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Re-machining, to me, is the most critical part of cutting 60 Rockwell materials. To be effective your re-machining has to be intelligent enough to go back in and pick out only the excess material. This is where stock model recognition comes into play. Without it, you can't go back in there and remove the material that is left effectively and efficiently.

So in re-machining I am looking for the removal of stock that is left in the corners from the previous tool without cutting out the material I want left behind. I also don't want to add excess time. Arc fitting in corners comes back into play at this point.

With good stock model recognition I can effectively re-machine and not worry about the size of the arc in the corners. I arc big and then go back in with a smaller tool and remove excess material. I also want to be able to use a Z-level and offset control based on the set angle.

I want to be able to control whether or not to do a Z-level or a collapsing offset routine. So if I set inside of my re-machining tool path where I set inside of my re-machining setting at 35 degrees, then I want it to cut off between the two. I want it to Z-level at 35 degrees from zero to 35 and if it is 35 to 90 degrees, I want it to do Z-level offset.

I also want it to be able to go back in and do multi-paths. What I mean my multi-paths is if I set an overload condition or I tell it that the step over is four thou, often times when you do a re-machining if there is excess material based on the size of the tool it will go back in there and remove it anyway. I want it to physically offset before it removes all that material and make an extra pass. Based on that extra pass I want the machine to maintain that same step-over. If my finish is four thou worth of step-over I want it to always be four thou. I don't want it to be four thou and in some cases six thou or eight thou. I want it to always be four thou and be able for the software to recognize that it is always four thou.

The next we thing we need to mention is gouge-checking. It is important to have the ability to check the tool holder, to check the tool, and to check the spindle position. We want to know where all this information is located during the machining process. This is important when we are trying to avoid hitting our part. If I have an extended tool reach or an extended tool length, for example I am using a slim-line holder, I can model up that holder, put it into my software, and allow the software to tell me how long that tool needs to be. This minimizes the tool overhang. It allows us to walk away from the part. I can be a programmer/operator running two machines not having to stand there watching my machine to make sure that my tool holder is not going to run into my part. I know it won't run into my part because I have designed it up. I have modeled it up. I gouge checked it. I made sure that it won't hit my part.