Practice exercise

00:00

Creating a setup for a lathe model includes defining the stock for a lathe process,

00:10

specifying the model, chuck, and Safe Z, and specifying the Work Coordinate System (WCS) and spun profile.

00:21

In the file Turning Practice.f3d, begin by creating a setup.

00:27

As soon as you open the Setup dialog to configure the setup, stock appears, surrounding the assembly.

00:34

This being a turning operation, ensure the Operation Type drop-down is set to Turning or mill/turn.

00:44

In the canvas, the stock becomes cylindrical.

00:48

Next, the Work Coordinate System must be adjusted.

00:53

Currently, it faces the chuck.

00:56

Back in the dialog, flip the Z axis so that it faces away from the chuck.

01:03

Next, in the canvas, select the X axis arrowhead.

01:08

The axis flips to face the opposite direction.

01:12

Now, back in the dialog, set the Safe Z position so that it references the front of the stock, and it is set to an offset of 1 inch.

01:23

Next, specify the model to be machined.

01:27

As soon as you select the model, the stock automatically adjusts to the size of the selected model.

01:34

Now, configure the chuck so that it references the model back, and offset it by -0.5 inches.

01:44

Now, it is time to adjust the stock.

01:48

In the Stock tab options, ensure that the Mode is set to Fixed size cylinder.

01:55

Then, set the stock diameter to 3 inches and the length to 6 inches.

02:01

Before configuring the model position, view the model from the side using the ViewCube.

02:09

Notice that currently, the model sits centered within the stock, leaving a lot of material at the front of the stock.

02:17

To correct this, offset the model from the front by .05 inch.

02:24

Finally, ensure that Round Up to Nearest is set to 0.

02:29

If you need to edit the value in the Round Up To Nearest field, be sure to review the values again for accuracy, as they may change.

02:40

Now, it is time to configure the Post Process settings.

02:45

Open the Post Process tab.

02:48

Here, the work offset is mapped using a corresponding zero table index.

02:54

A value of 1 typically references the first available zero index on the CNC control, which is usually G54.

03:05

To map the offset to G54, under Machine WCS, in the WCS Offset field, enter, “1”.

03:16

Click OK.

03:18

The setup is now complete, and toolpaths can now be applied.