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v

Table Of Contents Using Additional Modules ................................................................................. 1

NC Machining Option .................................................................................... 1

Expert Machinist ....................................................................................... 1

About Expert Machinist.................................................................................... 1

Modal Settings............................................................................................. 2

To Create a Machining Process ......................................................................... 2

To Retrieve a Machining Process ....................................................................... 2

To Create a New NC Model............................................................................... 3

No Stock Machining ........................................................................................ 3

The NC MODEL Menu Commands ...................................................................... 5

Tip: Creating NC Models .................................................................................. 5

To Replace a Reference Model .......................................................................... 6

Part Family Tables in Expert Machinist ............................................................... 6

About Configuration File Options....................................................................... 6

To Set Expert Machinist Configuration Options.................................................... 7

assy_mfg_open_mode .................................................................................... 7

freeform_toolpath_matrem .............................................................................. 7

mfg_template_dir ........................................................................................... 7

ncmdl_bar_stock_part_path............................................................................. 8

ncmdl_billet_stock_part_path........................................................................... 8

pro_mf_tprm_dir ............................................................................................ 8

template_mfgemo .......................................................................................... 8

To Create Stock.............................................................................................. 8

The Create Stock Dialog Box ............................................................................ 9

Example: Creating a Default Billet....................................................................11

Example: Modifying the Standard Stock Sizes....................................................13

To Modify Stock Allowances ............................................................................14

To Modify Stock Outline..................................................................................15

To Create an Operation ..................................................................................16

Table Of Contents

vi

The Operation Setup Dialog Box ......................................................................16

To Define Program Zero .................................................................................18

Program Zero Usage ......................................................................................19

Z-axis Orientation.......................................................................................20

To Create a Machine Tool................................................................................20

Machine Tool Settings ....................................................................................21

To Set Up a PPRINT Table ...............................................................................24

The PPRINT Table ..........................................................................................25

About Fixtures...............................................................................................27

To Create a Fixture Setup ...............................................................................27

The Fixture Setup Dialog Box ..........................................................................28

To Activate a Fixture Setup .............................................................................29

To Modify a Fixture Setup ...............................................................................29

To Delete a Fixture Setup ...............................................................................30

Tips: Using Fixture Setups ..............................................................................30

About Setting Up Tools...................................................................................30

To Set Up Cutting Tools ..................................................................................31

The Tool Setup Dialog Box ..............................................................................31

To Set Up the Material Directory Structure ........................................................33

Example: Setting Up the Material Directory Structure .........................................33

To Add a New Tool.........................................................................................34

To Specify the Cutting Data for the Tool ...........................................................34

To Provide the Bill of Materials for the Tool........................................................35

To Retrieve Tool Parameters ...........................................................................36

To Add a Sketched Tool ..................................................................................36

To Modify an Existing Tool ..............................................................................37

To Delete a Tool ............................................................................................37

To Save Tool Parameters ................................................................................37

To Create a Tool Model...................................................................................37

Solid Tool Models...........................................................................................38

Standard Library.........................................................................................38

Table Of Contents

vii

To Use a Tool Model.......................................................................................38

Using Assembly as a Tool Model ......................................................................39

About Machining Features...............................................................................39

To Create a Machining Feature ........................................................................41

Creating Machining Features for No Stock Machining ..........................................41

To Adjust Feature Boundaries..........................................................................42

Example: Adjusting Feature Boundaries............................................................42

To Adjust Soft Walls.......................................................................................46

To Adjust Feature Depth.................................................................................46

To Adjust Feature Top ....................................................................................46

To Machine a Feature .....................................................................................47

To Set Tool Path Properties .............................................................................48

Automatic Placement of CL Commands .............................................................49

To Mimic a Tool Path ......................................................................................49

To Create a Face Feature................................................................................50

To Machine a Face Feature..............................................................................51

The Face Milling Dialog Box.............................................................................52

Example: Face Machining................................................................................53

To Create a Slab Feature ................................................................................53

Example: Creating a Slab Feature ....................................................................54

To Machine a Slab Feature ..............................................................................55

The Slab Milling Dialog Box .............................................................................56

To Create a Pocket Feature .............................................................................58

To Machine a Pocket Feature...........................................................................58

The Pocket Milling Dialog Box ..........................................................................59

To Create a Through Pocket Feature.................................................................61

Example: Creating a Through Pocket................................................................62

To Machine a Through Pocket Feature ..............................................................63

The Through Pocket Milling Dialog Box .............................................................64

To Create a Step Feature................................................................................65

To Machine a Step Feature..............................................................................66

Table Of Contents

viii

The Step Milling Dialog Box.............................................................................67

To Create a Profile Feature..............................................................................69

To Machine a Profile Feature ...........................................................................70

The Profile Milling Dialog Box ..........................................................................71

To Create a Channel Feature ...........................................................................72

Example: Creating a Channel Feature...............................................................73

To Machine a Channel Feature.........................................................................73

The Channel Milling Dialog Box........................................................................74

Example: Channel Machining...........................................................................76

To Create a Slot Feature.................................................................................77

To Machine a Slot Feature...............................................................................78

The Slot Milling Dialog Box..............................................................................79

To Create a Through Slot Feature ....................................................................80

To Machine a Through Slot Feature ..................................................................81

The Through Slot Milling Dialog Box .................................................................82

To Create a Boss Top Feature..........................................................................84

Example: Creating a Boss Top Feature .............................................................84

To Machine a Boss Top Feature........................................................................86

The Boss Top Milling Dialog Box.......................................................................87

Example: Boss Top Machining .........................................................................88

To Create a Flange Feature .............................................................................90

Example: Creating a Flange Feature.................................................................90

To Machine a Flange Feature ...........................................................................91

The Flange Milling Dialog Box ..........................................................................92

To Create an O-Ring Feature...........................................................................94

To Machine an O-Ring Feature.........................................................................94

The O-Ring Milling Dialog Box..........................................................................95

Example: O-Ring Machining ............................................................................96

To Create a Rib Top Feature............................................................................97

Example: Creating a Rib Top Feature ...............................................................98

To Machine a Rib Top Feature........................................................................100

Table Of Contents

ix

The Rib Top Milling Dialog Box.......................................................................101

Example: Rib Top Machining .........................................................................102

Example: Open Rib Top Machining .................................................................103

To Create an Undercut Feature......................................................................104

Example: Creating an Undercut .....................................................................105

To Machine an Undercut Feature....................................................................107

The Undercut Milling Dialog Box.....................................................................108

Using the Side Mill Tool ................................................................................110

Example: Machining an Undercut ...................................................................112

To Create a Top Chamfer Feature ..................................................................113

Example: Creating a Top Chamfer Feature ......................................................114

To Machine a Top Chamfer Feature ................................................................116

The Top Round/Chamfer Milling Dialog Box .....................................................117

Using the Chamfering Tool ............................................................................118

To Create a Top Round Feature .....................................................................121

Example: Creating a Top Round Feature .........................................................122

To Machine a Top Round Feature ...................................................................124

The Top Round/Chamfer Milling Dialog Box .....................................................125

Using the Corner Rounding Tool.....................................................................126

Example: Top Round Machining .....................................................................127

To Create a Hole Group Feature.....................................................................128

Combining Selection Methods........................................................................128

To Select Holes by Axes................................................................................129

To Select Holes by Diameters ........................................................................129

To Select Holes by Surfaces ..........................................................................129

To Select Holes by Feature Parameters...........................................................129

To Machine a Hole Group Feature ..................................................................130

The Drilling Strategy Dialog Box ....................................................................131

Example: Automatic Chamfer Machining .........................................................134

To Create an Entry Hole Feature ....................................................................135

The Entry Hole Dialog Box ............................................................................136

Table Of Contents

x

To Machine an Entry Hole Feature..................................................................137

To Machine a Free Form Feature....................................................................138

The Freeform Milling Dialog Box.....................................................................139

About Displaying the Tool Path ......................................................................141

To Display the Tool Path ...............................................................................141

The PLAY PATH Dialog Box............................................................................142

To Add a Break Point....................................................................................143

Manipulating Break Points.............................................................................143

To Position the Tool .....................................................................................144

To Insert a CL Command ..............................................................................144

Using Parameters in CL Commands ................................................................145

To Delete a CL Command .............................................................................145

To Redefine a CL Command ..........................................................................145

To Save CL Data in a File ..............................................................................146

To Output a CL File ......................................................................................146

To Output NC Codes.....................................................................................146

About the Template Manager ........................................................................147

To Create a New Template............................................................................148

To Convert an Existing TPL Template File to XML Format...................................149

To Place a Template.....................................................................................149

To Manipulate Features Using the Model Tree ..................................................150

Options Available from the Model Tree............................................................150

To Toggle Material Display ............................................................................152

Index.........................................................................................................155

1

Using Additional Modules

NC Machining Option

Expert Machinist

Using Expert Machinist

About Expert Machinist

A typical Expert Machinist process may contain the following basic steps:

1. Set up the NC Model. Bring in the reference model and create stock.

2. Set up the database. It may contain such items as machine tools, cutting tools,

fixture configurations, or machining templates. This step is optional. If you do not

want to set up all your database first, you can go directly into the machining

process and later define any of the items above when you actually need them.

