SysMillContourPocket - Mill contour pocket

This cycle is used to mill a contour pocket.

The geometrical description of the contour pocket in the X and Y axes is provided by a contour definition Contour definition.

Up to 10 island contours can be added to the contour pocket. To facilitate use of contour milling, the contour of the pocket can overlap the island regions. The relevant areas can be calculated from this by using an internal intersection point calculation.

Island contours may not overlap. If island contours overlap, they must be programmed as one island contour.

It is possible to machine a contour pocket with different milling cutter radii. For more information on this, see the related Cycle description.

To mill the contour pocket, the tool is lowered over a calculated plunge point. With complex contour pockets it may be necessary to perform a second plunge during surface machining. If the milling cutter does not cut over centre, the plunge points can be calculated in advance and machined in a predrilling cycle.

In the cycle, the tool is fed incrementally with a vertical or helical movement along the Z axis and the pocket is milled out in parallel to the contour at each machining height. To avoid residue, infeed in the XY plane is limited to the tool radius.

Attention

If the contour pocket contains islands or complex geometrical shapes, it is possible that the maximum infeed in the XY plane is violated and the milling cutter enters the material at full circumference. This must be considered when the milling feed is selected.