Intermediate Steps

Introduction

The purpose of this topic is to explain Intermediate Steps.

Intermediate Steps

Intermediate slices can be added to roughing toolpath to reduce the staircase effect.

 

This help by resulting in: 

 

• Less material remains for smaller tools while rest-roughing
  
  
• Uniform thickness for semi-finishing toolpaths
  
  
• Uniform tool load on semi-finishing tools
  
  

• More stock removal with larger tools with reduction in number of steps
  
  

• Reduction in Rough machining time

 

Intermediate slices are rest roughed, meaning additional offset passes are added, if the stock remaining is more than the specified step over, to avoid excess load on the cutter.

 

Following is an image of a part being roughed without the intermediate slices followed by the an image after adding two intermediate slices.