Machining Technology

The machining strategy that you employ is controlled by the use of various machining technologies. In Cimatron, an NC machining technology consists of a Main Selection (the machining procedure group) and a Subselection (the actual machining procedure).

The machining technologies available in Cimatron are shown below, listed in alphabetical order by Subselection (see Technology Selection Mode to see how to display only a partial list of the Main Selection and/or Subselection options).

The following NC machining technologies and procedures are available (see below for a list of Legacy procedures).

The table below can be sorted; it has clickable headers that sort the table by the clicked column. The table is initially sorted by Subselection name.

Main Selection (Technology)		Subselection (Procedure)
Local Operations		3X Deburring	3X Deburring is a high quality toolpath that removes or chamfers burrs on external sharp edges. Cimatron can automatically detect the machined edges or they can be selected manually; however, the geometry must be of adequate quality for the automatic edge detection to perform optimally. 3X Deburring also offers automatic linking between segments and collision detection. Note that this procedure only supports ball or lollipop cutters and is identical to 5X Deburring.
Local Operations		3X Geodesic	3X Geodesic is a high quality toolpath that calculates an even 3D step over complex parts. It includes support for guide curves and undercut and considers the holder to prevent collisions. It is typically used for parts that require a high quality surface finish, such as mold and die cores and/or cases where a continuous toolpath (start-to-end without reentries) is required. This procedure is identical to 5X Geodesic.
5X Applications		5X Projection	5X Projection projects motion patterns onto machined faces. Machined faces can be regular CAD faces or mesh geometry.
Convert to 5X		5X Tilt	Convert single cutter 3-axis procedures to 5-axis procedures for those procedures that have not already been converted and use a ball cutter.
Contour Milling		5X Trimming	Cut surface edges after a vacuum forming process, deep drawn sheet metal parts and composite laminated parts.
Local Operations		Aiming Surface 3X, 4X 5X	Create 3, 4, and 5-axis tool motions on multiple surfaces, along a trajectory defined by an aiming surface.
Drill	3X 4X 5X	Automated Drill 3X, 4X 5X	The Automated Drill is an advanced drill programming application that supports 2.5 to 5-axis manufacturing as well as Thread Milling, Gun Drilling, Pockets, and Profiles.
2.5 Axes Milling		Chamfer Closed Contour	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Chamfer Open Contour	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Remachine		Cleanup	Identifies and cleans unmachined areas that remain after previous machining operations.
2.5 Axes Milling		Cleanup 2D Pocket	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Cleanup 2D Profile	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Remachine		Cleanup Contours Only	To enable the use of any cutter combinations, this procedure enables the creation of auxiliary contours in the Cleanup procedure, without creating motions. These contours can then be used later as input to any other procedure. This procedure displays a limited number of the parameters that appear in the Cleanup procedure. This procedure is only displayed in the Remachine subselection dropdown list if the checkbox option Cleanup - "Create Contours Only" Option is selected in the Preferences > General > General NC.
Connection		Connection	Create a 3-5-axis connection between two NC procedures via a safety clearance, using an automatic retract and approach definition.
Turning		Contour	Take a single turning pass along a shape, creating a smooth surface finish. Used for finishing operations.
Transformation		Copy	Copy source procedures to one or more destination transformation elements.
Transformation		Copy Array	Copy source procedures to either a radial or rectangular array of transformation elements.
Remachine		Corners Plunge	Create plunging motions with a plunge cutter at rounded corners of pockets. The pockets are created by the Pocket Manager. The plunging motions are parallel to the cylinder of the corner that may be vertical or slanted. The approach is parallel to the cylinder and the retract is horizontal.
Contour Milling		CurveMx 3x	Create 3-axis tool motions that trace a 2D or 3D contour, with or without reference surfaces. This function is ideal for machining the top of ribs that are defined only by their top contours.
Contour Milling		CurveMx 4x & 5x	Create 4 or 5-axis tool motions that trace a 2D or 3D contour, with or without reference surfaces. This function is ideal for machining the top of ribs that are defined only by their top contours and also for 4 and 5-axis slotting.
Drill	3X 4X 5X	Drill 3X, 4X 5X	Create standard cycles for drilling operations. Drill procedures can be 3, 4, or 5-axis.
2.5 Axes Milling		Facing	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Surface Milling		Finish Horiz. Planar Areas	Mill horizontal areas using either Parallel or Spiral machining.
Surface Milling		Finish Mill All	Mill all areas using either Parallel, Spiral, or Layers machining.
Surface Milling		Finish Mill By Limit Angle	Mill horizontal and/or vertical areas (divided by a slope angle) using different machining technologies.
Turning		Groove	Create geometry-independent rectangular grooves. Used for predefined groove cycles.
Remachine		Guided Cleanup	The Guided Cleanup procedure ignores the direction vectors from the Remachine Segments Table. Each segment or group of segments are milled from the Z direction. In this case a Cleanup procedure is created for each direction. This is a 3X procedure.
2.5 Axes Milling		Helical Closed Profile	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Measurement		In-Process Measurement	Optimize milling processes combined with feedback from part measurements while the part is on the CNC machine. This procedure performs part measuring operations on the CNC machine and validates the current machining results. You can chose whether to fine-tune successive machining operations (for example, change the cutter diameter compensation value) or to stop the machine to avoid out of tolerance machining.
Local Operations		Local 3X	Create finishing tool paths on multiple surfaces for 3-axis machining. This procedure is very similar to 5X Production, limited to 3X machining only (regardless of the number of toolpath axes).
