Arc Filter/Tolerance for Surface Finishing

[Mark Baker CNC Software]

We have done a bit of testing on Surface Finish. The quick and easy answer to getting a good surface finish is "Cut Tolerance", the tighter the tolerance the better you're going to be.

 

Smoothing is good if you need liner output or if you want to shift your points.

 

If you are using the arc filter there is one setting that you should set - "tighten arc filter tolerance". What  can happen is that Mastercam will try to fit an arc and if it can't it will linearize the output uses the combine tolerance and may get facets. With the "tighten arc filter tolerance" setting  Mastercam may not fit an arc, then it will break up the output using the tighter tolerance.

 

Keep in mind that Waterline toolpath preserves the arc output so you should get arc output without using the arc filter.

 

Also run an indicator and see how much your endmill runs out. An endmill that runs out .0015 will greatly reduce your surface finish.