Tool Holder Gouge Checking?

[procarve]

Does anyone have a good workaround for tool holder gouge checking in Artcam? Other CAM programs I have used keep track of the geometry of the tool holder and the length of the tool to make sure the tool holder doesn't get slammed into the work. Artcam doesn't have this feature that I am aware of.

Right now I am manually creating offsets and clearing areas that I think may be a problem but it it very slow and prone to error.

Thanks,

Bill

[Brady Watson]

Select a bit with a cutting edge length that is at least as long as your material thickness, and you shouldn't have to worry about collet collision checking. If cutting very thick material (greater than 3") then you may have to modify your Zzero routine & safe Z height (In SB3 & ArtCAM) to make sure you don't top out the Z axis.

-B

[procarve]

I am cutting 4 inch material with a bit with 3.875 cel right now - this puts me at the limit for having a safe retract and I can usually hit the bottom of the material ok but wherever there is an especially steep z transition I risk hitting the tool holder -

I have the gouge checking in mastercam at the school and it is a really handy feature - I believe delcam has it in power mill but not artcam