Link: Port Machining
Introduction
This topic will explain the options found in the Link tab of the Port Machining operation.
Link
The Link tab allows you to control the home position, clearances and various clearance values, and will allow you to select whether a retract to clearance is used for links on a single side of the port.
Home position
These options allow you to dictate whether a specific home position is used to begin from, or return to. You can define this position by entering the X, Y, and Z values. You can also click the button to launch the Feature Geometry Picking dialog which allows you to select a point to define as the home position.
- Start from home position
- With this check box selected, the tool will move from the home position defined to the first cut.
- With this check box cleared, the system will define a position to begin from. - Return to home position
- With this check box selected, the tool will move the home position defined after the last cut. - With this check box cleared, the system will define a position to return to.
Clearance
Depending on the Type selection, the available groups and options vary greatly. This group will include the groups and options available with the selection.
- Type
- Cylinder
- creates a cylindrical clearance area which is especially useful
for a 4-axis machine. The cylinder is defined using the following
options.
- Radius
- defines the cylindrical clearance area with the specified value.
- User defined - allows the user to define the distance to use.
- Automatic - allows the system to determine a safe distance to utilize.
- User defined - allows the user to define the distance to use.
- Direction
- defines the normal of the clearance cylinder.
- X-Axis - the tool retracts parallel to the X-axis.
- Y-Axis
- the tool retracts parallel to the Y-axis.
- Z-Axis
- the tool retracts parallel to the Z-axis.
- User
defined direction - once this option is selected, click
to open
the Pick dialog box. You can type coordinates, or click Pick
to select line or point geometry to set the direction vector.
- Auto - allows the system to define the appropriate normal for the cylindrical clearance area.
- X-Axis - the tool retracts parallel to the X-axis.
- Through
- User
defined - allows you to specify an offset from the axis used. Once this option is selected, click
to open
the Pick dialog box. You can type coordinates, or click Pick
to select line or point geometry to set the direction vector.
- Automatic - allows the system to determine a safe distance to utilize.
- User
defined - allows you to specify an offset from the axis used. Once this option is selected, click
- Radius
- defines the cylindrical clearance area with the specified value.
- Cylinder
- creates a cylindrical clearance area which is especially useful
for a 4-axis machine. The cylinder is defined using the following
options.
- Feed distance - This is the distance from the cut which the tool should switch to a feed motion from rapid on entry, and switch from a feed move to rapid on exit.
- Angle
step for rapid moves - is the threshold for the maximum
segment length (defined by an angle) around the cylinder for rapid
moves. Imagine the radius of a cylinder drawn at zero degrees.
With an angle step of three degrees, another radius is drawn every
three degrees from the starting radius. Each radial line intersects
the outside diameter with the distance between each intersecting
point defining the segment length.
- Fillet
- With this check box selected, the tool will not retract fully, but use a radius to transition to the other side of the port.
- With this check box cleared, the tool will retract fully before moving to the other side of the port.
Link on single side
- Retract to clearance
- With this check box selected, the tool will move the home position defined after the last cut. - With this check box cleared, the system will define a position to return to.
