Tutorial 2 – Parâmetros de Desbaste – Cimatron NC

TUTORIAL 2 Parâmetros Cimatron NC

Desbaste (“Volume Milling”)

2.1) Modo de entrada da ferramenta (“Entry Mode”)

Drilling

In this exercise we'll examine the mode of entry to the start point of the toolpath.

Open the Entry Mode.elt file. Peça: Entry Mode.elt

Desbaste com 8 camadas (“Layers”);

Cada layer com movimento de dentro para fora.
Entradas a 90° (Ramp angle = 90°) <- Drilling

Toolpath UCS: MODEL

Clearance Plane: 220 mm
Stock type: Bounding Box

Use Navigator to explore the procedure.

The part includes a Rough procedure.

The part is an open cavity, meaning that the tool must not plunge in order to machine it.

The part is machined in 8 layers, from inside-out.

Using a different machining strategy, such as outside-in or stock spiral, the results of this
tutorial will differ.

Edit the Rough Spiral procedure and observe that the Entry Mode is set to Drilling i.e.
Plunge Only (a ramp angle of 90 degrees).

Using this option, the entry movements are performed using drilling (plunging) motions.

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No Plunging

Change the Entry Mode option to No Plunging.

Save and calculate the procedure.

Using this option, the tool is not allowed to perform any downward motion while entering the
material i.e. the correct Z level must be found in the air.

In the example the Entry/Exit - Beyond Boundary Limits parameter was left unchecked.
For this reason, no Toolpath was created, as the tool could not enter within the boundary
without plunging (and this option was turned off).

We'll now allow the tool to enter beyond the boundary limits.

Check the Entry/Exit - Beyond Boundary Limits parameter and Save and calculate the
procedure.

In the image you can see that the tool plunges outside the material, and then makes a
slotting motion towards the pocket start point.

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In the lower layers, the correct Z level cannot be found in the air (due to the step) and hence
the area cannot be machined.

Now change the entry mode back to drilling. Note that although the tool may plunge
outside the material, it plunges through it. This plunging is requested by the drilling option.

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By Length

Change the Entry Mode to By Length and set the Max Entry Length parameter to 300.

Save and calculate the procedure.

In the first and last layers, when the pocket start point is far from the open air, the tool
plunges into the material.

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In the middle layers, when the pocket start point is closer to the open air, the tool plunges in
the air, and then makes a slotting motion to the start point.

In the last two layers, when there is no option to plunge in the air, the tool plunges in the
material again.

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Change the Max Entry Length parameter to 150.

The tool plunges in more of the layers. This is because in these layers, the distance between
the start point (at the open end of the pocket) and the outer air is larger than 150.

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Optimized Entry Mode

Change the Entry Mode to Optimized and set the Ramp Angle to 20.

Save and calculate the procedure.

In this mode Cimatron compares the machining length between the two entry options:

1) Plunging in the material (calculated according to the ramping motion).

2) Plunging in the air and making a slotting pass.

In this example, the Ramp Angle is 20 degrees and therefore Cimatron uses the Plunge
option.

Change the Ramp Angle to 10.

The ramping motion becomes longer and the system prefers to plunge in the air and then
make slotting passes.

Open the procedure, select the Boundary parameter in the Geometry tab and
remove the boundary.

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Save and calculate the procedure.

The tool plunges outside the material, and then makes a slotting motion towards the pocket
start point. The lower layers are machined using a plunging motion, due to the step.

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The lower layer does not use a helical plunge as there is not enough room for the cutter to
use this method. Instead a slotting plunge method is used.

Retract Near Walls

Rerun the procedure. Change the Entry Mode to By Length and re-select the boundary.

Select the Navigator. Place the tool at the end of the 6th layer.

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Note that in the Rough procedures, in order to avoid marks on the part and damage to the
cutter, the tool retracts in a tangential arc of 45 degrees and diameter = min {side step/2,
1mm}. While moving from the wall, the tool also moves in the Z Up direction to avoid making
marks on the floor (especially in the "hit horizontal" layers).

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Vertical Step
2.2) Z-Top

In this exercise, we'll discuss how to limit the Z-Top and Z-Bottom values for Rough
Machining.
Peça: Vertical Step.elt
Open the Vertical Step.elt file.

Change the Stock Type to Box, and change the Second Corner Z value to 140.

Open the Rough procedure and under the Tool Trajectory menu, notice that there is no
limit for the Z Top and Z Bottom of the toolpath.

Save and calculate the procedure.

Select the Global Filter, and hide the Air Motions and Approach & Retract options.

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Rerun the procedure and check the Z-Limits option. Accept the Z-Top value: 100
(maxpz).

A full list of NC variable names can be found by clicking the link below:

Save and calculate the procedure.

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The highest Z level for milling remaining stock has been set. In our case the first machining
layer is a Fixed Vertical Step down from the Z-Top height set.

Edit the procedure and change the Z-Top value to 66. Save and calculate the procedure.

Using the set Z-Top value the cutter would break due to the remaining stock above the
value.

Edit the procedure and check the Check Stock Above Z-TOP parameter.

Save and calculate the procedure.

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The part has not been machined as stock is detected above the Z-Top value.

Z-Bottom

Rerun the stock and change it back to Bounding Box type.

Check the Limit Z parameter and select Bottom Only. Enter Z-Bottom value = 0.

The lowest Z level for milling remaining stock has been set.

Save and calculate the procedure.

Rerun the procedure. Set the Z Bottom to 10, and the Fixed Vertical (down step) to 15.

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Save and calculate the procedure.

The machining should reach the Z = 10 i.e. the remaining stock of the part. However, due to
a Part Surface Offset of 0.5, machining does not start here due to a gouge detection and hence
starts 15 mm higher i.e. the Fixed Vertical Step.

Edit the procedure and change the Z-Bottom value to 12.

Save and calculate the procedure.

The surface is now machined as the Z-Bottom value is above the remaining stock and offset
value set.

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Fixed and Horizontal Planes

In this step we'll use the Fixed option together with additional parameters which provide greater
control when selecting the Z layers that this procedure machines.

Open the Down step control.elt file. Peça: Down step control.elt

View the layers created in front view.

This procedure was calculated with a 8mm Fixed down step.

The layers displayed in the picture above are called Major layers.

Rerun the procedure.

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Change the Vertical Step Type to Fixed and Horizontal Planes, and execute it.

View the results (front view).

It is also possible to duplicate the toolpath, and to edit the procedure in the duplicated
toolpath. Toggle the display to better view the difference.

Note that there are new layers that were added above the horizontal planes within the offset
specified in the procedure.

Enter the Navigator. Change the Motion Filter Display option from None to By Layer.
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Hide the Main Layers and Between Layers.

The additional Hit Horizontal Planes layers are shown in the picture below:

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Simulate the procedure by layer.

Note that all lamps of the Motions Filter display are automatically shown. This rule was set
to avoid conflicts in the displayed toolpath.

Notice that the layers that hit the horizontal planes are added locally only on the areas above
the horizontal planes.

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,...... ...
z

Navigator

Movie

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 Tutorial 2 – Parâmetros de Desbaste – Cimatron NC

Rerun the procedure, and check the option: Skip Planes Close to Fixed Layer.

Set the Z Margin to 4.0.

Note that some layers no longer exist in the procedure. The Skip Planes Close to Fixed
Layer option enables you to skip the machining of planes that are within a specified Z distance
(less than 4 mm in our case) below a fixed layer (too close to the major layer).

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Rough Between Layers

Machine Between Layers inserts intermediate layers between each two consecutive rough
layers. This enables the function to extend its capability and also cover cases where you want to
mill thin walls in such a way that they won't break. These parameters are also applicable for
thin ribs, electrodes, or micro milling.