3. Define an operation. An operation setup may contain the following elements:

o Operation name

o Machine tool

o Program Zero (coordinate system for CL output)

o Stock material specification

o Fixture setup

o FROM and HOME points

o Names used in Cutter Location (CL) data output and PPRINT

o Operation comments

You have to define a machine tool and a Program Zero coordinate system before

you can start creating machining features. Other setup elements are optional.

4. Define the machining features for the specified operation. Machining features

establish what material needs to be removed from the stock to achieve the

reference model geometry. Each closed volume of material to be removed

comprises a separate machining feature.

Define the machining features in the order you want them machined (one

exception: create an Entry Hole feature after you have created the closed feature

for which you need it). As you define machining features, the system allocates

the appropriate material to be removed, and calculates the subsequent feature

geometry based on existing machining features.

5. Create tool paths for each machining feature. Once the features are defined, you

can machine them, that is, create the appropriate tool paths, at any time and in

any order. You can also machine the features by applying predefined machining

Expert Machinist – Help Topic Collection

2

templates. These templates represent certain frequently used machining

strategies; each strategy contains a complete set of the machining options and

values that you would normally define when machining a feature.

6. After you have defined all the machining features and created the appropriate

tool paths, output the complete operation to a CL file and postprocess it, or

output the tool path data directly in the MCD format.

Modal Settings

Most of the machining setup elements are modal: that is, all subsequent machining

features will use this setting until you explicitly change it. Among those are:

• Operation setup (including the machine tool and Program Zero coordinate

system)

• Tool (provided the tool type is compatible with the machining feature type)

• Program Zero coordinate system within the machining feature (for the first

machining feature, the Program Zero coordinate system specified at the time of

setting up the operation will be implicitly used, unless you explicitly specify

another one)

To Create a Machining Process

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click File > New (or click ). The New

dialog box opens.

2. Select the Manufacturing option under Type.

3. Select the Expert Machinist option under Sub-Type.

4. Unless you want to accept the default, type a name for the new machining

process in the Name text box.

5. Click OK.

6. The system displays the Model Tree and adds the Expert Machinist-specific

menus to the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar. Use the NC Setup menu commands to

define the NC model and the operation.

To Retrieve a Machining Process

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click File > Open (or click ). The browser

window opens.

2. By default, all files are listed in the browser window. To narrow the search,

choose Manufacturing from the Type drop-down list. The browser window then

lists all the process files in the Manufacturing family of products, that is, all the

objects that have the .mfg extension (including Cast, Mold, Sheet Metal

manufacturing, and so on). If you have various types of manufacturing

processes, and want to filter out inapplicable types, select NC Assembly from


3

the Sub-type list. The browser window then lists all the Assembly manufacturing

models, both for the Expert Machinist and Pro/NC processes.

3. Select the name of the process to retrieve from the browser window.

The system displays the NC model and the Model Tree, and adds the Expert

Machinist-specific menus to the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar.

Note: In order to retrieve processes into the Expert Machinist application by

default, set the configuration option assy_mfg_open_mode to feature. Otherwise,

the system opens the process using the Pro/NC application (you will see the

MANUFACTURE menu instead of the Expert Machinist-specific menus and icons).

To switch to the Expert Machinist application, on the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar,

click Applications > Expert Machinist.

To Create a New NC Model

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click NC Setup > NC Model > Create Model.

2. Type the NC Model name, or press RETURN to accept the default name.

The system opens a new Pro/ENGINEER window, the NC MODEL menu with the

Add Ref Model option already selected, and the browser window listing all parts

and assemblies in the current directory.

3. Select the reference model in the browser window.

The system retrieves the selected model and displays it in the Pro/ENGINEER

window.

4. Define stock by using one of the following commands:

o Create Stock—Create a new part by selecting a default billet or bar and

specifying stock allowance with respect to the reference model.

o Retrieve Stock—Retrieve an existing stock part and assemble it to the

reference model.

5. On the NC MODEL menu, click Done.

The system closes the Pro/ENGINEER window used for defining the model and

displays the NC Model in the original window.

Note: If you skip Step 4 above and click Done, the system will issue a warning

that the model is being created with no stock, and ask you whether you wish to

continue. If you click Yes, the system creates an NC model with no stock. No

Stock machining requires extra steps in defining the machining features.

No Stock Machining

You can machine a reference model without creating a corresponding stock part. This

method is convenient when you are dealing with a complex reference part, for

example, a casting, where you need to machine a few simple features. Instead of

defining an equally complex stock part and assembling it to the reference casting, it


4

may be more efficient to create an NC model with no stock, and then perform some

extra steps in defining the machining features.

To create an NC model for No Stock machining:

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click NC Setup > NC Model > Create Model.

2. Type the NC Model name, or press RETURN to accept the default name.

The system opens a new Pro/ENGINEER window, the NC MODEL menu with the

Add Ref Model option already selected, and the browser window listing all parts

and assemblies in the current directory.

3. Select the reference model in the browser window.


window.

4. Instead of defining stock, click Done on the NC MODEL menu.

The system issues a warning that the model is being created with no stock, and

asks you whether you wish to continue.

5. Click Yes.

The system closes the Pro/ENGINEER window used for defining the model and

displays the NC Model in the original window.

Normally, when you create machining features, the system uses the stock definition

to determine the thickness of material to be removed. If an NC model has no stock,

you have to supply this value yourself. Therefore, whenever you create a machining

feature for a No Stock NC model, the feature dialog box will contain one or more

extra elements, depending on the type of the feature being created.

For features with a Hard Floor, such as Pocket or Step, the only extra element is

Adjust Feature Top. This element is required, that is, once you define the other

required elements, such as feature Floor, the system automatically selects the arrow

next to Adjust Feature Top and opens the Define/Adjust Feature Top dialog

box. You can define the feature top by supplying a thickness value from the feature

Floor, selecting a datum plane, or specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero

coordinate system.

For Through features, such as Through Pocket or Through Slot, you have to specify

both the top and the bottom of the material to be removed:

• By default, the system assumes that the top of the feature coincides with the top

edge of the feature walls. To adjust the top of the feature, click the arrow next to

Adjust Feature Top element. You can define the feature top by supplying an

offset value above the top of the feature Hard Walls, selecting a datum plane, or

specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero coordinate system.

• By default, the system assumes that the bottom of the feature coincides with the

bottom edge of the feature walls. To adjust the bottom of the feature, click the

arrow next to Adjust Feature Bottom element. You can define the feature

bottom by supplying an offset value below the bottom of the feature Hard Walls,


5

selecting a datum plane, or specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero

coordinate system.

For Profile features, you also have to define both the top and the bottom of the

material to be removed, the same as for the other Through features. However, you

also have to specify the axial thickness of material to be removed, by using the

Offset Wall element and typing an offset value from feature Hard Walls. The default

value is 0.1" (in English units) or 3 mm (in metric units). You can type any value.

Note: When you create a Through Pocket or Through Slot feature for No Stock

machining, the system assumes that the whole feature is filled with material. If you

have a casting with a cored pocket, use Profile instead of Through Pocket, and

specify the appropriate Offset Wall value.

The NC MODEL Menu Commands

The following commands are available on the NC MODEL menu:

• Add Ref Model—Retrieve an existing Pro/ENGINEER part or assembly to

machine it. This part or assembly is called a reference model, because the

machining process will reference its geometry. If you add more than one

reference model, you have to assemble subsequent reference models to the first

one.

• Replace Ref Model—Replace a reference model with another member of the

same family.

• Delete Ref Model—Remove a reference model from the NC model.

• Create Stock—Create a new part by selecting a default billet or bar and

specifying stock allowance with respect to the reference model.

• Retrieve Stock—Retrieve an existing part and assemble it to the reference

model.

• Modify Stock—Modify the stock shape or size.

• Delete Stock—Remove a stock part from the NC model.

Tip: Creating NC Models

NC models are assemblies. You can create them outside of an Expert Machinist

machining process, as well as during NC Setup. Once you store an NC model to disk,

you can use it in more than one machining process.

To create an NC model outside of a machining process:

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click File > New (or click ). The New

dialog box opens.

