You’ll find the terms below referenced in nearly every CAM software package. There is also some toolpath lingo that you’ll want to get acquainted with. 75in diameter, milled OD threads of any size, or custom threads. Roughing or finishing pockets of various shapes and sizes.Ĭreating spot drill, tapped, bore, or reamed holes. Machining loops, open pockets, stick fonts, dovetails, keysets, or saw cuts.ĭeburring and creating chamfers using either a tapered mill or center drill.Ĭreating fillets using a Corner Rounding Tool. Familiarize yourself with the toolpaths below, which you’ll encounter in Fusion 360 and other CAM solutions. Toolpath Types and TerminologyĮvery toolpath has a unique behavior and use case. And which of these features needs to be machined from the top versus the bottom? The answer to these questions requires some fundamental toolpath knowledge. How are you going to machine the hole in the center of the part above? You could use a drill, contour, or circular pocket toolpath. Pockets use a 2D Pocket operation, chamfers use Chamfer Milling, and so on.īut then you get to the difficult questions that don’t have such black and white answers. Sometimes this problem-solving process is clear. Many new CNC machinists struggle to plan out their toolpaths, especially as features get more complex.
