: visi machining 3D

Constant Z / combined finishing Tool holder manufacturer collision checking For components with steep walls, cutting in Z slices provides a good surface finish. VISI provides many options within the constant Z strategy to produce the best performance from this toolpath. Where the angle of the walls change, VISI can automatically adapt the slice heights of each level for shallow areas. Wireframe geometry can also be used to control the slice height and angle limitations can be used to eliminate passes in shallow areas. A helical option allows one continuous toolpath to be created which eliminates witness lines on the part and improves surface finish. Additionally a combined constant Z toolpath is available for finishing steep and shallow areas in one toolpath. This strategy allows steep areas to be machined using a constant Z method and shallow areas to be machined using a 3D constant stepover method. This strategy operates as a one stop finishing toolpath. Checking the tool and the holder against the model provides a warning of a potential collision, together with relevant information about the tool length required to complete the job. By limiting the Z cutting envelope for the tool, it is possible to use several tools to machine a cavity, taking advantage of the rigidity of shorter tools to remove most of the material. Rest machining of fine details Small features on a model will usually require rest machining with a smaller tool to completely finish the detail. The rest machining command will reliably detect areas left by previous tools, so that they can be re-machined. For very fine details, this process can be repeated as many times as required to make it possible to successfully machine with very small cutters. The toolpath can work from the outside to the centre or from the centre to the outside of small blends. For features, which are very close together, the toolpath will morph and blend together around obstacles to provide a smooth and flowing toolpath without any sudden direction changes minimising the number of retract movements and helping to eliminate shock loading on the tool and keep feedrates as high as possible. Tapered tool support Where models have no draft, it is possible to use tapered tools to machine draft directly onto the model. Straight tooling will require modification of the model to add the correct draft angle before machining can start. Adding draft to imported geometry can often be a very difficult and time consuming task. 2D machining & feature recognition Toolmaking applications often contain features which require 2D machining. Due to the integrated nature of VISI, manufacturing of individual plates can be completed using feature recognition. Drilled hole features and apertures are automatically selected with the correct drilling cycles and 2D milling routines applied creating practical CNC code for the most complex plates. Leading curve & 3D curve machining The operator can control the cutting area by machining between two driving curves across a model. Parallel machining will morph between the curve geometry using the curve shape as a toolpath guide. Perpendicular machining will run normal to the guide curves giving a choice of cutting directions, allowing more control of the machining method. 3D curve machining forces the cutter to run along the 3D curve in open space (without model geometry) making the strategy ideal for scribe lines and engraving onto the surface of the model. Full gouge protection All 3D toolpaths are gouge checked against neighbouring surfaces to eliminate the possibility of a tool collision. In addition small smoothing radii are automatically added to internal corners. These movements stop the tool from dwelling in the internal corners, which can cause the tool to pull into the job creating an unexpected gouge, which would not be detected by toolpath verification.