The Contour operation cuts along the contour of a boundary. You can cut on the left side of the contour, the right side, or on top of the contour. You can remove the material between the edge of the material and a contour.

You can do the rough and finish operations separately or in one operation.

The Contour operation supports the rotary-table index moves by using CView machining. Indicate the correct CView and set the Coord button to the VIEW option. The index move is generated before any tool motion.

After you click Contour on the NC > 2 Axis menu, the Select Chain menu appears. Use the Select Chain menu to do any of the following.

• Cut along the contour of the part. To cut along the contour, click Part.

• Create plunge points near a contour. To create a plunge point, click the Plunge command. A prompt tells you to select the plunge points and click the Done button.

• Cut the material between the material boundary and the part. Be sure to enter an acceptable value for Amount To Remove and not remove all the material. Set Amount To Remove (On Sides) to the maximum distance between the contour and the material boundary. Set the Tool Center on the Material tab to Before Material. If the Distance From Boundary parameter is larger than needed, the operation will not cut some material near the boundary . See Part / Material.

After you click OK to exit the Contour dialog, a prompt tells you to select the side of contour to cut.

Click the side of the contour to cut. SURFCAM creates the toolpath.

 

1. Create geometry of contour that marks the edge of your material. See the Create menu.

2. Measure the maximum distance between the contour to the edge of the material boundary.

3. Click Contour on the 2 Axis menu.

4. Click Material . A prompt tells you to select the start point of the material boundary. Chain the contour of the material boundary.

5. Click Part . A prompt tells you to select the start point of the part contour. Chain the contour of the part. Then click the Done .

6. SURFCAM displays the 2Axis Contour dialog box. Set the Amount To Remove (On Sides) parameter to the maximum distance between the contour and the material boundary. This parameter is on the Cut Control tab.

7. Make the correct selections for the Tool Center and Distance From Boundary parameters on the Material tab.
   
   The amount of material that is removed near the material boundary depends on these selections. You can enter an acceptable value for the Amount To Remove and not remove all the material. Set the Tool Center parameter on the Material tab to Before Material. If the Distance From Boundary parameter is larger than needed, the Contour operation will not cut some material near the boundary.

8. Click OK on the 2 Axis Contour dialog box.

9. A prompt tells you to select the side of the contour to cut. Click the area between the part contour and the material boundary.

10. SURFCAM then draws the toolpath.

Closed Contours

SURFCAM calculates the direction of the cut along the contour when you cut a closed contour. SURFCAM calculates the direction from the Cutting Method, spindle direction and the side of the contour that is selected. See Cutting Method The spindle direction can be a clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) direction.

Climb

The tool moves along the left side of the contour when the spindle moves in a CW direction. The tool moves around the contour in a CCW direction when the tool is in the inside of a closed contour. The tool moves around the contour in a CW direction when the tool is on the outside of a closed contour.

Conventional

The tool moves along the right side of the contour when the spindle moves in a CW direction. The tool moves around the contour in a CW direction when the tool is in the inside of a closed contour. The tool moves around the contour in a CCW direction when the tool is on the outside of a closed contour.

On

The tool moves around the contour in the direction that the contour was chained.

Open Contours

SURFCAM calculates the side of the contour to cut when you cut an open contour. SURFCAM calculates the side from the Cutting Method, the spindle direction and the direction the contour was chained.

Climb

The spindle normally turns in the CW direction. If the open contour is chained in a CW direction, the cut will be on the left side.

Conventional

If the open contour is chained in a CW direction, the tool cuts on the right side of the contour.

On

The tool is aligned on the contour. The tool moves around the contour in the direction that the contour was chained.

Multiple Contour cuts

Contour with more than one Z level cut

		on sides	in z
	Amount To Remove	0	.5
	Rough Spacing	.20	.5
	Finish Passes	0	0
	Finish Spacing	0	0
	Stock To Leave	0	0

 

Contour cut around islands

Contour cut around clamps

The Contour cut with the arc leadin moves for all passes

	Leadin Move Type	Arc On All
	Leadout Move Type	None
	Plunge Type	Plunge
		on sides	in z
	Amount To Remove	0	1
	Rough Spacing	0.20	.5
	Finish Passes	3	0
	Finish Spacing	0.06	0
	Stock To Leave	0	0

 

The Contour cut with the arc leadin moves on the finish pass only

	Leadin Move Type	Arc On Final
	Leadout Move Type	None
	Plunge Type	Plunge
		on sides	in z
	Amount To Remove	0	1
	Rough Spacing	0.20	0.5
	Finish Passes	3	0
	Finish Spacing	0.06	0
	Stock To Leave	0	0

 

Contour cut with the rough and finish passes

		on sides	in z
	Amount To Remove	0.357	0.5
	Rough Spacing	0.0625	0
	Finish Passes	3	0
	Finish Spacing	0.02	0
	Stock To Leave	0	0