Cutting Parameters - Method

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Cutting Parameters - Method

Overview: Each Mill operation type (mill_planar, mill_contour, mill_multi-axis) provides options
to manage the overall cutting and non-cutting variables. Click Cutting to display the Cutting
Parameters dialog.
Part Intol / Part Outol
A tolerance value that represents how far the tool can deviate from the part geometry.
Part Stock
Part Stock allows you to offset the geometry selected for machining. You can enter a positive
or negative value to use when roughing (adding material) or making carbon electrodes
(removing material).
Part Stock Offset
This option defines the initial condition of the stock material. This option is useful for defining
the size of a casting based on the net shape of the workpiece. Multiple depths of cut, if any,
use the stock value to determine the depth increment.
Multi-Depth Cut
This option defines multiple cut depths to rough or semi-finish in the same operation. You can
define the depths by setting the method to Incremental Stock or Number of Passes.
Increment Stock
This options defines the depth of cut for each pass.
Number of Passes
This option defines the number of passes and NX determines the amount of stock for each
pass.
Part Safe Clearance
This option defines how closely the tool can approach the workpiece in RAPID feed rate. The
Safe Clearance value adds a protective zone around the part and check geometry that the tool
does not violate unless performing cutting motion.
Check Stock
This value is a stock amount that creates a protective zone around the check geometry. It is
also possible to enter a negative value and allow the tool to gouge the check geometry.
When Gouging
When a gouging situation is detected you have three options that determine the course of
action NX takes. These are Warning, Skip, and Retract.
Warning
This option causes NX to issue a warning message in the tool path in the area of gouging. This
does not prevent the tool from gouging the workpiece.

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Skip
This option causes the tool to make a direct move to the next non-gouging point. There is a
possibility that the workpiece will not be finished completely when this occurs.
Retract
This option is similar to the Skip option but the tool retracts, moves to the next non-gouging
point and engages.
Use Tool Holder
If you select a tool defined with a holder, then Gouge Checking uses the holder as well. See
Tool With a Holder- Using for more detail.
Cut Step
This option determines how many output points the tool positions to as it travels across the
workpiece. You may specify the Cut Step as Tool Diameter or Specify. Tool Diameter allows
you to specify a maximum Cut Step as a percentage of the tool diameter. Specify allows you
to input a value to define the maximum Cut Step.
Extend / Lift at Convex Corner
This option lifts the tool when encountering an internal convex edge. This option helps prevent
the tool from dwelling when cutting across the peak of a convex edge where there is a large
amount of tool axis motion and very little tool motion. You can access this option by selecting
Extend at Convex Corner (for Fixed Contour) and Lift at Convex Corners (for Variable
Contour).
Minimum Tool Axis Change
This option allows you to enter an angular value to limit the amount of angle the tool axis can
change per step or per minute. Use Per Minute when the tool axis is dependent upon the part
or drive surface normal. Using Minimum Tool Axis Per Minute limits the tool axis from
changing dramatically when there are large changes in curvature in a small area. This option is
only available in the Variable Contour dialog.
Extend at Edges
Activate this to control the distance the tool extends beyond the edges of the cut area. The two
options available are Tool Diameter and Specify.
Ramp Up Angle / Ramp Down Angle
These options define the maximum angle the tool can move up in a cut or plunge down in a
cut. This helps protect tools that do not have center cutting capability. The angle is measured
perpendicular to the tool axis and the up and down motion is relative to the direction of cut. You
may also apply this option on stepover moves by selecting Apply at Stepover.
Optimize Path
This option processes the tool path to minimize the engage and retract moves by attempting to
keep the tool in contact with the part surface as much as possible.

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Extend to Boundary
This option causes the tool to make a planar move from its current position to the boundary.
This is a useful option to optimize roughing programs. When using Fixed Contour you can
extend the cut to the boundary by using Up Only or Down Only milling. This option is applicable
when the ramp down angle is set to zero so you can only cut up the direction of the tool axis, or
when the ramp up angle is set to zero so the cutter only cuts down the tool axis. When
activated, this option forces the cutter to move to the edge of the boundary at its current level
when it encounters a condition that violates the ramp up or down angle. This is useful in
roughing operations when you do not want the tool to plunge into the work.
Remove Edge Traces
This option limits the tool path so that the tool does not roll over an edge if the tool containment
is larger than the part surface. This can occur when the tangency of a ball end mill can still be
calculated as it travels off the edge of the part surface.
Cleanup Geometry
Cleanup Geometry refers to points or boundaries that show areas not cleaned during a tool
path. The entities can be temporary just for display or saved as permanent entities to assist
with other finish operations. Selecting this option displays the Cleanup Geometry dialog.
The Cleanup Settings area of the dialog allows you to define which areas of the tool path to
generate cleanup geometry.
Valleys
This option generates cleanup geometry where the cutter is too large to enter a small valley or
where the ramp up or ramp down angles prevent the tool from cleaning the material.
Tool Ends
This option creates a spline that connects the points created by the end of the tool. This option
is only available for Flow Cuts.
Steep Areas
This option defines the maximum slope where the tool may not have cleaned up due to large
stepovers that are generated when a point is projected onto a slope.
Extra Cross Drive
When using the Boundary Drive Method, activating this option generates a second cross drive
path. The drive path is perpendicular the active drive path and is used for defining cleanup
geometry only.
Directional
You can create boundaries along steep areas that are parallel to the machine cut within the
Fixed Axis Surface Contouring functions using Directional. This feature is useful for conditions
where you have uncut material remaining in steep areas. Directional is only available when
you use the Boundary Drive method and parallel cut pattern. When Directional is inactive, NX
looks at the entire part for potential steep areas. When you activate Directional, NX permits
the export of only those boundaries that are parallel to the cutter motion.

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Steep Angle
When this is active you can enter a Steep Angle value to define the maximum slope. The
angle is measured perpendicular to the tool axis.
Analyze
Selecting this creates the cleanup geometry, displaying it in the Graphics window.
Valley Overlap / Steep Overlap
These options allow you to increase the size of the cleanup area to allow a slight overlap into
an area that did cleanup. This provides a smoother transition when the area cleans up in
subsequent operations.
Valley Merge / Steep Merge
These options cause two cleanup areas to merge together if they are close to one another to
form a single cleanup area.
Output Type
This option determines whether the cleanup geometry creates as boundaries or points.
Auto Save Cleanup
This option causes NX to save the cleanup geometry automatically each time you generate the
tool path from within the Operations dialog.

See Also
Using a Tool with a Holder

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