Acu-Rite CNC 3500i user manual Pocket Cycles, Pocket Cycle Overview, 169

Pocket Cycles

Pocketing cycles eliminate extensive programming. One block of programming mills out the described pocket.

Activate a tool before programming a pocket cycle. All pockets use the current tool diameter from the Tool Table. When using a course tool for roughing passes, the course tool must be defined in the Tool Table.

XY positioning may be necessary prior to programming a pocket cycle.

Always check that tool-to-corner radii do not conflict.

Z and P dimensions are absolute.

Alarm messages occur if the CNC detects program errors.

Pocket cycles use "built-in" tool diameter compensation.

Stock variable is not permitted and is ignored.

When you cut one pocket inside another, make sure to set P above the highest pocket. At the end of each pocket, the tool rapids to P and then rapids to the start position.

Pocket Cycle Overview:

The tool StepOver value must be equal to or less than the tool radius.

Roughing passes are climb mill (CCW) only. Finishing passes are climb mill (CCW) by default, but can be changed to conventional mill (CW) using the FinishDir parameter.

A finish pass of only side stock will cut the entire ZDepth, unless a negative DepthCut is specified, which will indicate to finish the side walls in multiple steps down.

Pocket cycles allow specification of a coarse roughing tool, and to allow skipping of a roughing pass. The coarse tool allows multiple roughing passes to be taken.

Mount a smaller tool prior to running the roughing cycle again.

Subsequent roughing passes only remove material left over by the previous roughing pass. Skipping a roughing pass allows the use of just the finish pass.

Pocket cycles with the exception of Frame allow the use of finish cycles. Bottom Finish and Side Finish enable the user to mount another tool and then remove finish stock by calling the appropriate finish cycle.

To leave finish stock during the pocket cycles to be removed with later finish passes, select the option "Yes" for the SkipFinish parameter. This will leave finish stock but not remove it.

Pocket cycles with the exception of Frame allow the use of island definitions using the island command.

Please refer to the Islands section for a detailed description of its usage.

7.2 Canned Cycles

ACU-RITE 3500i 169