The groove width determines how wide the channel will be. It is directly linked to the tool: a groove is cut with a cutter or a grooving saw, and its width cannot be smaller than the thickness of that tool. That is why the «Groove width» field works in pair with the company's tool width.
The «Groove width» field
The groove width is entered in millimetres — as a number or a formula. This is the final width of the channel on the part: for example, 4 mm for a back-panel sheet or 16 mm for a drawer bottom. Until the tool width is determined, the field is unavailable (see below).
The tool thickness
A groove is made with a real tool from the company catalog — a grooving cutter (saw) has a width set. iFurn.pro substitutes the tool width automatically as soon as the operation side is chosen:
- for the face (front or back) the narrowest grooving tool of the company is taken — this is the minimum possible groove width;
- for the edges (top, bottom, left, right) the width is taken from a separate production parameter of the company — the cutter width for edge grooving; if it is not set, the same narrowest tool is taken.
If the company has no grooving tool, there is nowhere to take the width from — the «Groove width» field stays unavailable and a groove cannot be set. This is a sign that the tool needs to be registered in the company catalog.
The groove width is not less than the tool
Making a groove narrower than the tool is physically impossible. If you enter a groove width smaller than the tool width, iFurn.pro will not accept the value and will clear the field — you must set a width no smaller than the substituted one. This keeps an unfeasible groove out of the project.
One pass or several
If the groove width equals the tool width, the groove is cut in one pass. If the groove is wider, the machine runs the tool several times with an offset, clearing the channel to the required width. This affects time and cost: a wide groove is several passes.
Next
Once the width is set, the groove is described by its type (open or closed), depth, side and offsets — see the articles «Groove type: open and closed» and «Side, depth and position of the groove».