Detect 5-Axis Rotary Reversals Before They Become Surface Marks
A collision check answers an important question: does the modeled tool assembly intersect the modeled part, fixture or machine envelope? It does not answer a different question: will the cutting contact remain stable while the rotary axes change direction? A short surface witness line can appear near an A- or C-axis reversal even when simulation reports no collision. Possible contributors include…
A Python script analyzes rotary axis reversals in a toolpath to potentially detect surface marks. It compares linear speed and rotary velocity changes at each sample point. When the linear speed drops below a threshold and rotary velocity changes sign, a reversal is flagged for further analysis. The script does not modify the toolpath or machine motion.
The reversal_candidates function returns timestamps and details of flagged axis reversals. Engineers should examine contact geometry, axis limits and actual surface conditions at flagged timestamps, not assume a good part from unflagged timestamps. The script tests synthetic data showing how it identifies potential surface marks during rotary axis reversals.
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