[olimz]

Here is the scenario that I want to do and what I’ve done.

I need a circle with 10cm diameter and 1cm whole in the center. The raw material is plywood with 18mm thickness and aspire software as G-code generator.

For doing this job , first I drill the 1mm whole with 18mm height and then use "profile tool-path" for cutting the outside of circle .
For cutting exp 100 circles in one sheet , with nesting function I've arranged all circles. Now I select all 100 wholes and drill them ( job 1) and then select all 100 circles and cut the outsides ( job 2) .

The problem is : job 1 needs a hour (exp) to complete and job 2 need 2 hours. Anything may happen during these 3 hours ( bit problem, human failure , .... ) and resuming is not easy with DSP controller.

I want to know that is it possible to define operating like this :
Drill the first circle's whole and then cut the outside of first circle ( complete first object ) and then all circles one by one ( but using sth like nesting for auto arranging these jobs in one sheet )

 

[kp91]

Are you using the same bit for both operations?

I did something similar, with a 1 inch ID hole and 3 inch OD and when I merged the toolpaths into 1 toolpath it basically did what you are asking

 

[4DThinker]

Select all the center holes first. Using a profile cut instead or pocket may speed up the time require, or find a 1cm upcut bit you can use to just drill them with a drilling toolpath.
To speed up the profile cut on the outsides of your circles you can connect them so that the bit lifts up as few times as possible. Even if it takes adding a short line between each the big time killer in most tedious jobs is bit lift and air travel. If you can't connect them all then push your plunge speed for the bit you are using to its max.

 

[BalloonEngineer]

Long operations are a fact of life with CNCs. I would take basic precautions like making sure bit is new (or at least sharp), and making sure stock is firmly secured If the the first circle cuts correctly without breaking a bit, it is much less likely that cutting additional identical copies would break a bit, since presumably Aspire will use the exact same feeds and speeds for all the duplicates

As long as stock does not shift and you can repeat zeroing out the piece, if worst comes to worst and something does force you to restart from the beginning, you can either let it cut air until it gets back to where it begins cutting, or go back to your Aspire file and delete all of the vectors for the circles cut before it stopped and generate a new g-code file to cut the rest, using same zero point.

 

[MT Stringer]

Here's a thought. Divide your tool paths into four separate cuttings. Give each one a specific name. Save each one separately in the gcode. That way you can cut a fourth of them at a time.

Sound feasible?
Good luck
Mike

 

[dovetail_65]

The hilly billy way to zero after a power loss is this.

Manually jog your machine over and drop the bit into the table or material where it does not effect project. DO this first and then use this as your 0,0,0. The hole will only be as big as the bit so if something happens later you only need manually jog the bit back to that hole and when you can get it to drop in to the depth just set your machine back to 0,0,0. This has saved me many times and on work like you described is more than accurate enough.

Now you are saying you want to cut one out at a time(or maybe a few) because things go wrong, that's weird I never had a machine so unreliable that I would want to cut through one part before all 40 or whatever your number is. The reason is every once in while the piece could pop out and ruin the rest, so make sure your depth is very accurate or onion skin your profiles so you know each one as it cut does not pop out. I use a down cut bit so the dust packs the cut and hole the pieces in place so I suggest that.

You can do the method, you could set up the file to cut the center hole then the perimeter for each item as it goes. But what I suggest if you are so worried is just cut 5 to ten at a time. Cutting say 10 centers then 10 perimeters, The take them out, move the material and do another ten. Just break it down, dont do all at once.

I want to know that is it possible to define operating like this :
Drill the first circle's whole and then cut the outside of first circle ( complete first object ) and then all circles one by one ( but using sth like nesting for auto arranging these jobs in one sheet )

Yes you can do this - If you want me to help set up the file in your described many and even a few different ways just email me your Aspire file(or whatever you are using) as you have it now so I can get a better grasp on the project. I am glad to assist.

 

[dovetail_65]

Guys in reference to my last post, it may not be apparent to everyone, but those steps of the dropping the bit and marking the machine at 0,0,0 needs to be done After the cut file is loaded in the machine, but BEFORE the file ever starts. This way if information is lost, power goes out you can reference back to that hole as 0,0,0.