Beginner's Guide to using Dovetails for 5-Axis CNC Workholding
Вставка
- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- For 5-axis machining, dovetail workholding is a great way to increase manufacturing efficiency.
With automation becoming more and more of a reality for our shop, the benefits of dovetails are abundantly clear. Ideally, all machinists try to minimize the amount of workholding setups while completing as much machining as possible in that first setup.
Dovetails check a lot of boxes in terms of access to the workpiece, rigidity, cost, and something called poka-yoke (an awesome anti-error mechanism). Plus, if we use something called a zero-point system, there's no need to probe!
First, let's explore the benefits of dovetails, cover the Fusion 360 design, CAD & CAM workflows, and how we mill dovetails in aluminum and steel. Finally, to get the creative juices flowing, let's look at dovetail workholding examples from people in our community. Hopefully this video will help you start thinking about ways to improve your workflows!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links for this video
Dovetail CAM Template F3D File Download
bit.ly/2OXYxvb
Workholding Examples on IG:
5thaxis IG
/ bkdntvobwkk
/ bgsjcggb5kq
/ bj5d-mxh7kh
/ be8z7g2hrz-
/ be0uk7phww1
/ berksebb77l
/ bd-d8v8bvkd
/ bbf4xqchnxc
/ bbae36dbo-t
/ bbvrcmjvj2c
/ 0tm-f7vjxa
/ zqiz4vpj35
/ qpb-0hvjzm
revgrips IG
/ b4i-dy4nr7z
the_dr.phil_experience
/ b01szsnf7fk
Poka-Yoke Definition | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poka-yoke
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reach us / CNC Info:
Speeds & Feeds: provencut.com
Download Fusion 360: www.dpbolvw.net/click-9255839...
Online Fusion 360 Training: bit.ly/LearnFusion360
Hands-On CNC Classes: www.nyccnc.com/events
SMW Products: saundersmachineworks.com/
CNC Resources: www.nyccnc.com 5 Reasons to Use a Fixture Plate on Your CNC Machine: bit.ly/3sNA4uH - Наука та технологія
I'm sold, now I just need a CNC machine...
7 minutes in that's my part. CNC Manufacturing made in Australia
I haven't watched one of your videos in years. It's amazing how far you've come in terms of your business and in the quality of your videos. Truly an inspiration John. I can not wait till I own my own shop.
Awesome Video John !!! You have opened My eyes to the power of the dove tails in manufacturing!! I'm an Industrial automation engineer (primary automotive) out of Detroit, And i'm gonna going into my engineering meeting tomorrow and show my company this video!! Thanks for the great content keep it up!!
Nice Wera Plus! Poka Yoke is something that is sounds cool but is even better in real life!
Not that I have a 5 axis, but the trick of "Save to project" already made my day 1000 times better :D
Was just crying half an hour ago that I cannot move files between projects...
Better use derive instead of export. This way changes in the parent file can be propagated to the derived file.
Workoaround I found for that is to save the file on computer as a normal 3D file, then open it with Fusion and save in desired folder.
It's amazing how hard you can hit a part with a dovetail. I ran some parts way harder than I should have been able to with a 1/16th inch dovetail, also knocked material cost down since I did not need as much to hang on to. This was on a 3 axis.
The shop I worked at used dovetails for a multitude of jobs. .060 deep, with a .250 index slot. We didn't have fancy workholding fixtures, we just made steel dovetail jaws for our Kurt vises. We routinely made 20hp cuts on those tiny dovetails! Great way to save material also!
At our shop we settled on a .045 deep x .045 wide 45 degree profile with the matching profile cut into some soft steel kurt style vise jaws. On aluminum parts the added time to buzz a dovetail on the stock is almost not measurable. On steel parts it does take awhile but still more cost effective than blowing up multiple $300 end mills and all the collateral damage when parts lift out of the vise.
thanks i learn alot from your Videos. pleas keep your good work and greetings from Germany
Excellent information! Thanks for your time!
Excellent Topic and video as always Champ.... two things to keep in mind:
1st: Although any real machinist is unlikely to be ashamed of turning wrenches.. you want to find a way to minimize it, for many reasons... on the big tree type configurations it would be very wise, at minimum to consider, a double lead screw with a mechanical stop to prevent the bolt from separating from the jaw in fast work.... and really to devise a totally different closure/mechanism/linkage for actuation of the dove tails. ... from experience... turning 20 - 50 bolts per run, even with a pallet changer can wreck your times (and knuckles). A series actuated mechanically by a cam lock would be worth anyone's time and money..
