Previous version
The tool fed along the edge to reposition.
Velocity II
The tool clears the part and rapids at High Feed Rate to the next position.
Velocity II includes several enhancements to TrueMill™, Surfware’s high-speed machining solution. TrueMill™ extends CNC capabilities by using continuous and steady tool engagement with deeper cuts and stepovers at higher feedrates. The fluid tool paths and steady engagement reduce tool wear and reduce cycle times.
TrueMill™ enhancements in Velocity II include faster tool repositioning, minimum radius control for tool engagement milling, and improvements to the part edge compensation capabilities.
Enhancements to TrueMill™ tool repositioning significantly reduces time between passes by creating an exit path for the tool. Previously, the tool would feed along the edge of the existing cut to the next position.
With Velocity II, TrueMill™ automatically repositions tools in an exit channel that is offset from the edge of the existing cut. The edge has already been cut, so Velocity II doesn’t try to machine it again.
| Previous version The tool fed along the edge to reposition.
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Velocity II The tool clears the part and rapids at High Feed Rate to the next position.
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Below is another example of how this improves the cutting of a D-slot. In Velocity, the tool would feed along the edge to the next position. This edge has already been cut going into the D-slot. In Velocity II, after D-slotting the tool clears the part and performs a high feed move to the next position. Velocity II does not try to machine the edge again on the way out.
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Velocity II
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A new Minimum Radius option has been added to the TrueMill™ Tool Engagement Milling dialog. Use a minimum radius to avoid excessive small movements, especially in corners. This reduces inefficient motion during a radial cut, thus saving machine time and reducing tool wear.
New Minimum Radius option on the Common to > tab
Note: The minimum radius cannot be less than 5% of the cutter radius.
Example 1: Minimum Radius
Examples 1 and 2 use a 0.5-inch endmill. The Minimum Radius values used here are larger than typical for illustration.
Minimum Radius = 0 produces excessive small cutter movements
Minimum Radius = 0.25 reduces unnecessary radial cuts
Example 2: Minimum Radius
This narrow passage is 1.0 inch wide.
Minimum Radius = 0.25 prevents the tool from cutting the narrow passage.
Minimum Radius = 0
When you use a Minimum Radius value, follow the operation with a TrueMill Reference operation to remove the remaining material.
Part edge cutter compensation improves your ability to adjust cuts for tool wear or for machine controls that have limited capabilities. Part edge cutter compensation is used to compensate for the cutting tool geometry of the programmed tool.
Depending on the machining application, you may choose to allow the CAM system to provide the centerline data to drive the tool, adjust for tool wear or under-sized (reground) tools, or take into account machine control limitations. The compensation control can be provided exclusively by the CAM system, machine control or a combination of both.
Part edge compensation is available in both TrueMill™ and TrueMill™ Reference.
Part Edge Output added to Finish Walls on the Rough/Finish tab
Part edge compensation is turned on using the new Part Edge Output checkbox on the Rough/Finish tab in the TrueMill™ dialog. This option is similar to setting Cutter Compensation to Part/Edge in a 2D contouring operation. When checked, Velocity II outputs the part profile rather than the tool radius offset.
When producing a part-edge toolpath, the system offsets for the tool radius then offsets that motion back toward the part profile. This results in a toolpath that is fully gouge checked.
The new Part Edge Compensation Arc Adjustment option has been added to the Defaults tab. This enhancement is especially important when the machine control errors when the tool radius equals the part’s corner radius.
Part Edge Compensation Arc Adjustment is a special option for controls to force an arc move in inside corners where the amount of cutter compensation is equal to the cutter radius.
This option lets you reduce the resulting concave radius by a constant. The result is an increased radius in the cut. The default value is zero.
Part Edge Compensation Arc Adjustment on the Defaults tab
Example
Imagine you select the following part geometry.
Part Edge Output On
The tool path of the Finish
Walls contour follows the selected geometry, and creates arcs equal to
the tool radius.
Use the Part Edge Compensation Arc Adjustment setting under the
Defaults tab to change the size of the arc. For
example, if you use a 0.5 inch endmill, the above example creates 0.25 inch
arcs. If you set Part Edge Compensation Arc Adjustment
to 0.1, the above example adds 0.1 to 0.25 to create 0.35 inch arcs.
Part Edge Output Off
Several parameters have been added and removed from the TrueMill™ Defaults tab. Plunge Rate and High Feed Rate have been added, while Lead In Side Clearance and Lead Out Side Clearance have been removed.
Plunge Rate has been added to let you control the rate at which the cutting head moves when plunging or drilling. Plunge Rate can be set to either Constant or Feed Rate. This default setting is used by both the Roughing and Finishing settings in the Common to > tab and is initially set to 500 in inches and 12500 for metric.
High Feed Rate was added to let you control the default setting for the rate at which the cutting tool traverses material during cutting operations. This default is also used by both the Roughing and Finishing settings in the Common to > tab and is also initially set to 500 in inches and 12500 for metric.
The rarely used Lead In Side Clearance and Lead Out Side Clearance defaults have been removed to streamline the user interface. The values are still set in the Common to > tab.