Turning		Lathe Drill	Create a hole in the center of the turning material. Used for center holes (X0, Y0 coordinates).
Transformation		Mirror Copy	Copy source procedures about a mirroring entity to a destination transformation element.
Transformation		Mirror Move	Move source procedures about a mirroring entity to a destination transformation element.
Transformation		Move	Move source procedures to one or more destination transformation elements.
Remachine		Multi Axes Guided Cleanup	The Multi Axes Guided Cleanup procedure uses the direction vectors from the Remachine Segments Table. This procedure tilts all motions created by a pencil curve to the vector direction of that curve. Each segment or group of segments are milled by the direction associated with it, making it a 3+2 Axis procedure. This is a 5X procedure.
5X Applications		Multi Blade - Basic/Advanced	Multi blade parts describes a part family. Typical part types are impeller (used for pumps) and bladed disks (or so called 'Blisks', used in aeroplane engines). These parts will be used to compress or transport a fluid or gas. They share different geometrical attributes and they are all constructed with the same elements.
Measurement		On Machine Inspection	Enable the programming of multiple probing measurements at the end of machining while the part is still on the CNC machine, automatically generating a Quality Assurance (QA) report.
Local Operations		Part Surface 3X, 4X 5X	Create 3, 4 and 5-axis tool motions for milling strips of adjacent surfaces, while following the parametric curves of these surfaces.
Remachine		Pencil	Machine one pass along all internal sharp corners in the part, as well as areas with radius of curvature smaller than the cutter radius. The results of this procedure are clean and smooth internal corners.
2.5 Axes Milling		Pocket - Finish Walls	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Pocket - Parallel Cut	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Pocket - Spiral Cut	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Pocket - Stock Spiral	Cut along the edges of open contours.
5X Applications		Port Milling	The Port machining is used to create either a roughing or finishing toolpath for port type geometries. The aim is to reach the full area with a single toolpath, machining from the top and the bottom. The toolpath will be calculated on a triangle mesh. The idea here is to use a spine. This spine is a center line to the port's center. From here the cuts are projected perpendicular onto the port surface. Note that only ball mill are supported.
5X Production		Pro	Create finishing toolpaths on multiple surfaces for 3 to 5-axis machining. This procedure supports 3 to 5-axis machining with a wide variety of machining strategies and cutters (including Lollipop and Slot Mill). You have full control over the cutter orientation and over the behavior between cutting motions. Up to four sets of check faces can be used, each with a different offset and a different response when a theoretical path gouges it. Defining machine limits and other machine properties are also available. Multiple layers (based on 3D offsets) can be used, combined with gouge check and control and the use of drive surfaces allows roughing in 4 / 5X machining for special cases such as turbine blades machining.
2.5 Axes Milling		Profile Closed by Plane	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Profile Closed Contour	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Surface Milling		Profile Closed Contour	Cut along the edge of closed contours, while following the shape of multiple part surfaces.
2.5 Axes Milling		Profile Open by Plane	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Profile Open Contour	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Surface Milling		Profile Open Contour	Cut along the edge of closed contours, while following the shape of multiple part surfaces.
Remachine		Rest Milling	Calculates the milling regions based on the Previous Cutter, allowing any cutter combination and milling those regions using the Finish Mill by Limit Angle procedure technology.
Turning		Rough	Remove turning material using multiple passes on a shape. Various technologies are available, such as turning, pattern offsets or plunging.
5X Applications		Rough 5X	This feature creates a multi-axis toolpath that can be used to rough out pocket shaped geometries. This calculation-based type uses STL meshes as well as IGES geometries as input. Specify the floor, wall, and ceiling surfaces and the system automatically creates the roughing toolpath. The parameters are identical to the triangle mesh-based roughing cycle, including the adaptive roughing feature.
Volume Milling		Rough Parallel	Remove volume material. Cutting is performed in horizontal layers. The cutter passes are parallel when viewed from the Z direction.
Volume Milling		Rough Spiral	Remove volume material. Cutting is performed in horizontal layers. The milling is performed in spiral motions.
Local Operations		Ruled Surface 3X, 4X, 5X	Create a sequence of linked ruled surfaces, defined by two contours, and create tool motions for machining them following their parametric curves using 3, 4 or 5-axis machining. The ruled surface is defined by connecting the endpoints (contour break points) of the curves of the two contours (open or closed) by straight line segments.
2.5 Axes Milling		Safe Closed Profile	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Safe Open Profile	Cut along the edges of open contours.
2.5 Axes Milling		Slotting	Cut along the edges of open contours.
5X Applications		Swarf By Contours	SWARF (Side Wall Axial Relief Feed) machining, or also called 'flank milling', is a 5-axis simultaneous milling process. It will be used for machining fluid parts for turbo-engines or aeronautical parts like integral elements.
Turning		Thread	Create a thread on the outside or inside diameter of the turning material. Used for lathe threading.
Volume Milling		Volume Pocket	Remove volume material from pocket features recognized by the Pocket Manager.
2.5 Axes Milling		VoluMill Pocket	Cut along the edges of open contours.
Volume Milling		VoluMill Rough	Remove volume material using High Speed Machining technology, while maintaining a constant chip width for all motions.
Turning		VoluTurn	Remove turning material using a cutter with a round insert. Smooth flowing motions are created that evenly distribute wear on tool inserts. VoluTurn is particularly well-suited to machining tough materials such as titanium and hardened steels. Used for high-speed roughing using a round insert.