2nd: when tree type configurations are not necessary ...if possible set up several operations in the same program using several different fixtures.. in line.. one cuts dove tail... 2 cuts part previously dovetailed... 3 removes dovetail and finishes "6th" side.. brand new finished part every time the doors open.... a larger table travel, you know, is necessary. Thanks again for all your work, loving the exploration of Fusion 360.
the biggest of the little losses of turning allen wrenches in fixturing.. is.... an otherwise great operator, and dignified member of the community, may be made to look and feel like a resentful worthless fool spending half his day with a magnet sifting through chips in a conveyer to track down the coolant ridden wrench that slipped out of his fingers the 5th time in a row..... at best.....you and your incredible associates are capable of designing a thousand different types of linkage/ cam actuated mechancial quick release locks for those trees.. .. and I personally think... .you should. Not a new idea.... but a good one
Hell of a video. Thanks!
Enjoyed John!
ATB, Robin
Awesome stuff. I may be getting a 5th Axis DM12 dovetail fixture for the Pocket NC V2-50 5 axis CNC machine that I'm about to receive.
Probably worth mentioning that the self-centering vices you are showing from 5th axis does also have a dovetail. Although not need, it does significantly increase the rigidity when machining harder materials. The effects are quite staggering compared to using the same vice without dovetailing the work piece.
Every time I include a Dovetail in a part, i can hear our Wire cutting Guy swearing 🤣
Use joint for positioning it is one item that can be edited on the fly without adding to the timeline, like what a capture position does what is a new move if edited.
I'm curious how did that part at 8:00 avoid chatter? The finish looks great. If I held that in a vise with that much sticking out of the sides it would be full of vibration / chatter marks.
Why do you rough the material out for the dovetail, cut the dovetail, then cut the clearance? Couldn’t you combine the rough and clearance into 1 operation?
In Poland we say: "Amelinium" and there is no way to paint it, unless you have an "amelinową" paint ;P
To je Amelinium (:
@@Jerry-pr9wu ;)
ua-cam.com/video/t8lnCA8PHJM/v-deo.html
I just added a tiny DM12 to my pocket NC and it's working out really well (see my Instagram). I could actually do with an even smaller version. The pin also provides holding force along the dove tail not just the idiot proofing.
Is the part only held on the dovetail or is it held on the dovetail and the surface of the milled piece in contact of the uppersurface of the clamp, for extra stability?? If so the position of the dovetail in the clamp will have to be verry accurate. I am interrested how to work with dovetailclamping of a piece. I am not using it yet.
Machining a dovetail & locating pocket into a blank part ties up another machine to perform this pre-operation. It is an expense added to the part. Yes, it has its advantages in some places, but not in high-production applications.
What’s the biggest stock size I can use on those small D22 ‘s ? Can I hold a 7.5”x6”x2” Aluminum?
Four minutes in, you export a part then insert it into the file you do the CAM in. I didn't know you could export individual parts! That would have been so helpful, but now you can use the derive function to insert parts into a separate file for doing CAM instead. I think this way, you can update the part if you make changes in the original assembly, but maybe your way does too? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to doing one method vs the other?
You might want to check out the new manufacturing models in the cam space (Setup)
Do you have a link where you can buy blanks?
Hello,
Newbie alert!
What is the size of the dovetail?
And how do avoid chatter when working on long hanging parts?
Thank you.
It would be intresting to do a comparision with the LANG macro grip vices
Just the fact that you can avoid machining the dovetails and instead pre-stamp your stock outside the machine while your machine is running parts seems to be a +
Daniel Regnér
Holding power is about equal, maybe slight edge to the dove tail.
The thing is the Lang stamping machine is $5k.
You’d need pretty high volume to justify its cost over just machining in dovetails.
@@occamssawzall3486 yes its a cost. Bit having a guy running dovetails in a mill is not free ;)
Daniel Regnér
Intern on a prototrak is isn’t very expensive
just buy z-axis lathe and let it blow ur mind as it pushes completely ready square part's as much as you have stock on barfeeder
How do you get the dovetail on the blank? Do you have a program that cuts the dovetail on the blanks? Oop keep watching! It shows it.
Total noob question: how do you slide the stock into the vise with the locating pin sticking up in the middle of the dovetail slot?
the mating dove tail is cut into jaws which can be opened and closed... you unscrew the bolts (opening the dovetailed jaws)... move the dove tail jaws open wide... set the part directly down onto the pin.. then tighten the bolts securing the dove tail. Good luck in your career, you've got good taste in edu videos.
Mcmaster sells dovetail blanks in 6061, part number 2610n14
@8:13 AAAAHHH!!!
John, when will the template be available? Bitchin video
The next step would be using a Techni-grip, you can accurately locate the center of the stock to the center of the table.
And I thought dovetails were just used by woodworkers!
I face it after the dovetail 🤷♂️
Before or after you've machined the part? :P