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      <title>Cut Depth options</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Cut Depth options</div>
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      <p class="para_topic"><b class="uiTerm">Cut Depth</b> determines the cut levels of a multi-depth operation. The <b class="uiTerm">Cut Depth</b> parameters only apply if the tool axis is normal to the floor, or the part boundary is parallel to the floor. If the tool axis is not normal to the floor, or the part boundary is not parallel to the floor, then the tool path will be generated on the floor only (the same as the <b class="uiTerm">Floor Only</b> option.)
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">User Defined</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">User Defined allows you to specify cut depths exclusively by entering numeric values. </p>
                  <div class="figure">
                     <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi09.gif"></p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">User Defined</div>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Floor Only</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Generates a single cut level at the floor plane as illustrated below.</p>
                  <div class="figure">
                     <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi08.gif"></p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">Floor Only</div>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Floor &amp; Island Tops</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Generates a single cut level at the floor plane followed by a cleanup path at the top of each island. Cleanup paths are restricted to the top face of each island and do not cut outside the island boundaries. Notice in the following figure how the tool paths do not superimpose on top of one another in the top view.</p>
                  <div class="figure">
                     <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi07.gif"></p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">Floor &amp; Island Tops</div>
                  <p class="para_td">Notice in the above figure that planar &quot;levels&quot; are not created as they would be if using <b class="uiTerm">Levels At Island Tops</b>.
                  </p>
                  <p class="para_td">It is important when using this option to understand what NX regards as an island. In the above figure, for example, cleanup paths are created in what appear to be pockets.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Levels At Island Tops</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Generates a planar cut level at the top of each island followed by a single cut level at the floor plane. Unlike cleanup paths which do not cut outside the island boundaries, cut levels generate tool paths that completely remove all blank material within each planar level. Notice in the following figure how the tool paths superimpose on top of one another in the top view.</p>
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                     <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi06.gif"></p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">Levels At Island Tops</div>
                  <p class="para_td">It is important when using this option to understand what NX regards as an island. In the above figure, for example, cut levels are created in what appear to be pockets.</p>
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                  <p class="para_td"><b class="uiTerm">Fixed Depth</b></p>
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                  <p class="para_td">Generates multiple cut levels at a constant depth. <b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b> specifies the cut depth. 
                  </p>
                  <div class="figure">
                     <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi05.gif"></p>
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                  <div class="title_figure">Fixed Depth</div>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Input fields</div>
      <p class="para_division">The following input fields are available depending on the <b class="uiTerm">Cut Depth</b> option: 
      </p>
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               <p class="para_th"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/pmill_cutdepth.html#cut_depth_max-min');return(false);"><b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b></a></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Defines the largest allowable cut depth for each cut level occurring after the <b class="uiTerm">Initial</b> level and before the <b class="uiTerm">Final</b> level
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               <p class="para_th"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/pmill_cutdepth.html#cut_depth_max-min');return(false);"><b class="uiTerm">Minimum</b></a></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Defines the smallest allowable cut depth for each cut level occurring after the <b class="uiTerm">Initial</b> level and before the <b class="uiTerm">Final</b> level
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               <p class="para_th"><b class="uiTerm">Initial</b></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Defines the cut depth for the first cut level.</p>
               <p class="para_td">This value is measured from the blank boundary plane (or from the highest part boundary plane if a blank boundary has not been defined) and is independent of the <b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Minimum</b> values.
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               <p class="para_th"><b class="uiTerm">Final</b></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Defines the cut depth for the last cut level.</p>
               <p class="para_td">This value is measured from the floor plane.</p>
               <p class="para_td">If <b class="uiTerm">Final</b> is greater than 0.000, the system generates at least two cut levels; one at the <b class="uiTerm">Final</b> distance above the floor plane and the other on the floor plane. The <b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b> value must be greater than zero to generate more than one cut level.
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               <p class="para_th"><b class="uiTerm">Increment Side Stock</b></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Adds a side stock value to each succeeding cut level in a multi-level roughing tool path</p>
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               <p class="para_th"><b class="uiTerm">Top Off Islands</b></p>
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               <p class="para_td">Generates a separate path on the top of each island that the processor could not initially clean with one of the cut levels</p>
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      </table><br><a name="cut_depth_max-min"></a><div class="title_division">Maximum and Minimum</div>
      <p class="para_division">Maximum defines the largest allowable cut depth for each cut level occurring after the Initial level and before the Final level. Minimum defines the smallest allowable cut depth for each cut level occurring after the Initial level and before the Final level. These two options work together to define an allowable range in which cut depths can be defined. The system creates equal depths as close to the specified Maximum depth as possible. Island tops falling within this range will define cut levels. Island tops not falling within this range will not define cut levels, but may be machined with a cleanup path using the Top Off Islands option.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi04.gif"></p>
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      <div class="title_figure">Maximum and Minimum</div>
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
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               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: If <b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b> equals 0.000, the system will generate a single cut level at the Floor plane regardless of the other <b class="uiTerm">Cut Depth</b> parameters. <b class="uiTerm">Top Off Islands</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Final</b>, for example, will not affect the operation if <b class="uiTerm">Maximum</b> equals 0.000. This feature allows the system to accommodate operations that were generated with a prior release that only allowed single level planar milling.
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      <div class="title_division">Levels at Island Tops</div>
      <p class="para_division">Select <b class="uiTerm">Levels at Island Tops</b> to generate a separate path for each island top that is not at one of the cut levels.
      </p>
      <ul>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">For <b class="uiTerm">Follow Periphery</b> and <b class="uiTerm">Follow Part</b>, the software generates a <b class="uiTerm">Follow Periphery</b> cutter path with region connection. 
            </p>
         </li>
         <li>
            <p class="para_item">For <b class="uiTerm">Zig</b>, <b class="uiTerm">Zig Zag</b>, and <b class="uiTerm">Zig With Contour</b>, the tops of the islands are cleaned up with a <b class="uiTerm">Zig Zag</b> cutter path.
            </p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item"><b class="uiTerm">Profile</b> and<b class="uiTerm">Standard Drive</b> will not generate an island clean up pass.
            </p>
         </li>
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      <p class="para_division">The processor will find a safe point for the tool to engage from outside of the island to the island's top surface without gouging any of the part's walls without regard for any engage methods that can be set.</p>
      <p class="para_division">The software only generates a separate cleanup path to top off an island if it is necessary. The following figure shows how the processor determines the cut level planes.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi02.gif"></p>
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      <div class="title_figure">Top Off Islands in Planar Milling</div>
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            <td valign="top" align="left"><img align="left" src="../graphics/note.gif" alt="Note" title="Note"></td>
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               <div class="para_note">
                  <p class="para_note_body"> NOTE: It is important when using this option to understand what NX regards as an <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('mfgmilling/pmill_islands.html');return(false);">island</a>.
                  </p>
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      <div class="title_division">Increment Side Stock</div>
      <p class="para_division">Increment Side Stock adds a side stock value to each succeeding cut level in a multi-level roughing tool path. Adding Increment Side Stock maintains side clearance between the cutter and the wall, and relieves stress on the cutter as it cuts deeper cut levels. Cut level 1 will apply the Part Stock value. Cut level 2 will begin to apply side stock value equal to one time the specified Increment Side Stock value. Cut level 3 will have a side stock equal to two times the specified Increment Side Stock, and so on. The following figure shows how the Increment Side Stock will be applied.</p>
      <div class="figure">
         <p align="center"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/pcmill_cutfi03.gif"></p>
      </div>
      <div class="title_figure">Incremental Side Stock Application</div>
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