Part Offset Toolpath - V19.0

Building A new Part Offset path type replaces the previous combination Pocket and Profile path type setting. The Part Offset toolpath generates a series of offset passes along region segments identified as part profile and then trims them back to the region segments identified as stock. Cuts progress from the stock boundaries or closed pocket centers toward the part profile. This new path type minimizes plunges into stock, and ensures that a consistent cut convention is maintained relative to both the stock material and part profile.

The part offset pattern can be used to efficiently machine a variety of features. When used to machine pockets with islands, both the outer boundary and islands will be offset for each pass, unlike the Spiral method which only offsets from the outer boundary inward. As a result the Part Offset path has fewer pinch-offs, and ensures that all islands are cut without the need to do a final cleanup pass, as is required with the Spiral path type.

The Morph Pattern roughing toolpath type previously introduced to the wireframe Pocket and Face roughing processes is now available in the Region Rough process. The Morph strategy uses the Part and Stock region information, and only does the final profile pass for the part profile segments. This strategy can be a particularly effective high speed roughing technique for some machining scenarios. The path machines with a smooth, continuous motion with no Z retracts or re-entries.