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Waterfall Effect
The Waterfall effect occurs when the tool rolls over an outer edge of the selected geometry and falls behind it. The effect reduces the sharpness of the edge and leads to longer machining times. Cimatron offers a high degree of accuracy in automatically creating finished toolpaths that prevent the waterfall effect, whereby the tool moves all the way to the edge of the part, without rolling beyond it. The system automatically defines those edges and you have the flexibility to modify them if required.
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A spiral toolpath over the green surfaces including the waterfall effect. |
A spiral toolpath where the green faces are milled to their exact edge with no waterfall by letting the system automatically define the surfaces’ edges, by using Automatic Boundaries. |
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Important: Automatic Boundaries and the exact location of the relevant edges are essential for the prevention of Waterfall motions and also for the Horizontal Machining Expansion calculations (for overlaps and extensions).
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Automatic Boundaries = OFF: |
Automatic Boundaries = ON: |
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Note the 'waterfall' motions at both ends, as well as in the holes and gaps. |
The 'waterfall' motions no longer exist. |
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Notice that some of the outer motions waterfall into the surrounding fillet faces. |
The result is 'waterfall' free motions. |
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Horizontal Machining Expansion is created ONLY where Automatic Boundaries exist. The example image below shows a case where the Automatic Boundary is open on the right side. The result at this area is 'waterfall' motions which roll around the face edge and gouge the part.
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