Introduction to PowerMILL

Contents

Chapters Page Number

0. Basics of Milling

1. Introduction 3 - 10

2. Machining Set Up 11 - 28

3. Area Clearance 29 - 50

4. Finish Machining Form 51 - 52

5. Raster, Radial, Spiral and Pattern 53 - 68

6. 3D Offset and Constant Z 69 - 80

PowerMILL

The Basics of Milling

Introduction
This chapter is specifically for those who have not yet experienced the Milling process and
will endeavour to explain the fundamentals i.e. Machine Tool Axis Configuration, Tolerance
and Thickness, Tool Stepover, Climb and Conventional Milling, Cusp Heights etc.

WHAT IS MILLING?

Milling is the process of cutting away material by feeding a workpiece past a rotating multiple
tooth cutter. The cutting action of the many teeth around the milling cutter provides a fast
method of machining.

THE MACHINE TOOL

In the present climate many different configurations of machine tool exist. Some machines
have the table/workpiece stationary whilst the X, Y and Z Axes move and others may be
constructed to allow the workpiece/table to be the moving part whilst the axes are fixed.
In any condition the X, Y and Z-axes directions are always configured the same.

The X-axis is always considered as the

longest axis, where X+ will be the table
motioning to the left and X- to the right.

The Y-axis moves from front to back of

the machine with the table motioning
towards the operator as the Y+
(positive) direction and away being the
Y– (negative) direction.

The Z-axis where the tool normally is

located, has the Z+ (positive) axis
motioning up and away from the
workpiece/table and Z– (negative)
direction down towards the
workpiece/table.

Some machine tools possess further axes to allow greater versatility when machining
complex components.
There could be a fourth axis added e.g. Rotary Table or a five axis configuration. Both can be
either manual set-up (operator controlled) or computer numerically controlled (CNC).
3-axis motion normally involves linear moves along the three principal directions (x, y and z),
with the tool being at the same orientation for all moves.
In 5-axis motion there are normally two more rotary axes in addition to the three linear axes
(and of course in addition to the tool rotation about its centre line).

METHODS OF MILLING

There are generally two methods of milling, Climb and Conventional.

Climb milling, is sometimes referred to as Down milling, where the direction of the cutter
rotation is the same as the feed direction. This method is probably the most common option
on the shop floor and will normally produce a better surface finish.

Climb Milling

Conventional milling is also sometimes referred to as Up milling where the direction of the
cutter opposes the feed direction.

Conventional Milling
PowerMILL

TOLERANCE AND THICKNESS

Suitable values are required to control the accuracy and amount of excess material to be left
on a component by a toolpath. The parameters used for this purpose are preset and are called
Tolerance and Thickness.

There are two independent locations for setting these values depending on whether the
programmer is performing an Area Clearance (Roughing) or Finishing operation.

The Tolerance controls the accuracy to which the cutter path follows the shape of the
component. It can be above or below the stated Thickness value.

The Thickness is the amount of additional material to remain on the component surface after
machining. Again this amount can vary depending on the current Tolerance.

WHAT IS ‘STEPOVER’

The Stepover can be defined as the distance a tool moves between adjacent toolpath tracks.
The distance or Stepover value determines whether the surface finish on a component is
rough or smooth.

When using a flat-bottomed tool such as an End Mill, the Stepover value normally ranges
from around 70% of the cutter diameter.

So a tool with a diameter of 10mm may have a Stepover of approximately 7mm.

When using a Ball nose cutter the Stepover will be considerably smaller when Roughing and
Finishing mainly due to the geometry of the tool.
A larger Stepover will ultimately give a more rough surface finish than a small Stepover.
WHAT IS ‘CUSP HEIGHT’

The Cusp is the height of material remaining after subsequent tool stepovers and is directly
related to the diameter of tool used, Stepover value, and the Tolerance and Thickness values.
Ultimately a very small Stepover using a Ball Nose cutter will give a smaller cusp height and
smoother surface finish than if a larger Stepover was used with the same cutter.

The two diagrams here represent the difference in cusp heights.

Both use the same diameter Ball Nose cutter but the lower diagram shows a smaller Cusp
height because the Stepover is reduced hence a smoother surface finish.
1. Introduction
Introduction.
PowerMILL is a stand-alone machining package, which can quickly create gouge free cutter
paths on imported component data. PowerMILL supports Wireframe, Triangle, Surface,
and Solid models created by other Delcam products or from neutral formats such as IGES. If
the relevant PS-Exchange translators are purchased PowerMILL will directly import data
created by the majority of non-Delcam packages.

PowerMILL Environment

 Double click on the PowerMILL icon.

Graphics Area

Explorer area

The pull down menus are located across the top of PowerMILL. By placing the mouse over
the menu and clicking with the left mouse key, this will bring up the sub menus. Further
selection can be done by moving the cursor along a right arrow ()

The Main PowerMILL toolbar is as shown below. An icon has a specific function and by
holding the cursor over it, a suitable description (or ToolTips) is displayed.
On the right hand side of the screen is the Viewing toolbar. By selecting one of the icons a
different view of the model and global transform is displayed in the central or graphics area.

View along the X-axis

View along the -Y axis
View along the Z-axis
View along the -X axis
View along the Y-axis
View along the-Z axis

Isometric View 1
Isometric View 2
Isometric View 3
Isometric View 4

View Resize to fit

Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom window
Last View
Refresh

Shades the Material Block

Draft angle
Minimum Radius
Multi coloured Shade
ShadeWire frame
Wireframe

Mouse buttons
Each of the three mouse buttons perform a different dynamic operation in PowerMILL.
Mouse button 1: Picking and selecting

This button is used for selecting items off the pull down menus,
options within forms, and entities in the graphics area.

Mouse button 2: Dynamics

Zooming in and out: - Hold down the CTRL key and mouse
button 2. Move the mouse up and down to zoom in and out.
Pan around the model: -Hold down the SHIFT key with mouse
button 2. Move the mouse in the required direction.
Zoom Box – hold down the Ctrl and shift key, drag a box around
the area to zoom into using the middle mouse button.
Rotate mode: Hold down mouse button 2 and move the mouse,
and the rotation is centered about the trackerball.

View Spinning- Dynamically rotate the view and quickly

release the mouse. The faster you move the mouse the faster

will spin. This is off by default.