2. Select the Assembly option under Type.

3. Select the NC Model option under Sub-Type.

4. Unless you want to accept the default, type a name for the new NC model in the

Name text box.


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5. Click OK.

6. Proceed creating the NC model using the NC MODEL menu commands.

7. When finished, store the NC Model on disk by clicking the Save icon on the top

toolbar. The model is saved in a file called <modelname>.asm, where <modelname> is the name of the NC model.

To retrieve a previously created NC model into a machining process:

1. On the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar, click NC Setup > NC Model > Add Model.

2. The browser window opens listing all models of type Assembly and sub-type

NC Model present in the current directory.

3. Select the NC model in the browser window.


window.

To Replace a Reference Model

You can replace a reference model of type Part by a member of the same part

family.

1. On the NC MODEL menu, click Replace.

2. Select the reference model to replace.

3. INSTANCES menu opens with a list of instances (including the generic part) and

two additional options Show Table and Edit Table.

4. Select the replacement instance from the menu.

5. Regenerate.

Part Family Tables in Expert Machinist

The Replace command on the NC MODEL menu lets you replace a reference model

by a member of the same part family. You can create machining features for one

member of the family, and then generate tool paths for other members by replacing

the reference model and regenerating the manufacturing model.

When you replace a reference model and regenerate the stock, the tool paths and

material removal are updated according to the new model. You can now output the

NC or MCD data for machining the new reference model.

Configuring for Expert Machinist

About Configuration File Options

You can preset environment options and other global settings by entering the

settings you want in a configuration file. To set configuration file options use the

Options dialog box (Tools > Options).

This help module contains a list of configuration options specific to Expert Machinist,

in alphabetical order, showing for each option or group of related options:


7

• Configuration option name.

• Associated variables or values. The default values for the options are shown in

italics.

• Brief description.

To Set Expert Machinist Configuration Options

1. Click Tools > Options. The Options dialog box opens.

2. Click the Show only options loaded from file check box to see currently

loaded configuration options or clear this check box to see all configuration

options.

3. Select the configuration option from the list or type the configuration option

name in the Option box.

4. In the Value box type or select a value.

Note: The default value is followed by an asterisk (*).

5. Click Add/Change. The configuration option and its value appear in the list. A

green status icon confirms the change.

6. When you finish configuring Expert Machinist, click Apply or OK.

Note: It is recommended that you set the Expert Machinist configuration options

before starting a new Expert Machinist project.

assy_mfg_open_mode

mfg, process, feature

Specifies the way of opening manufacturing models (files with the .mfg extension):

• mfgOpen using the Pro/NC application.

• processOpen using the Pro/PROCESS for Manufacturing application.

• featureOpen using the Expert Machinist application

If you work primarily with Expert Machinist models, set assy_mfg_open_mode to

feature.

freeform_toolpath_matrem

yes, no

When you create a Free Form tool path, the system removes the appropriate stock

material, the same as for the other feature types. However, for Free Form features

you can specify that the system does not create the automatic material removal. To

do this, set the configuration option freeform_toolpath_matrem to no.

mfg_template_dir


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<directory name>

Specifies the default directory for storing the Expert Machinist template files.

Template files contain strategies for machining various feature types.

ncmdl_bar_stock_part_path

<part name>

Enables you to set up your own default stock sizes for bar-shaped stock.

Use the full directory path and name.

ncmdl_billet_stock_part_path

<part name>

Enables you to set up your own default stock sizes for billet-shaped stock.


pro_mf_tprm_dir

<directory name>

Sets the default directory for the manufacturing tool files. Use the full path name to

avoid problems. For example, /home/users/toolcrib.

Expert Machinist stores all the cutting tool data in this Tooling directory. If you want

to supply cutting data for roughing and finishing with your tools, based on the stock

material type and condition, you have to set up the material directory structure, by

creating a subdirectory called materials in your Tooling directory, and then creating

subdirectories corresponding to your stock materials and conditions in the materials

directory.

Expert Machinist then places all the tool parameter files (.tpm files) in the Tooling

directory, and all the cutting data for each material in the appropriate material

subdirectory.

template_mfgemo

<assembly name>

Enables you to specify the model used as the default NC model in Expert Machinist.


Creating and Modifying Stock

To Create Stock

While you are creating or redefining stock, it is displayed in cyan. Whenever the

edges of the stock coincide with the edges of the reference model, they are displayed

in green. The system also displays in red a default Stock Origin coordinate system.

This coordinate system is used for default placement of stock with respect to the

reference model, as well as for specifying plus (+) and minus (-) allowances and for

using Modify Outline techniques.


9

As you modify the stock shape, size, allowances and so on, the system dynamically

updates the stock display.

1. On the NC MODEL menu, click Create Stock.

The Create Stock dialog box opens.

2. Use the options in the Setup Stock area of the dialog box to specify the stock

shape and size.

3. For custom-size stocks, use the options in the Stock Size area of the dialog box

to modify the stock size, if necessary.

4. When in Envelope mode, modify the stock allowances as needed by clicking the

Allowances field in the Options area of the dialog box.

5. If you are not satisfied with the default stock placement with respect to the

reference model, click the Modify Outline field in the Options area of the dialog

box. You can then rotate stock about the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate

system, or align the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate system to the entities of

the reference model geometry.

6. As you modify the stock allowances or outline, you can use the Undo, Redo, and

Undo All buttons to cancel or repeat your changes.

7. When satisfied with the stock shape, size and location, click OK.

8. Type the name for the stock part, or press RETURN to accept the default name.

The system closes the Create Stock dialog box and displays the stock in green.

The Create Stock Dialog Box

The Setup Stock area of the Create Stock dialog box contains the following

options.

• Default Billet—Create a billet-shaped stock. The Stock Instance drop-down list

contains the following options:

o Envelope—The stock size is based on the envelope of the reference model;

that is, the system generates the smallest billet-shape outline that totally

encloses the geometry of the reference model. If, at a later time, you

modify the shape or size of the reference model and switch back to

Envelope mode, the system will update the stock size based on the new

reference model geometry and the stock allowance values (as specified

using the Allowance Rules option, described below).

o Custom—Specify the stock dimensions by typing values in the Stock Size

area of the Create Stock dialog box. You can then use the Allowance

Rules option to locate stock with respect to the reference model.

o Standard sizes, such as 10x10x10 or 10x10x20—The system lists only

those standard sizes that are large enough to completely encase the

reference model. You can modify the stock dimensions by typing values in

the Stock Size area of the Create Stock dialog box. You can also set up


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your own default stock sizes by using the configuration option

ncmdl_billet_stock_part_path.

• Default Bar—Create a bar-shaped stock. The Stock Instance drop-down list


o Envelope—The stock size is based on the envelope of the reference model;

that is, the system generates the smallest bar-shape outline that totally

encloses the geometry of the reference model, while the stock axis is

coincident with the axis of revolution of the reference model. If the

reference model has no axis of revolution, the system places the Stock

Origin coordinate system at one of the vertices. Use the Modify Outline

options, if needed, to move the stock origin to a desired location.

If, at a later time, you modify the shape or size of the reference model and

switch back to Envelope mode, the system will update the stock size based

on the new reference model geometry and the stock allowance values (as

specified using the Allowance Rules option, described below).

o Custom—Specify the stock dimensions by typing values in the Stock Size

area of the Create Stock dialog box. You can then use the Allowance

Rules option to locate stock with respect to the reference model.

o Standard sizes, such as 10x10 or 10x20—The system lists only those

standard sizes that are large enough to completely encase the reference

model. You can modify the stock dimensions by typing values in the Stock

Size area of the Create Stock dialog box. You can also set up your own

default stock sizes by using the configuration option

ncmdl_bar_stock_part_path.

• Other—Retrieve a previously created stock part (of any shape and size). For

example, you can retrieve a part that has been partially machined elsewhere, and

bring it into the current NC Model. You can also use the Open icon in the Setup

Stock area of the Create Stock dialog box to access this functionality.

The Stock Size area of the Create Stock dialog box contains the stock dimensions.

When you create stock using the Envelope option, the dimensions are listed for

information purposes; you cannot modify them. For other types of stock, you can

modify the stock dimensions by typing a value in the appropriate text box.

• For billet-shaped stock:

o Length—The stock dimension along the x-axis of the Stock Origin

coordinate system.

o Width—The stock dimension along the y-axis of the Stock Origin

coordinate system.

o Thickness—The stock dimension along the z-axis of the Stock Origin

coordinate system.

• For bar-shaped stock:

o Length—The stock dimension along the z-axis of the Stock Origin

coordinate system.


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o Diameter—The stock bar diameter.

The Options area of the Create Stock dialog box contains the following options.

