Tool Definition & Verify

[Andre' B]

I have been using MasterCAM for about 4 years now. One question that I never seem to have time to ask is about how the tools work in the verify screen.
The tool def. is
Cutting dia.
Shank dia.
Flute length
Length to Shoulder
and
Overall stickout from holder

I have always wondered why they bother with the flute length because in verify the shank cuts just as well as the flutes. There is no visual indication until you get to the holder at which point it turns red.
I normally leave the holders turned off for speed reasons.

So for most normal end mills I have been defining the shoulder equal to the flute length and the shank equal to the cutting diameter plus 0.2 so at least I get a rabbit cut on the part in verify.

Just wondering how others handle this or am I missing somthing?

[txcncman]

Good question. Seriously, the way I handle it is, I do not make depth cuts more than the flute length of the tool and I do not make total depth more than the tool stick out from the holder. For the set up man, I add appropriate notes to the tool name for when it is posted, like: 0.500 FLAT MILL 3 FLT NECK DOWN 2.200 OUT

[Andre' B]

That is generally what I do.
Just that between the interuptions of doing 4 or 5 things at once and some indexer jobs with multiple work offsets from different angles it can be easy to miss something and rub a shank on the part.

Thanks.

[txcncman]

Another good point is if you need a tool sticking out more than the flute length, use reduced shank tools.