Machining Direction
Cycle:
All Standard cycles except: Z repeat Pocket, Z repeat Facing, Interpolation cycle
All Automatic Shape cycles except: PAM, Facing
Definition
Machining Direction is the choice between Down Cutting and Up Cutting.
English Terminology: Down / Up Cutting is also known as Climb / Conventional Cutting
Reminder
Down and Up Milling convention:
the feed is given on the workpiece
the tool rotation is clockwise (M03)
Down (Climb) Milling: tool rotation in the same direction as the feed. Comparison:
| Up (Conventional) Milling: tool rotation opposite to the feed. Comparison:
|
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Forced & Optimized
Forced means that all the toolpaths will respect absolutely the machining direction.
Optimized will also respect this choice but gives to the toolpath the ability to change the direction if needed.
The four iterations for the machining direction are as such:
 | Down cut + Forced |
 | Down cut + Optimized |
 | Up cut + Forced |
 | Up cut + Optimized |
Special Case
When the tool is machining in full material, or more exactly with a stepover > 50% of tool diameter, the machining is simultaneously Down and Up.
In green the area where the tool works Down, in red the area where the tool works Up. This situation will appear in operations such as Rough/Rework and Pocket. For example, if the parameter is set to Down/Forced, it cannot be fully respected when the tool is working in full material. Do not consider that the software is doing wrong in this kind of this situation. |  |