A lot of variables go into determining the correct speeds and feeds for a given material and project. In Cut Mode, you can adjust the speed your cutter moves in the x,y dimensions (feed rate) and the z dimension (plunge speed). You can find suggested cut specs for a variety of materials here.
Plunge
Plunge refers to how fast the spindle will plunge into your material. Origin’s default plunge rate is 400 mm/min. This is a setting you may want to adjust depending on the material you're cutting and the cutter you're using.
If you select a speed faster than Origin can perform, the plunge rate will default to the fastest setting available (420 mm/min).
If you select a plunge speed that is slower than the default, Origin will plunge at its default speed until it contacts the material surface and then slow to the set speed.
Auto
Auto refers to the rate at which the spindle tracks when you are holding down the Auto Button. Origin’s default Auto rate is 250 mm/min).
If you prefer to cut with Auto mode to maintain a constant speed, you can adjust this setting to ensure the speed is appropriate for your material. If you select a speed faster than Origin can perform, the Auto mode will default to the fastest setting available (900 mm/min).
Rules of Thumb
Finding the right speeds and feeds requires a lot of experimenting. You can check with your bit manufacturer for chip load information, but remember that these recommendations are designed for large, rigid CNC machines. Origin depends on human arms instead of robot arms and gantries and many of the traditional formulas for chip size may not apply.
That being said the following are good rules of thumb to to stick to:
- Your material shouldn't be burning
- Your chips should be chips—neither chunks nor dust
Check with your bit manufacturer for a target chip size - Listen to your tool. If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.