Defining Cutting Limits by stock profile boundaries (PartMaker)

PartMaker/SwissCAM, PartMaker/Turn-Mill, and PartMaker/Turn enable you to define non-rectangular cutting areas (for example, areas of unmachined stock) using stock profile boundaries. Trimming the toolpath to this cutting area reduces air-cutting, which, in turn, reduces machining time.

To use a stock profile to define the cutting limits for a Turning profile group and trim the toolpath to this area:

1. Click in the Face window toolbar to display the Profile Group Parameters dialog.
2. Specify settings for the toolpath. To use a stock profile to define cutting limits, you must:
   1. Select Turning from the Strategy drop-down list. Cutting limits are not available for other toolpath strategies.
   2. Select the Roughing check box in the Operations area of the dialog. Stock profiles are applicable only to roughing operations.
   3. Select Open from the Profile Shape drop-down list. Stock profiles must be open on one side.
   4. Select To Stock Profile from the Toolpath Trimming drop-down list to specify that you want PartMaker to use the stock profile to set the cutting limits for the toolpath. PartMaker also updates the Cutting Limits Defined By drop-down list to select Stock Profile Boundaries to reflect your selection.
3. Complete the remaining settings on the Profile Group Parameters dialog, then click Apply to create the profile group.
4. Click Close to close the dialog.
5. You can now create two profiles for the group: the part profile and the stock profile. By default, PartMaker uses the first profile you create as the part profile, and the second profile as the stock profile. For example:
   • Click to create a profile for the part profile, then click and define the profile on a contiguous piece of geometry:

     

   • Click to create profile for the stock profile, then click and define the profile on a contiguous piece of geometry:

     

   The stock profile must not intersect with the part profile.

   PartMaker displays both profiles in the profile group color and uses a:

   • thin line for the part profile (see )
   • thicker line for the stock profile (see )

     

   To change whether a profile represents a part profile or stock profile, double-click a profile line to display the Profile Properties dialog and change the profile type.

6. To verify the toolpath for the profile group, select the profile group in the Job Explorer and select Part Features > Verify Work Group Tool Path. PartMaker verifies the toolpath. The following example compares the toolpaths created when a stock profile defines the cutting limits and when a part profile defines the cutting limits:

Cutting limits defined by the part profile:

Cutting limits defined by the stock profile: