PathPilot Quick Tips | Plasma Kerf Compensation with DXF Import

Plasmas remove metal during their operation, and the size of the gap that's produced is the product of kerf compensation. That width is affected by the thickness of the metal, and the nozzle diameter of the cutting tool. Hypertherm has a rule thumb that says the kerf diameter should be approximately 1 1/2 the size of the cutting orifice diameter. Tormach's DXF import is essential to this operation. A test cut before cutting the final part is the best way to determine the correct plasma cutting kerf.
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[@davidcarpenter8741]

Hi, When I bring a .dxf (from an Inventor sketch) into PathPilot the arcs are replaced with straight lines. If I create the dxf from a drawing in Inventor the arcs remain arcs but the origin is not located on my part and I am unable to determine the exact amount of X and Y offset to center it. Any tips for creating a dxf? And idea what may be happening here? Thanks much!

[@tormachinc]

Make sure you are creating the DXF from a (2D) sketch instead of a 3D solid model. If that doesn't work, the Autodesk forums might also point you to the correct solution as well. Thanks for the question.

[@davidcarpenter8741]

@@tormachinc Thanks, I will give that a try. Do you know if there is a requirement for the version (year) of dxf (2018, 2007, 2004, R12, etc.) for compatibility with PathPilot?