Method of compensating for cutter deflection

A method of cutting planar production material with a controlled cutting machine having a cutting tool with a tool tip and which machine moves the tool in response to control data defining commanded cutting paths, said method comprising the steps of:

• performing cutting tests on various planar test materials with the cutting machine under selected cutting conditions using test control data defining commanded test cutting paths whereby deflection forces are produced on the tool due to the interaction of the tool and materials so as to cause the tool tip to move along actual test cutting paths laterally offset from the commanded test cutting paths, and determining compensating lateral directional offsets needed to align the actual test cutting paths with the commended test cutting paths;
• establishing a schedule of the compensating lateral directional offsets needed to align the actual test cutting paths with the commanded test cutting paths as determined by the cutting tests, the schedule to be repeatedly used thereafter for cutting planar production material having cutting conditions associated with the schedule;
• and
• cutting planar production material thereafter by advancing the cutting tool and planar material relative to one another with said machine operating in response to production control data defining commanded production cutting paths and using said schedule of compensating lateral directional offsets to modify the production control data to cause the paths followed by the cutting tool to be said commanded production cutting paths, wherein the cutting conditions include a ramp-up speed profile of the cutting tool, a level-off speed of the cutting tool, a ramp-down speed profile of the cutting tool, depth of the cutting tool cut through the planar material, the material of the cutting tool, dimensions of the cutting tool, and material of the planar material, wherein the cutting tool is a rotary cutting tool, and wherein the cutting conditions further include the rotating speed of the cutting tool, and the number of flutes of the cutting tool.