SolidCAM Application Tutorial

Multiblade Machining
SolidCAM + SOLIDWORKS
The Complete Integrated Manufacturing Solution
 Contents

Contents

1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 1

2. CAM-Part Definition.................................................................................................... 5

3. Stock and Target Definition...................................................................................... 11

4. Multiblade Roughing Operation............................................................................... 15

5. Blade Finishing Operation........................................................................................ 23

6. Fillet Finishing Operation......................................................................................... 29

7. Hub Finishing Operation.......................................................................................... 37

i
Introduction 1
About this course

The goal of this course is to teach you how to use SolidCAM’s Multiblade Machining to machine
an impeller blade. This tutorial covers the basic concepts of Multiblade Machining. Once you have
developed a good foundation in basic skills, you can refer to the online help for information on the
less frequently used options.

Prerequisites
Students attending this course are expected to have basic knowledge of the SolidCAM software.

Course design
This course is designed around a task-based approach to training. The guided exercises will teach you
the necessary commands and options to complete a machining task. The theoretical explanations
are embedded into these exercises to give an overview of the Multiblade Machining capabilities.

Using this book

This tutorial is intended to be used in a classroom environment under the guidance of an
experienced instructor. It is also intended to be a self-study tutorial.
This book is made using SOLIDWORKS 2020 and SolidCAM 2021 SP0.

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 1. Introduction

Multiblade Machining
The Multiblade Machining operation easily handles impellers and bladed disks, with multiple
strategies to efficiently rough and finish each part of these complex shapes. All the blade surfaces
are machined in a single operation. Various cutting strategies are supplied for roughing and finishing
of the impeller parts. Multi-bladed parts are used in many industries. This operation is specifically
designed to generate the necessary tool paths for the different multiblade configurations.
Some of the advantages of this powerful operation are:

Powerful engine for machining impellers.

Minimum inputs needed

Automatic tool axis control

Root fillets are handled with ease

Different strategies for Roughing, Blade finishing, Fillet finishing, and Hub finishing

A Multiblade impeller has the following elements:

1. Hub surface

2. Main blade

3. Leading edge

4. Trailing edge

5. Fillet

6. Splitter

7. Shroud

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4
CAM-Part Definition
2
The CAM-Part definition process for the impeller part consists of the following stages:

CAM-Part creation

CNC-Machine definition

Coordinate System definition

• CAM-Part creation. At this stage, you have to define the CAM-Part name and location.
SolidCAM defines the necessary system files and a folder to allocate the place to store
SolidCAM data.
• CNC-controller definition. It is necessary to choose the CNC-controller. The controller
type influences the Coordinate System definition and the Geometry definition.
• Coordinate System definition. You have to define the Coordinate System, which is the
origin for all machining operations of the CAM-Part. You can create multiple CoordSys
positions and in each machining step select which CoordSys you want to use for the
operation.
The following exercises describe the full process of the CAM-Part definition. It is recommended to
go through the stages in order to understand how the CAM-Part features are built. For this purpose,
you have to turn off the automatic CAM-Part definition.

1. Click Tools > SolidCAM > SolidCAM Settings.

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 2. CAM-Part Definition

2. In the left pane, select CAM-Part.

3.Ensure that the settings are as shown in

the image.

4. In the left pane, select Automatic CAM-

Part definition.

5. In the right pane, click the Milling tab.

6.Ensure that the settings are as shown in

the image.

7. Click OK.

8. Browse to open the SOLIDWORKS part Impeller Part.SLDPRT.

9. Click Tools > SolidCAM > New >

Milling.

The New Milling Part window displays.

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10. Click

Define the CAM-Part in the Milling Part Data dialog box:

11. In the CNC-Machine list, click table_table_exercise.

12. Click CoordSys button in the Define section the coordinate

system for this part.

13. In the Place CoordSys origin to list, click Top center of model
box.

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 2. CAM-Part Definition

14. Select the face as shown in the image.

15. The coordinate system is defined.

16. Click
The CoordSys Data window displays.

17. Ensure that the Levels parameters in your file are similar to that shown in
the image.

18. Click
The defined Coordinate looks like this:

19. Click to confirm the CoordSys Manager window.

The CAM part is now defined.

