Milling process output

These steps explain how PartMaker outputs an NC program for a milling process.

The first step is to output a Process Header Format as the following:

The Program Start Format is output if a given process is the first process in the Process Table, otherwise, if a tool used in a given process needs to be activated and brought into position to begin cutting, the Tool Change Format is output, otherwise the Process Start Format is output.

Milling Process Output Steps:

1. Process Header Format:

   • Program Start Format or

   • Tool Change Format or

   • Process Start Format

     Process Header Formats contain tool and spindle related information such as Tool Number, Spindle Speed, Work Offset.

2. Rapid Move Format (Tool moves to the Clearance plane)

   In PartMaker/Turn-Mill and PartMaker/SwissCAM this Rapid Move Format will be output for the following faces: Mill XY Plane, Mill ZY Plane, Mill End Index, Mill Diameter Index, Mill End Polar, Mill Cylinder. It will not be output for Mill ZX Plane, Mill Diam Polar, Mill Polygon.

3. Motion Formats:

   • Linear Move Formats and/or

   • Circular Move Formats and/or

   • Rapid Move Formats

     Motion Formats are used to output the toolpath information into NC Program File.

     Note: Motion Formats will be replaced by a Subprogram Call Format if subprograms are enabled in PartMaker/Mill.

4. Rapid Move Format (Tool moves to the Clearance plane)

   In PartMaker/Turn-Mill and PartMaker/SwissCAM this Rapid Move Format will be output for the following faces: Mill XY Plane, Mill ZY Plane, Mill End Index, Mill Diameter Index, Mill End Polar, Mill Cylinder. It will not be output for Mill ZX Plane, Mill Diam Polar, Mill Polygon.

5. Process End Format.