When you specify tool selection criteria based on Use Expression and not on a specific tool,
SOLIDWORKS
CAM
accounts for the tool's flute length.
When you run
Generate Operation Plan, for each operation that you define
the tool selection criteria with a Tool diameter lower/upper expression, the following
rules apply:
- If the tool crib has two or more tools with identical diameter values
matching the expression criteria,
SOLIDWORKS
CAM
accounts for the flute length to assign the tool.
It
selects the tool with a flute length more than the feature depth. If all tools
have a flute length more than the feature depth,
SOLIDWORKS
CAM selects the tool with a flute length closest to the
feature depth.
- If
SOLIDWORKS
CAM still finds two or more tools,
it
uses the rules of Stock/Tool Material
Mapping to select a tool.
For example, consider a rectangular pocket with
a feature depth of 75mm. Based on the feature strategy assigned to this feature, the
tool selection criteria selects a 25mm Flat End Mill. The tool crib has two Flat End
Mill tools with identical diameters of 25mm. However, one tool has a 50mm flute length
and the other has an 80mm flute length.
SOLIDWORKS
CAM selects the tool with the 80mm flute length because it is closer
in value to the feature depth.