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10
Stock and Target
Definition 3
To define the stock, follow the steps mentioned in this chapter.

1. Click Stock in the Define section.

2. In the Defined by list, click 3D Model.

3. Expand the Design Tree and click Importiert3 > Show.

4. Click once on the part to select the solid.

5. Click Show to see the 3D representation of the selected stock.

The defined stock should look as shown in the below image.

Close the Stock model : stock window.

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 3. Stock and Target Definition

6. Click

7. Hide the visibility of Importiert3.

8. Click Target in the Define section.

9. Select the target as shown in the image.

10. Click

11. Click to close the Milling Part Data window.

12. Right click Operations > Machine Setup >

Add at start of operations tree.

13. In the Machine setup window, enter a value of 100 in

Z column.

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14. Click to preview how the part looks on the defined machine.

15. Close the Machine Preview window.

16.Click OK in the Machine setup

window.

The stock and target are now defined and the Setup is added in the CAM-Tree.

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 4
Multiblade Roughing
Operation
1. Right click Operations > Add Milling Operation > Multiblade Machining.

2. In the Technology list, click Roughing.

3. Click the Geometry page.

4. In the Strategy list, click Parallel to Hub.

5. Click under the Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

6. Select the faces as shown in the image.

You have to pick up all the blades,

shrouds, and fillets of these three
highlighted parts of the impeller.

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 4. Roughing Operation

7. Click

8. Keep an offset of 0.35 mm in the Stock to leave

on option.

9. Click .

10. Click Design Model > Surface Bodies > Surface-Trim 1 > Show.

11. Click under the Hub section.

12. Select Surface -Trim 1 from

the design tree. Ensure it is
selected on the part.

13. Save the name as Hub. The

same hub surface will be used in
the entire document.

14. Click

The Hub can be a small segment next to the blade. You do not require to
select the entire Hub. SolidCAM picks up the required surface for machining.

15. Keep an offset of 0.35 mm in the Stock to leave on option.

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16. Click Tool > Select.

17. Double click TAPER MILL to add it as the tool.

Taper ball nose is the most commonly used cutter for machining impellers
as it is rigid and provides very good results.

18. Enter the parameters as shown in the image.

19. Click and double click the Holder icon to display the list of holders.

20. Search for BT40 ER 32x60 and double click it to add it to the tool.

21. Click to save the tool.

22. Click Tool path parameters > Surface quality.

23. Set the Cut tolerance limit as 0.05 mm.

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 4. Roughing Operation

24. Click the Technology tab.

25.Set the parameters as shown in the

image.

26. Click the Sorting tab.

27. In the Method list, click Zigzag, start

from leading edge.

28. In the Ordering list, click Left to right.

29. Click

30. Click once the tool path is calculated.

31. Click in the Simulation window.

The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

32. Close the Simulation.

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33. To complete roughing of the entire part, click Stock and Transformation.

34. Select the Rotation tab.

35. Set the parameters as shown in the image.

36. Click

37. Click once the tool path is calculated.

38. Click in the Simulation window.

The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image.

39. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

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 4. Roughing Operation

40. Click
The simulated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

41. Close the Simulation window.

You have completed roughing of the part.

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22
 5
Blade Finishing
Operation
1. Right click the roughing operation > Add Milling Operation > Multiblade Machining.

2. In the Technology list, click Blade finishing.

3. Click the Geometry page.

4. In the Strategy list, click Morph between Hub and Shroud.

5. Click under the Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

6. Select the faces as shown in the image.

7. Click

8. In the Hub list, click Hub.

This is the same surface that you had selected in the roughing operation.

9. Click under the Shroud section.

10. Select the face as shown in the image.

11. Click

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 5. Blade Finishing Operation

12. Click Tool > Select.

13. Select the same tool that was used for the earlier roughing operation.

14. Click Tool path parameters > Technology.

15.Enter the parameters as shown in the

image.

