Z-Entry

You can control how the tool plunges into the material. Click Z-Entry to display the Z-Entry dialog box.

None

The tool plunges into the material with a normal downward movement at the specified Z feed rate. 

Helical

The tool enters the material in a spiral movement according to the defined step down, angle and radius.

Tool with Center cutting capabilities

If your tool has center cutting capabilities, select the Center cutting check box. In the Angle field, enter the descent angle that you would like the tool to follow. In the Radius field, enter the radius of the tool path.

The working order is as follows:

• The tool descends from the safety distance above the Upper level to the material in a circular motion until the step down is reached, using the user-defined radius.
• When the tool reaches the step down depth, it machines all the material at the step down depth.
• When the machining is completed at this depth, the tool goes up to the Clearance level.
• At this stage, the tool repositions itself at the Safety distance above the previous step down depth and repeats the Helical Z-Entry to the next working depth.
• This process repeats itself until the final depth has been machined.

Tool without Center cutting capabilities

If the tool does not have center cutting capabilities, do not select the Center cutting check box. In the Tool step down field, enter the depth of the step down of the tool.

The result of this action is the same as that of the center cutting tool except for the following differences:

• The tool descends from the Safety distance above the Upper level to the material in a circular motion up to the Tool Step down.
• At this point, the tool clears the circular path. Then it descends to the next Tool Step down.
• This is repeated until the tool reaches the CAM-Part's step down depth.
• When the tool reaches the step down depth, it machines all the material on that step down depth.
• When the machining is completed at this depth, the tool goes up to the Clearance level.
• At this stage, the tool repositions itself at the Safety distance above the previous step down depth and repeats the Helical Z-Entry to the next working depth.
• This process repeats itself until the final depth has been machined.

Linear

The Linear Z-Entry follows the same rules as the Helical. The difference is that the Z-Entry is performed in a linear zigzag fashion rather than in a circular one.

Tool with Center cutting capabilities

If your tool has center cutting capabilities, select the Center cutting check box. In the Linear dialog box window enter the length of the linear tool path that you would like the tool to travel.

The working order is as follows:

• The tool descends from the Safety distance above the Upper level to the material in a zigzag motion based on the user defined angle and length until the step down is reached.
• When the tool reaches the step down depth, it machines all the material on that step down depth.
• When the machining is completed at this depth, the tool goes up to the Clearance level.
• At this stage, the tool repositions itself at the Safety distance above the previous step down depth and repeat the Linear Z-Entry to the next working depth.
• This process repeats itself until the final depth has been machined.

Tool without Center cutting capabilities

If the tool does not have center cutting capabilities, do not select the Center cutting check box. In the Tool step down field, enter the depth of the step down you want the tool go to.

The result of this action is the same as with a center cutting tool except for the following differences:

• The tool descends from the Safety distance above the Upper level to the material in a zigzag motion up to the Tool Step down.
• At this point, the tool clears a straight linear path. It will then descend to the next Tool Step down.
• This is repeated until the tool reaches the CAM-Part's step down depth.
• When the tool reaches the step down depth, it machines all the material on that step down depth.
• When the machining is completed at this depth, the tool goes up to the Clearance level.
• At this stage, the tool repositions itself at the Safety distance above the previous step down depth and repeats the Linear Z-Entry to the next working depth.
• This process repeats itself until the final depth has been machined.

Angle

When you choose the Angle type and enter the Angle value, the tool enters the material with a ramp movement. The ramp starts from the given safety distance down to the model contour. If, due to the model contour, the ramp cannot be created in a straight line, the Z-Entry movement follows the contour.

When you work with small Z-Entry angles such as two degrees, you can reduce the length of the Z-Entry movement by decreasing the Safety distance value. Make sure, though, that the initial offset on the raw material allows for changing the Safety distance value.

Drill points

SolidCAM enables you to perform the descent to the material from the hole previously machined in 3D Drilling operation.SolidCAM enables you to choose the geometry used for the 3D Drilling operation in order to define the approach point.