Tech Tuesday is a weekly blog that addresses some of the most common questions and concerns that I hear throughout the previous week from users of BobCAD-CAM software. Both customers and future customers are more than welcome to leave a comment on what they would like to see covered for the following Tech Tuesday. Enjoy!
BobCAM’s V6 Mill 3 Axis CAM software delivers better finishes in less time with smarter machining options. If you ever had frustration with quickly calculating speeds on larger jobs, perhaps you will find our improved Advanced Pocket Calculation useful. Maybe you just wish you had more control over the machining process? Keep reading, because we have made improvements geared exactly towards that. Let’s jump into what makes this software a winner for your shop.
3 Axis Standard Enhancements
Improved Advanced Pocket Calculation 
When it comes to roughing cycles, it’s hard to compete with the Adaptive Roughing pattern in the Advanced Pocket Toolpath for a quicker, more efficient Toolpath. But as you know, the larger the job and the tighter the tolerance, the longer it takes to compute. This makes a great Toolpath that much better by improving calculation speeds and providing smoother Lead-In motions. Tests put the speed calculation improvements from 20% to an amazing 90%.
Upgraded Open Shape Definition
Making your software start its cut in a voided space can save a lot of time, but users risk air cuts. To help alleviate this problem, Internal hole boundaries are now currently supported for Advanced Pockets, being indicated by dashed entities.
Mill 3 Axis Pro Enhancements (*shows options that are shared between more than one Toolpath)
Gouge Checking*
When machining, control is king. Having the control to handle certain surfaces or areas differently can be immensely useful when programming your final product. That’s why we added Gouge Checks for all Mill Pro Toolpaths. This option is not only handly for gouge checking, it also provides more control for the user over how particular surfaces are handled. Avoid particular surfaces, or even choose surfaces to give additional allowance to. A really handy feature for users that desire the utmost control from their CAM software.
STL Stock Model REST Finishing*
Machinists from all over strive to obtain the cleanest finish possible with the least amount of time spent doing so. In an effort to create the shortest program possible, new REST Finishing options have been added to the Advanced Planar, Advanced Z Level Finish, Equidistant and Project Curves Toolpaths.
Here are 2 great solutions for handling your REST Finishing needs:
1. Utilizing the Previous Tool Information- This solution is very helpful for when using a similar Toolpath while utilizing a smaller tool to clean up the areas where the larger tool didn’t fit. We reinforced this feature with a new 3D trimming boundary to give you the most accurate calculation possible.
2. New STL Stock Model- There are many variables that can happen in machining prior to finishing, so the most accurate calculation is to use the stock model as-is before figuring out the best places to cut.
Better Angle Range Calculations*
Our Angle Range option has been a wonderful way for our users to increase their control over exactly where a cut must be made. Now, utilize the Angle Range feature in Mill 3 Axis Pro for a higher degree of accuracy, thanks to an improved algorithm driving the calculations. It’s that simple.
Advanced Rough
Better Toolpath Quality and Calculation Speed
Since every job needs to be roughed out anyway, nothing comes close to the Advanced Rough Toolpath for quickness and efficiency. We made a good Toolpath better with this enhancement, leading to faster calculation speeds (20-90% faster) and smoother Lead-in motions.
Parallel Cutting – Profile After
A recurring theme in the new V6 Mill 3 Axis Pro is additional control over your machining process. Advanced Rough now gives you the choice to turn “Profile After” on and off while the Parallel pattern is being used. Profile After will create an additional profile pass at the end of each depth. Additionally, a spacing option is provided to control how close the initial passes are to the profile.
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Give your tool the most power with the “Detect Stock Thicker Than” feature for the Advanced Rough Toolpath. Users can now focus their Toolpath on stock that consists of a particular range of thickness. Establishing a thickness value will force the Toolpath to ignore any part of the stock that doesn’t meet the value, no need to create new geometry as a boundary.
Tool Outside, Inside, Center and Offset Boundaries for Advanced Rough
Our customers love the boundary options on the Mill Pro finishing passes so much that we added it to Advanced Rough too. Meaning, you are able to set the tool in the positions of center, stay inside, stay outside or offset its facing from the boundary, no need to create that time-consuming additional geometry.
Flatlands
Parallel and Adaptive Patterns for Flatlands
Flatlands is an amazingly helpful tool for facing off all the flat areas of your part without the need to set a depth. However, users were only able to apply one pattern option. BobCAM V6 addresses this issue, adding 2 more patterns for you to utilize. There is an Offset style pattern with a Parallel and an Adaptive Roughing style pattern.
Advanced Planar
Round Corners
Maximum Deviation replaces the Radius value for Round Corners in the Advanced Planar Toolpath.
Step Down
The Advanced Planar Toolpath now comes with a Step Down option, affording you the ability to use multiple passes.
Advanced Z-Level Finish
Full Contour Pass Options
Maybe you are one of the people that requested additional options for this next enhancement. By default, the Spiral pattern on the Advanced Z-Level Toolpath does one full pass (Full Contour) at the same depth before the beginning and at the end of the spiral. Well, per request, you now have the option to exclude the first, last or both closed contours from the spiral.
NEW Mill 3 Axis Premium
One of our more popular and newest modules from BobCAM for 3 Axis customers is 3 Axis Premium! Users that expect and demand the best possible surface finishes with unsurpassed control will appreciate the 8 additional surface based Toolpaths. Those Toolpaths are:
-Parallel Cuts
-Cuts Along Curve
-Morph Between 2 Curves
-Parallel to Multiple Curves
-Project Curves
-Morph Between 2 Surfaces
-Parallel to Surface
-Flowline
Flowline, the ability to do undercutting and blended Toolpaths are the tip of the iceberg in Mill 3 Axis Premium! Thank you for reading another Tech Tuesday; see you next week!
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