topic Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control? in PowerMill Forum

Swarf toolpath and z height control?

johnc4668 — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:48:36 GMT

Fellas, I love the swarf toolpath but how do i go about controling the z limit with a tip radiused tool? Seems like if you grab a surface, tool radius goes beneath surface. How can i override this and control the z height if i need to? I tried using the block and z limits but with no luck.

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

TK.421 — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 20:04:27 GMT

can't you throw a negative or positive number in there to control how far down or high up the cutter rides?

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

Jonathan_Artiss19 — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 20:08:08 GMT

@johnc4668

Add your tip rad into the Position > Lower Limit

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

johnc4668 — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 20:08:33 GMT

@TK.421 Yes i can do that too. I just wish there was an option to control the z height to anything i type in relevant to the workplane z zero

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

mark.sully — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 22:17:25 GMT

On the Position page change "Base Position" to Workplane, select the workplane you want to use and then the number in the "Offset" box is relative to the Z0 of that workplane.

Hope that helps.

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

johnc4668 — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 13:25:15 GMT

@mark.sully I like that solution too, it still adds the cutter radius to the inputed z dimension though. Just testing different toolpaths right now to see what toolpaths faster to get it what i want it to do.

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

mark.sully — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 14:27:39 GMT

Yep, swarf always works to the contact point of the tool so to the top of the corner radius.

One way of doing of what you want (if I understand correctly) with swarf is to create a Plane at the lower edge of the surfaces you are using for the swarf toolpath.

The easiest way of creating a Plane is to right-click Models > Create Plane > From Block and set the Z position of the Plane to where you want to stop the tool (bottom of the surfaces minus tool corner radius), this will be relative to the active workplane (and you can always move it later if necessary).

In the swarf toolpath turn Gouge Check ON and on the Gouge Avoidance page set the Strategy to Trace.

Other toolpath types (2D Curve Profile, Profile Finishing for example) might also be able to do what you want too.

Hope that helps.

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

johnc4668 — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 19:37:45 GMT

@TK.421 this is the best solution ive found to automate things. Thank you!

Re: Swarf toolpath and z height control?

TK.421 — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 19:40:44 GMT

always happy to throw my two cents in