Holder tab (milling)

The Holder tab of the Tool dialog defines the holder portion of the tool. Toolpaths avoid contact with the Tool Holder.

To display a Tool dialog:

• Click Home tab > Tool panel > Create Tool; or
• From the Tools context menu, select Create Tool.

PowerMill enables fast and easy construction of accurate and complex tool assemblies by importing a pattern or using the curve editor.

• You can import a tool profile with any shape and in any file format.
• You can create tool profiles using the curve editor.
• You can create tool profiles from arcs, curves, lines, or other .dgk curves.
• You can create tool profiles from patterns.
• The resulting curve does not have to be one single composite curve.
• As long as the geometry contains a valid profile, PowerMill imports the components.
• Tool profiles containing negative Y moves are imported, but the negative moves are ignored.
• Gaps between curves in the tool profile must be less that 10-5 mm.
Note: The tool profile is a polygonised approximation of the input profile.

The cutting portion of the tool is yellow, the non-cutting portion green, and the tool holder pink.

You can add in as many components to a tool holder as you require.

First portion and editable portion of the tool holder

Second portion of the tool holder

Third portion of the tool holder

Upper diameter

Lower diameter

Length

Overhang

Gauge length

Holder Name — Enter the name of the holder. Naming the tool with an easily identifiable name is useful when saving the holder to the Tool database.

Components — The pane displays the holder you are currently creating.

Selected pattern — Select a pattern from the list. If no pattern is displayed, or is selected, then no pattern is selected. The list contains a list of all available patterns.

Select picked pattern — Click to select a pattern by picking in the graphics window, rather than by name in the Select pattern list.

Clicking displays the Pick Entity tab. Select a pattern in the graphics window to close the Pick Entity tab and display the pattern in the Selected Pattern field.

Create holder from pattern — Click to create the holder from the selected pattern.

Add Holder Component — Click to add a component to the holder. You can specify the component's dimensions by entering values in the Dimensions parameter fields.

Remove Holder Component — Click to delete the currently selected component from the holder. You can change the component you want to remove by selecting a new component in the Components area.

Clear Tool Holder — Click to delete all components in the tool holder.

Search for holder — Click to display the Tool Database Holder Search dialog. The dialog lets you search for a holder in the tool database which you can then apply to the tool assembly you are creating.

Load Tool Holder — Click to load an existing holder that is not stored in the Tool Database. After loading the holder you can still add components to the holder.

Save Tool Holder — Click to save the holder. The tool tip and the shank are not saved.

Dimensions — Enter values to specify the dimensions of the selected component. To specify the dimensions of another component, select the component in the Components area.

Ignore — Select so PowerMill ignores the selected component when calculating the maximum holder profile. Ignored components are grey. See the Holder profile tab for information on calculating the maximum holder profile.

Overhang — Enter a value to specify how far the cutter protrudes from the tool holder. You can have a negative Overhang, so the cutting part of the tool is above some of the holder elements. This is useful when using a grinding wheel where the locking plates and lock nuts are below the cutting part of the tool.

Overhang — Click to calculate automatically the minimum overhang value based on the holder profile.

In this case, with an Overhang of 65 the tool holder collides with the model:

Clicking calculates the smallest overhang to avoid collisions:

When collision checking, PowerMill displays the recommended overhang length as a comment.

The overhang parameter can also be used when simulating the machine tool to define the length of tool protruding from the gauge face of the machine if there is no holder defined. If there is a holder, the top of the holder is joined to the gauge face and overhang has its usual meaning. See Example of Gauge Distance Offset for more information.

Note: When high speed machining, you should keep the overhang as short as possible to minimise vibration and increase tool life.

Gauge Length — Displays the gauge length. The value is the total length of the tool assembly that protrudes from the spindle when mounted in the machine tool. The Overhang value and the Gauge Length value are directly related.

Connection — Select a connection type from the list. Add and remove connection types in the Database Manager dialog.

Tool Assembly — This area displays the defined parts of the tool assembly as well as the holder profile.

tool

shank

holder

holder profile

— Select a value from the list to zoom in or out of the tool assembly. You can then use the mouse to pan the image.

— Use the slide bar to zoom in or out of the tool assembly. You can then use the mouse to pan the image.

Tool Assembly Preview — Click to display the Tool Assembly Preview dialog. The dialog is useful for looking in detail at large tool assemblies that are too large to be seen effectively in the Tool Assembly pane.

Load Tool Assembly — Click to display the Import Tool Assembly dialog. The dialog enables you to load a tool, shank and holder profile that has been created in PowerShape or an alternative CAD program. A tool assembly must have the tool defined in yellow, the shank in green and the holder in pink.

Note: This button is only available on the Form tool and the Routing tool dialogs.

Copy Tool — Click to create a new tool entity based on the current tool. It has the same name as the previous tool with the addition of _1. You can then change any parameters you want without changing the original tool, but you need to bear in mind that, where the original tool is used in an active toolpath, the new tool assembly replaces the original tool assembly. Use this to create a shank and/or holder for an existing tool definition and is useful when collision checking.

Clear Tool Assembly — Click to delete all items in the tool assembly. This is displayed in the Explorer to tell you that the tool is not valid.

Add Tool to Tool Database — Click to display the Tool Database Export dialog. Adding a tool to the Tool Database is useful if you want to reuse the tool in the future.