Geometry which limits the tool movements

 

Mill window – curve (sketch or edges) which defines x y boundary.  Tool machines stock material inside boundary until it encounters reference model surfaces.

 

 

Method:

  • Select a Window Plane (sketchplane)
  • In the Dashboard, select the Sketch window type icon
  • Select the front (not top) face of the block to face to bottom
  • Select sketch references – the coordinate system is simplest
  • Sketch or copy edges to create window
  • Under Options the default is to limit your tool movement to inside the window, this can be changed to on or outside the window.

Referencing existing edges

An underused tool which is useful when creating Mill Windows is the Project edge tool in sketcher.  A mill window needs to be robustly referenced to the edges in the reference model – if your reference model changes, the mill geometry will change.

DO NOT copy any edges or curves which are generated by external geometry – if you have used Component Operations > Cut Out to generate the geometry

The cutter may also follow a curve in a Trajectory sequence, in this case the curve is selected within the sequence.

 

 

Mill Volume

Select surfaces or create a feature to represent a Mill Volume.  Selecting surfaces is a long process, it is usually easier to use extrudes etc. or use a Mill Window.

You can create rounds on your Mill Volume.  Once you have the volume feature completed, click on the Mill Volume Tool icon in the right toolbar and select the Round tool icon in the right toolbar.  Select the edges in your mill volume.