CAMcad - SURFCAM 3-Axis Page

SURFCAM 3-Axis Mill

What is SURFCAM?

SURFCAM has been an excellent general-purpose 2~5 Axis CAM programming system for job shop and large corporation tool room use, i.e. for shops machining other companies' products, working equally well with solid model data, surface model data, 2D CAD data, or from blueprint. Similar to a machinist's toolbox, SURFCAM contains numerous practical tools for creating edit-free NC code, even when working with "dirty" CAD data.

3-Axis Mill Base Edition

Includes 2-Axis Advanced Edition and Standard Features
Entry/exit options on all 3D toolpath generators to extend cutting, enter/retract normal to the surface, at an angle to the surface, or along the tool axis.
All toolpath generators support ball, bull, and square endmills in any Construction View.
Roughing
- Z Rough - Efficient perform Z-level roughing of any collection of surfaces from a billet or
  irregular 2D outline with efficient 2D Z slice toolpaths.
- Auto-Rough - Efficient Z-Level multi-pass breakup of any 3-Axis prototype toolpath.
- NC Cut with Gouge Protection - Machine along flow lines of any 3D doubly-curved surface with ball, bull, or square end mill tools with single or multi-surface gouge protection against any number of 3D check surfaces with a clearance amount. Limit cutting relative to surface patches, boundary curves, or both. The “minimum Z” feature allows you to accurately machine a shut-off surface for a plastic injection mold. Retrace options to finish cut any surface exactly the way you want with a minimal number of menu picks. Cutter containment via surface patch areas and/or boundaries, allowing the side, center, or contact point of the cutter to machine to the boundary. Containment boundaries can be any combination of lines, arcs, or splines.

Finishing
- Z-Finish - Perform waterline finish cuts on an entire model with efficient 2D Z slice passes
  around the model maintaining a constant climb or conventional tool/part relationship.
  Toolpath containment using a combination of curves and check surfaces.
- Flat Surface Milling - Automatic 2-Axis Pocketing or Contouring toolpaths on all flat surfaces while avoiding all adjacent surfaces.
- Project - Project 2-Axis toolpaths onto multiple 3D surfaces with total gouge avoidance. Great for 3D engraving.
- Planar Machining -Machine any collection of surfaces in any fixed direction or use a flow surface for cut direction control with full gouge protection. Toolpath containment using curves and check surfaces, waterfall edge protection, or surface slope.
- Contour 3D - Machining along any collection of 3D curves or along the intersection of drive & part surfaces.
- Entry/Exit Moves - All 3D toolpath generators allow you to extend cutting, enter/retract normal to the surface, at an angle to the surface, or along the tool axis.
- Tool Shapes- All 3-Axis toolpath generators support ball, bull, and square endmills in any
  construction view.

3-Axis Mill Advanced Edition

Includes 3-Axis Base Edition and Standard Features
Step Reduction Milling - (SRM™) patented multiple tool progressive roughing procedure. Each tool specified in the SRM process is automatically synchronized with regards to the capabilities of all other tools to maximize tool efficiency, perform corner picking, and prepare the material for finishing operations. All roughing is done in one operation and calculated simultaneously.
Plunge-Rough - Rough cut any collection of surfaces using end-cutting tools with equilateral triangular or square cut patterns, plunge increment or peck-drill cycle control.
HSM Constant 3D Offset Milling - Maintains equal scallop height producing spiral in-out or out-in toolpath on any collection of surfaces regardless of surface slope variations.
HSM Rest Machining - Multi-tool high speed milling of left over material from predefined tools.
HSM Steep/Shallow Milling - Generates Constant 3D Offset and Z-Finish slices based-upon surface angle with overlap specifications.
HSM Pencil Trace - Multi-pass cutting along surface intersections where material is left by larger tools.
HSM Tool Shapes - All HSM toolpath generators mathematically support taper tools for accurate gouge protection and gouge avoidance

TrueMill Option

SURFCAM TrueMill Example1 TrueMill solves the fundamental milling problem that has existed since the first crank handle was turned on the first milling machine. Enables CNC milling machines, for the first time, to do what they have always been capable of. Not based on adjustments to or optimizations of existing tool path algorithms. Dynamically manages tool engagement and feed rates, resulting in dramatically increased material removal rates.

3-Axis Multi-cut Option

3-Axis Multi-Cut Option allows for a whole new level of toolpath versatility, power and control previously only available to 4- and 5-Axis customers.

Have you ever wanted a Constant Flow Toolpath that could transition smoothly from outside edges to inside edges while exiting the material at the ends? Such as working the open ended floor of a channel or between turbine blades? Perhaps your job requires precise control over multi-surface undercutting. Now with 3-Axis Multi-Cut you can!

SURFCAM’s New 3-Axis Multi-Cut power comes from 6 different cutting methods. Ranging from a hybrid “Planer” to “Parallel to Curve” and even “Morph between two curves”. Enhancements such as multiple types of rapid areas can now be selected, including Plane, Sphere or Cylinder. User requested control over constant spiral toolpath is now easily available.

Additional Capabilities:

Ability to automatically extend or trim a toolpath past a surface
Ability to allow a cutter to extend past the edge of a contour or a surface
Supports multiple roughing strategies
Four different levels of gouge protection and check surfaces
Supports “undercut” machining of multiple surfaces
Avoid areas with problematic surface edges Plus much more

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