Constant Z setup-UP finish tool path

[Anonymous]

Is there any way to program 3D finish toolpaths to start at the bottom and work up rather than step down? This was an option in Mastercam that I used almost exclusively. 

[iamcdn79 · Accepted solution]

If you click on the 'reorder toolpath' icon then click on the 'reverse order' it will start at the end 

[iamcdn79]

Or you could add this to a macro

EDIT TOOLPATH REVERSE_ORDER

 if you use it a lot without having to pull up the 'reorder toolpath' page everytime

[Anonymous]

You're awesome

[DanMcDan]

I use this all the time. typically I would program using Conventional milling, then reverse and the re-order the toolpath to get a spiral climb milling toolpath going UP the component.

[Anonymous]

another slightly more complicated use for reorder is surface machining with 3Doffset finishing referencing a Pattern. I like to drive my finishes to a pattern made off a corner pencil finish so that I don't end up rolling into a female corner. 3D offsets always start near the pattern, though. I take the first half on one side of the pattern and move to the top and reverse order and direction. That makes a seamless flow of toolpath across a mold surface that is referencing the geometry itself to make the pattern.

[Jaanyaar]

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@Anonymous wrote:

another slightly more complicated use for reorder is surface machining with 3Doffset finishing referencing a Pattern. I like to drive my finishes to a pattern made off a corner pencil finish so that I don't end up rolling into a female corner. 3D offsets always start near the pattern, though. I take the first half on one side of the pattern and move to the top and reverse order and direction. That makes a seamless flow of toolpath across a mold surface that is referencing the geometry itself to make the pattern.

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Please may you attach an image of that situation? This way I can get you completely. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Did a quick screencast on using a corner finish pattern to generate a full 3D offset finish including reorder and edit start points. Enjoy!

[precicam]

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@DanMcDan wrote:

I use this all the time. typically I would program using Conventional milling, then reverse and the re-order the toolpath to get a spiral climb milling toolpath going UP the component.

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I'm intrigued to know the benefit of this. If I understand correctly, during the first pass (starting at bottom of, lets say a hole) the entire flute would be in contact with the job, and then the cutter starts going up. Wouldn't all the subsequent cuts that go up, be redundant? 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@DanMcDan wrote:

I use this all the time. typically I would program using Conventional milling, then reverse and the re-order the toolpath to get a spiral climb milling toolpath going UP the component.

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I'm intrigued to know the benefit of this. If I understand correctly, during the first pass (starting at bottom of, lets say a hole) the entire flute would be in contact with the job, and then the cutter starts going up. Wouldn't all the subsequent cuts that go up, be redundant? 

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Only if you were machining a vertical wall.

Assuming the finish pass is cutting a 3D surface, the vertical flutes of the tool remove material with each step over. I have found this very helpful when machining harder materials without spending a lot of time roughing first. Removing a little material with the side of the cutter has very little (if any) impact on the final surface finish or cut time.

[cory_marty]

The "reverse direction" edit is exactly the result that I think many of us are looking for.  But you still have to do it maunally...  It would be very nice to see in the next release of Powermill that this is just a drop down option in the constant z menu "top to bottom" or "Bottom to top"  I find this is much more efficient of a tool path for step up roughing then if I would use step up in the vortex roughing toolpath.