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Open Pockets, Closed Pockets and Helical Entry Control. The diferences between selecting Edges vs. Faces for pocket boundaries.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
7 min.
Transcript
00:03
In Fusion, 2D Adaptive toolpaths are frequently used for clearing out pocket areas due to their efficient calculation of toolpaths.
00:13
This can be especially useful for oddly shaped pockets with sharp corners.
00:25
It can rough the outside to leave a boss standing, or rough the inside of closed or open pocket boundaries.
00:33
There may be open and closed pockets on your part, and Fusion can machine both with the same operation.
00:40
In the Manufacture workspace, Milling toolbar, 2D group, select 2D Adaptive Clearing.
00:49
In this example, there is already a tool selected, but for roughing out the pockets, a smaller tool is needed.
00:57
From the 2D Adaptive dialog, Tool tab, click Select to open the Tool Library, where you can switch your cutting tool.
01:06
Under Document, click Intro to 2D Machining to show only the tools for this project.
01:12
Select tool 5 (3/8 Flat End Mill) from the list, and then click Select.
01:20
In the 2D Adaptive dialog, the default Speeds & Feeds for this tool are acceptable, so you can switch to the Geometry tab.
01:29
Both the open and closed pockets need to be cut.
01:33
The tooltip for Pocket Selections indicates that faces, edges, or sketch geometry can be selected to define the cutting boundary.
01:42
Selecting a face may yield a different result than picking an edge, but both are preferable to picking a sketch.
01:49
The face and edge are directly associated with the model,
01:54
so if the model changes, the related toolpath will update.
01:59
Associative toolpaths are always superior to being attached to a set of static sketch geometry.
02:06
As a rule for selecting the area to machine: If the face has holes in it, pick the edge.
02:13
If there are no holes, pick the face.
02:17
To illustrate this, pick the face at the bottom of the closed pocket, then click OK.
02:23
Rotate the model and zoom in to see that the toolpath rapids down and then starts its side cutting on the pocket.
02:31
The face that was selected has a hole in it, so Fusion assumes that it can plunge into that hole.
02:38
However, there is material in the pocket.
02:42
In the Browser, right-click the toolpath and select Edit.
02:47
Back on the Geometry tab, click the X next to your pocket selection to delete it.
02:53
This time, select the edge of the pocket, and then click OK.
02:58
Now, a red helix that cuts its way down the final depth is visible.
03:04
A face sees the whole, whereas an edge sees the boundary.
03:09
In the Browser, right-click the toolpath again and select Edit.
03:14
On the Geometry tab, delete your pocket selection.
03:19
This time, select the edge of the open pocket.
03:23
See how the blue cutting area extends out to the tangency of the radius.
03:29
Delete the selection, and pick the face.
03:34
Now, it is only evaluating the boundary of the face.
03:38
This can make a difference in your results, depending on how you pick the cutting area of your pocket.
03:45
Pick the face on the opposite side, and then pick the edge of each of the closed pockets.
03:52
Switch to the Heights tab.
03:55
Your bottom height is set in reference to the selected contour.
03:59
Even though the two pocket types are at different heights,
04:02
Fusion will cut them to the correct depth because the depth is associated with the selected contour.
04:09
This also means that if someone changes the depth of any of these pockets on the model,
04:14
the toolpath will update without you having to change any parameters.
04:19
Next, switch to the Passes tab.
04:22
The Optimal Load is showing 0.075 inches, which is 20% of the 3/8" tool diameter.
04:31
This confirms that the formula is working.
04:35
Stock to Leave should be selected.
04:38
Set the Radial Stock to Leave to 0.02 and the Axial Stock to Leave to 0.
04:45
This will leave stock on the walls, but not on the floor.
04:49
Finally, select the checkbox next to the Smoothing option.
04:54
On the Linking tab, in the Ramp group, note that the Ramp Type is set to Helix.
05:01
This is how it enters the solid area of the closed pocket.
05:06
Place the pointer over this setting to open the tooltip to see the other available ramp types.
05:12
The Helical Ramp Diameter and Minimum Ramp Diameter values are based on formulas.
05:19
There is nothing for you to change here,
05:21
but you can click the More menu for these settings and select Edit Expression to see the formula for each.
05:28
Click OK to generate a toolpath that roughs the excess material from the open and closed pockets.
05:35
Save your model if you want to continue working on it.