 Select Tools -> Options, select the View tab

and tick the option Spin View.

Mouse button 3: Special Menus & PowerMILL Explorer Options

When this button is pressed it brings up a new menu based on

whatever the mouse is over, such as toolpaths in the PowerMILL
Explorer. If nothing is selected, the View menu appears.

Example 1
For this first exercise you will be using a saved model.

 Select File -> Import Model.

 The open examples form
appears and the large icon eg
provides access to an area
within the product software
tree where a selection of
models are stored. The icons
marked 1 and 2 can be
customised by the user to
locate areas where data for
live jobs are stored

 Click on the eg icon.

 Select the [Link] model and then click on Open.

The phone model is shown as a wireframe as viewed down the

Z-axis. Only part of the model is visible, as it is too big for the
current view. To show the whole model the Resize to fit icon
in the Viewing toolbar is used.

 In the Viewing toolbar, select the Resize to fit icon.

The view of the model is fitted to the full screen.

 Select the ISO 1 icon.

 You can now see the entire model quite
clearly in an isometric wireframe view. To
see it shaded you need to select the shaded
wire option.

 Select the Shaded Model icon.

This displays the shading on top of the

wire. To remove the wire view and show the

 Select the Wire Model icon.

By pressing the wire icon again, the wireframe is

hidden showing the model only in shaded.

 Click on the Shaded Model icon and then click on the wire view icon.
 Try the other Viewing icons and observe the results.
PowerMILL Panes
On the left hand side of the screen are the PowerMILL panes.

These are used extensively to help organise your machining. The

standard format pane is denoted by the PowerMILL symbol and
contains the standard display of Toolpaths, Patterns, Feature Sets,
Workplanes, Groups and Macros.

The second pane is for OLE (Object Linking Embedding), and the
third pane is the HTML browser used for viewing HTML files or Help files.

 Select File -> Delete All.

PowerMILL Help
PowerMILL comes complete with it’s own On-Line Help which is accessed via the help
menu.

 Select Help -> Release notes.

Release Notes are loaded into the html pane providing a summary of all new features
introduced on the current version of PowerMILL.
There is also a help index available to use direct from the PowerMILL interface. This is
accessed via the Help pull down menu at the top of the screen.

 Select Contents from the pull down menu.

There are four tabs that can be selected, Contents, Index, Search and Favourites.

 Select the Home icon on the right hand screen to view the main

Contents available for selection.

Select any of the Blue text options to view its Contents.

 Select the VIEWMILL TOOLBAR text to view its Contents.

 Select Help -> What's New.

The What’s New guide, explains how the new

features in this release are used.

 Close any forms and click on the PowerMILL pane icon.

2. Machining Set up
Preparation before creating toolpaths
The following list is a summary of basic setting up procedures required before the toolpaths
are created.
It is important to spend a little time gathering as much information as possible about the
model before actually applying toolpaths.
PowerMILL has some unique tools that allow parts of the model to be measured whether it
is a gap or an internal radius.
Various shading methods can also be used to get a quick idea visually of the minimum radius
and draft angles.
The model might be imported in the wrong orientation, again PowerMILL will allow you to
move or rotate it into the correct position.
Some of these methods will be used within the following chapter.
The following list could possibly be used as a check list for starting any job within
PowerMILL and generally represent the basics that should be followed before applying any
toolpaths.

1. Loading a model into PowerMILL.

2. Viewing the model
3. Orientating the model around an Active Workplane where required.
4. Gather information on the model i.e. Minimum radius / Draft angles.
5. Measure the model.
6. Material block definition.
7. Cutting tool definition.
8. Feed rate and Spindle Speed Settings.
9. Rapid Move Heights.
10. Tool Start Point.
11. Save the project.

1. Loading a Model into PowerMILL

A selection of model examples files are supplied with PowerMILL, and these are retrieved
from a default directory called Examples.
The usual method of importing a model into PowerMILL is by selecting File > Import
Model.
 Select File ->Examples.

A variety of different types of Model

can be loaded into PowerMILL and
can easily be discriminated on the form
using the filter Files of type to widen or
narrow the choice.

 Click on the file name speaker_core.dgk and then Open.

 Select the Resize to fit icon from the View toolbar on the right

The model will be displayed in the PowerMILL graphics area

looking down the Z-axis.
This is how it would be machined if left in this orientation i.e. the
longest edge of the model along the Y-axis.

2. Viewing the Model

Although the model is displayed it is a good idea to look at it from all angles to fully
understand its size and features.

 Select an Isometric 1 View.

We will orientate the model so that the long lower edge is facing
the front of the machine.
3. Orientate the Model using a Workplane.
The model needs to be rotated to leave the longest lower front edge of the model aligned to
the front of the machine tool i.e. along the X-axis.
Note. It is best practise to create a Workplane (datum) and Rotate it about the model.

 Right click over Workplanes in the PowerMILL Explorer and select

Create Workplane.

Workplanes are alternative or additional component

datums that can be moved and/or orientated within the
global environment. They are frequently used in 3 Axis
machining and are an essential item in the application of
3plus2 and 5-Axis machining strategies.

An inactive Workplane will now be visible both in the Explorer and over the white
coloured, Transform (The fixed, global datum).

 Click on the Plus (+) sign next to Workplanes in the explorer.

 Right click over the new Workplane in the Explorer and select Activate.

The Workplane turns red. In the Explorer, the

text becomes bold and a chevron is displayed
next to the name.

It is always good working practise to rename any entity created in the Explorer.

 Right click over the Workplane in the Explorer and select Rename.

 Type in the word Datum and press ‘Enter’ on the

keyboard.

The next step will be to rotate the new Active Workplane around the model.
Note:- It is also possible (but not generally good practise in the long term) to Rotate and/or
move the model about a Workplane.

 Right Click over the Workplane, icon or name (Datum) in the explorer.

 Right click over the Workplane

named Datum.

 Select Edit > Rotate > Z.

 In the above form enter 90 and select the green tick to Apply.

 Select a View down Z and observe the effect of the rotated, Active
Workplane producing the required machining position for the model.

It will not always be necessary to create and rotate or move a Workplane after import into
PowerMILL. It depends on the original, orientation of the model when exported from the
CAD software.
Information regarding the models position in relation to the Transform or (if present), an
active workplane can be obtained.

