Posted as a supplement to "Machining with a Microscope," a Look-Ahead article appearing in the July 2022 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, this video demonstrates how scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory precisely machined tiny, electrically conductive cubes that can interact with light and organized them in patterned structures that confine and relay the electromagnetic signal of light.
Related Glossary Terms
- look-ahead
look-ahead
CNC feature that evaluates many data blocks ahead of the cutting tool’s location to adjust the machining parameters to prevent gouges. This occurs when the feed rate is too high to stop the cutting tool within the required distance, resulting in an overshoot of the tool’s projected path. Ideally, look-ahead should be dynamic, varying the distance and number of program blocks based on the part profile and the desired feed rate.
