Mechanical Engineering

The different applications on this website may require you to provide some information on how you would like to machine the part. The application will always suggest a set of default parameters which can usually be applied safely on your machine.

The proper settings will largely depend on your specific machine and part being machined. The conditions under which the default settings have been derived are explained in each application manual pages. If you diverge from these recommendations, you may have to adjust the default settings.

In this article, we review the main machining options that you will encounter in our application. This article does not, however, substitute to a proper training in machining.

• Milling Mode can be set to either conventional milling or climb milling. In conventional milling, the tool rotates against the feed direction whereas in climb milling the cutter rotates with the feed. Climb milling should be the preferred approach if your machine implements some sort of backlash compensation because it produces a cleaner finish.
• Depth Pass is the amount of material that is removed for each pass. Depth passes are traditionally adapted to consider different key parameters such as material hardness, tool diameter and tool wear, lubrification method, and part holding method.

The difference between conventional milling and climb milling is illustrated here-below:

• Spindle Speed is the rotational speed of the tool.
• Fast Motion Speed is the speed at which the tool moves when it travels towards the cut.
• Surface Cut Speed is the speed at which the tool moves laterally during a cut. The proper surface cut speed will depend on many parameters like tool diameter and wear, lubrification method, part holding method, material hardness and spindle speed.
• Plunge Speed is the speed at which the tool plunges during a cut. With endmills, it is recommended to keep this value low to prevent excessive tool wear.

• Clearance Height is the height at which the tool can safely move laterally without risking colliding with the part of the supports. This value should be high enough to avoid any collision but also as low as possible to avoid wasting time during transitions. We recommend using safety margins to ensure no collision is likely to occur.
• Retract Height is the height at which the tool is retracted between two passes. It is recommended to lift the tool between two depth passes in order to break the chip and let coolant enter the part where it is being machined.
• Feed Height is the height at which the tool switches from fast motion speed to plunge speed. Set this value low enough to avoid losing too much time during transitions but keep margins to let your machine decelerate to avoid crashing into the part.
• Top Height is the height from which the material will be cut. If not given in the application, it is assumed to be zero. You therefore want to set your machine settings such that the top height corresponds to the surface of the stock material.
• Cut Depth is the amount of material, taken from the top height, to remove from the part. Depending on the application you are using, the cut depth can be computed automatically or be given Under a different name such as thickness. When machining pass-through features, it is recommended to apply a small offset to the cut depth in order to ensure that the cut has gone completely through the part.

The various heights relative to the part are illustrated here-below: