Previous Cutter Location (PCL) Connection

The Previous Cutter Location (PCL) is the last cutter location before the creation of the current procedure.

A PCL-Connection consists of system generated tool motion blocks that move the tool from the previous cutter location, to the first block of the current procedure motions. A PCL-Connection may consist of zero or multiple tool motion blocks in order to achieve the connection. The PCL-Connection does not change or delete any of the motion blocks of the procedure.

In Cimatron, since the previous cutter location is always known, the PCL-Connection is automatically generated with no user interaction involved. This means that whether previous procedures are suspended or deleted, or the background execution process for a toolpath completes procedure calculations in a random order, the previous cutter location is always known and the PCL-Connection is always updated.

For example, if a toolpath containing 5 procedures is sent for background execution and procedure 4 is the first one completed, a PCL-Connection is generated between the toolpath folder origin and the first block of motions for procedure 4. If procedure 2 is the next one to complete execution, the PCL-Connection is automatically updated to connect the last cutter location in procedure 2 and the first block of motions in procedure 4. As the remaining procedures complete execution, the PCL-Connection is continuously and immediately updated.

As the PCL-Connection is created at the Z clearance plane of either the previous or current procedure (whichever has the highest clearance height), the PCL-Connection is only created if you have selected the Use Clearance checkbox in the Clearance & UCS parameter table.

In the Cimatron graphics window, a phantom line is displayed between:

  • the previous cutter location and the first block of the PCL-Connection, if a PCL-Connection exists.

  • the previous cutter location and the first block of the procedure motions, if no PCL-Connection blocks exist.

This is illustrated in the examples below:

Note that the PCL-Connection is created at the Z clearance plane of either the previous or current procedure (whichever has the highest clearance height):

Some functionality may be dependent on the product package. Contact your Reseller if you require a license.