Strategy Parameters

Tool Axis

The Tool Axis command in the Turning Operations dialog box is represented by an arrow when creating a part operation.

Grooving mode

Standard: When you choose this option, the standard sections are shown in the dialog box.

Concentric: When you choose this option, the Concentric section appears in the dialog box. This section contains the following parameters:

Movement: has movement options for One-Way and Zig-Zag.
Reverse pass: this parameter is enabled if the Zig-Zag option is chosen.
Contouring ratio: this parameter is enabled if the Part contouring check box is selected.

Orientation

Specifies the orientation of the groove to be machined as:

Internal
External
Frontal
Other: Specifies the Angle of Incline, for an Other orientation.

The selected orientation defines the type of geometric relimitation to be done between the rough stock and part geometry to determine the area to machine.

Location

Groove turning in Frontal Orientation supports Groove turning at Front and Back Location.

Location of turning:

Front: This indicates that Machining direction is toward the head rough stock. The toolpath for Front Location.
Back: This indicates that the Machining direction is from head rough stock. The toolpath for Back Location.

First Plunge Position

Specifies a first plunge position depending on the groove orientation. You can specify:

Right, Center, or Left for Internal orientation.
Right, Center, or Left for External orientation.
Up, Center, Down, or Automatic for Frontal orientation.
The position of the first plunge for Automatic is deduced from the minimum and maximum cut diameters of tool. The position is calculated as: (Minimum cut radius + Maximum cut radius)/2.
Right of Groove, Left of Groove, Center for Other orientation.

Next Plunges Position

Specifies a next plunge position.

This option is activated when First Plunge Position is set to Center. You can specify:

To Head rough stock, From Head rough stock, or Single Plunge for Internal orientation.
To Head rough stock, From Head rough stock, or Single Plunge for External orientation.
To Spindle, From Spindle, or Single Plunge for Frontal orientation.
Right of Groove, Left of Groove, or Single Plunge for Other orientation.

Next Plunges Position is suitable for machining a narrow groove, possibly using the Grooving by level and Chip break options. In the Single plunge case, Part Contouring is not available.

Grooving by Level

Select this check box to machine the groove in one or more levels. Multiple-levels mode is particularly useful when the groove is too deep to machine in one level.

In this case Max depth of level defines the maximum depth of each level. If it is greater than the Maximum depth of cut defined on the tool, the value on the tool is taken into account. During return motion at the end of a level, the tool returns at Rapid or Air-cutting feedrate to the first pass of a new grooving level up to a Max approach distance. The feedrate then reduces to lead-in feedrate for this approach distance.

Part Contouring

Select the check box if contouring is required. This option allows you to request machining under the spindle axis, when orientation is in frontal mode. This option also allows you to specify corner processing parameters.

The part profile is followed at the end of grooving. This is done by machining down the sides of the groove to clear the profile. Part Contouring is done based on collision checking between the tool insert and rough stock/part profiles. This means the contouring path, which is collision free, may lead to incomplete part contouring based on the geometry of the rough stock and part profile selected during geometry definition. To get complete Part Contouring, geometry of the rough stock and part profile selected during geometry definition must account for any collisions between tool insert and geometry.

Under Spindle Axis Machining

This allows you to request machining under the spindle axis. This option is available when Orientation is in Frontal mode.

Tool Compensation

Select a tool compensation number corresponding to the required tool output point.

The usable compensation numbers are defined on the tool assembly linked to the machining operation.

By default, the output point corresponding to type P9 is used, if you do not select a tool compensation number.

Change Output Point

Set the Change Output Point check box to automatically manage the change of output point.

If the output point is consistent with the flank of the groove to be machined, the output point is changed when the other flank of the groove is machined. At the end of the Machining Operation, the output point is the same as it was at the start of the Machining Operation. See Tool Output Point Change.

Max Depth of Cut

Specifies the maximum distance between plunges.

Options

Gouging Safety Angle

Angle attributes on the grooving insert are taken into account to avoid collision by reducing the maximum slope on which the tool can machine. The Gouging Safety Angle allows you to further reduce this slope.

A gouging angle can also be defined on the insert-holder to define the maximum slope on which the tool can machine. In this case and if the Insert-Holder Constraints setting is applied, the angle that reduces the slope the most is taken into account.

Insert-holder constraints

Specifies insert-holder constraints as:

Ignore
Apply

The following attributes (located on the Insert-holder's Technology tab) may influence machining: See Creating and Editing Milling, Drilling, and Probing Tools.

Gouging angle
Trailing angle
Leading angle
Maximum recessing depth
Maximum cutting depth
Maximum boring depth

These attributes take tooling accessibility into account and may reduce the machined area.

Note: Use the Insert-Holder Constraints option to either ignore or apply these attributes. You can replay the operation to verify the influence of these attributes on the generated tool path.

Insert-holder constraints are applied if the sum of tool setup angle and angle of groove incline (if defined) is less than 45 degrees.
The Insert-holder constraints setting does not influence the Gouging Safety Angle or Max Depth of cut.

Chip Break

Select this check box if chip clearing is to be done during machining.

In this case you must specify:

Chip plunge distance
Chip break retract distance
Chip clear distance

Machining Tolerance

Specifies the maximum allowed distance between the theoretical and computed tool path.

Lead-in Distance

Specifies Lead-in Distance with respect to the cutting direction. It takes the rough stock profile and rough stock clearance into account.

The tool is in RAPID mode before this distance.

Attack Distance

Specifies Attack Distance with respect to the cutting direction and the rough stock profile with a rough stock clearance. Once the attack distance has been run through, the tool moves at machining feedrate.

These options allow penetration into the workpiece at a reduced feedrate to prevent tool damage. When tool motion between two passes is in contact with the part profile, to avoid collisions the corresponding feed is the lift-off feedrate and not RAPID.

Lift-off Distance and Lift-off Angle

Specifies the Lift-off Distance and Lift-off Angle parameters to define the lift-off vector at the end of each pass with respect to the cutting direction.

The figure below shows the effect of a positive lift-off angle for external machining (1 - Cutting Direction, 2 - Lift-off vector, 3 - Positive lift-off angle).

Corner Processing Parameters

Entry, Exit, and Other corners

Entry Corner means the first corner on the Part profile in the specified machining direction and Exit Corner means the last corner on the Part profile in the specified machining direction. Corner processing is proposed for Entry, Exit, and Other corners. . The Entry/Exit corners are determined according to the specified machining direction and not by the tool motion.

You can specify:

None: No corners are to be machined along the profile.
Chamfer: Only 90 degree corners of the profile are chamfered.
Rounded: All corners of the profile are rounded.

The following options availability depends on the following conditions:

Chamfer Length: If Other corner processing mode is Chamfer.
Corner Radius: If Other corner processing mode is Rounded.
Entry Corner Chamfer Length: On the first flank of groove when Entry corner processing mode is Chamfer.
Entry Corner Radius: On the first flank of groove when Entry corner processing mode is Corner.
Entry Corner Angle: On the first flank of groove when Entry corner processing mode is Corner.
Exit Corner Chamfer Length: On the last flank of groove when Exit cornerprocessing mode is Chamfer.
Exit Corner Radius: On the last flank of groove when Exit corner processing mode is Corner.
Exit Corner Angle: On the last flank of groove when Exit corner processing mode is Corner.

User Parameters

See Adding a User Parameter.