 Right click over Models in the Explorer and select Properties.

The values in this form can be copied and then pasted into other forms.
We will move the Workplane up in the Z plane so that it is situated at the maximum height
of the model.
The form shows that the current maximum Z value is 115.47048mm. It will be necessary to
move the Workplane by 115.47048 to position it at the maximum height of the model.

 Highlight the Maximum Z value (115.47048) by double clicking it with the

left mouse button.

This method of copying and pasting values can be used in other forms
also to stop you having to type them in.

 Right click over the highlighted value and select Copy.

 Eject the Model Properties form by clicking .

 Right click over the Workplane ‘Datum’ in the explorer.

 Right click in the form and select Paste then the Green tick.

 Select a Y- view.

The Workplane is now in position

on the top of the model.

4. Minimum Radius and Draft Angle shading.

Visual checks can be made quickly with the use of two shading options found in the views
menu on the right hand side of the screen.
It is useful to know before generating tools and toolpaths what the minimum radius is on the
model and also whether there are any undercuts or draft angles.

 Select the Minimum Radius Shade icon on the View toolbar.

Any internal radii that are smaller than a specific Ballnose or Tipped Radius tool will be
shaded RED.
Examine the model to see that there are two areas in particular that show inaccessible areas
shaded Red.
The two internal radii can be seen shaded red visually identifying that they will not be
machined to their correct size if the default value tool was used.

The default tool radius can be found and altered in the Drawing Options area within the
Models menu in the explorer.

 Right click over Models in the Explorer and select Drawing Options.

 Change the Minimum Tool Radius value to 5.

There is still no change on the model.

 Change the Minimum Tool Radius value to 2.

All of the red areas have now disappeared suggesting that the smallest tool required to finish
machine these radii would be a Diameter 4mm Ballnose.

We will now check the model visually for any draft angles and undercuts.

 Select the Draft Angle Shade icon on the view toolbar.

The model is shaded in three different colours, red, green and yellow.
The red areas represent angles equal to or less than the current Draft angle specified in the
Drawing Options form (default is 0).
The green areas represent angles above the current Warning angle specified in the Drawing
Options form (default is 5).
The yellow areas represent angles between the current Draft and Warning Angles.

In this particular model the yellow areas represent angles between 0 and 5 degrees.

 To check for undercuts change the Draft Angle to –0.2 and the Warning
Angle to 0.2.

You will notice that all of the red areas have disappeared and all that remain are green and
yellow. If any red areas remain then these would show an undercut situation.
The yellow areas indicate on or near vertical faces because the difference between the Draft
and Warning Angles is so small. This model, as you can see has no undercuts.

 Accept the Drawing Options form

 Select the Draft Angle Shade icon again to turn off the shading.

 Make sure the Wireframe icon from the View toolbar is on so the
model is displayed in Wireframe only.

5. Measuring the model.

Small pockets and gaps may exist on the model that may require measuring. In the absence of
a Cad drawing or information, PowerMILL offers the operator a tool that allows the
measurement of lines and also arcs/circles.
Before any such measurements can be taken the PowerMILL, Snap Filter will need to be
modified.

 At the top of the screen select Tools > Snap Filter > Anywhere.

If Anywhere is left on (Ticked), then you could quite

easily select anywhere in space giving incorrect
measurements.
With it off only parts of the model can be selected.

 Zoom into the area shown by the arrow below.

The gap at the bottom of the slot will be measured to determine its size and depth.

 From the Main toolbar select the Measure model icon.

The Model Measurement for appears defaulted to Line. An Anchor Point is required to
commence measuring.

 The PowerMILL Calculator form will open in Line measurement mode.

Using the left mouse button drag a window around (or snap) point 1 shown
below to display the XYZ coordinates in the form.

Drag a window around (or snap) this point.

The Anchor Point is now selected and is

represented by a small circle.
The x, y and z values seen in the above form are
relative to the Active Workplane ‘Datum’.

 Drag a window around (or snap) point 2 to obtain the final ‘point to point’
measurement information.

A line appears connecting the two points, and the information relating to the line is displayed
in the form.

Minimum Radius is measured by getting the data from three points on the model.
 Select the Circle tab on the Model Measurement form and zoom into the
area shown below.

 Select three points by dragging a small box around them as shown below.

A circle will appear after the third point is selected as shown.

 The Circle measurement form will show details of the
arc as shown.

 Close the Model Measurement form and select an ISO 1 view.

6. Material Block definition.

The Block is the initial material size that PowerMILL uses to limit the tool moves. It can be
modified to alternative dimensions as a limit for machining. There are also other advanced
methods to limit the tool moves.

 Click on the Block icon on the top toolbar

The block form appears. This form allows you

to define the block size by entering in the
minimum and maximum X, Y and Z values.

Alternatively you could ask PowerMILL to

measure the sizes automatically by using the
Calculate button. The resultant values can be
individually edited or locked (greyed out) as
required in addition to being calculated
including an offset by entering a suitable value
in the box marked Expansion.

 Click on the Calculate button.

 Click on Accept.
 The Block is
displayed shaded by
default. This can be
shown as partially
transparent or as a
blue wireframe, by
using the Opacity
slider on the Block
form.

The Block can be turned off graphically by selecting the block icon
from the View toolbar on the right

[Link] Tool definition

The Tool definition forms are accessed from the icons in the Tool toolbar located to the
bottom left corner of the graphics area.

 Click on the down arrow to display all of the Create Tool icons.

All of the tool types appear as icons.

Placing the cursor over an icon will open a small box containing a description of
the tool type.

 Select the Tip Radiused Tool icon

 The Tip Radius form appears. This
is where you set the values for
the tool. When a diameter is
entered the tool length
automatically defaults to five
times the diameter, and this can
be changed if not desirable.

It is a good idea to input a suitable

Name for the tool. This tool for
example with a diameter of 50 a
length of 100 and a tip radius of
6 could be called tr50t6.

The Tool Number can be the actual

number output in the NC
program. If the machine has a
tool changer it will represent the
carousel number.

Defining a Shank and Holder will be covered when we look at Collision Checking later in
the course.

 Enter a Diameter of 50 a Tip Radius of 6 and change the Length to 100.

