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If you open the Planar Milling dialog box in Siemens NX, you're immediately hit with dozens of options, sub-menus, and boundary settings. It’s enough to make any beginner go back to simple face milling. But here’s the secret: Planar Mill is likely the only tool you need for the majority of your planar operations.

In our latest tutorial, we look at how to cut through the noise and use the Planar Mill effectively in Siemens NX .

Why Planar Mill is Our "Favorite" Command

While NX offers specialized operations for almost everything, the Planar Mill remains a staple because of its flexibility. It doesn't care if you have a perfect solid model or just a 2D sketch; if you can define a boundary, you can cut it.

Key Techniques from the Video

1. Mastering Part and Floor Boundaries

The heart of a Planar Mill operation is defining where the tool can and cannot go. We show you how to:

Specify Part Boundaries: Learn how to select faces or curves to tell NX exactly where the "finished" wall is.
Set the Floor Plane: This isn't just a depth setting. We show you how to use the floor plane to drive the final Z-level and how to add a "stock to leave" value directly in the floor selection for multi-stage machining.

Siemens NX CAM Floor Facing tutorial: Configuring Cut Regions and using the 'Extend Floor to' options to optimize CNC toolpaths for flat surfaces.

2. Cut Levels: The Depth of Cut

One of the most powerful features of Planar Mill is the Cut Levels dialog. In the video, we demonstrate how to set a "Common Cut Depth." This allows you to take multiple passes down a wall without having to create multiple operations. We also show what happens when your top plane and floor plane are too close—saving you from the "no toolpath generated" frustration.

Siemens NX Planar Mill tutorial: Configuring 'Follow Part' cut patterns and part stock offsets for efficient CNC pocket milling and boundary definition.

3. Adding Stock to Leave

Need to rough out a boss but stay 0.010′′ (10,000ths) away from the final surface? We walk through how to easily add stock to your part boundaries or your floor plane, giving you a safe buffer for your finishing passes later.

Close-up of a Siemens NX CAM helical engagement and pocket milling toolpath showing precise offset patterns for high-speed machining (HSM) on a complex CNC part.

Stop Over-Complicating Your CAM

You don't need a different operation for every pocket and boss. By mastering the boundaries and cut levels of the Planar Mill, you can simplify your Operation Navigator and speed up your programming time significantly.

How to Use Planar Mill in NX CAM