I was at a shop in Toledo and saw them run a part with a 0.005" stepover on a roughing pass. I used to think that was way too fine.

The lead guy there said, 'It's not about speed, it's about keeping the tool in the cut.' He showed me the cycle time was actually faster because the machine could run at a constant feed without slowing down for corners. I tried it on a 4140 steel job back at my place and saved 15 minutes on a 3 hour run. Has anyone else switched to a lighter roughing cut with higher feed?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucas_grant833d ago

Totally changed my roughing style after seeing that. Lighter cuts with way higher feed rates just let the machine rip without bogging down. The time savings are real.

smith.matthew2d ago

My old Haas just can't handle that constant feed without chattering like crazy on corners. I mean, maybe it works on newer machines but I'm still taking heavier passes.