Multi-Axis (Turn/mill)

Select CNC-Info > Multi-Axis menu to display the Multi-Axis dialog.

FeatureCAM supports the following machine architecture:

• C turning spindle and B tilting head — Rotates about the turning spindle in C and then the milling head rotates about B.
  Note: The machine must have automatic correction of tool length offset, and have support for 3D coordinate transforms. This is because FeatureCAM outputs the toolpath in a coordinate system that has the same Z direction as the Setup, so the machine needs 3D coordinate transformation to transform the toolpath back into the machine's coordinate system. Also, because the tool length offset changes from the tilting of the tool, the machine needs automatic correction of tool length offset to correct that.

Machine dimensions for linearization:

• Offset of gauge face from second rotary axis — For turn/mill machines, this is the offset (X,Y,Z) from the B axis to the gauge face. The offset distances are determined with the tool axis aligned with the Z axis of the machine. The X and Y values are typically zero for a turn/mill machine. The Z offset is the distance from the B axis pivot to the spindle gauge face. This is given as a vector, so the value is negative.

Handling of kinematics for 5-axis simultaneous — Select from:

• By the CAM software using transformations
• By machine tool using RTCP (Rotational Tool Center Point)

Linearization settings for 5-axis simultaneous:

• Use linearization — If selected, each move is refined into smaller moves so that the angular movements do not result in an overcut.
• Linearization tolerance — Enter the tolerance linearization used to refine the moves.