3 Axis Machining

3 Axis Surface Machining
Preface Methodology Recommendations Where to Find More Information What's New Getting Started Operation-oriented Machining Entering the Workbench Rough Machining the Part ZLevel Machining of the Outside of a Part ZLevel Machining of the Inside Walls of a Part Sweeping Checking the Results Creating a Rework Area Reworking Generating an NC Output File Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation Area-oriented Machining Entering the Workbench Defining the Areas to Machine Defining the Tools to Use Sweep Roughing the Part Sweeping the Top Surface Sweeping the Side Areas ZLevel on Vertical Walls Reworking Between Contours Generating an NC Output File Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation Basic Tasks Roughing Operations Sweep Roughing Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data Roughing Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data
Automatic Rough Stock Finishing and Semi-finishing Operations Sweeping Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data ZLevel Machining Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data Spiral Milling Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data Contour-driven Machining Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data Contouring Reworking Operations Pencil Operations Geometric Components Machining Strategy Macro Data Roughing Rework Machining Areas Defining an Area to Machine Defining an Area to Rework Defining Offsets Tool path Editor Editing a Point Editing an Area Transformations Connecting Tool paths Reversing a Tool path Tool Path Approaches and Retracts Packing and Unpacking a Tool Path Checking for Tool Holder Collision Importing Files STL Files
NC Code Files Workbench Description Menu Bar Toolbars Machining Operations Toolbar Tool Path Editor Toolbar Machining Areas Toolbar Edge Selection Toolbar Face Selection Toolbar Specification Tree Glossary Index
Preface
3 Axis Surface Machining is a new generation product that defines and manages NC programs. 3 Axis Surface Machining is dedicated to the machining of 3D geometry work parts with 3-axis machining techniques. It is particularly adapted to the needs of mold, die and tool makers and prototype manufacturers in all branches and at all levels of industry. 3 Axis Surface Machining offers easy-to-learn and easy-to-use shopfloor-oriented tool path definition for 3-axis manufacturing. 3 Axis Surface Machining is based on industry-recognized, leading-edge technologies which offer the tightest integration between tool path definition, verification and instant cycle updates. 3 Axis Surface Machining covers full design-to-manufacture processes offering functions for: defining the areas you want to machine, rough machining either by vertical or horizontal planes, roughing rework, sweeping, ZLevel machining, pencil operations, contour-driven operations, profile contouring, drilling, detecting residual material, defining areas to rework, visualization of the result of the machining program, the production of shopfloor documentation. 3 Axis Surface Machining gives you the freedom to choose the working methods that best suit your needs. Methodology Recommendations Where to Find More Information
Methodology
Surface Machining is a versatile application, fully adapted to your needs and your working methods whether they are machining area-oriented or operation-oriented. You can either define the machining areas on your part and then assign an operation to each of them or you can define your machining process as a series of operations with an area to machine for each operation. A machining area can be: the whole part (for example, in roughing), a subset of the faces on the part, a subset of faces on the part with a limiting contour. The Getting Started chapter contains two sections, one which demonstrates operation-oriented machining and another which demonstrates area-oriented machining. Before starting work with Surface Machining, please ensure that you have an open file (CATPart or CATProduct) and that you are in the Surface Machining workbench (Start > NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining). Here is a suggested order for operations in a machining program: rough machining operations, (semi-)finishing operations, detection of unmachined areas, reworking of unmachined areas, generation and output of documentation. Area-oriented Area-oriented methodology is useful when you have a complex part to machine and you know in advance what kind of operation you are going to apply to each separate area. This approach is of great use when, for example, you are going to machine a "family" of similar parts and when you have dedicated machines for mass production. You define the areas on one part, you assign an operation to each area, and then you machine. At the end you have a program that you can apply to all of the "members" of the "family" at least working cost because: the machining strategy has already been defined (chosen operations), the tool has already been defined, only the area need be redefined, you know exactly what kind of output you require,
1. 2. 3. 4.
and as a result the computation can be run in batch to further reduce time loss. Define all of the separate areas to machine on your work piece. Select the area or areas you want to machine with a particular operation. Click on the appropriate icon (for example, sweeping). Change the parameters in that operation (if required). The only mandatory data for a operation is the area to machine (with the exception of roughing which requires a rough stock too) and all of the other parameters have default values. We recommend that you use the default parameters first unless you are sure of the values you wish to enter. Compute the operation. If the results are satisfactory, repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 for all of the other areas to machine. Use operation-oriented machining when you want to progressively define your machining program operation-by-operation sequentially. Each operation has the area it deals with defined as part of its data. This approach is useful for single or limited part production because it allows you to define your requirements step-by-step. Choose the operation you want to use. Click the "part" area in the geometric components of the operation. Select the area(s) to machine either as the whole part with the contextual menu or as a face or group of faces with the face selection wizard. Change the other parameters in the operation (if required). The only mandatory data for a operation is the area to machine (with the exception of roughing which requires a rough stock too) and all of the other parameters have default values. We recommend that you use the default parameters first unless you are sure of the values you wish to enter. Compute the operation. If the results are satisfactory, continue defining the remaining operations for your machining program.
5.
Operation-oriented
1. 2. 3.
4.
5.
Recommendations
If you intend to create complementary geometry, before you start 3 Axis Surface Machining go to Tools/Options and, in the Display tab of the NC Manufacturing options, tick the box that allows you to create a CATPart to store necessary geometry. If you are not going to modify the geometry, then make sure that this box is not ticked. Before starting 3 Axis Surface Machining, go to Tools/Options and in the Operation tab of the NC Manufacturing option and tick the Use default values of the current program box. This will ensure that when a new operation is created its parameters will be initialized with default values that are appropriate to that operation and not with the values from the operation just before it. You should save your CATProcess before generating HTML workshop documentation. If you have defined a safety plane, you should deactivate the Optimize retracts option. If you do not, the safety plane will be ignored. In an operation, if you cannot see the whole dialog box (particularly the OK, Apply and Cancel buttons), exit your CATIA session and use Settings > Control Panel > Display > Settings to: give a higher value for your screen resolution, or, if you are using large fonts, use small fonts. Depending on your screen size, you may have to use both of the solutions.
Where to Find More Information

Prior to reading this book, we recommend that you read the Version 5 Manufacturing Infrastructure User's Guide.
What's New?
General functions
New: There is a new cycle, spiral milling, that has been developed to finish-mill flat surfaces. New: There are three new types of approach and retract for sweeping, contour-driven and pencil operations. New: There is now an option that allows you to extend paths in a straight line to link two areas in a part when they are separated by a hole or a gap. You can find this option in the sweeping and contour-driven operations.
Part to machine
New: You can now apply an overall default offset to an offset group. Enhanced: The Face selection wizard now has an option that lets you select faces that are normal to an axis or parallel/perpendicular to a selected face. New: You can now use faces from existing machining areas or offset areas to form a new machining area.
Tools to use
New: tapered tool/conical mill for sweeping, contour driven and pencil operations and also for rework areas.
Roughing
New: You can now choose whether or not you want to contour the rough stock before milling. This option is intended for use with zig-zag tool path style only.
ZLevel
New: You can now use variable offsets in ZLevel operations.
Tool Path Editor

New: You can now create multiple transformations of a tool path. All of the tool paths now appear in the specifications tree under the operation they belong to. Enhanced: If a tool path is not closed (for example, if you have cut an area out of it), you will be informed of this by the word open after its name in the specifications tree. Enhanced: When you reverse a tool path, a message now tells you that it has been reversed. New: You can now add approaches or retracts to a tool path via an item in the tool path contextual menu.
Getting Started
Before getting to grips with all of the Surface Machining capacities, here are two short step-by step tutorials that will help guide you through the key functionalities. You will learn how to use the functions listed below and learn how to define areas on the part to machine, use specific machining operations on the part and output data. There are two ways of defining your machining program, you can either base it on operation definition or on area definition. Try both tutorials to see which method suits your working techniques best. The tutorials should take you 30 minutes each to complete. Operation-oriented Machining Area-oriented Machining
Operation-oriented Machining
Operation-oriented machining is a method where you define each operation one-by-one. When you define an operation you decide (using the geometry tab) which areas of the part you want to machine with that particular operation. This tutorial teaches you how to: define the operations necessary for the machining of the part below, run the program to create the tool paths, check for residual material, rework the unmachined areas, and produce an APT file and a workshop document.
Entering the Workbench Rough Machining the Part ZLevel Machining of the Outside of a Part ZLevel Machining of the Inside Walls of a Part Sweeping Checking the Results Creating a Rework Area Reworking Generating an NC Output File Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation
Entering the Workbench

This task shows you how to open a part and enter the Surface Machining workbench. 1. 2.
Open the SurfaceMachining3.CATProduct file in the samples directory. Select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining from the Start menu. The Surface Machining workbench is displayed. The part surrounded by the rough stock is displayed in the Set Up Editor window along with the manufacturing specifications.
3.
Select Product1 containing the shape to machine and the rough stock in the specifications tree and display them in wireframe mode using this icon .
Double click Part Operation.1 in the tree. In the dialog box that is displayed, click the design part icon, select the part in the viewer and double click in the viewer to validate your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Then click the stock icon, select the rough stock in the viewer and double click in the viewer to redisplay the dialog box.
Click Ok to confirm. The design part defines the reference part that will be used by the application to calculate the residual material. The rough stock it the rough stock for the overall part. Each successive operation works on the residual material that is left by the operation before it in the manufacturing program. Select Manufacturing Program.1 (under PartOperation.1) in the specifications tree to make it the current entity. A program must be current before you can insert program entities such as machining operations, tools and auxiliary commands.
4.
Rough Machining the Part

This task shows you how to insert a rough machining operation in the program. As this operation will use the default tool and options proposed by the program, you just specify the geometry to be machined. 1. Select the Roughing icon .
A Roughing.1 entity and a default tool are added to the program. The Roughing dialog box is displayed.
The status light on the geometric components tab is red ( ) which means that you must select the part geometry in order to create the operation. There are sensitive areas that are colored red in the tab. These are areas that represent geometry that must be defined. In roughing, they are the part to machine and the rough stock. Hold MB3 down over the red area (do not click) that represents the part.
2.
3.
4. 5.
Choose Body in the contextual menu. The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the part in the viewer. In the viewer, click on the part inside the rough stock. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and to redisplay the dialog box. The red area in the geometric area is now green to indicate that the geometry has been selected. Click the sensitive area that represents the rough stock. The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the rough stock in the viewer. In the viewer, click on the geometry that defines the rough stock. The red area in the geometric components tab is now green to indicate that the geometry has been selected.
6. 7. 8.
Click Replay. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box. Click OK to close the dialog box. Now we are going to use ZLevel machining on the walls of the pocket and the outside of the part.
ZLevel Machining of the Outside of a Part

This task shows you how to use ZLevel machining for finishing the outside of the part. Make sure that Roughing.1 is the current entity so that the ZLevel operation will be inserted after it. To simplify the selection of faces in this task, select Rough Stock in the ProductList and, using the Hide/Show option in the contextual menu, make it invisible. Then select Shape to Machine in the ProductList and display it in shading with edges mode ( ).
1.
Select the ZLevel machining icon
A Zlevel.1 entity is added to the program. The Zlevel dialog box is displayed.
2.
Click the sensitive red area. The dialog box shrinks and the face selection wizard is displayed. Select all of the walls that form a belt around the part. Click OK. The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green. In the viewer, the edges around the selected faces are highlighted.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Click the check element in the sensitive icon and select the upper face of the part.
Go to the machining strategy tab ( mode.
) and choose Outer part for the Machining
Click Replay. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box. Click OK to close the dialog box. The operation you have just created should still be the current entity. Now we are going to define the ZLevel machining of the pocket.
ZLevel Machining of the Inside Walls of a Part

This task shows you how to use ZLevel machining for finishing the inside walls of the pocket. Make sure thatZLevel.1 is the current entity so that this operation will be inserted after it. 1. Select the ZLevel machining icon .
A Zlevel.2 entity is added to the program. The Zlevel dialog box is displayed.
2. Click the sensitive red area. The dialog box shrinks and the face selection wizard is displayed. Select all of the faces that form the inside wall of the pocket. Click OK. The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green. In the viewer, the edges around the selected faces are highlighted.
3.
Go to the machining strategy tab ( mode.
) and choose Pockets only for the Machining
4. Click Replay. 5. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK. 6. The tool path is erased from the viewer and you come back to the operation dialog box. Click OK to close the dialog box. The operation you have just created should still be the current entity. Now we are going to define a sweeping operation for the top surface of the part and the bottom of the pocket.
Sweeping
This task shows you how to use sweeping for finishing the part. You are going to define two separate operations one for the top surface and another for the bottom of the pocket. Make sure that ZLevel2 is the current entity so that the sweeping operation will be inserted after it.
1.
Select the Sweeping icon
A Sweeping.1 entity is added to the program. The Sweeping dialog box is displayed.
2. Click the sensitive red area. The dialog box shrinks and the face selection wizard is displayed. Select the top surface of the part. Click OK. The dialog box is redisplayed and the red area is now green. In the viewer, the edges around the top surface are now highlighted.
3. Click Replay. 4. The tool path is displayed and the display and analysis dialog box is called up. Click OK. 5. The operation you have just created should still be the current entity. Repeat all of the above steps for the bottom surface of the pocket.
Checking the Results

