Retract Height is the height a tool will retract to between moves within the same operation, usually set some safe distance above the feed height.Feed Height is the height a tool will position itself to before starting to feed at the cut feedrate before it enters the material, usually set to some safe distance above the top of stock.Top of Stock designates the top face of the stock being used to make the part, which can be used as a reference point for machining processes.

Multiple passes may be needed to get to a final depth. Stepdown is the amount of material that gets removed axially or vertically with each pass of your cutting tool.Stepover determines how much material is removed radially, or left and right, by a tool each time it passes in the XY direction.X, Y, and Z Allowance is the amount of material remaining on either the finished wall (XY) or floor (Z) of a part that needs to be removed in future operations.You’ll find the terms below referenced in nearly every CAM software package. There is also some toolpath lingo that you’ll want to get acquainted with. 75in diameter, milled OD threads of any size, or custom threads. Roughing or finishing pockets of various shapes and sizes.Ĭreating spot drill, tapped, bore, or reamed holes. Machining loops, open pockets, stick fonts, dovetails, keysets, or saw cuts.ĭeburring and creating chamfers using either a tapered mill or center drill.Ĭreating fillets using a Corner Rounding Tool. Familiarize yourself with the toolpaths below, which you’ll encounter in Fusion 360 and other CAM solutions. Toolpath Types and TerminologyĮvery toolpath has a unique behavior and use case. And which of these features needs to be machined from the top versus the bottom? The answer to these questions requires some fundamental toolpath knowledge. How are you going to machine the hole in the center of the part above? You could use a drill, contour, or circular pocket toolpath. Pockets use a 2D Pocket operation, chamfers use Chamfer Milling, and so on.īut then you get to the difficult questions that don’t have such black and white answers. Sometimes this problem-solving process is clear. Many new CNC machinists struggle to plan out their toolpaths, especially as features get more complex.

Cnc router fusion 360