2D Profile Cutting Using ArtCAM

Digital Media Lab Tutorial Written By: John Eberhart

Click on Create New Model and Set it to the size of the stock material you are planning to cut. In this case I will be cutting a 4-0 x 8-0 x 3/4 piece of plywood

Click on 3D to see your work piece in 3D

Work piece Loaded

Import your Vectored Data to be Milled

Imported Part At this point, if you were making a number of the same part, you could perform a nesting operation to create and arrange multiple parts. To do this click on Vectors>Nest Vectors and follow the nesting tutorial on the DM Online Website, or see a DM Staff member for assistance.

20 Parts nested together. 1/4 tool diameter and a 1/2 part and tool clearance.

Creating your 2D Tool Paths

After your parts are arranged and ready to go, click on the Tool paths tab at the bottom of ArtCAM When Milling a thin flat material like plywood, you are going to need a number of holes drilled in the material so you can hold down the individual pieces as they are being cut. Typically this is factored into the overall design. In this example there are holes in the parts by which I can drill a hole and then screw the uncut parts to the table. To create a Drill pattern, click on Drill

Click the drop arrow and set the Machine safe to 2 Set the Z value to 2 as well. This is the safe clearance. Note: In the mill setup, set the mill safe clearance to a number LARGER than 2. Under tool click the Select Button to select your tool size. See Next Page for Tool Settings Choose Selected Vectors Note: You need to manually select the holes you want drilled BEFORE you click Calculate Use Peck Drilling if you are using an end Mill this is easier on the tool. Retraction to 0 will allow the end mill to raise to the material surface before going back into the hole as it pecks away at the hole. Choose Auto>Optimized Sequencing, this will give you the most efficient drill pattern Double Check your material thickness.

Give your tool path a name and choose calculate Now

Click Close when done. Do not click calculate Now twice.

When you hit the Select Tool button in ArtCAM, the following window will appear Choose a tool to use. In this case I choose a 1/4 diameter End Mill. Click Edit after you choose a tool.

In the edit tools window, set your Step Down and Step Over rates for your tool. Rule of Thumb: Step Down = 1/2 the bit diameter Step Over = 1/3 of the bits diameter or 75% Set Spindle to 12000 rpm and leave feed and plunge as defaults. That is set on the mill.

After you calculate your drill pattern and click on Close, you will return to the tool path window. You will now see the drill pattern tool path show up at the bottom of your tool paths window.

Drill Pattern Saved as a tool path

Simulating the drill pattern tool path

Click on the 3D button to switch to 3D model mode.

Click on the Calculate Tool path button, and you will see holes being drilled in the window.

Creating a 2D Profile Cut around your parts

Click on the 2D Profiling tool path button

My Part has an interior slot that I want to mill first and then I am going to cut the outside profile. Since I am going to cut the inside of the part, I want my bit to mill the inside of this profile. Select Inside to mill the interior pocket Double Check you Depth Settings

Double Check your Machine safe settings Set the tool you want to use. Refer to previous pages on how to set your tool parameters. Leave Climb Cutting on. It will give you a clean cut If you know how lead in and lead out work as well as ramp angles, then feel free to set. Otherwise you can leave this unchecked by default. Leave Sequencing set to Auto and Optimized. This will give you the most efficient cut. Double Check your Material Settings

Name the Tool Path Select the profiles you want to cut and then click Calculate Now. Click Close when done. Run the tool path simulation (See Previous Pages) to see the interior profile cut.

The last Step is to cut the outside profile of the part

Click outside to mill the outside profile

Note: If you want to leave a bit of material at the bottom of the cut, set your depth to slightly less than the overall depth of the material. This way you do not have to worry about your material getting loose while it is being cut.

Set these settings to the same as the previous sheet

2D part tool paths

Run the tool path simulation in 3D, and this is what it will look like.

At the top of the tool path tab, you will see your tool paths stacking up. Drilling pattern cut Interior profile cut Outside Profile cut

Posting out your files to the Precix or Roland Mills:

To post your files, or in other words, convert your toolpath data to code that the various mills recognize, you need to post process your jobs. To do this in ArtCAM, click on the Save Tool path Icon. List of calculated tool paths Use arrows to arrange the cutting order of your various cutting jobs.

Click on Arrows to load the toolpaths into the current post list.

Select the type of machine to post the job for.

Click the Save Button and browse to where you would like to post your file. Once Saved you can open the post job in Note Pad

Finally, load the job into the mill and you are ready to go.