 Enter D50T6 in the box marked Name.
 Click on Close.

The tool is now displayed on the screen and also appears as an entity in the Tools section of
the explorer.
 Any future changes to the tool are initiated through the
explorer. To undraw the tool click the yellow light bulb
icon. To deactivate the tool right click anywhere on the
tool data in the explorer and click the name Activate (the
tick will disappear). Selecting the Parameters option will
open the tool definition form.

The tool can be seen either in wireframe or shaded in the graphics window.

 Right click over the tool in the Explorer and select Shaded.

8. Feedrate and Spindle speed settings

The speed and feed rate settings need to be defined.

 Click on the Feed rates icon on the Main toolbar.

The feed rates form appears. This form allows you to set the
feed and speed rates for any toolpaths calculated.

Alternatively Cutting Feed Rate and Spindle Speed can be

stored within the Tool definition by clicking the box
Load From Active Tool.

 Leave the settings as default and click Accept.

9. Rapid move heights
Safe heights in Z must be set at which the tool can travel at rapid feed rates without
contacting the component or work holding devices.

Safe Z
Start Z

Rapid

Plunge

Cutting

Safe Z is the height to which the tool will retract for rapid moves across the work. Start Z is
the height to which the tool will descend, at rapid feed rate prior to applying the plunge feed
rate.

 Click on the Rapid Move Heights icon.

 Select the Reset to Safe Height button.
 Click on Accept.

The same principle can also be defined incrementally to

enable safe rapid moves, locally within the component. In
the section of the form labelled Incremental, two
additional options are available Plunge and Skim.

Plunge will enable the rapid move to continue to a

specified distance from the bottom of plunge moves before
the feed rate cuts in.

Skim will operate in the same way as Plunge but will also
apply rapid horizontal moves at a specified height above
local features along the path within the component.
10. Tool Start Point.
This is a safe position for the tool to move to before and after each tool change or machining
operation. Depending on the type of machine tool it may be the actual tool change position.

 Click on the Tool Start Point icon.

The tool Start Point form appears, displaying in this case,

the values of the tool home position.

By default the tool position is set automatically at the

Block centre. If a different position is required then select
the Fixed option in the Mode area on the form.

 Set the Mode to Fixed.

 Set the co-ordinates as X0, Y0 and Z 50.
 Click on Accept.

The tool is now located at the new

Start Point above the active
workplane.
Setting up is now complete and
PowerMILL is ready to start
generating toolpaths.

11. Projects
A Project is a Folder used for maintaining a permanent copy of machining data created in the
PowerMILL explorer. This could include data such as Toolpaths, Tools, Workplanes, and
other entities related to the machining strategies. The project will also retain the activation
status of each entity when saved. The Model is also stored in the Project.

The commands for the project are accessed through the File pull down menu and it is good
policy to initially Save Project as early as possible during programming and then at suitable,
regular intervals.

When initially saving a Project the user needs to select a location on the disk where they
want to store the project.
 Select File -> Save Project.

 In the form locate the folder Z:\IIACAD

 Type in \Speaker_Core and then select OK

Further selection of the Save Project option will update the file automatically to the current
filename. To create a copy, use Save Project As, which will prompt for a new name.
The main use of a Project is to quickly retrieve the settings for re-machining all or part of a
component at a later date. The component may have been modified or the choice of
cutting tools may have changed since the original Project was created.

Project data is stored in a folder that is specially marked with a PowerMILL icon

How the Project appears in Windows Explorer.

3. 3D Area Clearance
Introduction
The main options for roughing a 3D component Model are called 3D Area Clearance
strategies. These provide a range of 2D area removal options, which progressively machine
the area (Slice) up to the component contour down a sequence of user-defined Z Heights.
There is also a similar group of strategies, 2.5D Area Clearance for use, exclusively with
PowerMILL 2.5D Feature machining (covered on the final day of the course).

Sometimes known as Waterline Roughing the cutter steps down to a specified Z Height and
fully clears an area (Slice) before stepping down to the next Z Height to repeat the process.

For some components a secondary Area Clearance strategy is applied using the Rest
Machining options in conjunction with a smaller roughing tool. This will locally remove
pockets of excess material inaccessible to the original Tool Reference Toolpath or Stock
Model. This will reduce the degree of tool overload and provide a more consistent material
removal rate for any subsequent Finishing operations.

If the original material is in the form of a casting or fabrication then it may not be necessary
to apply any Area Clearance machining but to go directly for a semi-Finishing strategy.
Toolpaths
Suitable values are required to control the accuracy and amount of excess material to be left
on a component by a toolpath. The parameters used for this purpose are preset and are called
Thickness and Tolerance.

Thickness is the amount of

extra material specified to
remain on the work-piece after
machining. This can be applied
generally (as shown), or
independently as separate
Radial and Axial values within
the machining options.
It is also possible to assign
Thickness values to groups of
Surfaces on the actual model.

Coarse Tolerance Fine Tolerance

Tolerance controls the accuracy to which the cutter path follows the shape of the work-piece.
For roughing a Coarse tolerance can be used but for finishing a Fine tolerance must be used.

Note where the Thickness value is greater than 0 it should always be more than the tolerance
value
Raster Area Clear example
 Activate the d50t6 tool in the explorer.

 From the Main toolbar select the Toolpath

Strategies icon.

 Select 3D Area Clearance Tab

 Select the option Raster AreaClear Model to open the following form.

 Enter the Name D50T6_A1.

 Set Stepover to 20.

 Set Stepdown to 10.

 Keeping all other values as default,

Apply the form.
 After the processing is complete
Cancel the form.
As soon as the Raster AreaClear Model form is opened an
unprocessed Toolpath appears in the Explorer (the default name
has been changed to D50T6_A1).

The Toolpath icon can now be double-clicked to activate and de-

activate the toolpath.

The + symbol can be clicked to open a full record of the data used to create the toolpath.
The dotted red lines represent Rapid moves and the light blue lines are the Plunge feed
moves. The Plunge moves at present are longer than necessary resulting in time wasted by
the tool feeding down in free space where most of the move could be Rapid.
The existing toolpath will now be Recycled with new settings to improve the efficiency of
Rapid movements across the component.

 Right mouse click over the Toolpath icon in the explorer to open the local
pull down menu.

