Questions on using a moving gantry style mini-mill...

[Davek0974]

If my understanding is better, after a good chat with the guy that supports HSM Advisor, it seems I might be a bit over zealous with the settings?

Plugging numbers again, I get for the 2mm tool, 18,500 rpm, 1,200 mm/min feed, 0.5mm DOC and 0.065mm/t chip load.

Reasoning - the limiting factors are the larger rads in the sharpened corners - this becomes slotting - also the manufacturers chip load limit of 0.065mm/t was set to not be exceeded, that gave DOC as 0.506mm as part of a balanced result to meet those factors.

So my earlier run was 0.6mm - too deep, 23,000rpm - to fast, 450mm/min - too slow. It survived but took a long time and gave poor surface finish.

The tool cannot give a 2.5mm DOC with any setting due to the slotting factor - the tool exceeds 100% torque limits = snapping - this backs up what really happened when i tried it.

So it seems lighter, faster is a way forwards, might risk a tool and try it I think. Its more passes but travelling at 3 x the speed so should still be quicker.