Written by Stephen Hall, Fusion, Inventor and CAM Applications Engineer
The list of 3D machining strategies available within Fusion and Inventor is extensive to say the least. You can choose from Parallel, Scallop, Contour etc. and get some fantastic results. One particular favourite of mine, however, is Morphed Spiral.
Morphed Spiral
It’s a 3D machining strategy perfect for finishing complex surfaces. The toolpath is different to other 3D strategies such as Scallop for example, in that the toolpath generated is much smoother with fewer sharp corners, therefore achieving superior results on shapes which are deemed to be freeform or organic.
I used this feature recently when creating a toolpath for finish machining a topography data file of Helvellyn, a mountain in the Lake District, because…. well because as a hill-runner who doesn’t love a good mountain!
Toolpaths
I’d experimented with a few toolpaths but, due to the complexity of the surface, I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the result. However, once I selected Morphed Spiral the resulting toolpath was perfect. No sudden, aggressive sharp corner movements meant that the outcome was just what I was looking for. I can’t wait to get it onto the machine!
Inventor CAM is available only in the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection
The Product Design & Manufacturing Collection provides the tools you need for the design and manufacturing of your products. The collection includes:
- Inventor
- Inventor Nesting
- Inventor Tolerance Analysis
- And more
For more information about Fusion and Inventor CAM contact us