This task shows you how to visually check the machined part resulting from the tool paths for the operations you defined in your machining program. Your specification tree should look like this.
1. Select Manufacturing Program.1.
2. In the contextual menu, choose Manufacturing Program.1 object > Tool Path Replay. The Display and Analysis dialog box is displayed.
Click this icon to go from one operation to the next displaying the computed tool path after each operation. If any of the operations were not computed with Replay, they will be computed at this stage.
You can display a photo of how the finished part would look with Press OK to close the dialog box.
Creating a Rework Area

This task shows you how to define an area to rework from the areas of the part that were not machined with the tool used in the operations. You must compute the tool paths for your machining program first. You should also make sure that you defined a reference part and rough stock. 1.
Click the Rework Area icon
2. Hold MB3 down over the red area (do not click) that represents the part. Choose Body in the contextual menu. The dialog box shrinks to allow you to select the part in the viewer. Select the part. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and to redisplay the dialog box.
3. Enter a value of 10mm for the Entry diameter and 2mm for the Corner radius (values used in the machining operations).
4. Click Compute. This creates a Rework Area which remains the current entity. The areas that we are going to rework are displayed.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Reworking
This task shows you how to rework the areas of the part that have not been machined and were there is residual material. You must have created a rework area. A rework area is an area that cannot be machined with a given tool. The rework area must be the current entity. If you have doubts about whether the rework area you just defined is still the current entity or not (i.e. if you performed another action since), click the Manufacturing Features icon 1. 2. ), double click the tool that is In the Manufacturing Features window ( associated with the third ZLevel operation. . Click the ZLevel icon and click OK.
3.
Double click the tool diameter.
Enter a value of 5.
4. 5.
Press OK to confirm the tool diameter and then OK to close the tool definition dialog box. Still in the Machining Features window, double click ZLevel.3 to display the ZLevel dialog box. Go to the strategy tab .
5. 6.
In the Machining tab, choose Outer part for the Machining mode. Press Replay. The new tool path is displayed. Click OK to close the operation dialog box and Close to close the manufacturing view. Now we are going to generate an NC data file.
Generating an NC Output File

This task explains how to interactively generate NC code from the program you have just created. 1. Save your program with File/Save as ... in the directory of your choice (here we have a directory called models)
and call your program MySurfaceMachining. Press Save. 2. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the specifications tree and select Generate NC Code interactively in the contextual menu.
In the dialog box that is displayed, call your file SurfaceMachining (the aptsource suffix is automatic). Browse to the directory where you want to save it (here we have chosen to put it in the same directory as the CATProcess but this is not obligatory).
Click Save to create the APT file.
The APT file can be read with any kind of text editor.
Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation

This task explains how to interactively generate shopfloor NC documentation in HTML format from the program you have just created. 1. Select the Generate documentation icon . The process documentation dialog box is displayed.
2.
Select the SurfaceMachinist4.CATScript file from the samples directory. Leave "Process" as the process name. Choose the directory where you want to store your new file (we have chosen MyFiles, but this is not obligatory).
3.
Leave "Process" in the Base field. Press Document now. Your NC document has been created. Press Done to close the dialog box.
Area-oriented Machining
Area-oriented machining is a method where you define all of the separate areas you want to machine on the part before assigning an operation to each one. In this tutorial you are going to learn how to: define areas (including a rework area) on the part below, define tools to use on the areas, use a safety plane, change a tool axis, create an APT file and a workshop document.
Entering the Workbench Defining the Areas to Machine Defining the Tools to Use Sweep Roughing the Part Sweeping the Top Surface Sweeping the Side Areas ZLevel on Vertical Walls Reworking Between Contours Generating an NC Output File Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation
Entering the Workbench

This task shows you how to open a part and enter the Surface Machining workbench. 1. Open the Gets2.CATPart in the samples directory.
2. Select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining from the Start menu. The Surface Machining workbench is displayed. The part is displayed in the viewer along with the manufacturing specifications. 3. Press MB2 and MB3 at the same time and turn the part round so that it looks like this.
4. Double click Part Operation.1 in the tree. In the dialog box that is displayed, click the design part icon and click the part in the viewer. The double click anywhere in the viewer and press OK. This step is necessary for the visualization and analysis part of the process.
Defining the Areas to Machine

This task teaches you how to define the specific areas on the part that you are going to machine. You are going to define: the whole part as a machining area for rough machining purposes four other areas for use with different cycle types and a rework area. 1. 2. Click on the Machining Area icon .
Place your mouse cursor over the red, sensitive area in the dialog box and press MB3.
3.
Choose Body(ies) in the contextual menu.
4.
Click the part in the view. The whole part is selected. Double click anywhere in the viewer to redisplay the dialog box.
5.
Give the machining area a name. Replace the text in the name box by Whole.
6.
Click OK. You have just created your first machining area. Now create an area on the top of the part. Select the Machining area icon and click (MB1 this time) on the red, sensitive area in the dialog box. Now select the areas that you see selected in the picture below.
Click on OK in the face selection toolbar. 7. Call this area Top. Now do the same for the left side of the part with these faces:
8.
Call this area Left. Define a third area with these faces and call it Right.
9.
Finally, create the last machining area with the faces below and call it Bottom.
10. Check the areas that you have just created in the Manufacturing view The view should look like this: .
11. 12.
Now you are going to create a rework area to use when removing residual material.. Select Whole in the manufacturing view. Click the Rework area icon .
13.
In the dialog box that is displayed, change the Entry diameter to 10 mm, the Corner radius to 5 mm and the name to Rework.
14.
Press Compute to compute the area. The rework area should look like this on the part:
15.
Press OK to close the dialog box. Press Close to close the manufacturing view. The next step is to define the tools that you will need to machine the areas you have just defined.
Defining the Tools to Use

This task defines the three tools that you are going to need to machine the part. Click Manufacturing Program.1 in the PPR and then click the End mill tool change 1. icon . If you cannot see this icon, use View > Toolbars and activate Auxiliary Operations. In the dialog box that is displayed, click the box to select a ball-end tool
2.
3. 4. 5.
and confirm with OK. Click the End mill tool change icon again. Tick the ball-end tool box. Double click the diameter.
6.
Enter a value of 20 in the dialog box that is displayed.
7.
Click OK Change the tool name to T2 End Mill D 20.
8.
9.
Click OK. Now define a third tool that: is ball end, has a diameter of 4 mm, and is called T3 End Mill D 04. You now have the three tools that you will need to machine the part. Your PPR should look like this:
We are now going to move on to the next step where you will rough machine the part.
Sweep Roughing the Part

This task will show you how to rough machine the whole part using a sweep roughing operation. 1. Open the manufacturing view by clicking this icon 2. Select Whole from the list of areas. .
3. 4.
Click the Sweep roughing icon Go to the geometry tab
. and click on Part autolimit.
5.
. Go to the tool tab and choose tool T2 End Mill D20.
6. 7.
Press Replay to compute the operation. The toolpath is displayed on the part. Press OK to close the small dialog box that is displayed (bottom right). Press OK to close the operation dialog box. Now you are going to machine the Top surface.
Sweeping the Top Surface

1. 2. 3. This task will show you how to sweep the top surface of the part and how to change a tool. In the manufacturing view, select the machining area called Top from the list of areas. Click the Sweeping icon . In the strategy tab, give a stepover distance value of 1mm.
4.
Go to the geometry tab and make sure that Part autolimit is turned on.
5.
Go to the tool tab and choose tool T1 End Mill D 10.
6. 7.
Press Replay to compute the tool path. Press OK to close the operation dialog box. Now you are going to machine the sides of the part.
Sweeping the Side Areas

This task is going to teach you how to: sweep machining areas Left and Right and change the orientation of the tool axis. 1. 2. 3. In the manufacturing view, select the machining area called Left. Click the Sweeping icon . In the strategy tab, define a new tool axis like this:
4.
Go to the tool tab and change the tool like this:
5. 6. 7. 8.
Press Replay to compute the tool path. Press OK to close the operation dialog box. Now you are going to machine the area called Right. Select it in the manufacturing view. Click the Sweeping icon .
9.
Change the tool axis like this:
10. 11. 12.
Define the same tool as for area Left. Press Replay to compute the tool path. Press OK to close the operation dialog box. The next step is to machine the area called Bottom.
ZLevel on the Vertical Walls

This task teaches you how to: use ZLevel milling change a tool axis use the safety plane. 1. In the manufacturing view, select the machining area called Bottom. 2.
Click the ZLevel icon
3. In the strategy tab, define a new tool axis like this: Click here:
Define the tool axis with these settings:
4. Go to the geometry tab. Click the safety plane in the sensitive icon.
Then click the top face of the part to define the safety plane. The purpose of this is to ensure that the tool rises high enough over the area to avoid gouging the rest of the part.
5. Press Replay to compute the tool path. 6. Press OK to close the operation dialog box.
Reworking Between Contours

This task shows you how to take an area that has not been machined because the tool used was too big and rework it with a smaller tool. 1. 2. 3. Select Rework in the manufacturing view.
Click the Contour-driven operation icon
Go to the Stepover tab and choose Constant on part.
4. 5. 6.
Now go to the tool tab and select tool T3 End Mill D 04. Press Replay to compute the tool path. Press OK to close the operation dialog box. Now, you are going to create an APT file.
Generating an NC Output File

This task explains how to interactively generate NC code from the program you have just created. 1. Save your program with File/Save as ... in the directory of your choice (here we have a directory called models)
Call your program MyGettingStarted. 2. Press Save. Select Manufacturing Program.1 in the specifications tree then select the Generate NC Code Interactively icon .
Call your file SurfaceMachining (the aptsource suffix is automatic). Browse to the directory where you want to save it (here we have chosen to put it in the same directory as the CATPRocess but this is not obligatory). Click Save to create the APT file. The APT file can be read with any kind of editor. Next you are going to generate workshop documentation in HTML format.
Generating NC Workshop Documentation

This task explains how to interactively generate shopfloor NC documentation in HTML format from the program you have just created. 1. Select the Generate documentation icon . The process documentation dialog box is displayed.
2.
Select the SurfaceMachinist4.CATScript file from the samples directory. Leave "Process" as the process name. Choose the directory where you want to store your new file (we have chosen MyFiles, but this is not obligatory).
3.
Leave "Process" in the Base field. Press Document now. Your NC document has been created. Press Done to close the dialog box.
Basic Tasks
The basic tasks in this section involve creating, editing and managing machining operations and other entities of the manufacturing process.
Roughing operations Finishing and semi-finishing operations Reworking operations Axial machining operations Machining areas Tool path editor Reading STL files Auxiliary operations Part operation and manufacturing program Managing manufacturing entities Verification, simulation and program output
Rough Machining Operations

These are the tasks that you will use for rough machining the part. Create a sweep roughing operation: Select the sweep roughing icon, choose a part to machine and specify the tool to be used. You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds. Create a roughing operation: Select the roughing icon, choose a part to machine and specify the tool to be used. You can also specify machining parameters, feedrates and spindle speeds.
Sweep Roughing
This task shows you how to insert a sweep roughing operation into the program. Sweep roughing is an operation which allows you to rough machine parts by vertical planes. To create the operation you define: the geometry of the part to machine the parameters of the machining strategy the tool to use ;only end mill tools , , , are available for this operation,
the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value. Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. Open file Basic1.CATPart then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu. 1. Select the sweep roughing icon .
A SweepRoughing entity and a default tool are added to the program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page .
This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined. The area that represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for defining the area to machine. All of the other geometry parameters are optional.
2. Press MB 3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies)
and click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. 3. Press Replay. You will see that the top area of the part has been rough machined.
You can cancel tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.
Sweep Roughing - Geometric Components

In the geometric component tab you can define the area to machine either: by clicking on the face definition area and using the face selection wizard, by passing the mouse over the face definition area and choosing Body in the contextual menu if you wish to machine a whole part and not just an area on it, or by choosing a pre-defined area like this:
The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are: the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined.
an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it. the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. You can also define a new safety plane with the Offset option in the safety plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the dialog box. an upper plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part, a lower plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, the limit line which defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element.
You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop Position, i.e. whether it is the contact point or the tool tip. Offset is the distance that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop Mode that you chose. Part autolimit. If you activate Part autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part. Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined.
If you use Limiting contour, only the area inside the limiting contour is machined.
You can now either run the operation on the part, store the operation that you have just defined or define other parameters in the machining strategy, tool data, speeds and rates, or macro data tabs first.
Sweep Roughing - Machining Strategy

