3D Milling

Powerful roughing and finishing - just a few steps to the NC program

Collision check in 3D milling

With the module 3D Milling vectorcam provides an advanced technology for the calculation of 3D toolpaths. Both simple and complex parts can be programmed in a very fast way.

The editing occurs within specified areas or raw part depending. A collision monitoring observes the model geometry as well as defined clamping and machining limits during the whole calculation of milling paths.

The tool is checked with the surfaces to be machined. The holder collision check ensures safe roughing of surfaces and the blank of active machining. When finishing on surfaces, vectorcam offers the possibility to spare or connect these areas.

From Highspeed Cutting to removal of rest material

vectorcam has a wide range of different machining strategies. They enable high-quality processing of free-forms down to the smallest detail. This results in optimal processes for efficient and economical production. The 3D module includes among other things High-speed cutting (HSC), trochoidal-speed cutting (TSC), zigzag-shaped sizing and automatic removal of rest material.

DZ_ENG

I am happy to help!

You are welcome to call me directly.
You can reach me at:

Daniel Zemelka
+49 (0) 5251 - 180 80 13
dz@vectorcam.com

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Machining with the 3D milling module

Hybrid roughing

An important prerequisite for economical production is the fast and efficient removal of large quantities of material. vectorcam therefore offers different techniques for roughing your workpieces. The function “Hybrid roughing” removes high material amounts via high deliveries followed by smaller Z-constant upward cuts. This method significantly reduces the milling time on the CNC machine.

In the left picture you can see the steps through big delivery depths. In the second image, these steps were removed by smaller Z-constant upward cuts. The right picture shows the corresponding toolpaths.

3dmilling_hybridroughing
HSC roughing

The HSC strategy is characterized among other things by soft tangential tool paths.

Further advantages are for example:

  • low lateral offset with an optimum pressure angle
  • low stress on the tool = longer tool life
  • full use of the cutting edge length of the tool
  • shorter machining times
  • soft tangential toolpaths
Blank-dependent roughing

Avoiding air cuts is an important aspect of 3D milling to ensure the fastest and most efficient CNC machining possible.

For this reason, standard machining can use both a rectangle (Figure 1), a 3D model of any shape (Figure 2), or any closed 2D contour.

 

3dmilling_blank-dependentroughing
Finishing

vectorcam offers a variety of different 3D finishing strategies.Just pick one of the different methods - depending on which function suits your model best: 

  • Finishing Z-constant (including mold intersections)
  • Finishing x-parallel or along any angle
  • Automatic level ranges / constant roughness depth (surface-based or with guide curve)
  • 3D fillet inner
  • 3D projection milling (3D engraving)
  • Residual material in several functions
  • different delivery types disposable, zig-zag and spiral
3dmilling_finishing
3D engraving

With the 3D-Engraving any text as well as geometries can be projected on a 3D model. The machining then takes place in several depth sections.

3D engraving
Rest material

Removing rest material is not always easy, it often costs additional manual labor and thus time. vectorcam reliably removes rest material and thus provides a better result.

Rest material processing in 3D roughing is possible on the basis of unmachined aswell as predecessor tools. In 3D finishing, the rest material detection can be used in various functions. 

For example, you can use the function "Finishing" in the Z-constant / X-parallel / constant surface roughness / 3D inner fillet to create smaller areas.

3dmilling_restmaterial
  • Hybrid roughing
    reduces milling times
  • HSC roughing
    Offset-Parallel Adaptive (Trochidal)
  • Practice-oriented processing options
    for fast efficient NC programming
  • Efficient rest material processing
    removal of the remaining material in roughing & finishing
  • Collision check
    Tool and holder collision
  • Workpiece depending machining
    to avoid air cuts in any 2D & 3D shape

Powerful 3D milling strategies with vectorcam

  • Roughing & finishing of 3D surface / solid models
  • Automatic 3D rest material machining in roughing and finishing
  • 3D collision test on tool and holder
  • Blank-dependent machining
  • Derive boundary curves from the 3D model
  • Various limiting options (2D limitation, silhouette, angle range)
  • Different delivery methods one-way, zig-zag spiral
  • Smooth approach to surfaces
  • Z-constant roughing (Parallel / Offset / Adaptive / Trochidal)
  • Z-Constant finishing (Adaptive / Spiral etc.)
  • X-parallel (adaptive / smoothing, etc.)
  • Constant roughness (with guide curve / spiral, etc.)
  • Automatic flat lands
  • 3D inner fillet
  • Finishing between 2 curves
  • ...and many more

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