What is same direction for roughing and finishing?
“Same direction for roughing and finishing” is an option (particularly in 3+2 setups) that ensures the finishing pass approaches a face from the same orientation/direction as the roughing pass did. In practical terms, if checked, whenever CAM Assist roughs a certain face at a certain tool approach direction (e.g., from one side in a setup), it will also finish that face with the tool coming from that same direction. If unchecked, it might rough from one direction but then finish from a different direction if that seems optimal. The main idea is to avoid mixing climb vs conventional or reversing cutting direction between rough and finish on a surface, which can sometimes affect surface finish consistency. It could also refer to using the exact same setup orientation for finishing as used in roughing, to avoid tool marks from changing direction (for example, if roughing on a given angled face happened in Setup 2, finishing should also be done in Setup 2 rather than maybe from Setup 3’s orientation).
Why is using same direction for roughing and finishing important in CAM Assist?
Consistency. Machining direction can slightly alter surface texture or how remaining material is cut. If roughing left a certain pattern, finishing in the same direction ensures you’re cutting “with the grain” of that pattern possibly, or at least not introducing a cross-hatch that could lead to uneven surface. It might reduce any mismatch at boundaries between passes. Another scenario: in multi-setup (3+2) machining, a face might be reachable from multiple setups. Without this option, CAM Assist might rough it from one setup but then decide to finish it from another orientation. That could cause alignment issues or small mismatches because of different fixture error or machine kinematics. By forcing same direction, you ensure both rough and finish happen in one setup, which typically yields better accuracy since the finishing is cleaning up what that same setup’s roughing left behind with the same reference alignment. It matters especially in high precision parts or when you want the best surface quality. Conversely, if unchecked, CAM Assist has more freedom to choose possibly a better finishing angle (maybe to use a shorter tool or more rigid orientation for finish). So leaving it off might yield theoretically better cutting conditions, but on complex parts could cause more tool reorientation and potential blending issues. For safe programming, many prefer finishing from the same side they roughed from to be sure all stock was cleared properly.
Where do I find the same direction for roughing and finishing option in CAM Assist?
You find same direction for roughing and finishing in the Prepare section of CAM Assist. You need to be using CAM Assist in 3+2 User Defined mode. The same roughing and finishing option will appear in the left hand panel.
How else could same direction for roughing and finishing be known as?
- Preserve approach orientation
- Rough/finish same setup
- Consistent cutting direction
Related articles to roughing and finishing in the same direction
- What is preserve direction order for roughing? (that is about preserving sequence order, not exactly
same concept, but somewhat related in wanting consistency)
- What is finishing operation ordering? (different, deals with grouping finish operations)
- What is 3+2 user defined mode? (the context where you choose directions; this option influences how
those directions are used for finishing)