When trying to machine contoured surfaces with contour milling operations in NX CAM you may have issues with holes or gaps interfering with your tool path. An example may be a mold or die insert that bolts into a pocket. The part may have counter bored holes that break through the contoured shape you need to machine. These holes can be easily covered using “Patch Opening” allowing the toolpath to travel smoothly across the part without trying to cut inside the hole. An example (shown below) illustrates how to use “Patch Openings” to optimize a Z level operation.
1) Notice the tool path tries to cut inside the holes causing unwanted machining time:
2) Selecting only the faces that need to be cut causes excessive engage and retract moves:
3) Use “Patch Openings” to cover the hole shapes:
4) I have selected the contoured faces and the edge of the hole:
5) The faces must be added to the WORKPIECE:
6) Notice the tool path cuts smoothly across the hole:
