Designing for CNC machining

 Designing for CNC machining

Because many common CNC machines — 3-axis milling machines, for example — can only cut downwards, any features that are inaccessible to the downward-facing cutting tool cannot be cut in the normal way. These inaccessible features are known as undercuts.

If possible, undercuts should be avoided altogether. However, when they must be included in the part design, there are a few rules to follow to ensure proper part fabrication.

Undercuts come in two main varieties: T-slots and dovetails. cnc machining parts

T-slots are horizontal cuts, and T-slot cutting tools therefore utilize horizontal cutting blades fitted to a standard vertical spindle. This allows for a standard 3-axis machine to cut sideways instead of downward, allowing the machine to create horizontal undercuts.

Dovetail undercuts involve diagonal angles. To create a dovetail undercut, a dovetail tool with a conical surface is used, and these tools are most commonly found with 45° or 60° angles.

In general, 5-axis machining centers are much more capable of creating undercuts, since they can automatically rotate the spindle or workpiece to find a suitable angle for a pass. If designing a part for 4-axis or 5-axis machining, it is rarely necessary to avoid or minimize undercuts.

Checklist
Has the part been designed with a particular CNC machine in mind?
Have suitable tolerances been specified?
Have hole depths been minimized?
Are walls suitably thick?
Is text in a sans serif font with adequate character spacing? Is it necessary?
Have setups been reduced by aligning features in consistent directions?
Can undercuts be minimized or eliminated?

More cnc machining parts

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