We all know that people can use powerful machining technology to improve CNC machining efficiency when CNC roughing in milling aluminum. So in the time consuming CNC finishing process, is there any way to improve processing performance?
The purpose of CNC machining is to ensure the absolute dimensional precision and surface condition of the work-piece. Let’s analyze the finishing’s rate, which depends mainly on the residual ridge’s height after processing.
What is the height of the residual rim?
The residual rim height refers to the maximum size of the convex part of the residual material after the tool passes through two adjacent tool paths during processing.
How to lessen the height of the residual rim?
One possible method is to reduce the step over and reduce the gap between adjacent tool paths. But in the 3D surface CNC finishing process, there will be a dilemma between surface quality and processing time as better surface quality is directly proportional to longer processing time.
Increasing the arc radius of the practical machining part of the tool while keeping the size of the tool body radius unchanged may achieve the purposes.
Can we start processing and machining with the tool?
Changing the tool’s shape, increasing the arc radius of the contact point between the tool and the material during processing, and reducing the residual ridge’s height left by the CNC finishing process can significantly reduce the number and density of tool paths required in the finishing area.
How should such a tool path be programmed?
This requires the support of CAM software in programming for milling aluminum. Mastercam’s Accelerated Finishing is a programming solution for efficient finishing using circular arc tools. It can dynamically compensate the tool contact points in the machining process based on the tool’s shape and path algorithms for various forms’ extensive arc tools. It can make full use of the body of the arc tool to perform high-precision and high-efficiency finishing.
