Tool Paths
Last updated
Last updated
In order to set up tool paths, we have made a template with the most common tool paths for 4 mm router bits which we use for most projects in the workshops. Download the Tool Path file below and import it into Fusion 360 by following the guide.
Upload the Tool Path file by clicking the file icon in the top left corner of Fusion 360 and press "upload". Find the location that you downloaded the "Tool Paths 2" file on your PC.
Once uploaded, press "Show data panel" and click on "Admin Projects" to find your uploaded file and double click on it. It may take a moment for the uploaded file to appear.
With the Tool Path file open, you can now copy and paste the tool paths directly into your own file which is now in another tab of Fusion 360. Right click on the toolpath you want and click copy.
Go into your own file, right click your setup and click paste.
Once your toolpath is pasted into your setup, you can right-click and select "edit" to select what to machine in the toolpath.
For Contour selection, select the outer or inner line you want to cut.
In order to cut a pocket into your material, copy the tool path called "2D Pocket" from the Tool Path file and paste it into your setup.
Right click the 2D Pocket toolpath and click edit
Select the pockets you like to mill out. The selections should turn blue.
Repeat the steps in "Contour Cut" or "2D Pocket" but choose the "Bore" tool path. Select the inner part or the bottom circle of the holes you would like to bore. We can bore holes from above 5 mm diameter using a 4 mm bit.
Choose the surfaces and choose which surfaces not to touch if needed.
You can right click your setup and click simulate to check your tool paths before making a .nc file. Make sure it does not cut to deep or collides with another object. If you slide the slider to the right, the speed of the simulation will increase.
To convert your toolpaths into G-code, which CNC machines can read, you first need to install a machine-specific preset called a post processor. If you have not yet installed the post processor for the CNC machine, click on the link below and follow the installation instructions. Return to the guide for the last step "Post process" after completing the installation.
If you are ready to make a file. Right click the setup and click "Post Process" to make a .nc file with your toolpath. Put your file onto a USB Drive, that you can put into the CNC machines cam software. Before running a file, you should setup the machine, which you can read about in the next section.
After you have made your CNC file, you have to setup the machine. Go to "Machine Preparation" in the link below. Remember you myst ALWAYS consult with an employee in the workshop to run the file.
