Constant cutter load

Maintaining a constant cutter load during rough milling prevents tool deflections
that serve to diminish accuracy, surface finish, and tool life. A constant cutter load
also eliminates the need to reduce feeds and speeds through corners.

ESPRIT optimizes cutter load by analyzing the amount of material in contact with
the tool at any given time. The shape of the cutting path is adjusted to maintain a
constant material removal rate and eliminate sharp changes in tool direction. By
knowing that parameters will not exceed a specified amount, the feed rate is easily
optimized to the maximum potential.

You Will Learn

• How to control the radial
engagement of the tool
• How to control the motion
of the tool to achieve a
consistent cutter load
• Tips for optimizing feed
rates and cutting depths
• Considerations for
alternating the direction of
the cut

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The benefits of controlling the load on the cutter are numerous:

Constant cutter load

• Optimize productivity by roughing parts as quickly as possible. The elimination
of sharp changes in tool direction allows for consistently faster feedrates.
• Improve tool life and surface quality. The tool is never buried in the material,
eliminating tool chatter and the risk of breaking expensive cutters. The cutting edge
is only in contact with the material through roughly 5% of the cutter’s revolution
versus up to 50% with traditional cutting passes. Cooling of the tool is also improved.
• Maximize part production. Machine hardened materials, parts with thin walls
where tool pressure becomes a factor, and utilize the full capabilities of high-speed
machining centers.
• Extend machine life. With less pressure and vibration from the tool, machine life is
extended and maintenance costs reduced.
• Increase efficiency with existing equipment. Cut at faster feed rates, faster
spindle speeds, at greater depths of cut than traditional machining, even with older
machines or machines with low horsepower or smaller spindle connections.
Through a combination of controlled tool engagement and specialized tool motion, a
constant cutter load can be maintained in the following milling cycles:
• Pocketing
• Contouring
• 3-Axis Variable-Z Roughing
• 3-Axis Mold Roughing
• 5-Axis Roughing
• 5-Axis Channel Milling

Cont rolling t he tool engagement angle

In standard cutter path, the tool can become fully engaged in the material along the
first cutting pass of a roughing operation and in any slots that are only slightly wider
than the cutter. A tool is typically considered fully engaged when it is cutting material
on both sides of the tool (100% of the tool radius).

Full engagement of the tool can also occur when moving from a straight cut into areas
where there is a sharp transition in the cutter path, such as a corner.

Full engagement with the material puts additional pressure on the tool, which can result
in damage to the tool or cause the tool to break. Conservative feedrates must be used
along the entire toolpath to avoid tool damage.

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ESPRIT has a machining parameter for 'Engagement Angle' that lets the user control

Constant cutter load

the maximum angle of contact between the tool radius and the material at any given
time. The system calculates the step over based on the engagement angle.

In Contouring operations, the parameter is named 'Full Engage % of Radius'.

The values for 'Engagement Angle' and 'Step Over' are interactive. The system uses
the radial engagement to calculate a step over that will not exceed this amount. The
smaller the engagement angle, the smaller the step over.

Tool mot ion to produce a constant cut ter load

ESPRIT offers two types of tool motion that produce a smooth toolpath for optimized
machining:
• Trochoid
• ProfitMilling
Trochoid motion is always circular. The toolpath starts as a spiral in the largest area
until it reaches the largest radius that will fit, then uses an adjustable curve that adapts
to the shape of the area.

The ProfitMilling strategy combines an offset of part boundaries with trochoid motion
to maintain a consistent tool engagement angle. Instead of a standard offset, the
system performs a smoothing of boundary offsets to produce long consistent offset
moves and places rounded moves in corners to maintain the programmed feedrate.
The ProfitMilling toolpath manages chip load and side-cutter force in the calculation
of toolpath while keeping the engagement angle and material removal rate within a
specific range.

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The Trochoid strategy is ideal for rectangular-type shapes or shapes without islands

Constant cutter load

because more outward spiraling motion is produced.

Irregular shapes or shapes with islands yield better results with the ProfitMilling
strategy.

In both types of tool motion, trochoidal moves are linked by straight transition moves
that lift the tool slightly in Z to prevent it from dragging on the machined surface.