In the machining strategy tab, you can define the cycle type, the tool path style, the machining tolerance, the stepover distance and the maximum cut depth. You can also choose the tool stepover direction and the tool axis. The sensitive icon illustrates the roughing type you select: ZOffset; the tool path is offset from the part. ZPlane; the part is machined plane by plane. ZProgressive; the part is machined by interpolating the tool path between the part and the top of a theoretical rough stock. You can change the tool axis and the machining direction in the sensitive icon. Change the tool axis and the machining direction with Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Selection by coordinates has the following options: Feature-defined; you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the best tool axis.
Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis or machining direction, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis or machining direction.
The machining tab concerns the tool path style, stepover side and machining tolerance. Consider the tolerance value to be the acceptable chord error. The tool path style can be: Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes,
One-way next; the tool path always follows the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next. One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. The stepover side can be either to the left or the right of the tool path and is defined with respect to the machining direction. The strategy tab allows you to define the distance which is the width of the overlap between two successive passes and the maximum depth of cut.
Sweep Roughing - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach and retract data. The approach/retract mode can be: Along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, Along a vector; the tool moves along a vector that you define with the Approach/Retract direction: X/Y/Z boxes, Normal; the tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined, Tangent to movement; the approach/retract is tangent at its end to the rest of the tool path. and None; no approach/retract. You can also define an approach/retract distance for all of the values and XYZ value to define the vector used in Along a vector.
Roughing
This task shows you how to insert a roughing operation into the program. Roughing is an operation which allows you to rough machine parts by horizontal planes. To create the geometry you define: geometric components machining strategy tool data , are available for this operation, ,
;only end mill tools , .
speeds and rates macro data
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value. Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. Open file SurfaceMachining3.CATProduct, then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu. Then display the model in wireframe mode with this icon 1. Select the Roughing icon . .
A roughing entity and a default tool area added to the program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page .
This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined. The red area in the sensitive icon represents the part geometry. It is obligatory, as is the rough stock. All of the other parameters are optional.
2.
Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies). Click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Click on the rough stock in the sensitive icon. Click on the stock in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Press Replay to compute the operation. You will see that the part has been rough machined. You can cancel tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.
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Roughing - Geometric Components

In the geometric component tab. You can define the area to machine either: by clicking on the face definition area and using the face selection wizard, by passing the mouse over the face definition area and choosing Body in the contextual menu if you wish to machine a whole part and not just an area on it, or by choosing a pre-defined area like this:
The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are: the rough stock. If you do not have a rough stock you can create one automatically. the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined. an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (the small light brown corner near the part selection area). the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. You can also define a new safety plane with the Offset option in the safety plane contextual menu. The new plane will be offset from the original by the distance that you enter in the dialog box. an upper plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part, a lower plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, an imposed plane that the tool must obligatorily pass through. Use this option if the part that you are going to machine has a particular shape (a groove or a step) that you want to be sure will be cut, a start point where the tool will start cutting. Use this option when accessing the part from the outside. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element.
You can also define the following parameters: Position defines where the tool center stops: outside stops the tool outside the rough stock, inside stops the tool inside the rough stock, on stops the tool on the rough stock. Offset defines the distance that the tool can overshoot the Position. It is expressed as a percentage of the tool diameter. This parameter is useful in cases where there is an island near the edge of the part and the tool diameter is too wide to allow the area behind the island to be machined. This parameter can only be used of the position is inside or outside and you must check the Overshoot box. There is an option which allows you to replay all previous operations. You can now either run the operation on the part, store the operation that you have just defined or define other parameters in the machining strategy, tool data, speeds and rates, or macro data tabs first.
Roughing - Machining Strategy

Here you can define parameters concerning the style of machining, the machining strategy, and the zone to machine. You can also choose the tool axis. The sensitive icon illustrates the tool path style that you chose. Change the tool axis with Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Selection by coordinates has the following options: Feature-defined; you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the best tool axis. Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis,
The Machining tab defines: the Tool path style which can be: One-way next; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next. One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes. Helical; the tool moves in successive concentric passes from the boundary of the area to machine towards the interior. The tool moves from one pass to the next by stepping over. Contour only; only machines around the external contour of the part.
Concentric; the tool removes the most constant amount of material possible at each concentric pass. The tool is never directly in the heart of material. It also respects the given cutting mode in all cases. The approach mode with this style is always Helix. the Machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error, the Machining mode which defines the type of area to be machined and can be: By plane; the whole part is machined plane by plane, Pockets only; only pockets on the part are machined, Outer part; only the outside of the part is machined, Outer part and pockets; the whole part is machined outer area by outer area and then pocket by pocket. the Cutting mode which can be Climb or Conventional.
The Strategy tab defines: the maximum depth of cut which is the depth of the cut effected by the tool at each pass the overlap between two successive passes. Define this distance by choosing either: By ratio and enter a percentage of the tool diameter, By length and enter a length.
The Zone tab includes: Min. area which lets you filter out areas that you consider to be too small (in millimeters) to be machined. Tool core diameter is the diameter of the tool tip that does not actually cut the material. Part contouring is an option that is only used with the zig-zag tool path style. With part contouring switched on, the tool goes round the outside contour of the part before continuing to zig-zag. Deactivating this option allows you to gain machining time. The tool that you are using and the part you are working on must be such that contouring the rough stock is superfluous.
With part contouring switched on. Note how the tool went round the area to machine first:
With part contouring switched off and exactly the same parameters. Note that the tool goes straight into zig-zag mode:
Roughing - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool engagement parameters. There is a button that optimizes tool retract movements. This means that when the tool moves over a surface where there are no obstructions, it will not rise as high as the safety plane because there is no danger of tool-part collisions. The result is a gain in time. In some cases (where areas of the part are higher than the zone you are machining and when you are using a safety plane), the tool will cut into the part. When this happens, deactivate the Optimize retracts button.
The Axial safety distance is the maximum distance that the tool will rise to when moving from the end of one pass to the beginning of the next. The approach mode can be: Plunge; the tool plunges vertically, Drilling; the tool plunges into previously drilled holes. You can change the drilling tool diameter, angle and length, Ramping; the tool moves progressively down at the Ramping angle, Helix; the tool moves progressively down at the ramping angle with its center along a (vertical) circular helix of Helix diameter. Approach distance is the engagement distance for plunge mode. The Radial safety distance is the tool clearance distance with respect to the sides of the part.
Automatic Rough Stock

This task explains how to create an automatic rough stock for a roughing operation. You must have a part to machine in your workbench. 1. Go into the Wireframe and Surface Design workbench via Start/Mechanical Design/Wireframe and Surface Design. Display the Surface Machining Tools via View > Toolbars > Surface Machining Tools. Select the Automatic rough stock icon Select the part that you want to machine. A dialog box is displayed that contains the minimum and maximum values that are required in X, Y and Z to create a box that would surround the part. You can modify the values if you choose. Press OK to create the rough stock.
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Finishing and Semi-finishing Operations

These are the operations that you will need to finish or semi-finish the machining of the part. Sweeping ZLevel machining Contour-driven machining Profile contouring Spiral milling
Sweeping
This task shows you how to insert a sweeping operation into the program. Sweeping is a semi-finishing and finishing operation that is used after a part has been rough machine and that machines the whole part. The tool paths are executed in vertical parallel planes. To create the operation you define: the geometry of the part to machine the tool to use this operation, , or conical tools for
; you have the choice of end mill
the parameters of the machining strategy the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros . ,
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value. Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. Open file Basic1.CATPart then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu. 1. Select the Sweeping icon .
A Sweeping entity and a default tool are added to the program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page .
This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined. The area that represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for defining the area to machine.
2.
Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies)
and click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Press Replay. You will see that the top surface and the bottom of the pocket have been sweep machined.
3.
Sweeping - Geometric Components

You can also use an Offset Group on the part. The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are: the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined. an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it. the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The safety plane contextual menu allows you to define: an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed, and the tool retract mode which may be either normal to the safety plane or normal to the tool axis. an upper plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part, a lower plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, a start plane which is the first plane that will be machined, an end plane which is the last plane that will be machined, the limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part. The contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element.
The picture is slightly different if you are using a rework area and will have fewer parameters.
There is also an Info button that, when pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop position, whether it is the contact point or the tool tip. Offset is the distance that the tool that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop mode that you chose. Part autolimit. I f you activate Part autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part. Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined.
Sweeping - Machining Strategy

In the machining strategy tab, you can define the tool path style, the machining tolerance, the stepover and the types of area to machine. You can also choose the tool stepover direction and distance, the tool axis and the tool advance direction. A button allows you to reverse the tool path direction. The sensitive icon illustrates the mode that you have chosen. Change the tool axis and the machining direction with Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis or machining direction, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis or machining direction.
The machining tab lets you: define the tool path style which can be : One-way next; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next.
One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes. define the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error. reverse the tool path direction. The stepover tab concerns the distance between successive passes and has two possibilities: Constant Scallop Height Constant has a constant stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part. You can modify the stepover distance.
Scallop height has a stepover which depends on the scallop height that you choose. You can also define the maximum and minimum distances that can exist between passes with the scallop height that you defined.
There are three parameters in the Stepover Strategy area: Maximum distance is the stepover distance if you have selected Constant as the value or the maximum stepover distance if you chose Scallop height. Minimum distance is the minimum stepover distance if you chose Via Scallop height. Scallop height is a value that you define for the maximum allowable height of the crests of material left uncut after machining. The stepover side can be left or right and is defined with respect to the machining direction. Use Along tool axis when you want to machine along the axis you have selected (or along the default axis). Other axis can only be used with a ball-nose tool. When it is selected, the axis/direction icon lets you define a second axis (the other axis - the one pointing up to the left).
Activating Other axis displays a button for collision checking. When this is turned on, all of the points where the toolholder would have collided with the part are displayed on the tool path (after Replay).
The Machined Zone tab lets you define: which parts of the part or machining area you wish to machine: All; all of the surfaces are machined, Frontal walls; frontal surfaces of the part are machined, Lateral walls; lateral surfaces of the part are machined, Horizontal zones; horizontal surfaces of the part are machined. Min. lateral slope gives the minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a lateral wall. Min. frontal slope gives the minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a frontal wall. Max. horizontal slope gives the maximum angle between the tool axis and the part surface for the surface to be considered to be a horizontal area.
Sweeping - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach, retract and plunge data as well as the parameters for high speed milling and optimization of retracts. There is a button where you can optimize retracts. This means that if no collisions are detected, the tool will not rise to the safety plane. It will only rise as high as necessary in order to clear the part. The result is a faster machining process. In some cases (where areas of the part are higher than the zone you are machining and when you are using a safety plane), the tool will cut into the part. When this happens, deactivate the Optimize retracts button. High speed milling parameters are: Transition radius is the radius of the arc that joins successive passes, Discretization angle is a value which, when reduced, gives a smoother tool path. Safety distance is the clearance distance that the tool passes over the part at the feedrate in order to disengage the tool from cutting between passes. The approach/retract mode can be: Along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, Along a vector; the tool moves along a vector that you define with the Approach/Retract direction: X/Y/Z boxes, Normal; the tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined, Tangent to movement; the approach/retract is tangent at its end to the rest of the toolpath. None; no approach/retract. Back; the tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with two lengths or a length and an angle. The parameters that you can modify are: the length (1) the height (2) the ramp angle (3).
Circular; the tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. The parameters that you can set are: the length (1), the angle (2) the radius (3). If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part. If you use the manual plane computation mode, the approach/retract arc will be normal to the plane that you select.
Box, the tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). The Length(4) is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values: the distance along the normal axis (1), the distance along the tangent (2) , the distance (can be a negative value) along the tool axis (3), The direction of the box diagonal is defined by whether you want to use the normal to the left or the right of the end of the tool path. Left or right is determined by looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach/retract. In the image, it is the the right side that is used. Plunges can only be defined if you selected a one-way sweeping mode in the machining strategy tab. Plunges can be : No check; the tool can plunge and rise with the surface, No plunge; the tool cannot plunge, Same height; the tool does not plunge but will not stop when it encounters a peak. In the Linking tab, check the Island skip box if you want to use intermediate approaches and retracts (i.e. those that link two different areas to machine and that are not at the beginning nor the end of the tool path).
With Island skip turned on:
With Island skip turned off:
Island skip length is the height that the tool will rise to on intermediate approaches and retracts. The Feedrate length defines the distance beyond which tool path straight lines will be replaced by intermediate approaches and retracts. In the picture below, the Feedrate length was set to 45 mm. Note that the gaps that were less than 45 mm are crossed by a straight line tool path and those that are greater than 45 mm are crossed with a standard intermediate tool path with an approach and a retract.
Feedrate length is only active if the Island skip length is 0 mm.
ZLevel Machining
This task shows you how to insert a ZLevel operation into the program. ZLevel operations are finishing or semi-finishing operations that machine the whole part by parallel horizontal planes that are perpendicular to the tool axis. To create the operation you define: the geometry of the part to machine the tool to use operation, ;only end mill tools , are available for this ,
the parameters of the machining strategy the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros . ,
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other requirements have a default value. Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. Open file Basic1.CATPart then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu. 1. Select the ZLevel icon .
The ZLevel dialog box is displayed. A ZLevel entity and a default tool area added to the program. The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page . This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined.
2.
The area that represents the part geometry is colored red indicating that the geometry is required for defining the area to machine. All the other geometry parameters are optional. Click on the red area that represents the part geometry then select the belt of faces around the outside of the part.
The edges surrounding the selected faces are highlighted. 3. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection. Press Replay. You will see that the outside of the part has been machined.
ZLevel Machining - Geometric Components

You can also use an Offset Group on the part. The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are: the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined. an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (small light brown corner near the red part selection area). the safety plane which is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. an upper plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part, a lower plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, an imposed plane that the tool must obligatorily pass through. Use this option if the part that you are going to machine has a particular shape (a groove or a step) that you want to be sure will be cut, a start point where the tool will start cutting. Use this option when accessing the part from the outside. If you use a limiting contour that results in successive passes not being closed, the start point(s) will be ignored. the limiting contour which is the contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element.
There is also an Info button that, when pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area.
You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop Position, whether it is the contact point or the tool tip. Offset is the distance that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop mode that you chose. Part autolimit. If you activate Part Autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part. Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined. If you use Limiting contour, only the area inside the limiting contour is machined.
If you have selected a single face to be machined and you are not using Part autolimit, the tool will machine both sides of the face. If you use Part autolimit, the tool will stop when it reaches the edge of the face (as shown below).
You can now either ix-ZLevel parameters:run the operation on the part, store the operation that you have just defined or define other parameters in the machining strategy, tool data, speeds and rates, or macro data tabs first.
ZLevel - Machining Strategy

