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Topsolid CAM online Help Index
tool path type
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Within TopSolid'Cam, there are 3 different tool path types inside the contouring, allowing the user to define the geometry’s calculation mode for the tool path sent to the machine tool’s manager’s command.
The tool path’s geometry is identical to the contour to be created.
In such a case, the tool path is perpendicular to the contour to be created. If the user wishes to offset the tool path by the tool radius, the “Send a Tool Compensation” tickbox must be activated and the corresponding compensation value entered on the machine tool. In other words, the machine tool’s numerical command performs the calculations for the tool’s actual path.
Compensation Value (on the machine) = Real Tool Radius
The tool path received by the numerical command is shown in bold, in the above figure.
The dotted line represents the actual tool path generated by the machine tool.
The tool path’s geometry is identical to the geometry of the contour to be followed, except in the areas where the tool’s radius denies tool passage. TopSolid'Cam generates a corrected tool path with a radius at least equal to the tool radius or to the tool compensation (more information later) in such cases.
Also, in such a case, and except for the corrected areas, the tool path is perpendicular to the contour to be created. The “Send a Compensation Tool” tickbox must be activated and the corresponding compensation value entered in the machine tool, if the user wishes to offset the tool path by the tool radius. In other words, the machine tool’s numerical command performs the calculations for the actual tool path. Logically speaking, there should be no mistakes, since the tool path has been specially corrected for this very purpose.
Compensation Value (on machine) = Real Tool Radius
The tool path received by the numerical command is shown in bold, in the above figure.
The dotted line represents the tool path generated by the machine tool.
The tool path’s geometry is offset by a value equal to the sum obtained by adding the tool radius and the thickness of the contour to be followed. This is the safest method that can be used to avoid calculation mistakes from the machine tool’s controller.
Since the tool path’s offset has already been carried out, requesting the controller to perform another offset is unnecessary: if you do, the offset operation will be performed twice. However, in order to adjust the part’s dimensions, relative to the tools’ dimension, the machine’s compensation functions can be used. In such a case, the compensation value is no longer equal to the tool radius, but is equal to the difference between the actual tool radius and the programmed radius.
Compensation Value (on machine) = Real Tool Radius - Programmed Tool Radius of TopSolid'Cam
The tool path received by the numerical command is shown in bold, in the above figure.
The dotted line represents the actual tool path generated by the machine tool.
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