• Allowances—Click this option to expand the Allowances area of the dialog box,

which lets you specify Allowance Rules and change current stock allowances.

• Modify Outline—Click this option to expand the Modify Outline area of the dialog

box, which lets you change the position of the stock with respect to the reference

model by rotating the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate system or aligning

them to the reference part geometry.

The lower part of the Create Stock dialog box contains the following buttons:

• Undo—Cancel the latest change to the stock. You can click this button

repeatedly, canceling a series of previous changes.

• Redo—Repeat the last canceled change to the stock. You can click this button

repeatedly, recreating the cancelled changes in the same order they were made

initially.

• Undo All—Cancel all changes to the stock that you made since you opened the

Create Stock dialog box.

• OK—Complete creating or modifying stock and close the Create Stock dialog

box.

• Cancel—Quit creating or modifying stock and close the Create Stock dialog box.

• Preview—Display the stock geometry as it is currently defined.

Example: Creating a Default Billet

This example shows creating a Default Billet Envelope stock for the reference model

shown in the following illustration.

1. On the NC MODEL menu, click Create Stock.


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The Create Stock dialog box opens. The default options are Default Billet and

Envelope. The system creates a default billet just big enough to enclose the

reference model, as shown in the next illustration. Stock edges are displayed in

green where they coincide with the reference model edges, otherwise in cyan.

The Stock Origin coordinate system is displayed in red.

2. Click Allowances in the Options area of the dialog box.

The Allowances area of the dialog box opens, with the Allowance Rules option

selected by default.

3. To add a .4 stock allowance at the top (that is, along the positive z-axis of the

Stock Origin coordinate system), type 0.4 in the plus (+) text box for

Thickness.

The system dynamically updates the stock display, as shown in the next

illustration.


13

4. Click OK.

5. Type the name for the stock part, or press RETURN to accept the default name.

The system closes the Create Stock dialog box and displays the NC model with

the stock in green, as shown in the next illustration.

Example: Modifying the Standard Stock Sizes

You can set up your own default stock sizes for the Stock Instance list in the

Create Stock dialog box.

The easiest way to do this is to copy the system-supplied default billet,

ncmdl_billet.prt, located in the directory <loadpoint>/text/ncmdl_data (where

<loadpoint> is the Pro/ENGINEER load point directory) to a local directory, for

example, /home/users/library/expmach.


14

Retrieve the ncmdl_billet.prt from the local directory and modify its family table

to reflect the standard stock sizes that you need.

Set the configuration option:

ncmdl_billet_stock_part_path /home/users/library/expmach/ncmdl_billet.prt

To set the default stock sizes for bar-shaped stock, repeat this procedure with the

system-supplied default bar, ncmdl_bar.prt, and use the configuration option

ncmdl_bar_stock_part_path.

To Modify Stock Allowances

Stock allowances are added along the Stock Origin coordinate system axes. For

Length, Width, and Height, typing a value in the plus (+) textbox specifies the

stock allowance on the positive side of the corresponding axis, while typing a value

in the minus (-) textbox specifies the stock allowance on the negative side of the

same axis. There is only one textbox for Diameter stock allowance (for a Default

Bar stock).

1. Click the Allowances field in the Options area of the Create Stock dialog box.

The Allowances area of the dialog box expands. It contains the following

options:

o Allowance Rules—Define the minimum stock allowances with respect to

the reference part envelope. This option is primarily used with Envelope

stocks.

o Current Allowance—Show the current stock allowance values. For Custom

stocks, you can redistribute the current extra material among the stock

faces, that is, shift the stock with respect to the reference model. For

Envelope stocks, the current stock allowances are listed for information

purposes only; you cannot change them. For Default Bar stocks, the

Diameter stock allowance is also listed for information purposes only.

2. For Envelope stocks, select Allowance Rules and type the desired stock

allowance values in the plus (+) and minus (-) textboxes for Length, Width,

and Thickness, and in the Diameter textbox.

As you change a value, the system adds the stock allowance along the

appropriate axis of the Stock Origin coordinate system (x-axis for Length, y-axis

for Width, and z-axis for Thickness) and updates the stock display.

3. For Custom stocks, you can also specify Allowance Rules, if desired. This does

not directly affect the stock size. However, if you define Allowance Rules for a

Custom stock and later modify the Stock Size, the system will not let you

decrease the stock dimensions to violate these rules. For example, if your

reference model length is 10.000 inches, and you specified both a plus (+) and

minus (-) stock allowance for Length as 0.500, the system will not let you

decrease the Length value in the Stock Size area of the dialog box to less than

11.000 inches.


15

4. For Custom stocks, you can change current stock allowances to shift the stock

with respect to the reference model. To do this, select Current Allowance and

type the desired value in one of the textboxes, for example, in the plus (+)

textbox for Length.

The system updates the value in the second textbox and shifts the stock (in this

example, along the x-axis of the Stock Origin coordinate system).

To Modify Stock Outline

You can change the position of the stock with respect to the reference model by

rotating the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate system or aligning them to the

reference part geometry.

1. Click the Modify Outline field in the Options area of the Create Stock dialog

box.

The Modify Outline area of the dialog box expands. It contains the following

options:

o Rotate—Rotate stock about the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate

system.

o Align Axis—Align the axes of the Stock Origin coordinate system to the

entities of the reference model geometry. If the Move to axis checkbox is

selected, the Stock Origin coordinate system will be moved to the selected

reference, otherwise it is rotated about its origin to align the direction of the

coordinate system axis with the selected reference.

2. Click Rotate, select an axis option (X, Y or Z), and move the slider below to the

desired angle. The current slider position is shown in the Value text box. You can

also type the desired rotation angle in the Value text box.

The system rotates the stock and displays the Stock Origin coordinate system in

the new orientation.

3. Click Align Axis, select an axis option (X, Y or Z), select or clear the Move to

axis checkbox, as necessary, then click the button with the Select arrow.

The GEN SEL DIR menu opens with the following commands:

o Plane—Use a plane normal to specify direction.

o Crv/Edg/Axis—Use a straight edge or curve segment or a datum axis to

specify direction.

o Csys—Use a coordinate system axis to specify direction.

4. Click the command you want on the GEN SEL DIR menu and select an entity on

the reference model. Then use the Flip and Okay commands to reverse or

accept the direction (shown by a red arrow).

The system moves the stock and displays the Stock Origin coordinate system in

the new position.


16

Operations

To Create an Operation

You have to create an operation before you can start defining machining features.

When creating the operation, the required elements are the machine tool name and

the Program Zero coordinate system.

1. Click NC Setup > Operation.

The Operation Setup dialog box opens. It contains the default settings for the

operation name and output parameters. To change the default name, type the

new name in the Operation Name text box.

Note: If you already have defined some operations for the current machining

process, click the New icon at the top of the dialog box to start creating a new

operation.

2. Select or create a machine tool. If you have set up some machine tools prior to

creating the operation, their names appear in the NC Machine drop-down list. To

create a machine tool, click next to the NC Machine drop-down list.

3. Define the Program Zero. Click next to the Machine Zero text box and

select or create a coordinate system. Once the Program Zero is defined, the

name of the coordinate system appears in the Machine Zero text box, and

clicking the Show button next to it will highlight the coordinate system on the

screen.

4. Use any of the other, optional, elements of operation setup, if needed. You can:

o Use the icons in the Fixture Setup section to set up the fixtures. If you do

not do anything at this point, the system automatically creates an empty

fixture setup with a default name. You can modify this setup or create

additional setups later.

o Specify the rotary clearance for 4-axis machines.

o Select a name of the stock material type and condition, if you have a preset

Material directory structure.

o On the From/Home tab, specify datum points to serve as FROM and HOME

locations.

o On the Output tab, change the output parameters or type the operation

comments, to be output using PPRINT.

5. Click OK to finalize creating the operation and close the dialog box.

6. If you want to immediately create another operation, click Apply, and then click

the New icon at the top of the Operation Setup dialog box.

The Operation Setup Dialog Box

The Operation Setup dialog box contains the following elements:


17

• Operation Name—The operation name identifies the operation within the

manufacturing process. The default operation names have the format OP010,

OP020, where the number gets automatically incremented by the system. You

can type any name.

• NC Machine—The name of the machine tool used to perform the operation. If

you have set up some machine tools prior to creating the operation, their names

appear in the NC Machine drop-down list. To create or redefine a machine tool,

click next to the NC Machine drop-down list.

• Fixture Setup—This section contains the icons for creating, modifying, and

deleting fixture setups. The drop-down list contains the names of all the fixture

setups defined for the operation, with the name of the currently active setup

displayed in the list box.