In the machining strategy tab, you can define the cutting mode, the machining mode, the machining tolerance and the stepover distance. You can also choose the tool axis. A button allows you to reverse the tool path direction. The sensitive icon illustrates the machining mode that you have chosen. Change the tool axis by clicking the tool in the sensitive icon and choosing Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Selection by coordinates has the following options:
Feature-defined; you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the best tool axis. Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis. The machining tab lets you define: the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error, the machining mode which defines the type of area to be machined and can be: By plane; the whole part is machined plane by plane, Pockets only; only pockets on the part are machined, Outer part; only the outside of the part is machined, Outer part & pockets; the whole part is machined external area by external area and pocket by pocket. the cutting mode which can be Climb or Conventional.
The stepover tab concerns the distance between successive passes and has two possibilities: Constant Scallop Height
Constant has a constant stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part. You can modify the stepover distance.
Scallop height has a stepover which depends on the scallop height that you choose. You can also define the maximum and minimum distance between passes with the scallop height that you defined.
The Machined Zone tab lets you define: the maximum slope that can be considered to be horizontal (any area that is considered to be horizontal will not be machined), the width of the overlap of the end of a pass over its beginning,
ZLevel Machining - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach, retract and plunge data. There is a button where you can optimize retract distances. this means that if no obstacle is detected between two passes, the tool will not rise to the safety plane (because it is not necessary) and the operation will take less time. In some cases (where areas of the part are higher than the zone you are machining and when you are using a safety plane), the tool will cut into the part. When this happens, deactivate the Optimize retracts button. Another button lets you use high speed milling. High speed milling parameters are:
Transition radius is the radius of the arc that joins successive passes, Discretization angle is a value which, when reduced, gives a smoother tool path. Safety distance is the clearance distance that the tool over over at the feedrate in order to disengage the tool from cutting between passes. The approach and retracts are defined with these parameters:
The linking pass (i.e. the means of moving from the end of one pass to the beginning of the next one) can be: Along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, Ramping; the tool follows a slope defined by the ramping angle, Circular; the tool describes a circle defined by the value of Radius, Circular or ramping; the tool uses either circular or ramping mode depending on whichever is best adapted to the part being machined. In certain cases, notably where there is a risk of collision with a circular linking pass, you should choose Circular or ramping rather than simply Circular in order to ensure that your tool path will be produced.
Approach distance is the engagement distance for all types of linking pass. Safety distance is the distance that the tool moves horizontally before it begins its approach.
Spiral Milling
Spiral machining gives a good surface without having to use a particularly small tool. It gives particularly good results for areas that are relatively flat. Use this type of operation to optimize machine time by reducing the stepover. To create the operation you define: the geometry of the part to machine the parameters for the machining strategy the tool to use end mill tools conical tools face mill tools and T-slotters , , . , , ,
. The tools that can be used with this type of operation are: ,
the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros Either: .
make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. 1. Open file gets2.CATPart. A Spiral milling entity and a default tool are added to the program. Select the Spiral milling icon . .
The Spiral milling dialog box opens at the geometry tab page
2.
Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies)
and click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. 3. 4. Go to the machining strategy tab and make sure that Horizontal area selection is Automatic. Press Replay to compute the tool path for the operation. You can cancel tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.
Spiral Milling - Geometric Components

The other geometric components that you can select in the sensitive icon are: the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined. an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the left hand corner near the part selection area). the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The safety plane contextual menu allows you to: define an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed, remove the safety plane. a top plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part,
a bottom plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, a start point which is the first point that will be machined, an end point which is the last point that will be machined, a limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part. The contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element. You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop Position, whether it is the contact point or the tool end. Offset is the distance that the tool that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop mode that you chose. Part autolimit. If you activate Part autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part.
Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined.
Spiral Milling - Machining Strategy

The machining strategy tab is where you define the machining and strategy parameters and also the area that you want to machine. Start by selecting what you want to machine with one of the two options: automatic; the surfaces that are considered to be horizontal with respect to the maximum angle are automatically selected for machining. or manual. A red contour lights up in the sensitive icon. Click on it and then select the contours that will form the limit to the area you want to machine. The selection takes account of all the surfaces inside the limit, horizontal or not. You can also define more than one contour. Defining another contour inside the original contour will have the effect that only the area between the two contours (i.e. inside one and outside the other) will be machined.
The blue contour represents the first contour, the black contour represents the second contour, and the yellow area represents what will be machined.
There are four tabs: Machining, Stepover, Zone, HSM (High Speed Milling).
You can also change the tool axis with Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Feature-defined; you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the best tool axis. Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis.
The machining tab lets you define: the cutting mode which can be Climb or Conventional, the tool offset with respect to the contour, the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error. the tool path style:
With Outward, the tool path will begin at the middle of the area to machine and work outwards.
With Inward, the tool path will begin at the outer limit of the area to machine and work inwards.
You can also reverse the tool path. Reversing the tool path means that a tool path that goes from right to left will now go from left to right and vice versa.
The stepover tab lets you define the maximum distance between successive passes in the tool path.
At the bottom of the stepover tab are the View Direction buttons. View direction is used to calculate the stepover distance, as if you were looking along an axis.
If you wish to use an axis other than the tool axis to define the stepover, select Other axis. Other axis can only be used with a ball-nose tool. When Other axis is active, there is a box is also displayed where you can choose to check for toolholder-part collisions.
The icon at the top of the tab for axis selection has changed and you can now select an axis (the oblique axis in the icon) other than the tool axis for the view direction.
In the Zone tab, you can define the maximum angle that can be considered as horizontal. The angle is measured perpendicular to the tool path.
If you choose to perform high speed milling, you can define the corner radius to round the ends of passes. The ends are rounded to give a smoother path that is machined much faster.
Spiral Milling - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach and retract data. The approach/retract mode can be: along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, along a vector; the tool moves along a vector that you define with the Approach/Retract direction: X/Y/Z boxes,
normal; the tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined, tangent to movement; the approach/retract is tangent at its end to the rest of the tool path. none; no approach/retract. back; the tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with two lengths or a length and an angle. The parameters that you can modify are: the length (1) the height (2) the ramp angle (3).
circular; the tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. The parameters that you can set are: the length (1), the angle (2) the radius (3). If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part. If you use the manual plane computation mode, the approach/retract arc will be normal to the plane that you select.
box, the tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). The Length(4) is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values: the distance along the normal axis (1), the distance along the tangent (2), the distance (can be a negative value) along the tool axis (3), The direction of the box diagonal is defined by whether you want to use the normal to the left or the right of the end of the tool path. Left or right is determined by looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach/retract. In the image, it is the the right side that is used.
Contour-driven Machining
This task explains how to machine an area on a part by using a contour as guide. There are three types of machining included in this task: parallel contours where the tool sweeps out an area by following progressively distant (or closer) parallel offsets of a given guide contour. between contours where the tool sweeps between two guide contours along a tool path that is obtained by interpolating between the guide contours. The ends of each pass lie on two stop contours. spine contour where the tool sweeps across a contour in perpendicular planes.
To create the operation, you define: the geometry of the part to machine the parameters of the machining strategy the tool to use this operation, , , or conical tools for
; you have the choice of end mill
the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros .
Only the geometry and the guide contour(s) (strategy tab) are obligatory. All of the other requirements have a default value Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these with a between contours operation on a small area of a part. Open file Basic2.CATPart, then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu.
1.
Select the Contour-driven icon
The Contour-driven dialog box is displayed. . The dialog box opens at the geometry tab page 2. Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies). Click on the part in the viewer. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. 3. Go to the strategy tab. Select Between contours. Click on Guide 1 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer.
Click on Guide 2 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer.
Click on Stop 1 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer.
Click on Stop 2 in the sensitive icon and select these contours in the viewer.
So your selections should give you this as an overall result:
4. Press Replay to compute the tool path for the operation.
The result will show you that you have machined between two guide contours delimited at either end by two others.
Contour-driven Machining - Geometric Components

You can also use an Offset Group on the part. The other geometric components that you can select in the sensitive icon are: the guide contours, the stop contours (only used for machining with parallel contours), the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined.
an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the left hand corner near the part selection area). the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The safety plane contextual menu allows you to define: an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed, and the tool retract mode which may be either normal to the safety plane or normal to the tool axis. an upper plane which defines the highest plane that will be machined on the part, a lower plane which defines the lowest plane that will be machined on the part, a limiting contour which defines the machining limit on the part. The contour that defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element. The picture is slightly different if you are using a rework area and will have fewer parameters. There is also an Info button that, when pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area. When using a rework area, please remember to use a smaller tool than the one defined the rework area as this is necessary to ensure the generation of a tool path inside it.
You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop Position, whether it is the contact point or the tool end. Offset is the distance that the tool that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop mode that you chose. Part autolimit. If you activate Part autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part. Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined.
Contour-driven Machining - Machining Strategy

