Editing the Feedrate

This task explains how to modify the feedrate of one or several tool paths, i.e.:
  • Modify feedrate of imported V4 data (trough APT Import type operations).
  • Locally slow down the tool of an operation, to avoid chatter and ensure an accurate tool path on the machine (due to poor rigidity of the setup, change of part surface topology ….)

It is available on APT imports and milling operations.
In an APT Import machining operation,  the type of feedrate is determined as follows:

  • The slowest feedrate of an operation in the APT file is considered the Machining feedrate,
  • The 2nd slowest is the approach feedrate,
  • The 3rd slowest is the retract feedrate ,
  • All others are local feedrates.

Edited feedrates using the tool path editor only impact the tool path, the Machining Operation (MO) spec is not changed.
Tool paths with edited feedrates will be flagged in the PPR tree as modified.
The result is not associative. If the tool path is re-computed (i.e. a parameter is modified or there is a design change), local feedrates will be lost.

You are offered two possibilities:

  • Modifying a Portion of a Tool Path. After you have selected a portion of the tool path, you can modify the feedrate:
    • As a type (approach, retract, machining, etc…),
    • As a value,
    • As a ratio of the machining feedrate value (for Local type).

If the selected area contains several trajectories with different feedrates and if the new feedrate is local, only the machining trajectories will be modified (in order to ignore jumps or macros trajectories).

  • Modifying a Tool Path Globally. You do not select any area: the modification will apply globally on all tool paths:
    • Select the type of feedrate to modify (approach, retract, machining, local).
    • If there are several ‘local’ types with different feedrates, you can select Local1, Local2, Local3 … and corresponding areas are highlighted.
    • Apply a new feedrate as a value (or a ratio of the machining feedrate value for Local type).

Open Block.CATProcess from the samples directory.

Modifying a Portion of a Tool Path

  1. Select Sweeping.1 and click Edit Tool Path in the Tool Path Management toolbar.

  2. The Tool Path Editor dialog box is displayed:

    If you have selected only one object, the title Tool Path Editor is replaced with the name of the operation.

  3. Click Area Modification .The tool path and the tool path area editor are displayed.

    Select the portion of the tool path where you want to modify the feedrate.

  4. Click Modify feedrate in the tool path area editor.
    The Feedrate Modification dialog box is displayed:

  5. Select Local from the drop-down list:

    the dialog box turns to:

    The Feedrate value proposed is the current one.
    If several tool paths are selected with different values for the same feedrate type, the value field is hidden.
    If several tool paths are selected with different values for the machining feedrate, the value field of the local feedrate is hidden.

  6. Key-in the new Feedrate value or the Feedrate ratio (when you modify one, the other is recomputed).

  7. Click OK to validate and exit the dialog box.
    The tool path is modified with this new feedrate value.
    It is marked (modified) in the specification tree, and is displayed in white in the 3D viewer.

Modifying a Tool Path Globally

  1. Select Manufacturing Program.1 and click Edit Tool Path in the Tool Path Management toolbar.

  2. The Tool Path Editor dialog box is displayed:

    If you have selected only one object, the title Tool Path Editor is replaced with the name of the operation.

  3. Click Area Modification .The tool path and the tool path area editor are displayed.

    Do not perform any selection!

  4. Click Modify feedrate .
    The Feedrate Modification dialog box is displayed:

    If several tool paths are selected with different values for the same feedrate type, the value of the first tool path is given as default value.

  5. Modify the type of the feedrate

    or the Feedrate value.
    RAPID is never proposed because its value cannot be modified, as it is defined by the machine.

  6. Click OK to validate and exit the dialog box.
    All the tool paths are modified: