Engi 6928 Computer Aided Engineering Applications

HSMxpress Lab 2D Mill exercise

This Lab will introduce you to 2D milling using HSMxpress. By the end of this Lab you should be able to
perform the following

Install and enable HSMxpress for SolidWorks

Perform stock setup, Work Coordinate System (WCS) and tool setup using HSMxpress
Generate tool paths for drilling, pocket and contour milling operations
Understand main parameters associated with drilling and milling operations
Use back plot and simulate tools for toolpath validation
Export your tool path as machine code, and generate the tool list

Please complete the lab worksheet ENGI 6928 CAM LAB WORKHEET.pdf found on D2L as you
complete the lab. Please sign off your worksheet with a TA when you leave the lab.

TAs will mark your completed work during the next Lab session.
A. Create solid model

1. Create a new part in SolidWorks for the drawing shown on the next page. Use Imperial (IPS) units.
TIP: Use a 3 point arc to create the arc seen on the part. Make the start and end points of the arc
tangent to the circles and dimension the radius as shown.
2. Fully define all sketches

3. Set the material of the Solid model as Aluminum 6061 -Alloy

4. Select Tools> Addins on the tool bar of SolidWorks

5. If HSMxpress is installed it will appear as HSMWorks under other Add-Ins. Click on the two check
boxes to enable HSMxpress.

6. If HSMxpress is not installed you can install it for free from the following link:
http://cam.autodesk.com/get-hsmxpress/

B. HSMxpress stock setup

7. Click on the CAM tab on SolidWorks and select Job to initiate the CAM operation
8. On the property manager select Milling under job type

9. Click on the model selection box and select the 3D model

10. Under Stock, select fixed sized box from the first drop down menu, and specify a 3x3x0.25 box
as the stock.
A 3 axis CNC milling machine can only mill along the XY plane and the tool is located above the XY plane
oriented along the -Z axis. In this lab, we want the top plane of the model to be set as the XY plane for
machining purposes. I.e. the WCS.

11. Under WCS, select use Stock and orientation from the first drop down menu. Then click on the top
face of the 3D model to locate the coordinate system on the top face. Select Top center from the
second drop down menu to locate it at the center.

12. Under Machine, select Generic 3-axis

13. Under Post Processing, give a numeric identifier for your NC code. E.g. 6928

14. Press the green check mark to finish stock/ WCS and machine setup

C. HSMxpress toolpath generation

We will perform 4 machining operations on the part. As shown in the following figure
 SPOT DRILL

DRILL

POCKET MILL

CONTOUR MILL

15. Open a web browser (Google Chrome), and navigate to http://www.solidprofessor.com

16. Select Login and Login using the following credentials:

Username: munstudent
Password: Des1gn

17. Select Library and click on MasterCAM

Follow the video MasterCAM> Mill2D> Lesson 5> Completed Part to visualize the 4 operations you are
about to program
SPOT DRILL

18. Click on Drilling from the CAM menu and select Drill

19. Select the Tool Tab on the property manager. Select Library, and then click on all tools and select a
0.5 Drill from the tool list

20. Press select

21. Set Coolant to Flood, Spindle speed to 3500 rpm and plunge speed to 7 in/min
22. Select the geometry tab

23. Select the four edges of the holes and click on the check box optimize order

24. Select the Heights tab

25. We`ll specify all heights using WCS. Therefore, select absolute from the drop down box for each and
every height.

26. Set a clearance height of 2, Retract height of 0.1, Feed height of 0.1, top at 0 and specify the
cut depth(bottom) as -0.15

27. Select the Passes tab and select Drilling-rapid out under cycle

28. Press the green check mark

DRILL

29. Click on Drilling from the CAM menu and select Drill

30. Select the Tool Tab on the property manager. Select Library, and then click on all tools and select a
0.25 Drill from the tool list

31. Press select

32. Set Coolant to Flood, Spindle speed to 4750 rpm and plunge speed to 8 in/min
33. Select the geometry tab

34. Select the four edges of the holes as the holes and click on the check box optimize order

35. Select the Heights tab

36. Select absolute from the drop down box for each and every height.

37. Set a clearance height of 2, Retract height of 0.1, Feed height of 0.1, top at 0 and specify the
cut depth(bottom) as -0.25

38. These are through holes, so we want the drill tip to break through the bottom of the part. To
achieve this, enable Drill tip through bottom

39. Specify 0.1 as the breakthrough depth

40. Select the Passes tab and select Drilling-rapid out under cycle
41. Press the green check mark

POCKET MILL

42. Click on Milling from the CAM menu and select 2D Pocket

43. Select the Tool Tab on the property manager. Select Library, and then click on all tools and select a
0.5 flat end mill from the tool list

44. Press select

45. Set Coolant to Flood, Spindle speed to 4500 rpm and federate for cutting/Lead in/Lead out to 10
in/min. Set ramp and plunge speed to 5 in/min

46. Select the geometry tab

47. Select the top edge of the pocket as shown

48. Select the Heights tab

49. Select absolute from the drop down box for each and every height.

50. Set a clearance height of 2, Retract height of 0.1, Feed height of 0.1, top at 0 and specify the
cut depth(bottom) as -0.125
51. Select the Passes tab and set Passes (roughing) step over to 0.375 . Enable finishing passes and set
the number of finishing passes to 1 and step over to 0.01. Disable the check mark next to stock to
leave

52. Select the linking tab and set the lead in radius to 0.375 and lead in distance to 0.375. Set
ramping to zig zag with a ramp angle set to 3 degrees, helical ramp dimeter set to 0.5 and
minimum ramp diameter set to 0.25.
53. Press the green check mark
CONTOUR MILL

54. Click on Milling from the CAM menu and select 2D Contour

55. Select the Tool Tab on the property manager. Select Library, and then click on tool #3. (We are
using the same tool as pocket milling for this operation)
56. Press select

57. Set Coolant to Flood, Spindle speed to 4500 rpm and federate for cutting/Lead in/Lead out to 10
in/min. Set ramp and plunge speed to 10 in/min
58. Select the geometry tab

59. Select the outside contour of the part as shown. Use the reverse button so that we achieve the
correct direction for climb milling as shown
60. Select the Heights tab

61. Select absolute from the drop down box for each and every height

62. Set a clearance height of 2, Retract height of 0.1, Feed height of 0.1, top at 0 and specify the
cut depth(bottom) as -0.125
63. Select the Passes tab. Enable multiple finishing passes and set the number of finishing passes to 1
and step over to 0.03. Set Leads on all finishing passes checkbox. Enable roughing passes and set
the number of roughing passes to 1. Disable the check mark next to stock to leave.
 64. Select the linking tab and set the lead in radius to 0.375 and lead in distance to 0.375

65. Press the green check mark

D. HSMxpress simulation and backplot

Your tool path can be validated using two methods. First is using a Machine simulation, which simulates
your tool path, any fixtures, stock and the cutting operation. This allows to verify proper material removal
and any collisions that may result during machining. Second is back plot, which traces the tool path of a
NC code file. This allows to validate the toolpath only. In the following steps we will look at simulation and
backplot features.

66. Right click on the Job on the CAM tab and select Simulate

67. Select show stock check box and press play to simulate the machining process with material
removal
68. The machining time is given under the statistics tab. Additionally the time taken for each operation
is shown when you hover over the timeline as shown

69. Press on the green check mark

70. Right click on the job folder and select post process
71. Select Generic Haas under post processor configuration and click post

72. Save the file to your lab folder

73. The G Code for your program will open on an editor. Select the backplot tab click on backplot
74. Click play or step buttons to trace the toolpath with each line of code
75. Compare your toolpath and machining times with another group member who generated tool paths
using MasterCAM.

You can also follow the videos on Solid professor (MasterCAM> Mill2D> Lesson 5 Task 11 & 12 onward)
to identify main differences between MaterCAM and HSMxpress tool path generation. Note down the
main differences in your Lab sheet.

76. Complete the Lab sheet

E. HSMxpres NC Code Generation and Tool List Creation

For the part to be manufactured using a CNC, the machinist requires the following three items:

1. The NC Code: This was generated as part step 66 in this tutorial. (Print the first page of this code file
and attach to your Lab handout)

2. The stock setup: This includes the size and material of the stock used (Aluminum 6061 3x3x0.25),
the WCS (set at the top center of the stock), and work holding instructions (clamp stock across using
a milling vice with 0.125 of thickness exposed, allow at least 0.5 clearance for breakthrough of
 through holes). Mark the WCS and specify the stock size on the drawing on page 2 and attach this
to your lab work sheet.

Aluminium 3x3x0.25
STOCK. WCS: TOP CENTER

0.125 exposed for

machining outside contour

Clearance for through-hole

drilling breakthrough
Milling vice

3. The tool list: This is used to setup the CNC machine with the correct tools at correct locations of the
tool cartridge. In SolidWorks CAM manager, right click on the job folder and select generate setup
sheets. Print this file and attach it to your lab sheet.
The following will be marked during the second day of the Lab:
MasterCAM file of your toolpath
Completed Lab worksheet
Printout of the NC code file (1st page only)
Printout of Page 2 of this document with information of stock
size and WCS
Printout of the toollist