Creating a Profile Contouring Operation: Between Curve and Surfaces

You can create a Profile Contouring operation in Between Curve and Surfaces mode.

See Also
Profile Contouring
Selecting Guiding and Relimiting Elements
Defining a Virtual Bottom Plane
  1. From the Prismatic Machining section of the action bar, click Profile Contouring .

    The Profile Contouring operation appears under the manufacturing program. The Profile Contouring dialog box opens directly at the Geometry tab .

    The top guiding curve and part bottom in the icon are colored red indicating that this geometry is required for defining the operation. All other geometry is optional.

  2. In the Geometry tab, do the following:
    1. Set the Contouring mode to Between Curve and Surfaces .
    2. Click the red bottom in the icon, then select the bottom surface of the part in the work area.
    3. Click top guiding curve in the icon, then select the top edge of the part in the work area.
    4. Click the first relimiting element in the icon, then select a vertical edge at one end of the part in the work area.
    5. Click the second relimiting element in the icon, then select the vertical edge at the other end of the part in the work area.
    6. If needed, set offsets on the geometric elements.

    For more information, see Selecting Geometry.

    The guide and limit elements of the icon are now colored green indicating that this geometry is now defined. These are also indicated on the part.

    You can use Collision Checking to activate collision checking between the tool and guide elements during macro motions.
  3. In the Strategy tab , do the following:
    1. Select a Tool path style.
    2. Set the other machining parameters. For more information, see Strategy Parameters.
  4. In the Tool tab , select a tool.

    For more information, see Assigning a Tool Element to a Machining Operation.

  5. In the Feeds and Speeds tab , specify the feedrates and spindle speed parameters for the operation.
  6. In the Macro tab , add approach and retract motions to the operation.

  7. Click Display or Simulate to check the validity of the operation.

    For more information, see Simulating the Tool Path.



  8. Click OK to create the operation.