Trochoid motion in narrow areas (slots) is controlled by the parameter 'Trochoidal

Radius'. The smaller the radius, the more trochoid motion in the toolpath. The minimum
radius places a practical limit on the machine accelerations necessary for very small
trochoidal moves.

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The minimum radius is expressed as a percentage of the tool diameter. For example,

Constant cutter load

40% of a 10 mm tool produces a minimum trochoidal radius of 4 mm. The minimum
radius also affects the radius connecting transition moves.

When the minimum radius is too big to fit into an area, the system will automatically
convert to slot machining. In that case, the user can define a slotting strategy that uses
a separate cut speed, feedrate, and cutting depth for areas that cannot be machined
with the desired engagement angle.

Corner machining is controlled by the parameter 'Minimum Corner Radius'. This is

the minimum size of the radius in corners. A large radius results in less deceleration
in corners, but also less material removal. The size of the radius can be adjusted
depending on how the machine handles accelerations/decelerations.

For Contouring operations, a trochoidal strategy can be enabled to create loops in the
toolpath in any area where ESPRIT detects that the tool is in full engagement with the
material. The same technique can be applied to pocketing toolpath when tool motion is
unidirectional, zigzag, or offset.

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Feedrates for opt imized machining

Constant cutter load

Feedrates can typically be doubled or tripled for ProfitMilling and Trochoid machining
patterns.
The following factors affect performance:
• Flute count: Whenever possible, use tools with a high flute count for a higher
feedrate. However, the possibility of chip buildup must be balanced against a higher
possible feedrate.
• Coolant: Coolant is generally discouraged, as its use can increase thermal shock on
the cutting edge. The ProfitMilling toolpath puts most of the generated heat into the
chip and away from the part and tool. High pressure air may be helpful, as it aids in
chip evacuation.
• Machine horsepower, tooling, material, and machining strategy: These conditions
determine whether it is better to use an aggressive radial engagement with slower
feedrates or a smaller radial engagement at faster feedrates.
• Machine acceleration/deceleration: How the machine handles acceleration/
deceleration of interpolated movements affects performance
The parameter 'Transition Feedrate %' controls the feedrate of the straight transition
moves inserted between trochoidal moves. Since these moves are always flying over
areas that have already been cut, the feedrate can be adjusted significantly higher.
However, the system will prevent the feedrate for transition moves from exceeding the
maximum feedrate defined for trochoidal moves.

In Contouring or Pocketing operations where trochoid motion is added only when

needed, feeds and speeds are defined for standard tool motion in the operation and the
feedrate for trochoidal moves is adjusted as a percentage of the standard feedrate. For
example, 'Full Engage % of Feedrate' can be set to 150 or 200%.

Opt imized cut t ing depths

Most parts can be cut at a depth of two times the tool diameter. Increasing the depth
will result in better tool life because the tool wear is spread out over the entire length
of the cutter.

Alternat ing t he cut direct ion

Trochoid tool motion is generally used with a one-way cut to support climb cutting.
This is the ideal direction for best surface quality and tool life. However, in roughing
operations where surface quality is not critical, cycle time can be reduced by alternating
the direction of the cut between climb and conventional.

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 An alternating (or zigzag) trochoidal motion eliminates lengthy retract movements to

Constant cutter load

reduce overall cycle time. The user must determine whether the reduction in cycle
time is enough to offset a reduction in surface quality due to tool chatter on walls and
floors from the conventional cutter movement. The reduction in cycle time depends on
the number of retract moves that are eliminated from the original one-way toolpath. It
is recommended to use a very small engagement angle when conventional cutting is
used.

DP Technology Corp.
1150 Avenida Acaso
Camarillo, CA 93012 USA

North America
+1 800 627 8479
esprit@dptechnology.com

International
+1 805 388 6000
esprit@dptechnology.com

About DP Technology
DP Technology is a leading
developer and supplier of
computer-aided manufacturing
(CAM) software for a full range
of machine tool applications.
ESPRIT, DP Technology’s
flagship product, is a powerful,
high-performance, full-
spectrum programming system
for milling, turning, wire EDM,
and multitasking machine
tools. ESPRIT embodies DP
Technology’s passion for
excellence and its vision of
technology’s potential.

©Copyright DP Technology
All rights reserved. ESPRIT is
a registered trademark of DP
Technology Corp.

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