In the machining strategy tab, you can define the machining, strategy and stepover parameters and the zone to machine. You should choose the cycle type (between contours, parallel contour or spine contour) that you want before setting any of the other parameters. The parameters that you can use depend on the cycle type you choose.
Between Contours
The Between contours option has four active tabs: Machining, Strategy, Stepover, Machined Zone.
First choose whether you want to machine: between four open contours (i.e. that are not necessarily perfectly connected to each other) Guide 1 and Guide 2 are the two contours between which you are going to machine. Stop 1 and Stop 2 delimit the ends of the machining paths.
or by machining or within one closed contour. To do this you must select four points on the contour and you must select them in the order that you see in the sensitive icon. P1, P2, P3 and P4 are the four points that you select on the contour within which you are going to machine.
The machining tab lets you: define the tool path style which can be: One-way next; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next. One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes. define the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error. reverse the tool path direction.
The strategy tab has an option that lets you start an automatic pencil operation (defined with a set of default parameters) at the end of the contour driven operation.
There are four stepover possibilities: Constant, Scallop height, Constant on part, Maximum on part.
Constant has a maximum stepover distance defined in a plane and projected onto the part.
You can modify the stepover distance.
Scallop height has a stepover which depends on the scallop height that you choose.
You can also define the maximum and minimum distances that can exist between passes with the scallop height that you defined.
Constant on part is a stepover that has a constant distance on the part itself.
The parameters that you can define are: the distance; the constant distance between two successive passes,
The sweeping strategy, i.e. where you want to start machining and where you want to end, the possibilities are: From guide 1 to guide 2 (starts at guide 1 and ends at guide 2) From guide 2 to guide 1 (starts at guide 2 and ends at guide 1), From guide to zone center (starts at guide 1 and works towards the center of the zone then goes to guide 2 and works towards the center of the zone), From zone center to guide (starts at the center of the zone and works towards guide 1 then comes back to the center and works towards guide 2), From guide to zone center (spiral) starts at guide 1 and spirals towards the center), From zone center to guide (spiral) starts at the center and sprials towards the guide contours), the tool initial position with respect to the guide contour (inside, outside, on), the tool reference; whether the tool end or the tool contact point is used for the computation, the tool offset with respect to the guide contour. With a negative value the tool path will start outside the guide contour, with a positive value it will start inside the guide contour.
Below is an example of Constant on part use.
The stepover is of a constant distance along the whole length of the path measured on the part itself, starting from Guide 1 and going towards Guide 2.
Maximum on part defines the stepover with a maximum distance between passes that must be respected.
The parameters that you can define are: the maximum distance; the constant distance between two successive passes, The sweeping strategy, i.e. where you want to start machining and where you want to end, the possibilities are: From guide 1 to guide 2 (starts at guide 1 and ends at guide 2) From guide 2 to guide 1 (starts at guide 2 and ends at guide 1), From guide to zone center (starts at guide 1 and works towards the center of the zone then goes to guide 2 and works towards the center of the zone), From zone center to guide (starts at the center of the zone and works towards guide 1 then comes back to the center and works towards guide 2), From guide to zone center (spiral) starts at guide 1 and spirals towards the center), From zone center to guide (spiral) starts at the center and spirals towards the guide contours), the tool initial position with respect to the guide contour (inside, outside, on), the tool reference; whether the tool end or the tool contact point is used for the computation, the tool offset with respect to the guide contour. With a negative value the tool path will start outside the guide contour, with a positive value it will start inside the guide contour. Below is an example to illustrate the difference between Constant on part and Maximum on part. We are going to take the same part and use the same parameters and then look at the results. This is the surface we are going to use
When we use Constant on part the result is of an equal distance on the part surface from guide 1 to guide 2. Note the bottom of the machined area and how the paths remain perfectly parallel to each other but because of the shape of the surface they finish gradually on guide 2.
Now see the difference when we use Maximum on part. There is a variation in the distance between the paths on the surface but the paths respect both guide 1 and guide 2. There is no gradual finish on Guide 2 as there was with Constant on part.
If you wish to use an axis other than the tool axis to define the stepover, select Other axis. When Other axis is active, there is a box is also displayed where you can choose to check for toolholder-part collisions.
Other axis can only be used with a ball-nose tool.
Here is an example of View direction use: This is the surface that we are going to machine:
Taking this surface, using a distance of 5, Constant stepover and with this edge (red edge) defined as the other axis:
will give you this result:
This is what you get using a distance of 5, Constant stepover and along the tool axis:
However if you look along the tool axis you will see how the same distance is used for the stepover as in the first operation:
The Machined Zone parameters are used to define the type of area on the part that you wish to machine: All; all of the surfaces are machined, Frontal walls; frontal surfaces of the part are machined, Lateral walls; lateral surfaces of the part are machined, Horizontal zones; horizontal surfaces of the part are machined.
Below the zone selection area are parameters which let you define whether a surface is frontal, lateral or horizontal: Min. lateral slope gives the minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a lateral wall. Min. frontal slope gives the minimum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a frontal wall. Max. horizontal slope gives the maximum angle between the tool axis and the part surface normal for the surface to be considered to be a horizontal area.
Parallel Contours
The Parallel contour option has four active tabs: Machining, Strategy, Stepover, Machined Zone.
You must choose a contour on the part to be the reference for your operation.
Y Feature-defined; you select a 3D element such as a plane that will serve to automatically define the best tool axis. Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis.
The machining tab lets you: define the tool path style which can be : One-way next; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next. One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes. define the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error. reverse the tool path direction.
The strategy tab has parameters that concern the tool position and distance: Pencil rework lets you start an automatic pencil operation (defined with a set of default parameters) at the end of the contour-driven operation, Offset on contour is the distance the tool will be from the guide contour at the beginning of the operation Maximum width to machine defines the width of the area to machine starting from the guide contour, Offset side defines the side of the contour where machining will be performed (left or right), i.e. if you choose Left, the tool will machine on the left side of the guide contour for the Maximum width distance, Direction is the machining direction, either towards the contour (starting at the Maximum width distance from the guide contour) or away from the contour.
Initial tool position is where the tool will start with respect to the guide contour (in red); it can be: to (1) on (2) past (3)
There is also an option that lets you start an automatic pencil operation (defined with a set of default parameters) at the end of the contour driven operation.
There are two stepover possibilities: Constant, Scallop height.
The Zone parameters are used to define the type of area on the part that you wish to machine: All; all of the surfaces are machined, Frontal walls; frontal surfaces of the part are machined, Lateral walls; lateral surfaces of the part are machined, Horizontal zones; horizontal surfaces of the part are machined.
Spine Contour
The Spine contour option has three active tabs: Machining, Stepover, Machined Zone.
You must choose a contour on the part to be the reference for your operation.
The machining tab lets you: define the tool path style which can be : One-way next; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and goes diagonally from the end of one tool path to the beginning of the next. One-way same; the tool path always has the same direction during successive passes and returns to the first point in each pass before moving on to the first point in the next pass. Zig-zag; the tool path alternates directions during successive passes. define the machining tolerance value, consider it to be the acceptable chord error. reverse the tool path direction.
There are two stepover possibilities: Constant, Scallop height.
The zone parameters are used to define the type of area on the part that you wish to machine: All; all of the surfaces are machined, Frontal walls; frontal surfaces of the part are machined, Lateral walls; lateral surfaces of the part are machined, Horizontal zones; horizontal surfaces of the part are machined.
Contour-driven Machining - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach and retract data. There is a button where you can optimize retracts. This means that if no collisions are detected, the tool will not rise to the safety plane. It will only rise as high as necessary in order to clear the part. The result is a faster machining process. In some cases (where areas of the part are higher than the zone you are machining and when you are using a safety plane), the tool will cut into the part. When this happens, deactivate the Optimize retracts button. High speed milling parameters are: Transition radius is the radius of the arc that joins successive passes, Discretization angle is a value which, when reduced, gives a smoother tool path. Safety distance is the clearance distance that the tool over over at the feedrate in order to disengage the tool from cutting between passes The approach/retract mode can be: along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, along a vector; the tool moves along a vector that you define with the Approach/Retract direction: X/Y/Z boxes, normal; the tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined, tangent to movement; the approach/retract is tangent at its end to the rest of the tool path. and none; no approach/retract.
Back; the tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with two lengths or a length and an angle. The parameters that you can modify are: the length (1) the height (2) the ramp angle (3).
Circular; the tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. The parameters that you can set are: the length (1), the angle (2) the radius (3). If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part. If you use the manual plane computation mode, the approach/retract arc will be normal to the plane that you select.
Box, the tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). The Length(4) is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values: the distance along the normal axis (1), the distance along the tangent (2), the distance (can be a negative value) along the tool axis (3), The direction of the box diagonal is defined by whether you want to use the normal to the left or the right of the end of the tool path. Left or right is determined by looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach/retract. In the image, it is the the right side that is used. In the Linking tab, check the Island skip box if you want to use intermediate approaches and retracts (i.e. those that link two different areas to machine and that are not at the beginning nor the end of the tool path).
With Island skip turned on:
With Island skip turned off:
Island skip length is the height that the tool will rise to on intermediate approaches and retracts. The Feedrate length defines the distance beyond which tool path straight lines will be replaced by intermediate approaches and retracts. In the picture below, the Feedrate length was set to 45 mm. Note that the gaps that were less than 45 mm are crossed by a straight line tool path and those that are greater than 45 mm are crossed with a standard intermediate tool path with an approach and a retract.
Feedrate length is only active if the Island skip length is 0 mm. Your guide contour(s) must be closed.
Create a Profile Contouring Operation

This task explains how to create a profile contouring operation on a part. A profile contouring operation can be created from machining: Between two planes The tool follows a contour between the top and bottom planes while respecting user-defined geometry limitations and machining strategy parameters. Between two curves The tool follows the trajectory defined by the top and bottom guide curves while respecting user-defined geometry limitations and machining strategy parameters. Between a curve and surfaces The tool follows a trajectory defined by a top guide curve and the bottom surfaces while respecting user-defined geometry limitations and machining strategy parameters.
Reworking Operations
These are the operations that you will use to rework an area on a part where there is residual material. Before using one of these operations, compute the areas that you want to rework. Pencil operations Reworking operations
Pencil Operations
This task shows you how to insert a pencil operation into the program. A pencil operation is one where the tool remains tangent in two places to the surface to be machined during the cycle. It is often used to remove crests along the intersection of two surfaces that were left behind by a previous operation. To create the operation you define: the geometry of the part to machine the parameters of the machining strategy , , or conical tools
the tool to use ; you have the choice of end mill for this operation, the feedrates and spindle speeds, the macros .
Only the geometry is obligatory, all of the other parameters have a default value. Either: make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree if you want to define an operation and the part/area to machine at the same time, or select a machining feature from the list if you have already defined the area to machine and now you want to define the operation to apply to it. Below we are going to see how to do the first of these. 1. Open file gets2.CATPart. A Pencil entity and a default tool are added to the program. Select the Pencil icon . .
The dialog box opens at the geometry page
This page includes a sensitive icon to help you specify the geometry to be machined.
2. Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies)
and click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box.
3. Press Replay to compute the tool path for the operation. You can cancel tool path computation at any moment before 100% completion.
Pencil - Geometric Components

You can also use an Offset Group on the part. The other geometric components that you can select in the view (but that are not obligatory) are: the check element. The check is often a clamp that holds the part and therefore is not an area to be machined. an area to avoid if you do not wish to machine it (light brown area in the corner near part selection). the safety plane. The safety plane is the plane that the tool will rise to at the end of the tool path in order to avoid collisions with the part. The safety plane contextual menu allows you to define: an offset safety plane at a distance that you give in a dialog box that is displayed, and the tool retract mode which may be either normal to the safety plane or normal to the tool axis. the limiting contour which defines the outer machining limit on the part. the offset on the part. the offset on the check element.
There is also an Info button that, when pressed, gives the details on the parameters that were defined with the rework area. Use a tool that is either the same size as (or larger than) the one defined in the rework area. If you decide to use a tool that is smaller than the one that is defined in the rework area itself, there will be no tool path generated for the rework area. In this case it is
preferable to consider the rework area to be a set of limiting contours and use a contour-driven operation rather than a pencil operation. You can also define the following parameters: Stop position defines where the tool stops: outside stops the tool outside the limit line, inside stops inside the limit line, on stops the tool on the limit line. Stop mode defines which part of the tool is considered at the Stop position, whether it is the contact point or the tool tip. Offset is the distance that the tool that the tool will be either inside or outside the limit line depending on the Stop mode that you chose. Part autolimit. If you activate Part autolimit, the tool will not go beyond the edge of the part.
Part autolimit and the limiting contour can be used individually or together to define the area you want to machine. In the pictures, the blue outline is the part edge, the yellow part is the area that will be machined, the black line is the limiting contour: If you use Part autolimit, the whole part is machined.
Pencil - Machining Strategy

In the machining strategy tab, you can define the machining tolerance, the cutting mode the axial direction, the minimum change length and the size of the smallest areas to be machined. You can also choose the tool axis. The sensitive icon illustrates a pencil tool path, i.e. one that is tangent to two surfaces at the same time. In the sensitive icon you can change the tool axis via Select in the contextual menu which will display a dialog box where you can choose between selection by angle and selection by coordinates. Selection by angle lets you choose the tool axis by rotation around a main axis. Angle 1 and Angle 2 are used to define the location of the tool axis around the main axis that you select. There is also a button that lets you reverse the direction of the axis with respect to the coordinate system origin.
Selection; you select a 2D element such as a line or a straight edge that will serve to define the tool axis, Manual; you enter the XYZ coordinates, Points in the view; click on two points anywhere in the view to define the tool axis.
In the machining tab, consider the machining tolerance value to be the acceptable chord error. There is also a button that reverses the tool path direction.
The axial direction can be: up, down or either. Either means that the direction which is most suitable to the current cutting action will be used. The cutting mode can be: Conventional where the back of the advancing tool cuts into the material first, Climb where the front of the advancing tool cuts into the material first, Either where either of the two possibilities may be used depending on which is most suitable to the current cutting action. Minimum change length is the minimum distance for a change of axial direction or cutting mode, i.e. if a portion of the pass is shorter than this value, the tool will ignore it and continue in the same direction or mode.
Pencil - Macro Data

The Macro tab defines the tool approach and retract data.
There is a button where you can optimize retract distances. this means that if no obstacle is detected between two passes, the tool will not rise to the safety plane (because it is not necessary) and the operation will take less time. There is a button where you can optimize retracts. This means that if no collisions are detected, the tool will not rise to the safety plane. It will only rise as high as necessary in order to clear the part. The result is a faster machining process. The approach/retract mode can be: along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis for a given Length, along a vector; the tool moves along a vector that you define with the X,Y and Z directions for a given Length, normal; the tool moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface being machined for a given Length, tangent to movement; the approach/retract is tangent at its end to the rest of the tool path and is of a given Length, and none; no approach/retract.
Back; the tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with two lengths or a length and an angle. The parameters that you can modify are: the length (1) the height (2) the ramp angle (3). Circular; the tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. The parameters that you can set are: the length (1), the angle (2) the radius (3). If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part. If you use the manual plane computation mode, the approach/retract arc will be
normal to the plane that you select. Box, the tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). The Length(4) is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values: the distance along the normal axis (1), the distance along the tangent (2), the distance (can be a negative value) along the tool axis (3), The direction of the box diagonal is defined by whether you want to use the normal to
the left or the right of the end of the tool path. Left or right is determined by looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach/retract. In the image, it is the the right side that is used.
Roughing Rework Operations

This task explains how to rework a part. You must have defined a rough stock in the part operation. A rough stock that is defined in the part operation before starting the definition of the manufacturing program will be used for all of the successive operations, each working on the residual material left by the operation before it. You must have computed at least one machining operation prior to this one in the manufacturing program. The rough stock used for a program where you insert a reworking operation must be topologically closed, that is, it cannot be formed by a set of faces. In order to simplify the scenario, the sample given below already contains a rough stock. 1. Open the Basic.CATProcess file. Select Rough stock in the Product list and hide it using the Hide/Show option in the contextual menu. Filly expand the manufacturing program. You will see that a first roughing operation has already been effected. Select that operation. . The dialog box opens at the geometry tab Select the roughing icon 2. Press MB3 over the red area in the sensitive icon and choose Body(ies) .
and click on the part in the viewer. Then double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. 3. Go to the tool tab . and choose the tool called T2 End Mill D 5 in the dialog box
Click on this button that is displayed. 4. Press Replay.
5. You can, if you wish, modify any of the other parameters: geometry, machining strategy, speeds and rates, macro data. the type or size of tool used, in the dialog box but this is not obligatory as they all have default values.
Machining Features
Machining features are areas that you define on a part. You may want to define an area where you want to use a specific type of operation or you may want to define an area to rework because there is too much residual material on the part. Besides this, you can also decide to define a specific offset on an area of a part or a group of varied offsets on a part. Area to machine Area to rework Offset area Group of offset areas
Defining an Area to Machine