The Machine Between Layers option enables you to define the level of control over its use and
the display of the parameters in the branch. The following branch options are available: No,
Basic, and Advanced - No is the default option.

Machine Between Layers - Basic

Open the Rough between layers.elt file. Peça: Rough between layers.elt

Simulate the first toolpath. Use the Standard option.

The result displayed below is of a procedure without the Between Layer option.

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Duplicate the toolpath. Edit the procedure in the duplicated toolpath.

Change the Machine Between Layers to Basic. Save and calculate.

The result is much closer to the final geometry due to the Between Layers motions that were
added.

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Machine Between Layers - Advanced

Edit the procedure in the duplicated toolpath.

Change the Machine Between Layers to Advanced, and the Vertical Step Type to Fixed.

Save and calculate.

Notice that the Between Layers motions downstep differs between every 2 major layers
(measure). Major layers are calculated as Fixed and Horizontal Planes.

The machining sequence is Bottom-Up as set.

The Between Layers motions are created after each major layer (in case there is a need for
any).

Edit the procedure. Change the Vertical Step Type to Variable. Change the Maximum
Vertical Step to 4, and the Minimum Vertical Step to 1.5.

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When using the Variable mode for the Vertical Step Type, the additional parameters are
Maximum Vertical Step, Minimum Vertical Step, and Maximum 2D Distance.

Save and calculate. View the results (front view).

Notice that the depths of the Between Layers varies according to the Maximum 2D Distance and
the limits of the minimum and maximum vertical steps.

Edit the procedure again. Change the Between Layers Strategy to Finish. Change the
Maximum Vertical Step to 2, and the Minimum Vertical Step to 0.5.

Change Layer Order to Top Down.

Enter the Navigator - By Layer. Notice that the Between Layers motions down step differs
between 2 to 0.5 (measure).

Only finish motions are created.

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Optimized Strategy

Set the milling strategy for Volume Milling / Rough Spiral.

If the User Defined strategy is selected, there is an option to set a limit for the number of
stock spiral lanes allowed. This means that the user controls when to use stock spiral pocket
strategy, and when to use spiral pocket strategy.

The Stock Spiral and Climb options are very useful for reducing air jumps when
machining.

Open the RoughReRoughOptimizeStrategy-TUT.elt file.

Use the Navigator to examine the toolpath. Peça: RoughReRoughOptimizeStrategy-TUT.elt

Use the Navigator - By Layer option. Note that using the Optimized strategy and Climb
milling direction results in Stock Spiral motions in all layers and many air motions at the
beginning of each pass.

Limit Passes of Stock Spiral

One way to reduce the air motion is by limiting the stock spiral motion only to layers with fewer
than a specific numbers of lanes. If the number of lanes is greater than this value, a spiral
pocket strategy (inside-out or outside-in) will be used.

Rerun the procedure. Check the Strategy: Outside In option, and then check the Limit
Passes of Stock Spiral option. Change the number of passes to 10.

If the number of passes is more than 10, a spiral pocket will be used. If the number of passes is
less than 10, a stock spiral will be used.

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Save and calculate.

Note that because this lane contains more than 10 passes, a spiral pocket is used.

Rerun the procedure, and change the Z-Bottom to -80.

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Save and calculate.

Use the Navigator to view the last layer.

Note that because there are less than 10 passes in this layer, the stock spiral strategy is used.

Mixed and Climb Final Pass

This option enables users to reduce air motion (mixed mode in most of the passes), but still to
maintain the climb (conventional) cutting condition in the final pass (or pre-final pass).

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Notice the number of approach and retract motions in the climb milling. Rerun the
procedure. Change the Climb mode to Mixed + Climb Final Passes.

Save and calculate.

Use the Navigator. Jump to the last layer. Notice that the tool is moving in Climb mode in
the final two passes.

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