The Mill module provides and supports 5-axis manufacturing for prismatic parts, including Profiling, Pocketing with support for multiple islands, and Drilling. The Profiling macro allows for area milling, INDEX/COPY support, roughing operations with the ability to define material left, and multiple Z step down machining.

Drilling, with support for standard drill cycles such as Drill, Bore, Tap and Ream, allows you to add your own cycles and animate each cycle during replay. Pocketing provides capabilities for roughing and finishing in the same operation. Helical, ramp or plunge entries are also supported.

The Mill module helps optimize the machining process in terms of minimizing the number of operations and tools required, minimizing the number of tool changes, and minimizing tool paths considering table rotations. The verification of tool motion graphically simulates head or table rotation, z-analysis and detailed cycle motion.

Applicable for both simple and complex part generation, the MILL module will perform the most demanding tasks with little or no adjustments to your engineering model.

Machine Tool Setup

  • Single or multiple parts on a fixture

  • Defines machine environment for program validation

  • Allows definition of multiple origins

  • User definable identification and start up macros

Tool Planning

  • Composite tools for all operations including step drills and in-process inspection

  • Accurate visual verification of tooling

Profile Milling

  • Facing, contouring, slot milling, etc.

  • Circular motion in and out of contour

  • Point to point motion

Pocketing

  • Perform rough and finish operations in the same process

  • Multiple island capability

  • Multiple rough/finish depths

  • Plunge, ramp or helical entry

Drilling

  • Standard predefined drill cycles are supplied

  • User definable cycles (example, for a probe)

Machine Lettering

  • Machine Part Number, etc

  • Wrap lettering around a circle

  • User customizable Fonts

Optimization to Minimize

  • Operations/tools required

  • Tool changes

  • Tool paths considering table rotation and obstacles

Verification Animation for

  • Tool change

  • Head/table rotation

  • Z-analysis

  • Cycle motion