Technology Wizard page

The Technology Wizard is an algorithm for producing on-the-fly Cutting conditions for the current iMachining operation, taking into account not only the machine and work material definitions but also the Geometry, Tool and Levels data defined for the operation.

This page is made up of four sections: Step down, Machining level, Output Cutting Data and the Dynamic 3D preview window.

The Modify cutting conditions tab enables you to modify any one or more of the Cutting conditions parameters.

Step down

By default, the Wizard automatically calculates the optimal Step down values.

The Step down section consists of input options and the output grid.

Input options

There are two radio buttons for selecting the way in which the Wizard calculates the Step down:

Automatic (default selection) – this option provides step downs based on the Tool information, Milling levels and Offsets (if any) defined for the operation.
User-defined – this option enables you to manually choose the method used for calculating step downs.

When User-defined is selected, a menu appears that enables you to choose one of the following two methods:

No. steps – the total depth is divided by the value entered in the text field.

Step down – the value entered in the text field is used for the depth of each step down until the total depth is achieved.

Output grid

The output grid table has three columns:

No. steps – this value represents the number of steps required for each axial depth of cut.
Step down – this value represents each axial depth of cut.
ACP

Rows are created for each Step down value that is not the same.

Machining level

By default, the Wizard sets the aggressiveness according to the Machine Default Level, unless you have assigned a Default level to the tool chosen for the operation.

The Machining level slider enables you to select from calculated sets of Cutting conditions that are optimal for your machining case. The slider is made up of 8 levels – each level provides an increased MRR and higher aggressiveness. There are a total of 16 sets of Cutting conditions combinations (levels 1~8 Normal and levels 1~8 Turbo), all of them suitable for cutting the given work material with the chosen tool on a perfect machine with a perfect setup.

There are many factors in machining that can make one set of Cutting conditions better than another. Some of these factors include properties and limitations which characterize the machining setup (the geometry, tool properties, machine limitations and material properties). Based on sophisticated algorithms that analyze the entire set of factors, the Wizard uses the known interdependence between them all to suggest the optimal combination of Cutting conditions for the operation.

There are also factors that influence the attainable Material Removal Rate (MRR) and tool life (such as the basic rigidity of the machine and its state of maintenance, work and tool holding stability) as well as the desired compromise between high MRR and long tool life, influenced by your production schedule and cost structure that are difficult to accurately quantify.

The Machining level slider provides you with the means to easily and intuitively incorporate the combined effect of these factors in the decision making process of the Wizard.

Output Cutting Data

This section displays two sets of data related to the current Cutting conditions.

View 1 shows:

S – Spindle speed – this value sets the maximum spindle speed for the chosen Machining level when the tool is cutting in XY.
F – Feed rate – this value sets the feed rate for the chosen Machining level when the tool is cutting at maximum Step over.
Step over (max) – this value sets the maximum width of cut for the chosen Machining level.
Step over (min) – this value sets the minimum width of cut for the chosen Machining level.

View 2 shows:

V – Cutting speed – this value sets the maximum velocity between the edge of the cutting tool and the surface of the workpiece for the chosen Machining level.
CT (chip thickness) – this value sets the maximum chip thickness for the chosen Machining level.
Cutting Angle (max) – this value sets the maximum cutting angle for the chosen Machining level.
Cutting Angle (min) – this value sets the minimum cutting angle for the chosen Machining level.

The Output Cutting Data should be monitored while using the Machining level slider to select a set of Cutting conditions.

Dynamic 3D preview window

This view shows a 3D representation of the selected Cutting conditions.

The 3D view shows:

Tool Diameter, Total length and Cutting length	The tool is shown in two colors: yellow for the Cutting length and gray for the remaining length of the tool.
Step down	If there are multiple steps with different depths, the largest Step down from the output grid is shown since it is typically the most aggressive and should be monitored.
Step over	Step over is represented by the red section in front of the tool. Levels 1 - 5 contain different Step over values, and the remaining levels have a consistent Step over.
Aggressiveness	Aggressiveness is represented by the chips behind the tool. The 3D chips change color, quantity and size to show that moving up in Machining levels produces more, thicker chips with greater heat. The 3D view also shows how the chips should be evacuating the cutting area under good conditions. If the 3D chips are shown sticking to the tool due to heat and are being brought back into the cutting area, then the potential for failure is high.

As the Machining level slider is used to select a set of Cutting conditions, the 3D view dynamically updates.