Cut3D assumes, whatever milling bit you have in the tool database, it's able to cut using the entire length of the cutter, clearly not the case with 99% of cutters on the market.
In my current job now on stop, I am milling 75mm thick polyurethane model board (supplied by Alchemie, their 301 board - http://www.alchemie.com/model_board.htm ) with a 4mm slot drill, overall length 75mm, flute length 40mm. Now, with the cut plane and overcut distance set appropriately, I need to plunge 58mm for the model in question.
Obviously as the cutter is roughing out the model, as it approaches 40mm deep, any lateral movement in the cutter is then being applied to the shaft of the tool, not the cutting flutes. Given the geometry of my double sided job, the roughing on one face wouldn't need to be the full 58mm as this feature element would be handled fine from the bottom face machining, negating any lateral pressure on the shaft as it's cutting.
Basically I think what I'm asking is, would it be possible at some point in the future to tell Cut3D the flute length so it could have a much better idea of how to rough/finish jobs more intelligently?
Right now I'm stumped as to how to finish this job stuck on the machine without slowing the x/y travels right down and basically "burning" the PU foam with the shaft, to complete the job...Hardly ideal :/
Thankfully my long series cutters are still totally usable, just 10mm shorter overall now