In the lower portion of the Operation Setup dialog box there are three tabs:

General, From/Home, and Output. They contain the following elements:

The General tab

• Defaults—Opens the Expert Machinist - Defaults dialog box, which lets you

specify the default template to be used for machining of every type of feature.

You can launch the Template Manager directly from the Expert Machinist -

Defaults dialog box, to create the templates you need. As you save new

templates to disk, you can read their names into the appropriate lists in the

Expert Machinist - Defaults dialog box by clicking the Refresh icon at the top

of the dialog box. Other icons at the top of the dialog box let you save the default

settings to a file (with the .tda extension), which can be later retrieved into a

different operation; read a previously saved file into the current operation; and

reset all the default template types to Unspecified.

Notes:

o The name of a .tda file can not be longer than 31 characters and must all

be lowercase.

o Expert Machinist uses the concept of a modal tool; that is, once you specify

a cutting tool, all subsequent machining features will use this tool until you

explicitly change it. (Look in the Index for details on other modal settings in

Expert Machinist.) Therefore, when you use a Default template to create a

Tool Path, the system does not copy the tool information from the

template; instead, it uses the modal tool.

• Machine Zero—Select or create a coordinate system to be used as the Program

Zero for NC output and for other machining references.

• Use Rotary Clearance—This option is available for 4-axis machines only. It

allows you to define a safe z-level retract height for cutting tools, to ensure

safety of table rotations. The Rotation Clearance value specifies the minimum

distance by which the NC Model and fixture components will be cleared during

table rotations. The default value is 2" (in English units) or 50 mm (in metric

units). You can type any positive value. In addition, you can specify a Safe

Rotary Point for tools that are too long to be retracted to the Rotation Clearance


18

level. Type the X, Y, and Z coordinate values in the Safe Rotary Point text

boxes. In order for a tool to use the Safe Rotary Point instead of Rotation

Clearance, you have to mark it as "long" in the Tool Manager, by selecting the

Long Tool checkbox on the Settings tabbed page of the Tool Setup dialog box.

• Stock Material—Select a name of the stock material.

Note: You have to set up the material directory structure up front; otherwise,

the only option available in the Stock Material drop-down list is Unspecified.

The From/Home tab

• FROM Point—Create or select a datum point to serve as the FROM location.

Once set, the name of the datum point appears in the text box. Clicking

highlights the datum point on the screen. Clicking cancels the FROM

setting.

• HOME Point—Create or select a datum point to serve as the HOME location.

Once set, the name of the datum point appears in the text box. Clicking

highlights the datum point on the screen. Clicking cancels the HOME

setting.

The Output tab

• Output NCL File—The default name for the operation cutter location (CL) data

file. You can type any name. Clicking Use Default sets it back to the system

default.

• PARTNO—The part name, output with the PARTNO command, as well as using

PPRINT. You can type any name. Clicking Use Default sets it back to the system

default.

• Startup File—Type the name of the file you want to be included at the very

beginning of the operation CL file (after the PARTNO, MACHIN, and UNITS

commands). The file must be located in your current working directory and have

the extension .ncl.

• Shutdown File— Type the name of the file you want to be included at the very

end of the operation CL file. The file must be located in your current working

directory and have the extension .ncl.

• Comments—Type the operation comments in the text box below. These

comments can be output using PPRINT.

To Define Program Zero

To define Program Zero, you have to create or select a coordinate system, which will

define the orientation of the stock on the machine and act as the origin (0, 0, 0) for

CL data generation. The Program Zero coordinate system can belong to the

reference model, stock, or the NC Model assembly; it can be created in Part or

Assembly mode, outside of Expert Machinist, or directly at the time of defining

Program Zero.


19

Program Zero for an operation or a machining feature is specified in a similar way, as

described in the following procedure.

1. To define Program Zero at the operation level, click the Select arrow next to

Machine Zero in the Operation Setup dialog box.

To define Program Zero at the feature level, click the Select arrow next to

Define Program Zero in the appropriate machining feature dialog box (for

example, Pocket Feature).

2. The MACH CSYS or the SEQ CSYS menu, respectively, appears with the following

commands:

o Create—Select which model the coordinate system will belong to, then

create the coordinate system.

o Select—Select an existing coordinate system, either by selecting on the

screen or by using the Sel By Menu command.

o Use Prev—Lets you select a coordinate system used for an earlier

operation or machining feature.

3. Click Done.

If you click Show, the operation Program Zero is highlighted in red; if you

specify a different Program Zero at the feature level, it is highlighted in magenta.

Program Zero Usage

You can define Program Zero at the operation level or at the machining feature level:

• Operation Program Zero—Specified at the time of operation setup; acts as the

default origin for the NC output. All machining features created within a certain

operation will use the same operation Program Zero.

• Feature Program Zero—Specified at the time of defining a feature; defines the

orientation of the stock on the machine and affects the tool path creation, such

as retract and cut feed direction. The feature Program Zero coordinate system

must be oriented in a certain way, as described in the following section.

If you do not explicitly define a feature Program Zero, the system will implicitly use

the operation Program Zero to define the orientation of the stock on the machine and

generate tool path. However, the Program Zero setting is modal, that is, once you

specify a separate Program Zero for a feature, it will stay for all subsequent features

until you change it.

If the operation and feature Program Zeroes are different, then, upon creating the

tool path for a feature, all the cutter location (CL) data will be transformed and

output in the coordinates of the operation Program Zero coordinate system. If the z-

axes of the two coordinate systems are not parallel, the tool orientation vector (i,j,k)

or table rotation will be provided. This functionality allows you to postprocess 3-axis

operations to be performed on the 5-axis machines.

Note: You can specify that the linear and rotational transitions between the two

Program Zero coordinate systems be output in the CL file, instead of transforming all


20

CL coordinates, by using the Multiple Axis Output options in the Machine Setup

dialog box.

Z-axis Orientation

The Program Zero coordinate system at the feature level should be oriented so that

the positive z-axis points away from the holding fixtures of the machine. For

example, on a vertical milling machine, the positive z-axis points up, away from the

table surface. The following illustration shows the z-axis orientation for milling.

Machine Tools

To Create a Machine Tool

1. Click NC Setup > Machine Tool Manager. Another way to access this

functionality is to click in the Operation Setup dialog box.

The Machine Tool Setup dialog box opens. It contains the default settings for

the machine name, type, and parameters. You can click OK or Apply at this

point to create a machine tool with default name and parameters, and no cutting

tools associated with it.

Note: If you already have defined some machine tools for the current machining

process, click the New icon at the top of the dialog box to start creating a new

machine tool.

2. To change the machine name, type the new name in the Machine Name text

box.

3. To change the number of axes, use the Number of Axes drop-down list.

4. To change the parameters, use the tabs located in the lower portion of the dialog

box.

5. To set up the cutting tools for the machine, click the Cutting Tool Setup button

located on the Cutting Tools tab. You can also set up the tools later by clicking

NC Setup > Cutting Tool Manager.


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6. Click OK to finalize the machine tool creation and close the dialog box.

7. If you want to immediately create another machine tool, click Apply, and then

click the New or the Open icon at the top of the Machine Tool Setup dialog

box.

You can save the current machine tool, along with its parameters, by clicking the

Save icon at the top of the Machine Tool Setup dialog box. You can then use

the Open icon at the top of the Machine Tool Setup dialog box to create a new

machine tool with the same parameters, whether in this or in another NC

process.

Machine Tool Settings

A machine tool is identified by the following elements:

• Machine Name—The machine name identifies the machine tool within the

manufacturing process. The default machine names have the format MACH01,

MACH02, where the number gets automatically incremented by the system. You

can type any name.

When you save the machine tool data on disk, the system uses the Machine

Name as a filename (with the .cel extension).

• Machine Type—The machine type is Mill.

• Number of Axes—Can be 3 Axis (default), 4 Axis, or 5 Axis.

• CNC Control—The controller name (optional).

• Location—The location of the machine tool (optional).

The tabs on the Machine Tool Setup dialog box enable you to specify the following

parameters of a machine tool.

The Output tab

Post Processor Options

• PP Name—The name of the default postprocessor associated with the machine.

Type the name in the text box. The Reset button lets you change the name back

to the system default.

• ID—The postprocessor ID.

PPRINT—Opens the PPRINT menu to let you set up your PPRINT options.

CL Command Output Options

• FROM—Specifies how the FROM statement will be output to an operation CL data

file:

o Do Not Output (default)—No FROM statements are output. If a From point

is specified, its location is output as a GOTO statement at positioning feed.

o Only At Start—A FROM statement is output at the beginning of the file. It

corresponds to the location of the From point, if specified, or to the first


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location on the tool path for the first machining feature. All other tool paths

are added to the operation without a FROM statement.

o At Every Tool Path—FROM statements are output at the beginning of each

tool path for a machining feature. For the first tool path, this FROM

statement corresponds to the location of the operation From point, if

specified, or to the first location on the tool path for this machining feature.

