Blend Mill

[SpecialtyTool]

Can someone explain how to use the blend mill toolpath in X5? I just ran across it and it looks like it would be great for the part Im doing but it appears to not use cutter comp. I have a part that is starting square but it gets a funky contour cut on one side and I thought this would work. I thought if I selected the straight line on the side of the part and then my contour it would start with straight cut and blend into the contour. It starts out great but it cuts past by contours geometry. Does it not use cutter comp?

[CJep]

you need to offset the blend contours the radius of the tool

 

[SpecialtyTool]

you need to offset the blend contours the radius of the tool

 

 

I was starting to take that approach. Is there another toolpath that could avoid this? I thought I could use just a dynamic path as an open pocket but I can't find the box to check for open pockets. I used to use it often but been out for a while

[CJep]

The boundary needs to be closed for the HS dynamic toolpaths, there is an open pocket routine but that is a 2D pocket toolpath.

 

Is there another toolpath that could avoid this?

 

No, there is not another toolpath that responds to the geom like the blend toolpath. You know that the blend curves can be flat 2D geom,....they don't need to follow the surface edges.

[SpecialtyTool]

The boundary needs to be closed for the HS dynamic toolpaths, there is an open pocket routine but that is a 2D pocket toolpath.

 

 

 

No, there is not another toolpath that responds to the geom like the blend toolpath. You know that the blend curves can be flat 2D geom,....they don't need to follow the surface edges.

 

Thanks. I am using it 2D. I think it works great for my application I just didn't know I needed to offset my geometry. I tried the dynamic contour but it really requires an even amount of material to be fully utilized and mine is very uneven.

[Bill Henderson]

This is one I just started trying. Glad you asked the question and thanks for the answers.