Most of the time, machinist’s focus on the hardware aspects when they think about surface finish: –  Do I have the right feeds and speeds? –  Is my setup and machine rigid enough? –  Is there too much runout on the spindle? This is definitely the right place to start, but it’s not the end of the story. A great many factors affecting surface finish are tied up in the CAD/CAM software used to create the part program. For example, the part in the photo on the right exhibits a faceted surface finish. This is definitely a software issue (although there are certain servo mis-tuning situations that can lead to that sort of thing). Let’s take a look at some of these critical software issues that affect surface finish:

One of the murkiest (and most interesting) topics in the world of CNC is tool and moldmaking. Moldmakers have been around for a very long time (longer than CNC), and there is a mystery and art to the craft.

Just released another edition of my monthly video column over on Cutting Tool Engineering magazine. This episode is all about some of the ways you can optimize your CAM Toolpaths for better tool life and surface finish.

Optimize your toolpaths for better tool life and surface finish…

When it comes to machining, there are always a bunch of ways to do the same cut. Ask five machinists how to do a specific operation, and you’re bound to get eight different answers. Face milling is no different.

Some people think of face mills as large diameter tools with lots of inserts. These kinds of face mills need big spindles to push them efficiently, but a fly cutter provides an effective way to face on low horsepower spindles and can deliver superior surface finishes - here's why: