Milling Curved paths; orienting toolpath

[evg]

Good evening

I am looking to eventually mill several semicircular and completely round paths on plywood. I am currently starting with developing semicircular toolpath for one semicircle path;  just one pass of the 3/8" tool bit angled at a 45 to surface and (3) 0.125 mm step-downs. is it possible to create a smooth path for this? any similar experiences?

Thanks

[Johannes @ Robots in Architecture]

Hello,

Your file is a bit large, for easier troubleshooting it would be good to only send the parts where you need help.
Do I understand correctly that you want to make a cut like your surface?
I've marked the new addition to the code in orange! Note that my example is milling on the surface, so you may need to offset according to the tool radius to get an exact border.

Best,
Johannes

[evg]

Great!

Yes the cut would be on a 3/4" (19.05 mm) plywood surface, with (3) 1/8" (3.125 mm) step-downs to create a depth of 3/8" The path would be similar like in the image. my only concern is the drill bit angle, I am trying to orient it 45 degrees to the plywood surface to create a specific groove and do the semicircle path. Do you think it would cause too much strain on the tool? I have had experiences where the tool seems to get stuck on the plywood, i am guessing due to strain/ friction? any tips to make milling on plywood smoother would be welcome.

Thanks

Erick

[Johannes @ Robots in Architecture]

Hello Erick,

Did you look at my attached file? The robot is following your curve.
Regarding the strain on the tool: I'm not a real milling expert, for prototypes like that we're always at the pendant so that we can dial down the speed of the robot if there are any suspicious noises.

Best,
Johannes

[evg]

Thanks it worked!

Would the same apply for a path with multiple kinks?
See attached

Thanks again
Erick

[Johannes @ Robots in Architecture]

Hello Erick,

I'm sorry, it's a big file where I don't know where to look.
If you've got multiple kinks it's not a problem if there is the same number of kinks on the top and on the bottom, then you can keep the cutting surface relatively intact. Otherwise you need to synchronize the two curves somehow, either by e.g. dividing them into the same number of points or linking e.g. a point on the bottom curve to the closest point on the top curve.

Best,
Johannes