Video transcript
00:03
In Fusion, 2D Adaptive toolpaths are frequently used for clearing out pocket areas due to their efficient calculation of toolpaths.
00:13
This can be especially useful for oddly shaped pockets with sharp corners.
00:25
It can rough the outside to leave a boss standing, or rough the inside of closed or open pocket boundaries.
00:33
There may be open and closed pockets on your part, and Fusion can machine both with the same operation.
00:40
In the Manufacture workspace, Milling toolbar, 2D group, select 2D Adaptive Clearing.
00:49
In this example, there is already a tool selected, but for roughing out the pockets, a smaller tool is needed.
00:57
From the 2D Adaptive dialog, Tool tab, click Select to open the Tool Library, where you can switch your cutting tool.
01:06
Under Document, click Intro to 2D Machining to show only the tools for this project.
01:12
Select tool 5 (3/8 Flat End Mill) from the list, and then click Select.
01:20
In the 2D Adaptive dialog, the default Speeds & Feeds for this tool are acceptable, so you can switch to the Geometry tab.
01:29
Both the open and closed pockets need to be cut.
01:33
The tooltip for Pocket Selections indicates that faces, edges, or sketch geometry can be selected to define the cutting boundary.
01:42
Selecting a face may yield a different result than picking an edge, but both are preferable to picking a sketch.
01:49
The face and edge are directly associated with the model,
01:54
so if the model changes, the related toolpath will update.
01:59
Associative toolpaths are always superior to being attached to a set of static sketch geometry.
02:06
As a rule for selecting the area to machine: If the face has holes in it, pick the edge.
02:13
If there are no holes, pick the face.
02:17
To illustrate this, pick the face at the bottom of the closed pocket, then click OK.
02:23
Rotate the model and zoom in to see that the toolpath rapids down and then starts its side cutting on the pocket.
02:31
The face that was selected has a hole in it, so Fusion assumes that it can plunge into that hole.
02:38
However, there is material in the pocket.
02:42
In the Browser, right-click the toolpath and select Edit.
02:47
Back on the Geometry tab, click the X next to your pocket selection to delete it.
02:53
This time, select the edge of the pocket, and then click OK.
02:58
Now, a red helix that cuts its way down the final depth is visible.
03:04
A face sees the whole, whereas an edge sees the boundary.
03:09
In the Browser, right-click the toolpath again and select Edit.
03:14
On the Geometry tab, delete your pocket selection.
03:19
This time, select the edge of the open pocket.
03:23
See how the blue cutting area extends out to the tangency of the radius.
03:29
Delete the selection, and pick the face.
03:34
Now, it is only evaluating the boundary of the face.
03:38
This can make a difference in your results, depending on how you pick the cutting area of your pocket.
03:45
Pick the face on the opposite side, and then pick the edge of each of the closed pockets.
03:52
Switch to the Heights tab.
03:55
Your bottom height is set in reference to the selected contour.
03:59
Even though the two pocket types are at different heights,
04:02
Fusion will cut them to the correct depth because the depth is associated with the selected contour.
04:09
This also means that if someone changes the depth of any of these pockets on the model,
04:14
the toolpath will update without you having to change any parameters.
04:19
Next, switch to the Passes tab.
04:22
The Optimal Load is showing 0.075 inches, which is 20% of the 3/8" tool diameter.
04:31
This confirms that the formula is working.
04:35
Stock to Leave should be selected.
04:38
Set the Radial Stock to Leave to 0.02 and the Axial Stock to Leave to 0.
04:45
This will leave stock on the walls, but not on the floor.
04:49
Finally, select the checkbox next to the Smoothing option.
04:54
On the Linking tab, in the Ramp group, note that the Ramp Type is set to Helix.
05:01
This is how it enters the solid area of the closed pocket.
05:06
Place the pointer over this setting to open the tooltip to see the other available ramp types.
05:12
The Helical Ramp Diameter and Minimum Ramp Diameter values are based on formulas.
05:19
There is nothing for you to change here,
05:21
but you can click the More menu for these settings and select Edit Expression to see the formula for each.
05:28
Click OK to generate a toolpath that roughs the excess material from the open and closed pockets.
05:35
Save your model if you want to continue working on it.
Adaptive Clearing Toolpaths are commonly used for pocketing out large areas. Because of the way Adaptive Clearing calculates toolpaths, it is very efficient for odd shaped pockets with sharp corners. It can rough the outside to leave a boss standing, rough the inside of a closed boundary and even clear out open pockets.
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