcuts. Saved my ass on a tight tolerance medical part just last week.

adam_hernandez21d ago

Yeah, that "off by about .015" thing got me too on a stainless job last year... now I just suck it up and re-calculate every time, takes an extra 10 minutes but saves way more in scrapped parts.