Defining a routing area for pocket milling jobs

The task

You can use EngView to define areas for pocket milling jobs to hard materials — for example, glass or metal.

How it is done

You define a routing area by selecting a panel and then setting a path for the milling cutter — the route that the cutter will cover across the panel's surface while removing material from it.

To create a routing area for a pocket milling job

  1. On the Objects tab, click Create routing area .

Nothing happens that you can see on the screen.

  1. Using the mouse, point to the panel on which you want to set the routing area. Make sure that the panel you point to is a closed countour.
  1. Click the panel.

The Pocketing Options dialog box appears.

Create Pocket Milling Options Settings that control the width of the milling tool and the style that EngView will use for the CAM job.
Area Width: The width of the cutter that will be used for milling the main area.
Style: From the dropdown list, select the style for EngView to associate with the cutting tool and use in a related CAM job.
Contour Width: The contour is the zone along the panel's periphery that the main tool does not process because of its physical limitations. For the contour, and additional tool is used that processes this zone. Here, you set the width of the additional tool.
Style: From the dropdown list, select the style for EngView to associate with the tool and use it in a related CAM job.
 
Milling Area Options Settings for how the cutter will cover the panel surface. In Zig-Zag mode, the cutter goes in forward and backward movements across the panel surface. In Island mode, the cutter travels in concentric shapes starting at the panel's periphery and then moving toward the center.
Zig-Zag The cutter makees forward and backward paths across the panel's surface. In Angle, set the angle at which the the tool will change its direction when it reaches the panel's edge. Zero degrees is the default angle value.
Island The cutter covers the panel area by making concentric shapes starting from the periphery and moving toward the panel's center.
Tool Overlay This setting controls how much two consecutive passes will overlap.
 
Preview Settings that visualize how each cutter — for the main area and the contour — covers its zone.
Area milling path Highlights the main milling area.
Countour path Highlights the contour area.
  1. Select the settings and type values that work for your case.