Introduction

When working with toolpaths in Carveco, estimating your machining time is crucial. This tutorial will guide you through using the Toolpath Summary feature, how to calibrate it to your machine, and ensure accurate time estimations for your projects.

 Step 1: Open Toolpath Summary

• Navigate to the Toolpaths panel.
• Select the Toolpath Summary icon (clipboard with clock).
• The Toolpath Summary window will appear showing estimated machining times for each toolpath and the total job.

 Step 2: Understand Default Estimations

Carveco calculates the default time using your tool's feedrate and the toolpath's total length. However, this may not be accurate until your setup is calibrated.

Example: Your project might show a machining time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, but it could vary significantly from reality.

 Step 3: Calibrate to Your Machine

1. Run a real job on your CNC (e.g., a roughing toolpath).
2. Record the actual time it takes to complete (use a stopwatch).
3. Compare the real time with Carveco's estimate for that toolpath.
4. Divide the real time by the estimated time to get your Time Scale Factor.
5. Enter this factor into the Time Scale field and click Calculate.

This will update all future machining time estimates to better match your machine's performance.

 Advanced Technique: Set Accurate Rapid Rate

To enhance the accuracy of the estimate further, input your CNC's actual rapid traverse rate.

• If your machine's rapid rate is 50 meters/min (or 1968 in/min), enter this into the Rapid Rate field.
• This tells Carveco how quickly your machine can travel between cuts, reducing overestimation.

 Summary

• Use Toolpath Summary to preview and compare machining times.
• Calibrate using actual timing from real jobs.
• Update the Time Scale Factor and Rapid Rate for better accuracy.

While estimates won’t be perfect, these steps provide a much clearer expectation of time-on-machine.