• LOADTL—Controls the output of the LOADTL command in the operation CL data

file:

o Modal (default)—The LOADTL command is output at the beginning of CL

data for a feature tool path only if a tool change is needed.

o Not Modal—Outputs the LOADTL statement at the beginning of each

feature tool path, regardless of whether the tool is the same or changed.

• COOLNT/OFF—Controls the output of the COOLNT/OFF statement.

o Output (default)—The COOLNT/OFF statement is output at the end of each

feature tool path.

o Do Not Output—COOLNT/OFF is output only once, at the end of the file.

• SPINDL/OFF—Controls the output of the SPINDL /OFF statement.

o Output (default)—The SPINDL /OFF statement is output at the end of each

feature tool path.

o Do Not Output—SPINDL /OFF is output only once, at the end of the file.

Multiple Axis Output Options

These options become accessible when you set Number of Axes to 4 Axis.

• Use Rotate Output—If this option is not selected (default), all CL data is

transformed and output in the coordinates of the Program Zero coordinate

system. When you select this option, the system outputs the applicable TRANS

and ROTABL commands to specify linear and rotational transformations. Only

select this option when indexing to a new table position is desired.

• Rotation Output Mode—Available only when Use Rotate Output is selected.

Controls output of ROTABL statements. The values are: Incremental (default)

and Absolute. In Absolute mode, zero position is defined by the Program Zero.

• Rotation Direction—Available only when Use Rotate Output is selected.

Allows you to specify that rotation is performed in a particular direction (this may

occur when there is an obstruction in one rotation direction but not another). The

values are:

o Shortest (default)—Make the shortest possible move to the new position.

o CLW—Always rotate in the clockwise direction.

o CCLW—Always rotate in the counterclockwise direction.

• Rotation Axis—Specify the rotation axis: A-Axis or B-Axis (default).


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Cutter Compensation

When you expand this field, the Output cutter position options become available:

• Tool Center—Cutter location (CL) data is output with respect to the tool center.

• Tool Edge—Cutter location (CL) data is output with respect to the cutting edge

of the tool. If you select this option, type the desired value in the Safe Radius

text box. This value represents the smallest concave corner radius that can be

safely machined, and must be slightly bigger than the radius (Cutter Diameter/2)

of the biggest tool on the machine. The Adjust Corner drop-down list gives you

a choice of corner condition options for convex corners:

o Straight—When passing a convex corner, the tool path consists of two

straight segments extended until they intersect.

o Fillet—When passing a convex corner, the tool path consists of two straight

segments connected with an arc.

o Automatic—The system adds a fillet corner condition at all the convex

corners on the outside contour of the part, and a loop corner condition at all

the convex corners on the inside contour of the part.

The Spindle tab

• Maximum Speed—Maximum allowable spindle speed for the machine tool

(optional). Type the maximum speed value in RPM (revolutions per minute).

• Horsepower—Spindle horsepower (optional).

The Feed tab

• Feed Units—Select the rapid feed rate units from the Rapid Traverse drop-

down list. The values are:

o IPM (default)—inches per minute

o MMPM—millimeters per minute

• Feed Limits—Type the value of the feed rate used for rapid traverse in the

Rapid Feed Rate text box (optional).

The Cutting Tools tab

• Tool Change Time—Time needed for changing a tool, in seconds (optional).

Type the value in the text box, or use the UP and DOWN arrows next to the text

box to increase or decrease the value, respectively.

• The Cutting Tool Setup button opens the Tool Setup dialog box to let you set

up the cutting tools associated with the machine tool.

The Travel tab

Lets you specify the travel limits for the machine tool: X-Axis Travel, Y-Axis

Travel, and Z-Axis Travel. Specifying these values is optional. Values for the travel

limits along the axes should be the actual dimensions that indicate the extent of the

machine tool workspace relative to the Program Zero coordinate system. For

example, if a machine tool is 60 inches wide, and the origin of the Program Zero


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coordinate system is located halfway between the ends, specify the travel limits for

X-Axis Travel as follows: type -30 in the left text box and 30 in the text box on the

right.

If you display or otherwise output the CL data for a machining feature that exceeds

the limitations of the machine tool where it is defined, the Information Window will

appear, listing the values of the limits that have been exceeded and their

corresponding actual values.

The Comments tab

Type the comments associated with the machine tool in the text box (optional).

To Set Up a PPRINT Table

1. On the Output tab of the Machine Tool Setup dialog box, click PPRINT.

The PPRINT menu opens with the following options:

o Create—Create a new PPRINT table.

o Modify—Modify the current PPRINT table.

o Retrieve—Retrieve an existing PPRINT table from the current working

directory.

o Save—Save the current PPRINT table for later use. You will be prompted

for the name of the file. The file will have an extension .ppr and will be

stored in the current working directory.

o Show—Show the current PPRINT settings.

2. If the table has not been set up, the Modify option will be grayed out. Choose

Create. If you have previously set up a PPRINT table, you can either change your

former settings using the Modify option, or start with a clean table using Create.

The system displays the Activate PPRINT dialog box. It contains all the items

that can be output through PPRINT. Whether an item will be output or not is

determined by the flag value. The default flag value for all items is No. Change it

to Yes if you want the item to be output.

3. To change the flag value, highlight the item or items in the PPRINT table by

clicking on them once, then click on the appropriate action button (Yes or No),

located in the lower-left portion of the dialog box. To unselect an item, click on it

once more. You can also use the Select All and Unselect All icons located in the

lower-right portion of the dialog box.

4. To supply comments for an item, highlight it and type the comment in the

Comments text box. When you highlight an item with an existing comment, the

comment is displayed in the Comments text box. While editing a comment, you

can revert to the previous value by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the

Comments text box.

5. Click OK to finish setting up the PPRINT table.


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The PPRINT Table

To output some model information to the CL files, you have to set up a PPRINT table

for this model. This table contains all the items that can be output through PPRINT.

Whether an item will be output or not is determined by the flag value. The default

flag value for all items is No. Change it to Yes if you want the item to be output. You

can add an optional comment to be output along with the item.

Note: Comments are limited to 69 characters or less.

Whenever you output CL data to file, the system will check the PPRINT table. If any

flag is set to Yes and the appropriate information is available, the corresponding

PPRINT command will be output to the CL file.

The following items are output once per CL file:

• PART_NAME

• DATE_TIME

• SCALE

• TRANSLATE

• ROTATE

The following items are output once per operation:

• OPERATION_NAME

• OPERATION_COMMENTS

• LAYER_NAME

• UDF_NAME

• TOOL_TABLE

• ONLY_OUTPUT_USED_TOOLS

The following items are output once per feature:

• NC_SEQUENCE_NAME — The machining feature name.

• NC_SEQUENCE_COMMENTS — Comments associated with the machining feature.

• FEATURE_ID

• SEQUENCE_TYPE — The machining feature type.

• CUTCOM_REGISTER

• SPINDLE_SPEED

• CUT_FEEDRATE_&_UNITS

• ARC_FEEDRATE_&_UNITS

• FREE_FEEDRATE_&_UNITS


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• RETRACT_FEEDRATE_&_UNITS

• PLUNGE_FEEDRATE_&_UNITS

• SCAN_TYPE

• RETRACT_HEIGHT

• NUMBER_OF_SLICES

The following items are output once per LOADTL or TURRET statement:

• TOOL_NAME

• TOOL_POSITION_NUMBER

• TOOL_COMMENTS

• TOOL_PARAMETERS

• TOOL_OFFSET_NUMBER

• CHAMFER_LENGTH

• CORNER_RADIUS

• CSINK_ANGLE

• CUTTER_DIAM

• DRILL_DIAMETER

• DRILL_LENGTH

• END_ANGLE

• END_OFFSET

• GAUGE_Z_LENGTH

• GAUGE_X_LENGTH

• HOLDER_TYPE

• INSERT_LENGTH

• LENGTH

• LENGTH_UNITS

• NOSE_RADIUS

• NUM_OF_TEETH

• POINT_ANGLE

• SHANK_DIAMETER

• SIDE_ANGLE

• SIDE_WIDTH


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• TOOL_MATERIAL

• TOOL_ORIENTATION

• TOOL_TYPE

Fixtures

About Fixtures

Fixtures are parts or assemblies that help orient and hold the stock during a

manufacturing operation. You can create and save fixture components in Part or

Assembly mode, and then assemble them to the NC Model in Expert Machinist, or

create the components directly in Expert Machinist by referencing geometry of the

NC Model.

