Working with PowerMill Additive

When you install PowerMill Additive the plugin adds a new tab to the PowerMill ribbon. The ribbon is organised into sections:

• Create Toolpaths contains a collection of methods to create additive toolpaths. These range from dedicated strategies and the commands to create their drive curves, to manually converting a subtractive toolpath.
• Editing contains options to edit the layering of calculated toolpaths and modify their process parameters.
• Visualisation contains tools to view toolpaths by layer and an additive ViewMill animation of material build-up.
• Export contains the option to export your toolpaths to Autodesk® Simulation Utility for Netfabb.

There are three types of additive toolpath strategies, each optimized for increasingly complex geometry:

• Use Netfabb strategies to deposit 2.5D components on planar base surfaces.
• Use Surface Coating to coat an existing shape with new material, providing it with a protective layer. Surface Coating works with: planar, cylindrical, surface of revolution, or arbitrary base surfaces.
• Use Feature Construction to build complete features on a base surface, for example a blade on a cylindrical hub. Feature Construction works with: planar, cylindrical, surface of revolution, or arbitrary base surfaces.

Each strategy supports process parameters. These enable you to finely control physical actions in the deposition process along the toolpath, for example: wire-feed speed, powder-flowrate, or power.

This workflow leads you through the steps to create an additive toolpath in PowerMill:

1. Prepare your models
   1. Create workplanes with maximum Line of Sight.
   2. Organise your surfaces into Levels and Sets.
2. Choose a strategy.
3. Specify a base surface.
4. Specify the:
   • Region to deposit for Surface Coating strategies.
   • Feature surfaces to deposit for Feature Construction strategies.
5. Specify the style of deposition.
6. Specify the layering information.
7. Set the process parameters.
8. Calculate the toolpath.

Note: This document assumes that you have basic PowerMill knowledge including the use of Levels and Sets, installing plugins, and creating Patterns with the Curve Editor.