Pocketing involves removing layers of material to a final Z depth. Within each layer, there are 2 kinds of motion 1) following the contours 2) moving between the "rings" of the contours.
The cutting conditions will be determined by many factors, including the tool condition, depth of cut, feed and speed, material, etc, etc, etc.
You usually have to balance the cut volume with the feed to achieve an efficient removal rate. Do this by adjusting the depth of cut ( Z-step size in DeskCNC pocketing), and the step over distance ( X-Y stepover in DeskCNC). It's a good idea to try a series of different cutting conditions to see what is possible with your machine, material, cutter, spindle, etc. If the machine is tuned to rapid with the servos while cutting air with multiple axis moves, you need to determine the max values that you can safely program to stay within the allowable envelope of the motors and cutting conditions. Run your tests at 100% feed rate to avoid complications that may be caused by leaning on the feed rate overide slider.
Fred Smith - IMService
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