Corner rounding walkthrough

In this walkthrough, we'll create a corner round with a radius of 30mm. Corner rounding uses the Fence and Flags for alignment.

1. Create Your Workspace

If you've already created a Plate template workspace, preparing your Workspace for a hardware installation is easy: just duplicate that template Workspace and name it something identifying. We'll name this new Workspace "Plate - 30mm Corner."

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To finish setting up the workspace, navigate to Design Mode. It's easy to design rounded corners with on-tool design - just create a rounded rectangle with a width of 140mm and a height of 100mm, with rounded corners of radius 30mm.

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Since this rectangle matches the dimensions of Plate's alignment features, you can align its center with the center of Plate's window: X=0mm, Y=0mm.

2. Align Plate and Clamp

Use the Fence and Flags to align Plate to the corner that you're going to round.

Clamp Plate in place, using the clamping point below Plate's window opposite the corner being cut and the clamping point above Plate's Window on the side of the corner to be rounded. Find more about best practices with the Clamps here.

Remember to retract the Fence before starting to cut.

3. Cut with Origin

Note before cutting that Plate's reference features leave 10mm clearance between the edge of the workpiece and the edge of Plate's Window.

An 8mm router bit is the largest we recommend for corner rounding - this leaves 2mm clearance. For those more cautious, a smaller diameter router bit will give you more clearance. Remember that a positive Offset will reduce clearance as well.

Cut the corner, plunging on a straight edge of the rounded rectangle, and retracting once you've reached the perpendicular edge.

Advanced: Larger Radii and Lead-ins

Up to 100mm corner radii using Plate's built-in alignment features, but for any corners larger than radius 45mm it may be necessary to separate right and left corners into separate workspaces.

Arced or ramped lead-ins and -outs can help smooth out the start and end points of the rounded corner, but note that any leads used will reduce the clearance to the edge of Plate's window. Adjust the offsets accordingly.

Lead-ins and -outs can be designed in the digital design software of choice. We recommend Shaper Studio to quickly and easily create custom corner rounds for Origin.