Method and apparatus for creating a starting hole for milling in a surface of a workpiece by a cnc milling machine
AssigneeTruemill, Inc.
InventorsAlan DIEHL, Robert B. Patterson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A starting hole for milling in a surface of a workpiece by a CNC milling machine with a milling cutter mounted to a rotating spindle is created by milling a first hole at a first diameter to a first depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole; and then successively milling a second hole at a second diameter to a second depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter. One or more additional holes may be successively milled to additional depths at successively smaller diameters.
Claims20
A method of creating a starting hole for milling in a surface of a workpiece by a CNC milling machine with a milling cutter mounted to a rotating spindle, the method comprising:
- (a) milling a first hole at a first diameter to a first depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole;
- and
- (b) successively milling a second hole at a second diameter to a second depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter.
An apparatus for generating control code for a CNC milling machine such that when the control code is executed in the CNC milling machine, a milling cutter mounted to a rotating spindle of the CNC milling machine forms in a workpiece a starting hole for milling in the surface of the workpiece, the apparatus comprising a processor programmed to generate control code that:
- (a) mills a first hole at a first diameter to a first depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole;
- and
- (b) successively mills a second hole at a second diameter to a second depth into the workpiece along the axis of the starting hole, wherein the second diameter is smaller than the first diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.