Specifications

Southwestern Industries, Inc.

TRAK LPM Programming, Safety, & Operating Manual

XYZ Feedrate: is the milling feedrate in in/min from .1 to 800, or mm/min from 5 to

20320

Fin Feedrate: is the milling feedrate for the finish cut

Tool #: is the tool number you assign

Note – if you press the HELP key when you are on the X1 prompt, you can adjust the

step over distance of the face mill. The default is 95% of the cutter width. You can

adjust it from 1 to 99%.

8.7 ISLAND Events

Within the Pocket event choices, you may also select a circular, rectangular or irregular

island. An Island is a shape that is left standing when the surrounding material is

removed. The ProtoTRAK gives you the ability to machine almost any shape as an

island within a rectangular pocket. Both the shape of the island and the dimension of the

surrounding pocket are defined within the Island Event.

The tool path for machining the Island Event is that the tool will first plunge or ramp into

the material next to the island, offset by the programmed finish cut, to the depth of the

first pass. The tool will machine the perimeter of the island, offset by the island finish

cut. Then the tool will machine the material in the pocket in a spiral path, moving away

from the island in the programmed clockwise or counterclockwise direction. It will

continue this outward spiral motion until it encounters the programmed rectangular

perimeter (or pocket). It will then follow the perimeter, offset by the pocket finish cut.

It will proceed in this manner through the number of programmed passes. On the final

pass, it will machine the island finish cut, then the pocket finish cut. If a Z finish cut is

programmed, it will do this in the same spiral pattern as the roughing passes between

machining the island and pocket finish cuts. The tool will ramp away from the finish cut

by the amount of the finish cut before it raises out of the part.

8.7.1 Circular Island

Press the CIRCLE ISLAND soft key if you wish to mill a circular island.

Prompts for the Circle Pocket:

X CENTER: is the dimension of the center of the Island

Y CENTER: is the dimension of the center of the Island

Z RAPID: is the Z dimension of the transition from rapid to feed

Z END: is the Z dimension at the bottom of the pocket; incremental is from the previous

event

RADIUS: is the finish radius of the Island

DIRECTION: is the milling direction, clockwise or counterclockwise

#PASSES: the number of roughing passes to the depth

ENTRY MODE: choose between zigzag ramp and plunge. The plunge will machine

straight down Z to the appropriate Z depth. The zigzag ramp will move in a zigzag

pattern to depth. See the previous section for more information about the zigzag ramp.