Machining areas can be used to define different zones on a part. First you define the machining areas and then you assign an operation to each of them. This is a useful approach if, before you start machining, you are aware that the part has areas that will require different types of operation. A machining area can be: the whole part (for example, in roughing), a subset of the faces on the part, a subset of faces on the part with a limiting contour. 1. Open file gets2.CATPart. Click the Machining area icon .
2.
Click the red area and select these faces in the viewer.
Press OK to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Change the name to MyMachiningArea. Press OK to create the machining area. If you wish to use any of the non-obligatory parameters, do not press OK but follow the steps below. Open the manufacturing view and you will see that the machining area has been created.
3.
4.
Change the check element by clicking on it in the sensitive icon and making your selection in the viewer.
5.
You can either click on the part body area (red) and then make your selection with the face selection wizard or you can use the contextual menu: Body(ies) lets you select the whole part. Load from... lets you use existing machining areas or offset areas to define a new machining area. Remove cancels the selection that you have made. Analyze lets you analyze the selected geometry. To load from a machining area: Choose a machining area from the list. Click either Part or Check. Part selects the surfaces that were defined in the selected machining area as part surfaces. Check selects the surfaces that were defined in the selected machining area as part of the check element. Press Apply. Repeat these steps until you have acquired all of the surfaces that you want.
Press OK to end the definition of the new machining area. To load from an offset area: Choose an offset area from the list (note that an offset area is identified by its name and the name of the offset group it belongs to). Press Apply. Repeat these steps until you have acquired all of the surfaces that you want. Press OK to end the definition of the new machining area. 6. 7. 7. If required, click the area to avoid to define a zone on the part that you do not want to machine. Click OK. This creates a machining area. When you want to assign an operation to one of these areas, simply click on its name in the Manufacturing feature view and then click the icon for the operation that you want to use. The operation dialog box opens at the machining strategy tab and not the geometric components tab because the area to machine is already defined. The area is displayed in blue on the part in the viewer. If you want to edit a machining area, double click on its name in the Manufacturing feature view.
Defining an Area to Rework

Once you have machined a part and visually checked it, you may decide to rework certain areas where residual material remains. Defining a rework area allows you to focus only on the areas where there is residual material and this gain time. This task explains how to define, edit and use an area to rework. Before creating a rework area you must have executed a manufacturing program. 1. Open gets2.CATPart. . Click the Rework Area icon In the dialog box that is displayed, change the Entry diameter to 10 mm, the Corner radius to 5 mm and the name to Rework.
2.
3.
Press OK to compute the rework area.
The rework area is created and can be seen in the Manufacturing feature view .
The following steps are not obligatory.
4.
There is a Load from button at the top of the dialog box that can be used to simplify the creation of a rework area by loading all of the appropriate data from an existing operation, tool or area. Click on the button and then select an operation and/or a tool in the specifications tree and/or select a machining area in the manufacturing view.
5.
In the General tab, click the red area and either: use the face selection wizard to choose the faces that you want to make up the area to machine. or pass the mouse over the face definition area and choosing Body in the contextual menu if you wish to machine a whole part and not just an area on it. Define the limit line in order to restrict the area to be reworked. Select the tool axis that you used to machine the rest of the part. Enter the tool data that you used to machine the rest of the part. If you wish to use a conical tool, enter a positive cutting angle. For an end mill, leave the default value of 0 degrees.
6. 7.
Press Compute. If you find that there are too many areas to be reworked or if you decide to concentrate on only a part of the rework area, go to the Advanced tab and define other parameters to restrict the area to rework. You can use a filter line to define a smaller area, and the minimum depth, length and width parameters to filter out areas that you wish to ignore because they are not deep, long or wide enough.
Tolerance is the machining tolerance that you want to use for the rework area. For the sake of speed you should use the same value as for the machining tolerance in the operation that the rework area is going to be used in. You may decide to use a smaller tolerance in the machining area and a larger one in the operation, reducing the operation one until you obtain satisfactory results as regards the finish that you require. Overlap is the distance that you allow the tool to go beyond the boundaries of the rework area and is defined as a percentage of the tool radius. Part offset is the offset that is computed for the rework area with respect to the part. 8. 9. Click Compute to create a rework area. Press OK to close the dialog box. When you want to assign an operation to a rework area, simply click on its name in the Manufacturing feature view and then click the icon for the operation that you want to use. The operation dialog box opens at the machining strategy tab and not the geometric components tab because the area to machine is already defined. The area is displayed in blue on the part in the viewer. To edit a rework area, double click on its name in the Manufacturing feature view.
Use the same size of tool in a pencil operation as that defined in the rework area in order to reduce computation time. You can also use a larger tool with pencil operations. If you choose to use a tool that is smaller than the one defined in the rework area, consider the rework area to be simply a set of limiting contours and use a contour-driven operation. If you use a smaller tool with a pencil operation, no tool path will be generated for the rework area.
Defining Offsets
This task shows you how to define offset areas and groups of offset areas. An offset area must belong to a group of offset areas. An offset area is a group of faces (at least one) with a n offset value (with respect to the original part) and a color to identify it. An Offset group must include at least one offset area. Offset groups can be used to machine upper and lower dies using a single set of geometry.
1. 2.
Open file Basic1.CATPart then select NC Manufacturing > Surface Machining in the Start menu. Click the Offset group icon .
In the dialog box that is displayed, change the name of the group to Group1 and press OK.
Offset in the dialog box is the overall offset that will be applied to the group in general. It is applied only to areas in the offset group that do not have their own specific offset. For example, if you assign an offset of 10 mm to a group and within that group there is an area that has a thickness of 5 mm and an area that has no thickness assigned to it, the first area will still have an offset of 5mm and the second area will have an offset of 10 mm.
Open the manufacturing view and you will see that the group has been created.
3.
As Group1 is still the current object, you are going to create two offset areas there. Click the Offset area icon A dialog box is displayed. .
Enter a value of 10 mm for the thickness and leave green as the color you want to display the offset area in.
The thickness of the offset can be negative. If you want to use a negative value, the tool corner radius must be greater than 2mm.
4.
Click on the red area in the dialog box and select these three faces in the viewer:
Click OK in the Face Selection wizard. Click OK in the Offset Area creation dialog box. 5. Click on the Offset Area creation icon again. This time enter a thickness of 20 mm and change the color.
6.
Click on the red area in the dialog box and select these two faces in the viewer.
Click OK in the Face Selection wizard. Click OK in the Offset Area creation dialog box. So now you have Group 1 containing two areas, one with an offset of 10 mm and the other with an offset of 20 mm.
7. Click the Sweeping icon . At the top of the geometry tab, select Group1 as Offset Group. Offset groups can be used with Sweeping, Pencil and Contour-driven operations. They can also be used with rework areas. If you are using a rework area that includes an offset group in an operation, you will not be able to modify the offset group. 8. Using MB3 over the red area, choose Body(ies) in the contextual menu and click on the part in the viewer. Double click anywhere in the viewer to confirm your selection and redisplay the dialog box. Press Replay.
Note the effect of the two offset areas (on the left in the picture.) The same face cannot be used in two separate offset areas in the same group. If you wish to have two different offsets on any given face, you must create a new group for the second value.
Tool Path Editor

This is where you can find the functions you need to edit tool paths. Before using any of the functions below, you must have computed a tool path. All of the functions are accessed via the tool path contextual menu. Editing a Point Editing an Area Transformations Connecting Tool paths Reversing a Tool path Tool Path Approaches and Retracts Packing and Unpacking a Tool Path Checking for Tool Holder Collision
Editing a Point
This task explains how to either move or remove a point on a tool path. You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity. 1. Open Block.CATProcess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation. 2. Select Point modification in the tool path contextual menu. The tool path is displayed. As you pass the mouse cursor over it you will notice that a small white square moves along the tool path. Click where you want to select a point.
A dialog box that lets you either remove or move the point is displayed.
3.
To move a point, click the move button. You can then either pull it to the place you want it to be in the viewer or enter the coordinates where it should be in the spin boxes. To remove a point, click the cut button. You can only move or remove a point if you have one selected.
4.
Editing an Area
This task explains how to edit an area on a tool path. You can select areas of the tool path by using: one point on the tool path and deciding whether you want to use the portion before or after it, two points and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is between the two points or outside of the two points, a contour and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is inside or outside of the contour, a polyline and deciding whether you want to use the part of the tool path that is inside or outside of the contour. You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity.
1.
Open Block.CATProcess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation. Select Area modification in the tool path contextual menu. The tool path and the tool path editor are displayed. The tool path editor has options that let you select an area using: one point two points a contour a polyline , , , the area. , ,
2.
or by swapping the selection for the area that is not selected so that you can then choose whether you what to move You can also predefine the selection value . or cut
3.
First select the area that you want to modify: by selecting one point on the tool path. This selects the portion of the tool path after the point.
by selecting two points on the tool path. This selects the portion of the tool path that falls between the two points.
by selecting an existing closed contour on the part. This selects the area of the tool path that is within the contour.
by clicking on the part to define a polyline.
Double click to end selection.
4.
. So if you selected the area with: You can swap the selected area by clicking one point the part of the tool path that is before the point is now selected, two points the part of the tool path that is outside the two points is now selected, a contour the part of the tool path that is outside the contour is now selected. Clicking the swap icon a second time will give you the original selection.
Use to change the default value of the selected areas. Click it and this dialog box is displayed:
Depending on the button you pick, you can choose whether the part of the tool path selected is before or after the single point or inside or outside the two points or contour. Whichever of the buttons you choose its effect will be applied to the next tool path selection action. 5. Now you can either cut the area of the tool path with If you cut an area and you do not reconnect the points, you will see the word "open" after the tool path name in the specifications tree. or move it with .
To move it, grab the point at the end of the arrow beside the word distance and pull.
Distance reflects the distance that you move the area. You can also double click on the word distance and enter a value in the dialog box.
If you wish to translate the area along an axis other than the (default) tool axis, use the contextual menu over the word Distance and choose an axis.
6.
Click OK to close the tool path editor.
Transformations
This task explains how to apply transformations to a tool path. You can: translate a tool path, rotate a tool path, mirror a tool path. You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity. 1. 2. Open Block.CATProcess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation. Choose whether you want to translate, rotate or mirror-reflect the tool path.
3.
Translation Choose Translation in the tool path contextual menu. The tool path is displayed on the part. You can also translate the tool path by selecting it in the viewer, clicking either on the approach or the retract and dragging. The contextual menu over the word "distance" lets you choose whether you want to translate the tool path along: the X axis, the Y axis, the Z axis, or the tool axis. and then pulling the tool path. You can also double click "Distance" and enter a value in the distance dialog box that is displayed.
Click OK in the tool path translation dialog box to validate and exit the action.
Rotation
Choose Rotation in the tool path contextual menu. The tool path is displayed on the part. You can define the rotation you want with respect to: a point; this defines the origin for the rotation, an edge this defines the rotation axis, a plane; the normal to the plane defines the rotation axis, or a face; the normal to the face defines the rotation axis. As you move the mouse over the tool path, the elements that can be used for the rotation are highlighted in red. By default the rotation is effected around the tool axis. Change the angle by double-clicking on the word Angle in the viewer (you can also drag the direction arrow in the viewer). A dialog box is displayed.
Enter the number of degrees you want to rotate the tool path by. For instance, a rotation of 90 will give you this result:
Click OK to validate and exit the action.
Mirror
Choose Mirror in the tool path contextual menu. Choose a plane or a face to be the mirror plane.
Double click to validate and exit the action.
Connecting Tool Paths

This task explains how to connect a tool path. You must have computed a tool path, removed an area and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity. 1. Open BlockB.CATPRocess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation.
2.
Choose Connection in the tool path contextual menu. Choose a connection option. You can either have the tool path connection go: from one point to its connecting point by raising it to a DZ distance (if you enter a value of 0 the tool path will go straight from one point to the other) or from one point to its connecting point by passing through the safety plane.
3.
Click OK. If you want to check the tool path, choose the operation that you used to create it and press Replay. You will see that the gap in the tool path is now closed.
Reversing a Tool Path

This task explains how to reverse a tool path. You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity. 1. Open Block.CATProcess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation Choose Reverse in the tool path contextual menu. The tool path is reversed but not displayed.
If you want to check the tool path, choose the operation that you used to create it and press replay. You will see that the tool approach and retract points have been exchanged.
Tool Path Approaches and Retracts

This task explains how to add or remove approaches and retracts in a tool path. You must have computed a tool path and have selected it in the PPR making it the current entity. 1. Open Block.CATProcess. Expand the manufacturing process completely and select the tool path for the sweeping operation. Choose Change approach and retract in the contextual menu. You can delete: approaches, retracts, linking passes, passes between paths. 2. 3. from the whole tool path or from a polygon that you draw on the tool path. Choose the Approach tab. Change the type to Back.
Enter a value of 20 mm for the Length, Distance and Height.
4.
Press Apply.
5.
If you are satisfied with the results press OK. If not, continue to make changes to the approach and retract tabs until you are. You can also modify existing approaches or retracts. Check the appropriate boxes and press the Remove from whole tool path if you want to remove all occurrences. Check the appropriate boxes and press Remove from area inside polygon if you want to remove only the occurrences in a specific area. Then define the polygon in the viewer and double click to confirm and end it.
Use the Approach and Retract tabs to modify the existing approaches and retracts on the whole tool path. Choose the type that you wish to use (Along tool axis, Back, Circular, Box or None), modify the settings if necessary. Use Apply to see your modifications. If you are not satisfied with the result press Undo and modify the settings until you are.
The approach/retract mode can be: Along tool axis; the tool moves along the tool axis, Back; the tool doubles back like an arrow above the cutting tool path. You can either define this type with two lengths or a length and an angle. The parameters that you can modify are: the length (1) the height (2) the ramp angle (3).
Circular; the tool moves towards/away from the part in an arc. The parameters that you can set are: the length (1), the angle (2) the radius (3). If you do not use Part autolimit, the curve will be below the surface of the part. If you use the manual plane computation mode, the approach/retract arc will be normal to the plane that you select. Box; the tool moves across the diagonal of an imaginary box, either in a straight line or in a curve (Linking mode). The Length(4) is the distance that the tool will move in once it has crossed the box. The box is defined by three distance values:
the distance along the normal axis (1), the distance along the tangent (2) , the distance (can be a negative value) along the tool axis (3), The direction of the box diagonal is defined by whether you want to use the normal to the left or the right of the end of the tool path. Left or right is determined by looking along the tool path in the direction of the approach/retract. In the image, it is the the right side that is used.
None; no approach/retract.
Packing and Unpacking a Tool Path

This task explains how to reduce the size of your CATProcess by packing the tool paths in it and then unpacking them when used later. Open the Basic1.CATPart in the Samples directory. Select Surface Machining from the Start menu. Make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree. Choose the Sweeping icon. Select the whole body as the part to machine. Press Replay. This computes a tool path. 1. Start by defining a directory for your new CATProcess. It is advisable to create a directory for each new CATProcess. Go to the Tools > Options > NC Manufacturing option. Select the Output tab. Enter a directory for Tool Path Location.
2. Select the computed sweeping operation in the specifications tree.
In the contextual menu, choose Pack Tool Path. A message is displayed giving you the name of the file created and the name of the directory it is created in (i.e. the one you defined in the options).
3. You must pack each tool path for each individual operation in order to obtain a CATProcess that requires as little memory as possible when it is saved.
4. Unpack the tool paths in the same manner when you open a stored CATProcess. Select each operation in the specifications tree, one after the other, and use Unpack Tool Path in the contextual menu.
Checking for Tool Holder Collisions

This task explains how to check a tool path to identify all the points where the tool holder collides with the part. Open the Basic1.CATPart in the Samples directory. Select Surface Machining from the Start menu. Make the Manufacturing Program current in the specification tree. Choose the Sweeping icon. Select the whole body as the part to machine. Press Replay. This computes a tool path. Select the tool path. 1. Choose Check Tool Length in the tool path contextual menu. A dialog box is displayed.
Extra geometry allows you to add additional geometry to the part in the operation where the tool path was computed. Additional geometry may be a face or a clamp that you would rather avoid using in the computation and that is not defined in the operation.
There are other parameters that you may choose to modify: When you select Use part, the part you defined in the operation is used to compute the collision points. Collision tolerance defines the distance within which the tool holder is considered to be in collision. Offset on tool holder radius and Offset on tool length define the tolerance distances specific to the tool holder radius and tool length. 2. Click Apply. The tool path is displayed on the part. The points where the tool holder is in collision with the part are shown in red.
A small dialog box is displayed that gives the number of collision points on this tool
path, the minimum tool length that is required in order to avoid having collision points and the coordinates of the current point (move the mouse over the tool path to see the coordinates change for each point) plus reference data on the tool length and the offset on the tool length.
You can also display the tool on the tool path. Click Cancel. Close the dialog box This is only a visual check to let you see where the collision points are and find the tool length that is required to avoid them. 3. You now have the choice of either changing the tool length or editing the tool path in order to get rid of the collision points. If you want to change the tool length you must create a new tool or select another tool. 4. Select the tool path again in the specifications tree. Choose Area modification in the contextual menu. The tool path is displayed. 5. Click the Select collision points icon . The same dialog box as above is displayed. Change the parameter values if you wish. 6. Press apply to display the collision points in red on the toolpath. You can then cut ( ) the collision points from the tool path.
Importing files
There are two types of files that can be imported into the Surface Machining workbench: STL Files NC Code Files
Reading STL files

This task shows you how to open STL files into your Surface Machining session. 1. Go to the Wireframe and Surface Design workbench. Display the Surface Machining Tools via View > Toolbars > Surface Machining Tools. . Click the Inserts an STL file icon 2. Navigate to the samples directory and select the Basic.stl file.
3. Press Open.
You can now machine the part that you have just opened.
Importing NC Code Files

This task shows you how to import NC code files into your Surface Machining session. 1. Select the Manufacturing Program entity in the tree, then select Import APT source in the contextual menu.
2. In the NC File Import dialog box: choose NCCode as the NC data type, enter the name of the file you want to import (here, NC-Example). The Input File button allows you to browse to the directory where the file is located, choose the same post processor file as was used to create the file to import.
Press OK. For information on generating NC files, see the chapter on generating NC code in batch mode.
Workbench Description
This section describes the menu commands and icon toolbars that are specific to the 3 Axis Surface Machining workbench. This is what the 3 Axis Surface Machining workbench looks like.
Menu bar description Toolbar description Specification tree
Menu Bar
This is the menu bar for the 3 Axis Surface Machining workbench.
Start
File
Edit
View
Insert
Tools
Window
Help
Tasks corresponding to general menu commands are described in the Version 5 Infrastructure User's Guide. Below are the menus that specifically concern 3 Axis Surface Machining.
Insert menu
Machining Operations Machining Features Auxiliary Operations Accesses all machining operations Accesses the definition of machining areas Accesses auxiliary operations
Machining Features
Milling Features Machining Pattern Milling Features Machining Area Rework Area Machining Axis System Defines a machining area Defines an area to rework Defines a machining axis system Defines milling areas Defines machining patterns
Machining Operations
Sweep Roughing Roughing Sweeping Pencil Defines a sweep roughing operation Defines a roughing operation Defines a sweeping operation Defines a pencil operation
ZLevel Contour-driven Spiral milling Profile Contouring Axial Machining Operations
Defines a ZLevel operation Defines a contour-driven operation Defines a spiral milling operation Defines a profile contouring operation Defines a hole-making operation
Toolbars
These are the specific icon toolbars that belong to the Surface Machining workbench. Manufacturing Program Toolbar Machining Operations Toolbar Auxiliary Operations Toolbar Tool Path Management Toolbar Tool Path Editor Toolbar Manufacturing Features Toolbar Machining Areas Toolbar Geometry Selection Toolbars Edge selection Toolbar Face Selection Toolbar
Machining Operations Toolbar

This toolbar has the icons you need to create machining operations.
See Roughing operations See Sweep roughing operations See Sweeping operations See Pencil operations See ZLevel operations See Contour-driven operations See Spiral milling operations See Profile contouring operations See Axial machining operations.
Tool Path Editor Toolbar

This toolbar has the icons you need to edit tool paths that you have created with machining operations
See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to move a point or an area. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to cut a point or an area. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using two points. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using one point. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using a contour. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to select an area using a contour. See checking for tool holder collisions for information on how to check for collisions between the tool holder and the part to machine on a tool path. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to swap the selected area. See editing an area of a tool path for information on how to define the default value for the next selection operation.
Machining Areas Toolbar

This toolbar is used to define areas to either machine or to rework. The areas can be defined independently of machining operations.
See Defining an area to machine See Defining an area to rework See Defining offsets (offset group). See Defining offsets (offset area) See the use of manufacturing feature views with machining areas.
Edge Selection Toolbar