To use fixtures in a manufacturing process, you must first define the fixture setups

for the manufacturing model. Each fixture setup has a name and contains

information about the fixtures (components) that are to be present in the model

when the setup is active. You can define fixture setups at the time of setting up an

operation or at any time between creating features and tool paths.

Fixture setups belong to operations. When you create an operation, the system

automatically creates an empty fixture setup for this operation. This first fixture

setup is inserted in the Model Tree above the operation, to let you use the fixture

geometry for defining the operation Program Zero. You can modify this setup by

adding components to it. You can also create other fixture setups for the same

operation (these setups are placed in the Model Tree under the operation). Note that

although an operation can have multiple fixture setups associated with it, only one

fixture setup can be active at a time. When you create a machining feature, it is

automatically inserted in the Model Tree under the currently active fixture setup. The

system considers fixture components when generating the machining feature

geometry and creates the appropriate Hard Walls, if necessary.

When you create a new operation, it does not inherit the fixture setups from the

previous operation. If you want to use fixture setups from a previous operation, you

can copy them by using the Copy icon at the top of the Fixture Setup dialog box.

To Create a Fixture Setup

1. Click NC Setup > Fixture. Another way to access this functionality is to click

in the Fixture Setup section of the Operation Setup dialog box.

The Fixture Setup dialog box opens. It contains the default name for the fixture

setup (for example, FSETP1). You can change it by typing a different name.

2. Create or assemble components that you want to include in the fixture setup. You

can also copy a previously defined fixture setup by using the Copy icon at the

top of the Fixture Setup dialog box.

When you add fixture setup components, you may find that they clutter up the

screen and make it difficult to select surfaces for feature creation. In this case,

you can blank the fixture components, that is, erase them from the display but


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keep them in the fixture setup; the blanked fixture components will still be used

as references for creating machining features. When you blank a component, its

visibility status in the Components list is changed to Invisible.

3. Click OK to finalize the fixture setup creation and close the dialog box. This setup

becomes active (that is, it will be used for the newly created machining features).

The Fixture Setup Dialog Box

The top portion of the Fixture Setup dialog box contains the following icon:

—Copy a previously defined fixture setup. This brings in all the components

from the setup being copied. You can then remove or redefine placement of some of

the components, or add extra components, by using the action buttons in the lower

portion of the Fixture Setup dialog box.

The Fixture Setup Name box contains the name of the fixture setup. You can type

any name.

The middle portion of the Fixture Setup dialog box contains two tabbed pages:

Components and Comments. The Components tabbed page lists all the

components currently included in the fixture setup, along with their visibility status.

You can type information about the fixture setup in the text box on the Comments

tabbed page.

Below the tabbed pages are the following action buttons:

—Create a new fixture component. The user interface is the same as creating a

new part in Assembly mode. After you create the component, its name appears in

the list on the Components tabbed page.

—Redefine placement of a fixture component. Select the name of the

component to be reassembled in the list box on the Components tabbed page, then

click this button. Specify the new assembly constraints for the component.

—Assemble a new fixture component. The user interface is the same as

assembling a new component in Assembly mode. After you assemble the component,

its name appears in the list on the Components tabbed page.

—Remove a fixture component. Select the names of the components to be

removed in the list box on the Components tabbed page, then click this button.

—Make a fixture component visible. Select the names of the previously blanked

components in the list box on the Components tabbed page, then click this button.

The components are displayed on the screen, and their status in the Components

list is changed to Visible.

—Make a fixture component invisible. Select the names of the components to

be blanked in the list box on the Components tabbed page, then click this button.

The components are erased from the screen, and their status in the Components


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list is changed to Invisible. Note that making a component invisible does not

remove it from the fixture; you can blank fixture components to clear up the clutter

on the screen, but the system still considers them in place for tool path

computations. To remove a component from a fixture setup, use the Remove

button.

—Select all the fixture components in the list.

—Cancel the selection of all the fixture components in the list.

—Finalize the fixture setup and close the Fixture Setup dialog box.

—Cancel changes made to the fixture setup.

To Activate a Fixture Setup

Only one fixture setup can be active at a time. This is the setup that is displayed on

the screen. When you create a machining feature, it is automatically inserted in the

Model Tree under the currently active fixture setup.

To activate a fixture setup, select its name in the Model Tree, press the Right mouse

button and click Activate. Another way to access this functionality is to select the

fixture setup name from the drop-down list in the Fixture Setup section of the

Operation Setup dialog box.

To Modify a Fixture Setup

You can modify a fixture setup to add, remove, or change placement of some of the

components, or to change their visibility status.

1. Select the name of the fixture setup in the Model Tree, press the Right mouse

button and click Redefine. Another way to access this functionality is to select

the fixture name from the drop-down list in the Fixture Setup section of the

Operation Setup dialog box and click .

The Fixture Setup dialog box opens.

2. Use the action buttons in the lower portion of the Fixture Setup dialog box to

create or assemble new components, redefine placement of existing components,

or remove components from the fixture setup. You can also change the visibility

status of the fixture components. Note that when you blank a component, it stays

in the fixture setup; you can change its status back to Visible at any time. The

system considers all fixture components, both Visible and Invisible, in tool path

computations. When you remove a component from the fixture setup, and then

want to bring it back, you will have to specify all the assembly constraints again.

3. Click OK to finalize the fixture setup creation and close the dialog box. If you

modified the fixture setup by adding, removing, or changing placement of some

of the components, you have to redefine the tool paths of all the features created

under this fixture setup, to make sure they accommodate the new fixture

geometry.


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To Delete a Fixture Setup

Use either of the following ways to delete a fixture setup:

• Select the name of the fixture setup in the Model Tree, press the Right mouse

button and click Delete.

• Select the fixture name from the drop-down list in the Fixture Setup section of

the Operation Setup dialog box and click .

Note that if you delete a fixture setup the system prompts you to delete or suspend

all the machining features and tool paths that have been created under this fixture

setup. If you want to keep the features but no longer need the fixtures to machine

them, you can modify the setup and remove all the components from it, rather than

delete the setup itself. You might have to redefine the tool paths of the features

created under this fixture setup, to make sure they no longer account for the fixture

geometry.

Tips: Using Fixture Setups

The following are some of the scenarios you may encounter when using the Fixture

Setup functionality in Expert Machinist:

• If you use fixtures for the first feature or features in an operation, and no longer

need them to machine subsequent features, do not delete or modify the original

fixture setup. Create a new, empty, fixture setup and make it active, then create

the subsequent machining features.

• Similarly, if you need to change your fixture configuration for machining

subsequent features in an operation, leave the original fixture setup intact and

create a new fixture setup for subsequent features.

• If two fixture setups are just slightly different, use the Copy functionality. For

example, you have a fixture setup with jigs and clamps for machining a Profile

and a Step feature; then you need to remove a clamp to machine a boss top.

Create a new fixture setup and use the Copy icon at the top of the Fixture

Setup dialog box to bring in all the components from the original setup. Select

the name of the clamp in the Components list and click . Make sure the

new fixture setup is active, then create the Boss Top feature.

• If you delete a fixture setup the system prompts you to delete or suspend all the

machining features and tool paths that have been created under this fixture

setup. If you want to keep the features but no longer need the fixtures to

machine them, you can modify the setup and remove all the components from it,

rather than delete the setup itself.

Cutting Tools

About Setting Up Tools

You can set up the cutting tools in advance, as part of the NC setup, and then select

the appropriate tool when machining a feature, or create tools on the fly at the time


31

of machining. Whenever you access the Cutting Tool Manager, the system displays

the Tool Setup dialog box, which enables you to create, modify, and delete tools, as

well as to review the tools already defined for the current machine.

To Set Up Cutting Tools

To access the Cutting Tool Manager, do one of the following:

• On the top menu bar, click NC Setup > Cutting Tool Manager (this option

becomes available after you set up an operation and a machine tool).

• On the Cutting Tools tab of the Machine Tool Setup dialog box, click Cutting

Tool Setup.

• At the time of machining a feature, click next to the Cutting Tool text box

in the feature-specific machining dialog box (for example, Pocket Milling).

Either of these actions opens the Tool Setup dialog box, with its name preceded by

the name of the current machine tool. From the Tool Setup dialog box, you can

create, modify, and delete tools, as well as review the tools already defined for the

current machine.

The Tool Setup Dialog Box

The upper portion of the Tool Setup dialog box contains the Tool Table for the

current machine. The Tool Table defines the correspondence between a descriptive

tool name (Name) and its location on the machine, that is, its pocket number

(Number). You can optionally supply a value for the gauge length register (Offset)

and comments output for the tool (Comments). Each machine tool has its own Tool

Table.

