Consistent Performance in High Speed Roughing

The Vortex roughing strategy, from Delcam, was developed specifically to gain maximum benefit from solid carbide tooling, in particular, those designs that can give deeper cuts by using the full flute length as the cutting surface. It can be used for two- and three-axis roughing, three-plus-two-axis area clearance, and for rest machining based on stock models or reference tool paths.
    Fully integrated with PowerMill’s step-cutting strategy for area clearance, the approach minimizes the terracing that can result from using a large stepdown by moving back up the part after generating the initial area clearance program and generating extra tool paths automatically to remove additional material at intermediate slices. It optimizes the amount of material that can be removed with a single tool, while helping to maintain more consistent removal rate by increasing the feed rate for the intermediate slices.
    According to Mark Forth, product manager for Delcam’s Advanced Manufacturing Solutions, “Conventional roughing produces a sound of varying pitch, which indicates that the optimum cutting conditions are not being used and could even be a sign of tool overload or chatter. In contrast, Vortex roughing gives a constant pitch, showing that the tool is operating under consistent conditions. Users can see the difference in the regular size and thickness of the chips produced.”
    For a more detailed look at this high speed roughing strategy, read “Efficient High Speed Roughing.”