The edge selection toolbar contains icons to help you select edges of contours when specifying geometry in machining operations.
Selects all edges that are tangent to the one you have selected. Select an edge and then click this icon. Chains edges. Selects all edges that are in continuity with each other according to the constraints below. Set the constraints below. Select an edge and click this icon. Defines the constraints that can be used with the chaining edges icon: Tolerance is the minimum distance between two points. If the distance between the two points is shorter than this then the two points are considered to be in the same place, Angle is the minimum angle between two edges. If the angle between the two edges is smaller than this then the edges are considered to be tangent and can be chained. Step is the number of edges that will be selected in a given chaining operation.
Close contour lets you decide whether or not you want to close the contour. Reverse contour lets you decide whether or not you want to reverse the contour. Closes a contour with a line. Select a contour or series of lines to form a contour and click on this icon. A straight line is inserted from the beginning of the contour to the end of it. Creates a line between two points. Select one point as the beginning of the line and then select a second point for the end of the line. Resets all selections. Click on this icon to erase all selections made with the edge selection toolbar. Click OK to accept all selections made with the edge selection toolbar and to exit the action. Click Cancel to refuse all selections made with the edge selection toolbar and to exit the action.
Face Selection Toolbar
Selects all faces which are tangent to a given face. Select a face and then click this icon. Previews a contour. Choose Boundary of faces in the contextual menu for the line you want to define. Select the faces around which you want to define the line. Click this icon. The contour is highlighted. Selects all faces that are situated entirely within a polygon. Click the places in the viewer where you want the corners of the polygon to be. Double click to end corner definition. Lets you select faces that are: normal to a main axis. parallel or perpendicular to a face that you select as reference. Click this icon.
This tab selects all of the flat faces that are normal to a main axis. The reference body is No selection. Make sure it is selected (as in the image) and click on the part to machine in the viewer. Choose an axis. Click OK. The faces normal to the axis you chose in the viewer are selected. Click OK in the Face selection wizard to confirm your selection. This tab selects flat faces with reference to a face that you choose. Select that part as the reference body. Click in the reference face box. Click the face on the part in the viewer that you want to use as reference. Choose whether you want the faces that are perpendicular or parallel to that face. Click OK to select these faces. Click OK in the Face selection wizard to confirm your selection Selects all faces of a given color. Select a face of a given color and then click this icon. All faces of that color are selected.
You can define the color of a face via the Edit/Properties menu item when the face is selected. Manages selection sets. This action is a shortcut to the Selection Sets item in the Edit menu. Click on this icon and select the selection set you want to use in the dialog box. Press Close. Resets all selections. Click on this icon to erase all selections made with the face selection toolbar. Click OK to accept all selections made with the face selection toolbar and to exit the action. Click Cancel to refuse all selections made with the face selection toolbar and to exit the action.
Specification Tree
Below is an example of a specification tree for Surface Machining. Pocess Product Resources. The ProcessList is a plan that gives all the activities, operations, manufacturing resources, etc. required to transform a part from a rough to a finished state. The Part Operation defines the manufacturing resources and the reference data. The Manufacturing Program is the list of all of the operations and tool changes performed. The Sweep Roughing operation is complete and has been computed. The Sweeping operation is complete but has not been computed. The ContourDriven operation has not been computed and does not have all of the necessary data (indicated by the exclamation point). The ProductList gives all of the parts to machine. The ResourcesList gives all of the tools that can be used in the program.
The red light indicates where data is missing. Look for a red zone on that tab.
Glossary A
Approach Approach feedrate The part of a tool path that ends where the tool begins to cut the material The speed of linear advancement of the tool during its approach, before cutting.
C
Climb milling A cutting mode where the front of the tool (advancing in the machining direction) cuts into the material first.
Check element
Geometry that represents material that is not to be machined in an operation. It often represents a clamp that holds the part to machine in place.
Contour-driven machining
Conventional milling Cut depth
This type of machining uses a contour as guide. There are three types of contour driven machining: parallel contours where the tool sweeps out an area by following progressively distant (or closer) parallel offsets of a given guide contour. between contours where the tool sweeps between two guide contours along a tool path that is obtained by interpolating between the guide contours. The ends of each pass lie on two stop contours. spine contour where the tool sweeps across a contour in perpendicular planes. A cutting mode where the back of the tool (advancing in the machining direction) cuts into the material first. See Climb milling. The maximum depth of the cut effected by the tool at each pass.
F
Feedrate Frontal wall The speed of linear advancement of the tool into the material while cutting. An area of the part surface that forms an inclined wall that the advancing tool will climb or descend.
G
Guide contour A contour used to guide the tool during an operation. See Contour-driven machining.
I
Imposed plane Inner point A plane that the tool must pass through. This option is useful for machining parts that have grooves or steps and when you want to make sure that these areas are cut. The point where the tool will start cutting in a roughing operation when the surface to machine has pockets.
L
Lateral wall Limit line Lower plane An area of the part surface that forms an inclined wall that the tool will advance along laterally instead of climbing or descending. A contour that is used to delimit the areas to machine in an operation. One of the two planes normal to the tool axis that confines the area to machine. The operation will only machine between this plane and the upper plane.
M
Machining area An area defined on a part either: during an operation as part of the machining geometry , or before an operation, the operation being assigned to a machining area afterwards. A machining area can be: the whole part (for example, in roughing), a subset of the faces on the part, a subset of faces on the part with a limiting contour.
P
Pencil operations A pencil operation is one where the tool remains tangent in two places to the surface to be machined during the cycle. It is often used to remove crests along the intersection of two surfaces that were left behind by a previous operation. A movement where the tool plunges deeper into the material, advancing along the (negative) tool axis. An area on a part surface that represents an internal depression (in Z) relative to the surrounding part surfaces. An internal depression is one that does not extend to the outside edge of the part. Process Product Resources.
Plunge Pocket
P.P.R.
R
Retract Rework area Reworking Roughing Rough stock The part of a tool path that begins where the tool stops cutting the material. An area that cannot be machined with a given tool. An operation which touches up zones that are left completely unmachined by previous operations. An operation where a part is rough-machined by horizontal planes. The block of raw material to be machined to produce a part.
S
Safety distance Scallop height Spindle speed Start point A horizontal clearance distance that the tool moves over at the feedrate in order to disengage the tool from cutting between passes. The maximum allowable height of the crests of material left uncut after machining. The speed of the spinning tool around its axis. The point where the tool will start cutting in a roughing operation where the surface to cut is accessed from the outside of the part.
Stepover distance Stop contours
Sweeping operations
Sweep roughing
The width of the overlap between two successive passes. The two contours connecting the ends of two guide contours in contour-driven machining (between contours option). The ends of each pass lie on the stop contours. Sweeping operations machine the whole part and are used for finishing and semi-finishing work. The tool paths are executed in vertical parallel planes. An operation where a part is rough-machined by vertical planes.
U
Upper plane One of the two planes normal to the tool axis that confines the area to machine. The operation will only machine between this plane and the lower plane.
Z
ZLevel machining An operation where the tool progressively follows the part surface at different constant Z values (heights).
Index
A
Along tool axis Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Spiral milling Sweeping parameters Approach distance Roughing parameters ZLevel parameters Approach modes Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Area to avoid Contour-driven parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters
Area-oriented machining Getting started Area-oriented machining methodology Assigning an operation Defining machining areas Automatic rough stock Automatic surface selection Spiral milling Avoiding Tool holder collisions Axial direction Pencil operation parameters Axial safety distance Roughing parameters
B
Between contour parameters Along tool axis Constant on part stepover Constant stepover Four open contours Guide contour Machining tolerance Max. horizontal slope Maximum on part stepover Min. frontal slope Min. lateral slope One closed contour
Other axis Pencil rework Reverse tool path Scallop height stepover Tool path style Zone Between contours Contour-driven parameters Body Defining machining areas Bottom plane Spiral milling By chaining continuous edges Selecting edges By color Selecting faces
C
Changing approach and retract types Tool path editor Changing selection defaults Tool path editor Check element Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters
Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Checking for Collisions Closing a contour with a line Selecting edges Collisions Checking for Color Offset area parameters Connecting an open tool path Tool path editor Constant on part stepover Between contour parameters Constant stepover Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Contour-driven operations Contour-driven parameters Approach modes Area to avoid Between contours Check element Discretization angle Feedrate length Geometric components Guide contour
High speed milling Island skip Island skip length Limiting contour Linking Lower plane Offset Offset groups Offset on check Offset on part Optimize retract Part autolimit Retract modes Safety distance Safety plane Stop contours Stop mode Stop position Transition radius Upper plane Corner radius Spiral milling Cutting mode Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling ZLevel parameters
D
Defining Machining areas Offset areas Offset groups Rework areas Defining continuity constraints Selecting edges Defining machining areas Assigning an operation Body Load from Deleting approaches Tool path editor Deleting linking passes Tool path editor Deleting passes between paths Tool path editor Deleting retracts Tool path editor Direction Parallel contour parameters Discretization angle Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters
E
Editing a point Tool path editor Editing an area Tool path editor End plane Sweeping parameters End point Spiral milling
F
Feedrate length Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters Filter Rework areas Finishing and semi-finishing operations Four open contours Between contour parameters
G
Geometric components Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters
Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Getting started Area-oriented machining Operation-oriented machining Guide contour Between contour parameters Contour-driven parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters
H
High speed milling Contour-driven parameters Spiral milling Sweeping parameters
I
Importing NC Code files STL files Importing files Importing NC code files Imposed plane Roughing parameters ZLevel parameters Initial tool position
Parallel contour parameters Inserting a line between two points Selecting edges Inside a polygon Selecting faces Island skip Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters Island skip length Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters
L
Limit line Rework area parameters Limiting contour Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Linking Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters Linking pass ZLevel parameters Load from Defining machining areas Rework areas Lower plane
Contour-driven parameters Roughing parameters Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters
M
Machining areas Defining Machining direction Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters Machining features Machining mode Roughing parameters ZLevel parameters Machining tolerance Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spine contour parameters Spiral milling Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Manual surface selection Spiral milling Max. horizontal slope
Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Maximum angle Spiral milling Maximum cut depth Roughing parameters Sweep roughing parameters Maximum distance Spiral milling Sweeping parameters Maximum on part stepover Between contour parameters Maximum width to machine Parallel contour parameters Min. area Roughing parameters Min. frontal slope Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters Min. lateral slope Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters Minimum change length
Pencil operation parameters Minimum distance Sweeping parameters Mirror translation of the tool path Tool path editor Moving a point Tool path editor Moving an area Tool path editor
N
NC Code files Importing Normal to an axis Selecting faces
O
Offset Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Offset area parameters Color
Thickness Offset areas Defining Offset group parameters Thickness Offset groups Contour-driven parameters Defining Pencil operation parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Offset on check Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Offset on contour Parallel contour parameters Spiral milling Offset on part Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters
ZLevel parameters Offset side Parallel contour parameters One closed contour Between contour parameters Operation-oriented machining Getting started Operation-oriented machining methodology Optimize retract Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Roughing parameters ZLevel parameters Optimize retracts Sweeping parameters Other axis Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Spiral milling Sweeping parameters Overlap Rework areas Overshoot Roughing parameters
P
Packing and unpacking a tool path Tool path editor
Parallel contour parameters Along tool axis Constant stepover Direction Guide contour Initial tool position Machining tolerance Max. horizontal slope Maximum width to machine Min. frontal slope Min. lateral slope Offset on contour Offset side Other axis Pencil rework Reverse tool path Scallop height stepover Tool path style Zone Parallel contours Parallel to a face Selecting faces Parameters Tool holder collisions Part autolimit Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Spiral milling
Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Part contouring Roughing parameters Part offset Rework areas Pass overlap ZLevel parameters Pass overlap (length) Roughing parameters Pass overlap (ratio) Roughing parameters Pencil operation parameters Approach modes Axial direction Check element Cutting mode Geometric components Limiting contour Machining tolerance Minimum change length Offset Offset groups Offset on check Offset on part Optimize retract Part autolimit Retract modes
Reverse tool path Safety plane Stop mode Stop position Tool axis Pencil operations Pencil rework Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Perpendicular to a face Selecting faces Plunges Sweeping parameters Position Roughing parameters Previewing a contour Selecting faces Profile contouring operations
R
Radial safety distance Roughing parameters Radial strategy distance Sweep roughing parameters Reading STL files Reducing the size of a tool path Saving space Remove from area inside polygon Tool path editor
Remove from whole tool path Tool path editor Removing a point Tool path editor Resetting selection Selecting edges Selecting faces Retract modes Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Reverse tool path Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Pencil operation parameters Spine contour parameters Spiral milling ZLevel parameters Reversing a tool path Tool path editor Rework area parameters Limit line Tool Rework areas Defining Filter
Load from Overlap Part offset Tolerance Tool axis Reworking operations Rotating the tool path Tool path editor Rough machining operations Rough stock Roughing parameters Roughing operations Roughing parameters Approach distance Approach modes Area to avoid Axial safety distance Check element Cutting mode Geometric components Imposed plane Lower plane Machining mode Machining tolerance Maximum cut depth Min. area Offset Offset on check
Offset on part Optimize retract Overshoot Part contouring Pass overlap (length) Pass overlap (ratio) Position Radial safety distance Rough stock Safety plane Start point Tool axis Tool core diameter Tool path style Upper plane Roughing rework operations Roughing type Sweep roughing parameters
S
Safety distance Contour-driven parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Safety plane Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters
Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Saving space Reducing the size of a tool path Scallop height Sweeping parameters Scallop height stepover Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Selecting an area with a closed contour Tool path editor Selecting an area with a polyline Tool path editor Selecting an area with one point Tool path editor Selecting an area with two points Tool path editor Selecting edges By chaining continuous edges Closing a contour with a line Defining continuity constraints Inserting a line between two points Resetting selection Tangent to an edge
Selecting faces By color Inside a polygon Normal to an axis Parallel to a face Perpendicular to a face Previewing a contour Resetting selection Selection sets Tangent to a face Selection sets Selecting faces Spine contour Spine contour parameters Along tool axis Constant stepover Guide contour Machining tolerance Max. horizontal slope Min. frontal slope Min. lateral slope Other axis Reverse tool path Scallop height stepover Tool path style Zone Spiral milling Along tool axis
Approach modes Area to avoid Automatic surface selection Bottom plane Check element Corner radius Cutting mode End point Geometric components High speed milling Machining tolerance Manual surface selection Maximum angle Maximum distance Offset Offset on check Offset on contour Offset on part Other axis Part autolimit Retract modes Reverse tool path Safety plane Start point Stop mode Stop position Tool axis Tool path style
Top plane Start plane Sweeping parameters Start point Roughing parameters Spiral milling ZLevel parameters Stepover side Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters STL files Importing Stop contours Contour-driven parameters Stop mode Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Stop position Contour-driven parameters Pencil operation parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Swapping selection
Tool path editor Sweep roughing operations Sweep roughing parameters Approach modes Area to avoid Check element Geometric components Lower plane Machining direction Maximum cut depth Offset Offset on check Offset on part Part autolimit Radial strategy distance Retract modes Roughing type Safety plane Stepover side Stop mode Stop position Tool axis Tool path style Upper plane Sweeping operations Sweeping parameters Along tool axis Approach modes
Area to avoid Check element Constant stepover Discretization angle End plane Feedrate length Geometric components High speed milling Island skip Island skip length Limiting contour Linking Lower plane Machining direction Machining tolerance Max. horizontal slope Maximum distance Min. frontal slope Min. lateral slope Minimum distance Offset Offset groups Offset on check Offset on part Optimize retracts Other axis Part autolimit Plunges
Retract modes Safety distance Safety plane Scallop height Scallop height stepover Start plane Stepover side Stop mode Stop position Tool axis Tool path direction Tool path style Transition radius Upper plane Zone
T
Tangent to a face Selecting faces Tangent to an edge Selecting edges Thickness Offset area parameters Offset group parameters Tolerance Rework areas Tool Rework area parameters
Tool axis Pencil operation parameters Rework areas Roughing parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Tool core diameter Roughing parameters Tool holder collisions Avoiding Parameters Tool holder collisions Tool path direction Sweeping parameters Tool path editor Changing approach and retract types Changing selection defaults Connecting an open tool path Deleting approaches Deleting linking passes Deleting passes between paths Deleting retracts Editing a point Editing an area Mirror translation of the tool path Moving a point Moving an area
Packing and unpacking a tool path Remove from area inside polygon Remove from whole tool path Removing a point Reversing a tool path Rotating the tool path Selecting an area with a closed contour Selecting an area with a polyline Selecting an area with one point Selecting an area with two points Swapping selection Transformations Translating an area along an axis Translating the tool path Tool path style Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Roughing parameters Spine contour parameters Spiral milling Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters Top plane Spiral milling Transformations Tool path editor Transition radius Contour-driven parameters
Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters Translating an area along an axis Tool path editor Translating the tool path Tool path editor
U
Upper plane Contour-driven parameters Roughing parameters Sweep roughing parameters Sweeping parameters ZLevel parameters
W
What's new?
Z
ZLevel operations ZLevel parameters Approach distance Approach modes Area to avoid Check element
Constant stepover Cutting mode Discretization angle Geometric components Imposed plane Limiting contour Linking pass Lower plane Machining mode Machining tolerance Max. horizontal slope Offset Offset groups Offset on check Offset on part Optimize retract Part autolimit Pass overlap Retract modes Reverse tool path Safety distance Safety plane Scallop height stepover Start point Stop mode Stop position Tool axis Transition radius
Upper plane Zone Between contour parameters Parallel contour parameters Spine contour parameters Sweeping parameters

3 Axis Machining

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3 Axis Machining

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3 Axis Surface Machining

Where to Find More Information

Tool Path Editor

Entering the Workbench

Rough Machining the Part

ZLevel Machining of the Outside of a Part

Select the ZLevel machining icon

Go to the machining strategy tab ( mode.

) and choose Outer part for the Machining

ZLevel Machining of the Inside Walls of a Part

Go to the machining strategy tab ( mode.

) and choose Pockets only for the Machining

Select the Sweeping icon

Checking the Results

1. Select Manufacturing Program.1.

Creating a Rework Area

Click the Rework Area icon

5. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Double click the tool diameter.

Generating an NC Output File

Click Save to create the APT file.

Generating NC Shopfloor Documentation

Entering the Workbench

Defining the Areas to Machine

Choose Body(ies) in the contextual menu.

Defining the Tools to Use

Enter a value of 20 in the dialog box that is displayed.

Click OK Change the tool name to T2 End Mill D 20.

Sweep Roughing the Part

Click the Sweep roughing icon Go to the geometry tab

. and click on Part autolimit.

. Go to the tool tab and choose tool T2 End Mill D20.

Sweeping the Top Surface

Go to the tool tab and choose tool T1 End Mill D 10.

Sweeping the Side Areas

Go to the tool tab and change the tool like this:

Change the tool axis like this:

10. 11. 12.

ZLevel on the Vertical Walls

Click the ZLevel icon

Define the tool axis with these settings:

Reworking Between Contours

Click the Contour-driven operation icon

Go to the Stepover tab and choose Constant on part.

Generating an NC Output File

Generating NC Workshop Documentation

Rough Machining Operations

the feedrates and spindle speeds the macros .

Sweep Roughing - Geometric Components

Sweep Roughing - Machining Strategy

Sweep Roughing - Macro Data

;only end mill tools , .

speeds and rates macro data

Roughing - Geometric Components

Roughing - Machining Strategy

Roughing - Macro Data

Automatic Rough Stock

Finishing and Semi-finishing Operations

; you have the choice of end mill

Sweeping - Geometric Components

Sweeping - Machining Strategy

Sweeping - Macro Data

With Island skip turned on: