SmartCluster: Chain Cut and Chain Crop now provides an easier way to do bridging and Chain Cutting.
The term bridging (often called chain cutting) refers to the process of cutting a number of parts using a single cut. In order to do this we first need to use the nesting editor to create a cluster of the parts concerned, and this is stored in the workspace as a new part. The cluster is then opened in the geometry editor, where lines are added to link the parts together so they can form a single path. Once this has been done processing can be applied.
Bridging offers significant advantages over cutting individual parts because a large number of parts can be cut with a single piercing operation. Where plasma is being used this significantly reduces wear on consumables. If you are using gas then the advantage is that you will save considerable time.
Be aware that while bridging offers significant advantages, it must be used with care in order to get the desired results. Plate movement due to heat distortion is a major issue when using a strikethrough bridge because you are only partially cutting a part then returning to finish it later. You need to plan the bridge so that the part will be held in place throughout the execution of the cut. The placement of the bridged parts on the plate is also critical. The tutorials here will help you to understand the issues involved.
Three methods of bridging are available:
▪Spine Bridging; where the parts are linked by one line but each part is cut separately (shown below). This is a relatively safe method of bridging because each part is cut individually and so plate movement is less of an issue. The disadvantage is that the spine takes up extra space on the plate.
▪Auto-strikethrough; which creates a short line between adjacent parts (shown below). While this type of bridging is very easy to do, it gives the least control to the user and so it is the most prone to problems with plate movement.
▪Manual-strikethrough; which is similar to Auto-strikethrough, except that the user creates the line. If used correctly this is the best method of bridging since you can control the bridge to avoid plate movement problems, and you are able to use less plate than is the case when using a spine bridge.
In this section:
Manual Strike-through Bridging
Chain Cutting with Smart Cluster
How to Avoid Distortion Problems when Bridging
Using Common Crop Smart Cluster to Break up a Plate