Lead moves are small movements added to the beginning and end of a cycle. These are to ensure that the tool does not start or finish the cycle in contact with the material, and to provide for the application or removal of cutter radius compensation.
All leads are checked against the part to ensure they do not gouge – if the lead move cannot be fitted the start point of the cycle will be automatically adjusted. If a lead move still cannot be fitted it will be removed, and an error message displayed.
The profiling cycle utilizes the standard leads and links as used by all 3D surface finishing cycles. The following sections provide more details in the context of the Profiling cycle.
Leads applied to the Profiling cycle
The three examples show the effects of the different lead parameters,
any combination of these lead moves is permissible (note that when 3D curve profiling the profile is effectively
flattened down onto a flat XY plane for processing the leads).
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Angle & Radius The angle specifies the amount of arc lead. |
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Angle, Radius & Length The length value is applied tangentially to the arc.
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Angle & Radius, Length & Perpendicular Perpendicular generates an additional right angled linear lead. If compensation is set to centerline or controller the perpendicular move is generated automatically. |
Links applied to the Profiling cycle
Link moves are moves joining a lead-out to a lead-in.
There are long links and short links. Long links are made at rapid or high feed rate and short links are always at feed. The distance to determine a short link can be specified in the cycle link parameters. If the distance from the last lead out move to the next lead in move is equal or less than the short link distance a short link will be applied.
Long links
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When the long links are set to Clearance, the tool retracts to the clearance plane between each pass. |
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When the long links are set to optimized the tool retracts to the last depth of cut and moves to the start of the next lead in move at high feedrate.
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Short Links
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A Step link feeds across in XY to the next lead in position and then feeds down in Z to the next depth of cut. |
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A Straight link feeds directly from the lead out position to the next lead in position.
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A Smooth link generates a smooth transition from the lead out position to the next lead in move.
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