PowerMill

Lesson 6 – Flowline Finishing

Objectives
• Creating Multi Axis toolpaths using Flowline finishing.
• Customising the order and direction of Flowline finishing.
• The application of intermediate flowline curves.

Introduction
• Flowline Finishing is designed to machine multiple surfaces. The strategy
uses 2 drive curves and either 1 (closed form) or 2 (open form) end
curves to define a virtual surface area. Intermediate drive curves can be
added to further control the flowline shape. This strategy provides evenly
spaced tool passes, irrespective of the underlying geometry.

Exercise 1 – Flowline Finishing Example

• Right mouse click in the graphics area and from the menu select Delete
All, then select File tab > Options > Reset Forms.

• Select File tab > Open > Project:-

....\PMData\five_axis\Flowline\Flowline_EX4-Start

• Select File tab > Save As > Project:-

....\COURSEWORK\PMProjects\Flowline_EX4

• Activate both the Workplane named MC-Datum and the tool BN12.

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• Create a Block Defined by Box using Type Model.

• Calculate the Safe Area heights.

• Select the Surfaces shown below and from the local menu select Blank
Except.

• Display the Model as Wireframe only .

• Create a new (empty) Pattern.

• Right click on the Pattern and from the local menu select Insert Model to
create 2 segments along the open edges of the selected surfaces.

• From the same menu, select the Curve Editor and create a Composite
Curve along the first/last surface curve (as shown below).

A Pattern extracted directly along surface edges or along curves will

automatically become Embedded (Inherits the surface normals etc).

• Open a Flowline Finishing strategy named BN12-Flowline-FIN1.

• In Curves definition input the name of the Embedded Pattern.

• Change the Ordering to Two Way.

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• Tighten the Tolerance to 0.02 and then change the Stepover to 0.5.

• Select Interactively select pattern segments for the strategy .

The options in the above form enable the toolpath ordering, directions, etc to
be displayed and modified before the toolpath is calculated. However, no
changes are required in this instance.

• Cancel the above dialog.

• Select the Tool Axis page and set Tool axis as Lead/ Lean with both
angles set to 0, and the Mode set to Contact normal.

• Set both Lead in and Lead out to Surface normal arc using Angle 90
Radius 6, andCalculate the toolpath.

• Simulate the toolpath to observe the Flowline finishing process.

• Select File tab > Save.

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Exercise 2 – Flowline finishing

• Right mouse click in the graphics area and from the menu select Delete
All, then select File tab > Options > Reset Forms.

• Select File tab > Import > Model:-

...\PMData\Models\Vortex2.dgk

• Select File tab > Save As > Project:-

...\COURSEWORK\PMProjects\FlowlineFillet-EX1

• Select the whole Model and create a Workplane at Top of selection.

• Activate that new workplane and create a Dia 8 Ball Nose Tool named
BN8.

• Create a Block around the Model and Calculate the Safe Area.

• Select the fillet surfaces as shown below.

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• Create an empty Pattern and Insert the selected Model.

• Open the Curve Editor and Cut the Pattern as required to isolate the 2
end and 2 side segments of the Fillets.

• If any of the sides or ends still contain 2 segments, select them and use the

Merge Selected option.

• Open the Toolpath connections dialog and in the Moves and clearances
page set Automatically extend value to a Maximum length of 25.

• Set both Lead in and Lead out with Linear move 5, Angle 90, and Radius
4, and Accept.

• Open a Flowline Finishing strategy named BN8-Fillet-FIN1, with a

Stepover of 0.3.

• In Curves definition input the name of the Embedded Pattern.

• In the Tool Axis page input both a Lead and Lean of 0 with the Mode set
to Contact Normal.

• Use the Reset option in Interactively select pattern segments for the
strategy to control the required toolpath order and direction (as shown
below).

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• Select Finish to accept the changes and close the dialog.

• Calculate the toolpath.

• Simulate the toolpath to observe the Flowline finishing process.

• Select File tab > Save.

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Example 3 – Flowline with Drive curves

• Right mouse click in the graphics area and from the menu select Delete
All, then select File tab > Options > Reset Forms.

• Select File tab > Open > Project:-

…\PMData\five_axis\Flowline\FlowLine-ExtraCurves-Start

• Select File tab > Save As > Project:-

...\COURSEWORK\PMProjects\Flowline-ExtraCurves-EX1

• Activate the toolpath BN16-Flowline-4Curves-All.

This basic 4 segment, Flowline toolpath does not follow the flowlines of the
curves within the model form. This can be changed if suitable intermediate
drive curves are included in the Embedded Pattern.

• Select Settings to open the strategy dialog, create a Copy of the toolpath,
and rename it as BN16-Flowline-LH-ExtraCurves.

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• In the Curves Definition change and select the Pattern named

9Segment.

• Select Interactively select pattern segments for the strategy and select
Reset.

• Select the upper, central curve as the Start Drive Curve, the bottom left
curve as the End Drive Curve and Shift select the 2 end curves.

• Shift select the 2 contained, Intermediate curves.

• Select Next followed by Finish.

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• Calculate the toolpath.

This Flowline toolpath follows a total of 6 selected pattern segments that

were extracted from the model curves.

• Create a Copy of the above toolpath named BN16-Flowline-RH-

ExtraCurves and change the curve selection to machine the other side.

• Select File tab > Save.

Summary
• Creating Multi Axis toolpaths using Flowline finishing.
• Customising the order and direction of Flowline finishing.
• The application of intermediate flowline curves.

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