Double-spiral tool path in configuration space

Using a spiral tool path is a common strategy in many NC machining applications. It can be used for high-speed machining of pockets or as a space-filling curve for finish applications. When using spirals for finishing application, a double spiral is desired to avoid having a starting or end-point at the center of the workpiece. In this paper, we present an algorithm to create a double spiral from offset curves in a precomputed configuration space (c-space). CAD/CAM systems that operate on NURBS surfaces or on triangular meshes have to deal with the issues of patch-boundary oscillations or long, stretched triangles, respectively. This can be avoided when operating in c-space. The c-space is given in the form of a regular quadrilateral heightfield mesh, which may be adaptively subdivided, where the slope is large. This simple data structure is memory efficient and has proven to be beneficial in CAD/CAM frameworks. Our algorithm creates a double spiral by blending adjacent offset curves. The center of the spiral is filled by a b-spline curve. When given offset curves split into multiple components, the algorithm creates multiple smaller spirals and connects them appropriately. The resulting tool path is one large intersection-free curve with starting and end-point on the boundary of the workpiece.