Method and system for generating material remover cutting paths for a machine tool

摘要

A method of generating a plurality of cutting paths for a material remover, which generates a set of offsets from the perimeter of the model for each corner region of the model; creates, for each offset within each of the sets, a subset of cutting paths based upon each offset with each cutting path within the subset separated from a neighbouring cutting path within the subset by a stepover, wherein a portion of a first cutting path in one of the subsets has a distance of greater than the stepover to the last cutting path in a previous subset; joins cutting paths from within a subset at each corner region forming complete cutting paths causing a material remover to move between corner regions; and creates backfill cutting paths used to remove material from between subsets of cutting paths in the portion greater than the stepover between the subsets.

主权项

1. A method of generating a plurality of cutting paths for a material remover of a machine tool arranged to have a stepover between the cutting paths, wherein the machine tool executes the cutting paths causing at least a portion of an article to be manufactured, the method comprising:
a) assessing a model of the article to be manufactured and generating a set of offsets, based on the stepover, from the perimeter of the model for each corner region of the model; b) creating, for each of the offsets, a subset of the cutting paths based upon each offset with each cutting path within the subset being separated from a neighboring cutting path within the subset by substantially the stepover, wherein at least a portion of a first cutting path in one of the subsets has a stepover that is of greater distance than another stepover to the last cutting path in a previous subset; c) joining cutting paths from within a subset at each corner region to form complete cutting paths that cause a material remover of the machine tool to move between corner regions; and d) creating backfill cutting paths that are used to remove the material from between subsets of the cutting paths in the portion of the first cutting path in one of the subsets that has the stepover that is of greater distance than the other stepover to the last cutting path in a previous subset.