Process

To ensure that the cycle is executed successfully, the following requirements must be met.

• The tool radius is defined by V.G.WZ_AKT.R
• Tool length compensation is active.
• The spindle speed must be selected before the cycle is started.
• The slot centres can be reached without collision starting from the current position at the height of the retraction plane.
• A maximum of 3 systems may be active or defined when the cycle is called to ensure that sufficient machining coordinate systems (#CS) are available for the cycle.

Within the cycle, the centre of each slot is approached and the tool is fed incrementally along the Z axis. The slot is then again milled plane-by-plane from the inside out for every machining height incrementally. When the slot is fully milled at the current machining height, the tool is retracted to the safety clearance in XY (@P13, relative) at the feedrate in a semicircle and repositioned back at the centre (XY plane) at rapid traverse. It is then positioned at feedrate at the next machining height.

Roughing process

At the start of roughing, the start point for every slot is approached via the centre of the slot in the XY plane at the height of the retraction plane. The infeed is first to the safety plane at rapid traverse along the Z axis followed by a vertical (@P32=1) or helical (@P32=2) or oscillating (@P32=3) infeed to the machining height at the feedrate.

The beginning of the slot is started with the oscillating infeed. When the required infeed depth is reached, the milling cutter is positioned at the centre of the slot. At this start point, an iterative feed takes place up to the new machining height at the feedrate defined in @P21 until the slot depth @P4 is reached with the addition of the finishing allowance at the base (@P15). The maximum feed in Z per pass is the maximum feed in Z at the maximum value defined in @P5.

At every machining height, the slot is again milled from the centre outwards incrementally at infeed in a semicircle. The clearance of the paths between one pass around never exceeds the maximum value of the maximum feed in XY defined in @P6.

To avoid jerky movements in the milling path and thus relieve the machine tool, it may be useful to activate polynomial smoothing during roughing. This also leads to an accelerated execution of the milling cycle. The parameterisation of polynomial smoothing should be made dependent on the selected finishing allowance in order to avoid damage to the outer contour. To avoid residue, the maximum infeed in XY must then be reduced.

The milling cycle with polynomial smoothing can be called as follows:

#CONTOUR MODE [DEV, PATH_DEV = V.G.WZ_AKT.R / 10 ]  ( Parameterisation )

G261                             ( Activation of polynomial contouring )

L CYCLE [NAME = SysMill... ]                                ( Roughing )

G260                           ( Deactivation of polynomial contouring )

L CYCLE [NAME = SysMill... ]                               ( Finishing )

M30

Finishing process

The start point mentioned for roughing is also approached as the starting position for finishing. From there, an interative feed takes place up to the new machining height until the slot depth @P5 is reached. The maximum infeed per pass is the maximum infeed in Z at the maximum value defined in @P5.

A distinction is made between two cases for the milling operation at each machining height:

• If no finishing allowance at the base needs to be removed at the current machining height, only the finishing allowance at the edge of the slot is removed. Infeed is vertical.
• If the current machining height also involves a removal of the finishing allowance at the base, the complete slot must be again machined at this height until the correct dimensions are reached. Infeed in Z is vertical (@P32=1) or helical (@P32=2) or oscillating (@P32=3).