Specifications

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Southwestern Industries, Inc.
TRAK LPM Programming, Safety, & Operating Manual
Examples of tool left.
Tool center means no compensation either right or left. That is, the centerline of the tool
will be moved to the programmed points.
Hint: to determine tool left or right, imagine that you are sitting on the tool as it is
moving.
5.8 Tool Diameter Compensation when Contouring in Z with
Part Geometry
Left and right tool diameter offsets are always those projected into the XY plane. Tool
offsets in the Z direction are always up and assume the use of a ball end mill. When
contouring in the Z-axis, this up tool offset is always activated regardless of left, right,
center if programming Part Geometry. There is no Z-axis up tool offset applied when
programming Tool Path.
Special attention must always be paid to tool offsets when machining with a ball end mill.
The reason for this is that the tool diameter changes in the bottom part (that portion equal
to the tool radius) of the tool.
The tool is always positioned at the beginning of a milling operation so that the correct
point on the ball end of the tool is tangent to the beginning point, and offset perpendicular
to the machined edge by the radius of the tool. Consider the example below of milling a
ramp in the XZ plane from point B to point C.