 Select Settings to reopen the Raster AreaClear Model form.

 Select the ‘Recycle toolpath’ icon (shown arrowed below).

 Select the Rapid Moves Height icon from the main toolbar
 Select the Skim option and change the Safe Z to 5 and Start Z to 3 as
shown below.
 Accept the above form and then click Apply in the Raster AreaClear
Model form and once processing is complete click Cancel to close the
form.

The tool will now plunge locally (pale blue move) from the defined Incremental - Start Z
above each slice and rapid across the roughed areas by the Incremental - Safe Z (purple
move).

Thtoolpath has been recycled with the Skim option set in the Rapid Move Heights form and
now uses Incremental Safe Z and Start Z values (Note; In practice more than one change can
be implemented when Recycling or Copying a toolpath).
This time a Copy of the above toolpath will be created modified using the Area Filter
options to remove the single pass tooltracks which are stepping down each of the four
corners.

 Select Settings to reopen the Raster AreaClear Model form.

 Select the ‘Copy toolpath’ icon (shown arrowed below).
 In the form locate the Area Filter section (lower left corner) and input the
settings as shown below (Note Filter Only Enclosed Areas is unticked).

All tooltracks spanning a distance less than the Tool Diameter

(TDU) will be filtered out and not appear in the final Toolpath.
The effect of unticking Filter Only Enclosed Areas means that
the areas of toolpath outside the Block will be included in the
filtering process.

 Apply the Raster AreaClear Model form and once processing is complete
click Cancel to close the form.

The default Raster Area

Clear strategy steps across
the model with parallel
tooltracks. The remaining
edges around the model,
contour are then removed by a
single profiling pass.

A new toolpath called D50T5_A1_1 is created with the corner machining filtered out.

Simulating the toolpath

ViewMill provides a 3D graphical simulation that allows toolpaths to be checked before they
are machined. ViewMill has it's own separate toolbar that can be accessed from the ViewMill
button on the Main toolbar.
 Select the ViewMill icon located towards the right in the Main
Toolbar at the top of the screen.

The simulation toolbar appears.

 Select ISO 1 view of the model and scale it to be as large as possible.

 Select the ViewMill toggle icon.

This toggles the display to the Viewmill environment

and generates a shaded block.

 Select the Shaded Tool icon.

With the tool shaded, it is clear where the tool datum position is.
The speed of the simulation is reduced if the tool is
shaded.

 Select the Start/Restart icon.

The toolpath is simulated displaying the material removal from
the defined block of material.
Click the Shaded Tool icon again to switch it off
which in turn will speed up the simulation.

The complete machined block.

 Select the ViewMill toggle icon to return to the PowerMILL

session.

The above PowerMILL session will not be cancelled but temporarily put into the background
so that any subsequent toolpaths can be simulated as a continuation from the above.

 From the Main toolbar select File

Save Project to update the stored data.

The Speaker_Core Project will now be updated to include

The 3D Area Clearance toolpaths.

 From the Main toolbar select File

Delete All

 From the Main toolbar select Tools

Reset Forms

This restores all default PowerMILL settings in the forms without having to exit and re-enter.
Offset Area Clear example
 Open the model [Link] located in PowerMILL_Data\models.

 Create a Tip Radiused tool of 40 diameter with a 6 tiprad and Name it

d40t6.
 From the Main toolbar open the Block form and Calculate a material
Block to the full model dimensions.
 Reset the Rapid Move Heights and set the Incremental moves to Skim.
 Set the Start Point form to Automatic and Block Centre Safe.

 From the Main toolbar select the Toolpath Strategies icon .

 Select the option Offset AreaClear Model to open the following form.

Enter name D40T6_D1.

 Select Ramping.

Select Ramping Options

Entering; Zig Angle 4,
Follow Circle, and
Circle diameter 0.6
As shown below.

Type All (default)

 Input or modify the data as

shown in the sections arrowed above and click Apply to create the Offset
Area Clear toolpath shown below.

The Offset Area Clear

strategy using Type All
follows both the
contours of both the
Model and Block then
gradually Offsets into
the remaining material at
each Z Height.
 Select the ViewMill icon located towards the right in the Main Toolbar
at the top of the screen.

The simulation toolbar appears.

 Select ISO 2 view of the model and scale it to be as large as possible.

 Select the ViewMill toggle icon.
 Run a ViewMill simulation of the
toolpath.

The finished result indicates that

the current tool geometry is not
suitable to fully, access some
features (arrowed) on the model.
As a result a further Area
Clearance strategy is required
using a smaller tool to continue
locally into the remaining areas.
This technique is known as Rest
Machining.
Rest Machining

The 3D Area Clearance forms contain options to apply Rest Machining either based
directly on a previously defined Reference Toolpath or a Stock Model.

The following examples illustrate Rest Machining firstly using a Reference Toolpath and
secondly by using the Stock Model.

The Stock Model represents the un-machined stock at any point in the machining process. It
is applied by first creating a Stock Model entity by applying a Block, followed by various
toolpaths. After each update, the stock model adjusts itself to show the un-machined material
remaining on the block.

While Rest machining is used to

save time on repeat work, it is
not used in the Department.
The following section, therefore,
is for reference only.
Rest Machining using a Reference Toolpath

 Create a Tip Radiused tool of 16 diameter with a 3 tiprad and Name it

d16t3.
 Right mouse click over the Toolpath icon in the explorer to open the local
pull down men

 Select Settings to reopen the Offset

AreaClear Model form.
 Select the ‘Copy toolpath’ icon (shown
arrowed below).

Note all associated items originally used to create the toolpath

will be activated.
 Activate the new tool, d16t3.

Enter a new name D16T3_D1.

The options arrowed control the

Rest Machining limits by
comparison with the previously
defined toolpath D40T6_D1.

Set Type to Model (This

generates offset tooltracks,
based solely on the Model
contours).

 Input or modify the data as shown arrowed above and click Apply to create
the new Offset Area Clear toolpath shown on the following page.
 Cancel the form.

 Select the ViewMill toggle icon access the existing ViewMILL

session.
 Paint (Blue) the upper surfaces of current ViewMILL model.

 Run a ViewMill simulation of the new toolpath.

The ViewMILL simulation shows the smaller tool

continuing from where the Reference Toolpath finished
to rough out material closer to the component form.
This will reduce the risk of excessive wear or
damage to tools used for the subsequent finishing
operations.

Rest Machining using a Stock Model

An alternative method of Rest Machining is the use of a Stock Model instead of a

Reference Toolpath. One of the benefits of using a Stock Model is that the remaining
material can be visualised along with the associated toolpaths.
The following example will demonstrate the creation of a Stock Model up to the end of the
toolpath D40T6_D1 at which point it will be displayed as the Rest Material. The Rest
Machining toolpath D16T3_D1 will then be used as the basis for creating a new toolpath but
this time using the Stock Model.
 In the explorer Activate the toolpath D40T6_D1.

 In the PowerMILL explorer right mouse

click Stock Models to open the local
menu and select Create.

 In the PowerMILL explorer right mouse click the newly created Stock
Model icon and from the local menu select Apply – Active Toolpath First.

 From the same menu select Calculate to create the stock Model as shown
below.
 From the same menu again select Show Rest Material to display the
Stock Model as shown below.

 In the explorer Activate the toolpath D16T3_D1.

 Right click the toolpath icon and from the local menu select Settings to
reopen the Offset AreaClear Model form.
 Select the ‘Copy toolpath’ icon (shown arrowed below).

 In the form locate the Rest Machining section (lower right corner) and
change the settings to use Stock Model -1 as shown below.
 Click Apply to create an alternative (more efficient) Rest Machining
toolpath named D16T3_D1_1.

 Cancel the Offset Area Clearance Form to reveal the following toolpath.

 From the Main toolbar select File Save Project and save the project as
C:\temp\Wing_Mirror_Die. (See Chapter 2 for full details of method)

 In the Explorer Right click over Toolpaths and select Delete All from the
local menu.

 Use the same method to Delete All - Models and Stock Models.

 From the Main toolbar select Tools

Reset Forms

This restores all default PowerMILL settings in the forms without having to exit and re-enter.
The Remainder of this manual is
for reference only.
Guidance will be given on
Finishing Strategies.

4. Finish Machining Form

Introduction.
All dedicated finishing strategies are accessed from the Finishing form, which is activated by
selecting the following icon from the top toolbar.

To select one of the Finishing options click on the Finishing tab. This will then display all
available Finishing strategies.
Select one of the Finishing strategies from the list to see a Preview in the right hand window.
When the correct strategy is selected the OK button must be pressed to access the form
revealing the suitable values relating to the type of strategy chosen.

Before applying a finishing strategy, suitable values for Tolerance and Thickness must be
defined. These are input directly into the area shown below. By entering a thickness value
material can be left on the model for further machining with a different tool, for example. By
entering a negative thickness the model would be cut undersize, but is useful for engraving.

The finishing strategies will be categorised into the following sub-groups based on their
generalised applications: -
 1. Downward projection of a pattern (Raster, Radial, Spiral, Pattern)
2. 3D Offset
3. Constant Z (Constant Z, Optimised Constant Z)
4. Corner (Pencil, MultiPencil, Stitch Corner, Along Corner)
5. Projection (undercut machining)
6. Rotary

They will not necessarily appear in the same order, as they are located on the form.
5. Raster, Radial, Spiral and
Pattern Strategies.
Introduction.
This chapter will go through the downward projection of a pattern, which has four types,
Raster, Radial, Spiral and Pattern Finishing Strategies.

PowerMILL generates toolpaths by projecting of a pre-defined strategy down the Z-axis onto
the model. The standardised geometry for Raster, Radial, and Spiral are generated by
entering values into the Finishing Form. The resultant pattern can be displayed by selecting
Preview before executing the command by selecting Apply. The Pattern option requires a
user-defined geometric form (active Pattern), which is projected down Z onto the model as a
toolpath.

A Preview of the four pattern strategies are shown, looking down the Z.

Raster Radial

Spiral Pattern
Raster Example

 Delete All and Reset forms and from File > Examples select the model
[Link].
 Calculate the Block and define a 12 diameter ball nose tool named
bn12.

The model and tool are displayed..

 Select the Rapid move heights icon from the top toolbar and in
the form click Reset to safe heights then Accept.

 Select the Start Point icon from the top toolbar then Accept.

Note that it is in Automatic mode and Block

Centre Safe Z is active.
 Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top
toolbar.

 Select the Raster Finishing icon then OK.

 Name the toolpath

Raster_basic.

 Enter the Tolerance as

0.02 and Thickness as
0.

A tolerance of 0.1 will give a

fairly coarse surface finish. For a
finer finish a lower value such as
0.02 is used. A thickness of 0 will
machine the material to size,
within the tolerance.

 Select a tool Stepover of

1mm.

 Apply and Cancel the

Form.
 On closer inspection the toolpath
contains sharp changes in
direction.

Selecting the Arc Fit option in the form can eliminate these.

 Right click over toolpath Raster_basic in the explorer and select Settings
from the available menu.
 Select the copy toolpath icon from the form.

 Rename the toolpath Raster_arc fit.

 Check the box Arc Fit and change the Arc

Radius to 0.1.

The Arc Radius (0.1) is multiplied by the tool diameter

(12mm) to give a final radius of 1.2mm.
This option is particularly good for HSM (High Speed
Machining)

 Press Apply and Cancel.

 Zoom into the same area as previous to see the changes.

Before Arc Fit After Arc Fit

Where the toolpath is stepping over it is lifting up to the safe Z height each time. This is
wasting time putting in these unnecessary lifts. To make the toolpath more efficient the
Leads and Links can be altered.

 Select the Leads and Links icon from the top toolbar.
 Select the Links tab on the form.

 Change the Short links to

Circular Arc

This is also good HSM but may not

be so good for conventional CNC.

 Change the Long and Safe

links to Skim.

 Apply Links and Accept the form.

Most of the lifts have been eliminated hence saving time and a
circular arc has joined the links between adjacent toolpath

Now we will animate the current toolpath. Only an Active toolpath can be animated. Because
toolpath Raster_arc fit was the last toolpath to be calculated it will be automatically
active.
  To Animate the toolpath,
right click over the toolpath icon in
the explorer area, move down to
Animate and select the speed

When the animation is executed a new toolbar can be seen at the top of the screen. This is the
Simulation toolbar.

