The various 3D machining strategies are as follows:

1. Steep and Shallow

Contour passes applied to steep areas

Scallop passes applied to shallow areas

Complete Steep and Shallow toolpath

Steep and Shallow is a finishing strategy that machines steep areas using Contour passes and shallow areas using Parallel or Scallop passes. Use this strategy on parts that consist of steep areas and shallow areas in their geometry, for example, parts with 3D freeform surfaces. Using this strategy saves you time by generating a toolpath for both steep and shallow areas and also incorporates a range of controls to allow machining of both steep and shallow regions efficiently.

2. Parallel

Parallel passes is one of the most widely used finishing strategies. The passes are parallel in the XY plane and follow the surface in the Z direction. Parallel passes are best suited for shallow areas and down milling. To automatically detect shallow areas, the machining can be limited to a maximum angle between the tool tip and the surface. By selecting the down milling option, tool deflection can be minimized when machining complex surfaces.

3. Contour

Contour passes is the best strategy for finishing steep walls, but can be used for semi-finish and finish machining on the more vertical areas of a part. If a slope angle is specified, for example 30 to 90 degrees, the steeper areas are machined, leaving the shallower areas up to 30 degrees for more appropriate strategies.

4. Horizontal Clearing

The Horizontal Clearing strategy automatically detects all the flat areas of the part and clears them with an offsetting path. When the flat area is shelved above the surrounding areas, the cutter moves beyond the flat areas to clean the edges. Using the optional maximum stepdown, horizontal faces can be machined in stages, making the horizontal clearing suitable for both semi-finishing and finishing.

5. Pencil

The Pencil strategy creates toolpaths along internal corners and fillets with small radii, removing material that no other tool can reach. Whether using single or multiple passes, the Pencil strategy is ideally suited for cleaning up after other finishing strategies.

6. Scallop/Constant Stepover

The Scallop strategy creates passes that are at a constant distance from one another by offsetting inward along the surface. The passes follow sloping and vertical walls to maintain the stepover. Although Scallop finishing can be used to finish an entire part, it is most commonly used for rest machining, following a combination of Contour and Parallel passes. Like the other finishing strategies, machining can be limited by a contact angle range.

7. Spiral

Spiral machining creates a spiral toolpath from a given center point, generating a constant contact as it machines within a given boundary. It is ideally suited for use on round shallow parts using tool contact angles up to 40 degrees, in conjunction with Contour passes for the more vertical faces. The center point of the detail to be machined is located automatically, or can be user-specified. This strategy also supports tool contact angles.

8. Morphed Spiral

The Morphed Spiral strategy is very similar to the Spiral strategy. However, a Morphed Spiral operation generates the spiral from the selected boundary as opposed to a Spiral operation which trims the generated passes to the machining boundary. This means that Morphed Spiral can be used for additional surfaces for which Spiral is not appropriate. It can also be very useful when machining free-form/organic surfaces. Although the Scallop strategy is often used for these types of surfaces, both the sharp corners and the linking transitions between the generated passes can result in visible marks. The Morphed Spiral strategy generally provides a much smoother toolpath by avoiding these issues.

9. Radial

Like spiral machining, Radial machining also starts from a center point, providing you with the ability to machine radial parts. It also provides the option to stop short of the center of the radial passes, where they become very dense. The center point of the detail to be machined is located automatically, or can be user-specified. This routine can also be used with tool contact angles.

10. Pocket

Pocket is the conventional roughing strategy for clearing large quantities of material effectively. The part is cleared layer by layer with smooth offset contours maintaining climb milling throughout the operation. To avoid plunging, the tool ramps down along a helical path between levels. To maintain a high feedrate, and thereby reducing machining time, sharp changes of direction are avoided by smoothing the tool motion.

11. Adaptive Clearing

Adaptive Clearing is an innovative roughing strategy that offers significant improvements compared to conventional roughing strategies. The strategy avoids full-width cuts by progressively shaving material off the remaining stock. The generated toolpath ensures that the cutting conditions remain constant with a stable load on the tool. As a result, the feedrate can be increased significantly, reducing the machining time by 40% or more.