4th axis on VMC with multiple parts question

CAD/CAM/CNC
1

I’m working on a new setup for some parts at work and looking for some ideas / best practices / etc.
We use Inventor with HSM but I also use Fusion 360 at home.
The parts will be on a HAAS VF series with a HRT210 indexer / 4th axis. with both “pre-NGC” & NGC controls depending on the machine that is open at the time.
There will be 1 part on each side of a 4 sided “tombstone” that will get 3 sides finished ea. (5 sides if you include finishing the ends side cutting with an end mill)
Will it be better / easier to program with 4 different WCS’s, or use my model / assy as one “part” and program to that?
Second question… What would be the best place / places to locate the WCS’s?
I’d like to set each part with it’s own WCS but I’m not sure “where” to set it… should I set it to the rotation centerline & an X-axis location, or will the HAAS DWO-TCPC take care of that for me if I set the WCS at the model WCS or any position of my choice??

Give me all your ideas / advise, I’m looking for options and clarity on this since all I’ve been finding on youtube has been 4 & 5 axis with one part mounted instead of multiples, or it’s multiples but only on the face & no side work. I’ve run 4th & 5th axis before but it’s always been on a single part… I may be overthinking this???

Thanks!!

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I would do each location with its own WCS, as that gives you more flexibility. As for location, you could do center of part, or what I typically do is make a locating hole on my fixtures/vise jaws, as it makes it very quick and easy to setup your coordinates that way.

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Thanks @ShawnHannan , that’s what I was hoping to do but wasn’t sure how the cam system would work it when it indexed and worked off the side of the part, since the “Z” would drop down the side… I programmed manually for 25+ years so I’m still getting used to programming with the cam system. Probably 99% of what we run right now is vise work but could easily be put on an indexer or fixtured on our pallet changers… they only have vises on them so far… I’m working to change that! :slight_smile:

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What would we do without Lars… :slight_smile:
I think this is just what I was looking for!


Fusion 360 CAM — Program 4th. Axis Tombstones — LarsLive 96
I had an idea of what I wanted to do but wasn’t sure if I was going about it the right way, now I know!
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