When the animation has finished you will also notice that the tool remains at the end of the
last retract move. To send the tool back to the Start Point either press the Home key on the

keyboard or select the Go to beginning button on the Animation toolbar.

To see how a certain part of the toolpath runs in more detail it is possible to attach the tool to
an area and use the Left/Right Arrow keys on the keyboard to make the tool move
backwards or forwards along the toolpath.

 Position the cursor where required and right click on top of the toolpath.
 Select Attach Active
Tool.

 Use the Left and

Right arrow keys to
move the tool
forwards and
backwards

Tip: - Go to Help and in

the Index area type Attach.
You can then display
more info on ‘Attach
Active Tool’

 Experiment with some of the other options available on the Animation

toolbar.

Radial Machining

 Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top toolbar.

 From the form select the Radial Finishing icon then OK.
  Name the toolpath
Radial.

 Make Radius End 45

 Make Angle Start –60

and End 240.

 Set Stepover to 2 and

Join Up ticked.

 Set the view to look

down the Z direction
and select Preview.

The route of the toolpath is shown. Instead on stepping over

the model to tolerance the toolpath Stepover is determined by
the radial pattern.

 Apply and Cancel the form.

The toolpath follows the prescribed route.

 Animate the toolpath.

Centre Point
The Centre Point defines the origin of the radial pattern. By default the pattern is initially
centred at the zero coordinates. This can be redefined if required to user-defined values or
alternatively be centred to the middle of the block by clicking the Reset to Block Centre
button.

Start and End Radius

These parameters determine the dimensions of the pattern and the direction of the first pass:
First pass
outwards First pass
inwards

Start End rad

rad
End rad Start
rad

Start angle and end angle

These parameters perform two functions: The first defines the portion of the circular area to
be machined, and the second determines whether the tool tracks are generated in a clockwise
or anticlockwise direction. Angles are measured anti-clockwise from the positive X-axis.

Start angle (120) > end angle (0) - tool tracks generate clockwise.
Start angle (0) < end angle (120) - tool tracks generate anticlockwise.
 Tool travels anti-clockwise Tool travels clockwise

End angle
= 120
Start
angle = 120
Start angle = 0 End angle = 0

Stepover
The Stepover is the angle between consecutive passes. Note: - that further away from the
centre point, the coarser the finish due to the passes becoming further apart.

Join Up
The tool tracks can be unidirectional or bi-directional depending on the setting of the Join Up
flag. This is illustrated below:
Ends of passes linked Ends of passes unlinked

Join Up flag set Join Up flag unset

Radial Exercise

 Generate a Radial toolpath called Radial_1, using the tool bn12,

Tolerance of 0.01 and Thickness of 0.5. Set the Centre Point at X 6.5 Y
26. Select a Start Angle of 0, End Angle of 360, Start Radius of 0, End
Radius of 12 with a Stepover of 1.

The toolpath is generated in a small area.

 Animate the toolpath.

Spiral Machining
 Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top toolbar.
 From the form select the Spiral Finishing icon then OK.

 Name the toolpath

Spiral.

 Set the Thickness to 0

and Stepover to 0.5.

 Enter a Centre Point

of X 8 Y 26, set Start
Radius to 10, End
Radius to 0 and
Direction as
Clockwise.

A spiral toolpath is a
continuous one, where there are
no links between adjacent
toolpath tracks.

 Set the view to look down the Z direction and select Preview.

The preview toolpath is displayed over an area of the model.

 Apply and Cancel the form.

The spiral toolpath is produced.

6. 3D Offset and Constant Z
Introduction
In this chapter we will apply 3D Offset finishing and Constant Z finishing strategies to a
model that consists of flat and steep areas and a pocket with vertical walls.

3D Offset Machining defines the tool step over relative to the 3D surface shape providing
consistency from flat areas through to steep sidewalls. In this exercise applying this toolpath
to the complete model without using Boundaries would not be recommended. Although this
toolpath maintains a constant Stepover, problems would occur as the tool plunges into the
deep pocket.
Boundaries used correctly will limit the 3d Offset toolpath to only the flatter areas leaving
the remaining steep areas to be machined by the Constant Z strategy.

 Delete All and Reset forms and from File > Examples select the model
[Link].
This model is a good example where
more than one finishing strategy is
required. 3D Offset and Constant Z
strategies will be used but they will
be limited to a Boundary.
Before finishing can take place we
will calculate an Area Clearance
toolpath to remove the bulk of the
material.

 Calculate the Block, reset Rapid Move Heights and tool Start Point.
 Define a Tipped Radius tool with Diameter 25 and Tip Radius 3 called
D25T3.
 Calculate an Offset Areaclear Model toolpath called Rough Op1 using a
Thickness 0.5, Stepover 10 and Stepdown 3. All other parameters can
be set to your preference.
 Simulate the toolpath in Viewmill.

Your Viewmill simulation should look

something similar to this.
 Define a Ball Nose tool with Diameter 10 called BN10.

We are now in a position to define the Boundary. Certain types of Boundary are calculated
based on the Active tool.
The Tolerance and Thickness values in the Boundary forms are important and normally
reflect the same Tolerance and Thickness values with the subsequent toolpaths applied
to them.

 Right click on the Boundaries icon in the

explorer and select Create Boundary ->
Shallow.

 Input the Name – Shallow BN10.

 Input a Tolerance 0.02.

 Select the Radial Thickness icon and

enter a Radial Thickness 0.5 and an
Axial Thickness 0.

We will finish the flat areas to 0 but with Radial

Thickness set to 0.5 we can maintain the original
stock left on the sidewalls from the roughing for the
Constant Z to remove.

 Make sure that the correct tool is

Active, in this case BN10.

 Apply and Accept the form.

A Shallow Boundary takes its segments from areas

on the model that are defined by an Upper and
Lower threshold angle. It is therefore specifically
suited to steep walled and shallow surface
machining techniques.
 With the model and toolpaths undrawn the
Boundary should look something like this. It is
made up of numerous segments each one dividing the
model into steep and shallow areas. Any of which
can be selected and individually deleted at any time
(only before being assigned to a toolpath).

 Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top of the screen.
 Select a 3D Offset Finishing strategy from the form then OK.

