CAM software / for milling / 2D

Polar & Cylindrical Milling drives one rotary and two linear axes to achieve 3-axis toolpath. It extends GibbsCAM’s standard 3-axis milling functions for use on machines with a rotary axis to enable wrapped geometry, cylindrical and polar rotary milling, and rotary repeats. On mills, rotation is typically around the A or B axis, while on mill-turns C-axis motion replaces Y-axis motion. This C-axis motion can also be applied to the face of a mill-turn part. Input may be flat or “wrapped” wireframe geometry. Wrapped geometry is flat 2D geometry, displayed and machined as if wrapped around a cylinder. Geometry may be created in flat or wrapped mode and toggled between flat and wrapped representations. With this option, all 2D mill processes – contour, pocket, drill, etc. – may be applied to a cylinder. The tool is kept on the centerline of rotation; as a result, there is no control of wall angles or tool engagement. This option also adds the rotary repeat function to milling processes. Output for long, multiple rotations is on a single line of G-code. Post processed output can support a control’s cylindrical and polar interpolation functions. This option is ideal for parts defined by flat geometry, for rotary part features created by the tool’s shape, (such as simple grooves or pockets not needing wall control), and for machines without a Y axis.