Toolpath Types

The ‘Toolpath types’ section of the Advanced tab specifies which operations CAM Assist will use when computing a toolpath strategy.

How to use

To include a toolpath type in CAM Assist’s computation, just check it’s box.

Features

The following table lists the features of the ‘Toolpath types' section.

Option	Description

Option	Description
Face milling	An operation that removes material from the face, or flat surface, of a part. Face milling is commonly used to achieve smooth finishes, create flat surfaces, or to prepare the part for subsequent operations. Checked - CAM Assist is allowed to produce facing operations using a Face mill or an End mill to face off the part. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce Face milling toolpaths.
Bulk roughing	A machining strategy that involves removing a significant amount of material quickly and efficiently from a part during the initial stages of the machining process. The goal of bulk roughing is to remove excess stock material and bring the part closer to its final shape before more detailed operations are performed. Checked - CAM Assist will produce roughing toolpaths to efficiently remove the bulk of the stock material around the part. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce any roughing toolpaths. The user must manually create roughing toolpaths to clear the stock for the finishing operations. If unchecked, the ‘Detailed roughing’ toolpath type cannot be used.
Detailed roughing	A machining strategy that involves removing material in a more controlled and detailed manner after the ‘Bulk roughing’ stage. The goal of detailed roughing is to achieve a more precise shape, leaving behind a smaller amount of material for the subsequent finishing operation. Checked - detailed roughing toolpaths have a fine stepdown and ensure that freeform features are adequately roughed out. Note: this strategy can be computationally expensive and may involve longer toolpath generation times than other methods. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce any detailed roughing toolpaths. ‘Detailed Roughing’ is only available if ‘Bulk Roughing' has been checked.
Finishing	An operation where the final cuts are made to the material to achieve the desired surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and overall quality of the machined part. Checked - CAM Assist will produce toolpaths to finish the part. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce any finishing toolpaths.
Hole making	The process of creating holes of specific sizes, depths, and tolerances in a part using various machining operations, such as drilling, boring, and tapping. Checked - CAM Assist will produce ‘hole making’ toolpaths. Additionally, if the hole threads are specified in Mastercam then CAM Assist will produce tapping and thread-mill operations to produce the threads. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce any ‘hole making’ toolpaths. If unchecked, the ‘Spot drilling’ toolpath type cannot be used.
Spot drilling	The process of creating a small, shallow hole or depression at a precise point on a part. The initial indentation help to accurately position and guide the drill when drilling deeper holes. Checked - CAM Assist will generate a spot drilling operation before every drilling operation. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not generate a spot drilling operation before every drilling operation.
Basic tapping	Tapping of a hole based on the modelled core hole size and corresponding tap tool sizes. Checked - CAM Assist will generate a tapping operation after every drilling operation, if there is a matching tap tool. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not generate any tapping operations.
Deburring	An operation used for removing burrs, sharp edges, and irregularities from a machined part. Deburring is essential for improving a part’s safety, functionality, and aesthetics. Checked - CAM Assist will produce toolpaths to deburr sharp edges. Unchecked - CAM Assist will not produce any ‘Deburring’ toolpaths.