16. Click the Sorting tab.

17. In the Method list, click One way, start from

trailing edge.

18. In the Cut direction list, click Climb.

19. Click Link.

20. In the Link between layers section, unselect the Automatic check box.

21. Select Blend spline and No lead in/out from the lists.

22. Click Stock and Transformation.

23. Select the Rotation tab.

24.Set the parameters as shown in the below image.

25
25. Click

26. Click once the tool path is calculated.

27. Click

28. The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

29. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

30. Click
The simulated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

31. Close the Simulation window.

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 5. Blade Finishing Operation

32.You will now create finishing of the splitter. For that, you have to save and copy this
operation.

33. Edit the copied operation.

34. Click Geometry.

35. Click under Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

36. Select the faces as shown in the image.

37. Click

38. Click

39. Click once the tool path is calculated.

40. Click

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The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

41. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

42. Click
The simulated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

43. Close the Simulation window.

You have completed the machining of the blade and splitter. In the next chapter you will look at
machining of the fillet.

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 6
Fillet Finishing
Operation
1. Right click the blade finishing operation > Add Milling Operation > Multiblade Machining.

2. In the Technology list, click Fillet finishing.

3. Click the Geometry page.

4. Click under the Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

5.Select the faces as shown in the

image.

6. Click

7. In the Hub list, click Hub.

8. Click Tool > Select.

9.Define a new Taper

Ball Nose tool for this
operation with the
parameters as shown in
the image.

10. Select BT40 ER 32x60

as the Holder.

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 6. Fillet Finishing Operation

11. Click Tool path parameters > Technology.

12. Enter the parameters as shown in the image.

13.Click the Sorting tab and enter the

parameters as shown in the image.

14. Click Link.

15. In the Link between layers section, unselect the Automatic check box.

16. Select Blend spline and No lead in/out from the lists.

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17. Click Stock and Transformation.

18. Select the Rotation tab.

19. Set the parameters as shown in the image.

20. Click

21. Click once the tool path is calculated.

22. Click
The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

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 6. Fillet Finishing Operation

23. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

24. Click
The simulated tool path should look as displayed in the image.

25. Close the Simulation window.

You will now complete the machining of the splitter.

26. Copy and paste this operation.

27. Edit the pasted operation.

28. Click Geometry.

29. Click under Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

30. Select the faces as shown in the image.

31. Click

33
32. Click

33. Click once the tool path is calculated.

34. Click
The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

35. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

36. Click

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 6. Fillet Finishing Operation

The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

37. Close the Simulation window.

You have completed the machining of fillets. In the next chapter, you will look at machining of the
hub.

35
36
 7
Hub Finishing
Operation
1. Right click the fillet finishing operation > Add Milling Operation > Multiblade Machining.

2. In the Technology list, click Hub finishing.

3. Click the Geometry page.

4. Click under the Blades, Splitters, Fillets section.

5.Select the faces as shown in

the image.

6. Click

7. Keep a margin of 0.15 mm in the Stock to leave on option.

8. In the Hub list, click Hub.

9. Click Tool > Select.

10. Select the same tool that was used for the earlier fillet finishing operation.

11. Click Tool path parameters >

Technology.

12. Set the values as shown in the image.

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 7. Hub Finishing Operation

13. Click the Sorting tab.

14. In the Method list, click Zigzag, start from leading edge.

15. In the Ordering list, click Left to right.

16. Click Stock and Transformation.

17. Select the Rotation tab.

18. Set the parameters as shown in the image.

19. Click

20. Click once the tool path is calculated.

The Simulation window displays.

21. Click
The calculated tool path should look as displayed in the image:

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22. Click SolidVerify in the Simulation window.

23. Click
The simulated tool path should look as displayed in the image.

Select all the operations from the CAM-Tree Manager and run the simulation in SolidVerify mode.
The simulated part should look as displayed in the image.

24. Click Machine Simulation in the Simulation window.

25. Run the simulation.

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 7. Hub Finishing Operation

26. The simulation should look as shown in the image.

End of the tutorial.

41
 SolidCAM Application Tutorial
Multiblade Machining

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