I use 1000 ipm for the back feedrate on a verticial and 2000 ipm on a horizontal machine. The parts I have on the horizontal are large so the toolpath seems to spend half the time in a backfeed move to get around the part. I was testing the zigzag to keep the tool in the cut and it does trim a few minutes out of the cycle time. Also, I keep the climb and conventional feedrates the same. Has anyone used the different Motions, Gap size, retracts to cut down on the back feedrate moves?

I was wanting to get some feed back on using the zigzag cutting method in the dynamic toolpaths. I am milling 6061 and using the climb cut method but it cuts a lot of air on the back feed so I tried zigzag to keep the tool in the cut. I get the same spindle load in both directions but I wanted to know if the tool is wearing faster with zigzag? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I wanted to get some feed back on the relationship between metal removal rate and spindle load. With the three variables in MRR being feedrate, depth of cut, and stepover can you say that the spindle load will be the same no matter how you change the variables to keep the same MRR. I was wondering if you could put a value on the variable would feedrate consume the least amount of load, then depth of cut, then stepover. If so then feedrate would be the most efficient way to remove stock material. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.