 Enter the Name – 3D

Offset BN10.

 Select Direction –
Climb.

 Enter a Tolerance
0.02.

 Enter a Thickness 0.
Notice that the newly created
Boundary is automatically
selected for use. If other
Boundaries have been
created they can be selected
from the pull down menu.

 Select the Leads and

Links icon and set the
Lead In to None,
Links – Short and
Long Links to Safe

 Apply and Cancel the form.

 The toolpath is calculated following the
contours of the Boundary segments and
is produced only on the flat areas of the
model.
Further improvements can be made to this
toolpath with respect to the Links
between toolpath tracks. At the moment
they are all at Safe Z.

 Select the Leads and Links icon

from the top of the screen.

 Select the Links tab and change the Short Links to On Surface, the
Long and Safe Links to Skim.
 Apply and Accept the form.

The toolpath has now been improved

where the rapid moves are at skim
height and the short links are forced
onto the surface.

 Simulate the 3D Offset toolpath in Viewmill.

 Right click over toolpath 3D Offset BN10 in the explorer and select
Settings from the pull down menu.

 Select the Copy icon on the form.

 Rename the toolpath as 3D

Offset BN10_Spiral.

 Check the box Spiral.

 Leave all other values the

same then Apply and
Cancel the form.
 The Spiral option is more of a HSM
(High Speed Machining) toolpath
where the tool will stay in contact
with the model as much as it can.
Leads and Links are greatly
reduced using this method.

Constant Z machining
Constant Z machining projects each tool track horizontally onto the component at fixed
heights defined by the Stepdown.

As the component surface becomes shallow the actual

tool step over increases until it becomes non-existent
on flat areas.

Before we can continue with this project we need to

copy our Shallow Boundary and modify the new copy so that the Radial Thickness is 0.
This is so that the steep walls can be finished to size.

 Right click over the boundary Shallow BN10 in the explorer and select Edit
-> Copy All.
 Activate the new copy called Shallow BN10_1.
 Right click over this new boundary and select Settings.

 Select the Axial Thickness icon, uncheck the

Use Axial Thickness box and Accept.

 Enter a Thickness of 0.

 Apply and Accept the form.

  Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top of the screen.

 Select a Constant Z
Finishing strategy from the
form.

 Enter a Name – Constant

Z BN10.

 Set a Stepdown of 1.

 Enter the Tolerance as

0.02

 Select the Axial

Thickness icon and
uncheck the box Use
Axial Thickness.

 Enter a Thickness of 0.

 Set the direction to

Climb.

 Set the Trimming to Keep

Outside.

 Open the Leads and links

form and set all the Links
to Safe.

 Apply and Cancel the Constant Z Finishing form.

 By using the Boundary Trimming
option – Keep Outside, the
toolpath is correctly limited to the
steep areas of the model.

Had no Boundary been used the toolpath would

have looked something like this.
It can be seen that some parts of the toolpath
have encroached onto some of the shallow areas
unnecessarily.

To further improve the new toolpath we will modify the Leads and Links.

 Select the Leads and Links icon at the top of the screen.

 Select the Lead In tab and change

the 1st Choice to Horizontal Arc
Left, Angle 90.0 and Radius 2.0.

 Click the button Copy to Lead Out.

 Select the Links tab and change

the Short, Long and Safe to Skim.

 Apply and Accept the form.

 The tool now leads into and out of the toolpath with a
horizontal arc.
If the tool lifts it will only lift by the skim distance
taken from the first page of the Leads and Links
form (Z Heights tab).
The Rapid moves at skim height can be seen as
purple in colour where the plunge moves are light
blue.

 Simulate the toolpath in Viewmill.

Other Constant Z Options

Corner Correction to control whether changes of toolpath direction are Arc fitted,
Sharpened or unchanged (None).

The Pocket Machining option if ticked will allow independent machining of local features
such as pockets completely from top to bottom. If unticked the whole area of the component
will be machined at each separate stepdown height.
Optimised Constant Z Machining
This strategy is a mixture of Constant Z and 3D Offset machining. Where the model is steep,
Constant Z is used and for other areas, 3D offset is used.

Closed Offsets if ticked will cause the 3D Offset areas of the machining to be ordered to
occur from outside to inside. The reverse applies if Closed Offsets is unticked.

We will carry on with the camera model for this example

 Deactivate the Shallow BN10_1 boundary in the explorer.

 Select the Toolpath Strategies icon from the top of the screen.
 Select an Optimised Constant Z Finishing strategy from the form then
OK.

 Enter Name – Opt

ConZ BN10

 Select Closed Offsets

 Set a Stepover of 1

 Enter the Tolerance

as 0.02

 Set the Direction to

Climb.

 Reset the Lead In and

Lead Out to None and
set all Links to Safe.

 Apply and Cancel the

form.
 Note the consistent step over between tool
tracks across the whole component.

Optimized Constant Z has worked quite well in this situation but it does take longer to
calculate. Sometimes it is better to use boundaries with a combination of 3D offset and
Constant Z.

 Select the Leads and Links icon from the top of the screen to bring up the
form and select the Links tab.

 Change the Short links to On

Surface.

 Change the Long and Safe links

to Skim.

 Apply and Accept the form.

Optimised Constant Z Exercise

 Generate a new toolpath using the Copy method, with Closed Offsets -
off and use Spiral. Animate to view the difference.
Introduction to NC Programs.
At this stage we will start looking at post processing a single toolpath from the explorer as an
introduction to outputting NC Programs. NC Programs will be covered in more detail later in
the course.

All of the toolpaths that have been created in this chapter

should appear in the explorer like this.
This introduction will concentrate purely on the output of
one single toolpath – Rough Op1.

 Right click over toolpath Rough Op1 in the explorer.

 Select the Create Individual NC Programs option.

An NC Program is created called Rough Op1 and contains

the toolpath.

 Right click over the NC Program (dark green icon) and select Settings.
 The path where the program will be
output.

Before we can post process we need to

specify which option file to use (*.opt).

 Select the folder icon to open

up the Select Machine Option
Filename form.

 Select the [Link] and then Open.

 Select Write at the bottom of the NC Program form.

 Close down the two subsequent forms which confirm the output using

You can view the NC Program by double clicking on it in the C:\ NC Programs folder and
view it in WordPad.