When you select a Tool Table entry in the upper portion of the Tool Setup dialog

box, the system updates the middle and lower portions to display this tool’s

parameters and section sketch.

The middle portion of the Tool Setup dialog box contains the Tool Preview window,

with the current tool section sketch, and the text boxes for defining the following tool

elements:

• Name—A descriptive tool name (for example, BALL125), which uniquely

identifies the tool with a certain set of parameter values. The tool name is used

throughout Expert Machinist to identify the tool. You can store the tool’s

parameters in a text file and then retrieve it to use in a different manufacturing

process. The tool Name serves as the name for this parameter file, therefore, all

the operating system’s restrictions for file names apply to Name (for example, it

cannot contain spaces or periods). The name must be less than thirty-two

alphanumeric characters long.

Note: The tool name can not contain hyphens (-). Underscores (_), however, can

be used.

• Type—Select one of the predefined tool types available in Expert Machinist. Tool

types correspond to the type of the machine tool and of the machining feature

(for example, you will need a milling tool to mill a Pocket; to machine a Hole


32

Group feature, you can use both milling and drilling tools). The tool type, in turn,

defines the tool’s cross section and, therefore, the set of parameters you have to

specify for the tool.

• Material—Specify the material that the tool is made of.

• Units—Length units of the tool. The default length units of a tool are those of the

stock. If you change the Units, this will affect the actual tool dimensions.

The lower portion of the Tool Setup dialog box contains four tabbed pages:

Geometry, Settings, Speeds & Feeds, and BOM.

The Geometry tabbed page contains the text boxes for defining the Geometry

parameters, that is, parameters that specify all the dimensions of the tool. These

dimension values are used in calculating the tool path and material removed, and

should accurately reflect the actual tool dimensions and length units. Some of the

parameters are required for defining the tool's cross section, others are optional. The

actual parameter names in this category depend on the tool Type.

The Settings tabbed page contains the text boxes for defining some of the tool table

elements and various optional parameters that define tool properties other than

geometry:

• Tool Number—Corresponds to the Number field of the Tool Table, which

defines the tool's pocket number.

• Offset Number—Corresponds to the Offset field of the Tool Table, which

supplies a value for the gauge length register.

• Tool gauge lengths (Gauge X Length and Gauge Z Length)—Optional

parameters used to create length qualifiers in the LOADTL or TURRET statements.

• Long Tool—Select this checkbox if the tool is too long to retract to the Rotation

Clearance level during 4-axis machining. If you mark the tool as long, the tip of

the tool will move to the Safe Rotary Point (specified in the Operation Setup

dialog box) during table rotations.

• Comments—A text string that will be stored along with the tool parameters and

output with the tool table using PPRINT. If you want the tool table to show this

comment, click Edit > Table Comments in the top menu bar of the Tool Setup

dialog box, and select the Use TOOL_COMMENT parameter option. If you want

the tool table to show a comment different than the tool Comments parameter

string, click Edit > Table Comments, select New Comment, and type in a new

comment string.

The Speeds & Feeds tabbed page lets you supply cutting data (feed, speed, axial

and radial depths) for roughing and finishing with this tool, based on the stock

material type and condition.

The BOM tabbed page provides information about the Bill of Materials for the tool.


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To Set Up the Material Directory Structure

Expert Machinist lets you select the cutting tools and set up feeds and speeds based

on the stock material and condition. To utilize this functionality, you have to set up a

certain directory structure before you start defining your operations and tooling.

Expert Machinist stores all the cutting tool data in a Tooling directory, which is

specified by using the pro_mf_tprm_dir configuration option. For example, you can

set this configuration option as follows:

pro_mf_tprm_dir /home/users/toolcrib

Expert Machinist will then place all the tool parameter files (.tpm files) in the

/home/users/toolcrib directory.

To set up the material directory structure, create a subdirectory called materials in

your Tooling directory. Spell the directory name exactly as shown.

Under the materials directory, create subdirectories corresponding to your stock

materials and conditions. For example, you can create subdirectories steel20,

steel30, aluminum, and so on. Your material directory structure setup is now

complete.

When you later define an operation or a cutting tool, the system will list the available

material subdirectories for you to choose from.

When you save the cutting tool data, the system will store the tool geometry

parameters in a .tpm file in the Tooling directory, and create a .tpm file with the

same name, containing the feeds and speeds data, in the appropriate material

subdirectory. This feeds and speeds data can be used to initialize the values in the

Tool Path Properties dialog box.

Note: If you do not use the pro_mf_tprm_dir configuration option, the system will

use your current working directory as the Tooling directory.

Example: Setting Up the Material Directory Structure

1. Designate your Tooling directory by setting the configuration option:

pro_mf_tprm_dir /home/users/toolcrib

2. In the toolcrib directory, create a subdirectory and name it materials.

3. In the materials directory, create subdirectories for all your materials and

conditions. For example, create three subdirectories: steel20, steel40, and

aluminum.

Your Material directory structure is now complete. Now, when you start Expert

Machinist, you will have your three material subdirectories listed when you set up an

operation (for stock material), and when you set up the cutting tools. If, for

example, you specified your stock material as steel20, and then created a mill tool

with the Name ball25, your directory structure would look as follows:

-home --users ---toolcrib ----ball25.tpm (the file containing tool geometry parameters)


34

----materials -----aluminum -----steel20 ------ball25.tpm (the file containing tool feeds and speeds) -----steel40

To Add a New Tool

1. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click File > New.

2. The system fills in the fields in the dialog box with the default values:

o Name is a default name in the format T0001, T0002, and so on.

o Type is the first one in the list of the currently applicable tool types.

o Material has a default value of dash (-).

o Units are the same as the length units of the stock.

o Parameters that appear on the Geometry tab are defined by the tool

Type. Required parameter fields contain a system-supplied default value,

optional parameters have a default value of dash (-).

o On the Settings tab: Tool Number is incremented by 1 with respect to

the last one currently in the Tool Table; Offset Number is empty; other,

optional, parameters have a default value of dash (-).

o On the Speeds & Feeds tab, the Stock Material value is that of the stock

material specified in the Operation Setup dialog box; the cutting data

fields are empty.

o On the BOM tab, the Bill of Materials table is empty.

3. If you want to set up a tool of a different type, click the arrow next to the Type

parameter and select the appropriate value. The system displays the parameter

names and default values for the new tool type.

4. Modify the parameter values, if desired. The Revert button restores the initial

values.

5. Click Preview to display the tool section based on the current parameter values.

The Tool Window button opens a separate, bigger window displaying the tool

section.

6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until satisfied with the tool section.

7. Specify the cutting data and provide the BOM information, if desired.

8. Click Apply to add the new tool to the Tool Table.

9. To save the tool parameters and cutting data, click File > Save tool.

To Specify the Cutting Data for the Tool


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Note: In order to be able to specify the cutting data for a tool, you have to first set

up the Material directory structure.

1. Go to the Speeds & Feeds tab of the Tool Setup dialog box.

2. Select stock material. The Stock Material drop-down list corresponds to your

Material directory structure. The value displayed by default is that of the stock

material specified in the Operation Setup dialog box.

3. You can supply separate data for Rough and Finish cutting. Select an

Application: Roughing or Finishing.

4. Type the desired values in the text boxes for Speed, Feed, Axial Depth, and

Radial Depth. The drop-down list on the right of each text box lets you change

the units, as needed. You can also switch between the English and metric unit

systems by selecting the appropriate option in the Properties group; this will

change the options available in the units' drop-down lists.

5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for the second Application.

6. Save the tool. The system stores the cutting data in the appropriate Material

subdirectory, in the <name>.tpm file, where <name> is the tool Name.

7. If you want to use the tool to cut a different material, repeat Steps 2 through 6.

The system uses the cutting data supplied for the tool when initializing the values in

the Tool Path Properties dialog box.

To Provide the Bill of Materials for the Tool

When you retrieve a solid tool model, the system automatically includes all the parts

and assemblies used in the tool model into the Bill of Materials (BOM) for the tool.

If the tool model is used By Reference, the tool BOM information is read-only. If

you are using the tool model By Copy, you can edit the part names, if needed, or

change the type; you can also add or remove the BOM components.

For all other types of tools, you can provide the BOM information by typing the

names of the components and specifying their type and quantity.

1. Go to the BOM tab of the Tool Setup dialog box.

2. Click to insert a new component into the BOM table.

The system inserts a new line in the BOM table. The component has a default

name, type GENERAL, and quantity 1.

3. Place the cursor in the Component Name cell and type the name of the

component.

4. Change the component type, if needed. When you place the cursor in the Type

cell, it turns into a drop-down list. Select the desired type: INSERT, ADAPTER,

HOLDER, or GENERAL.

5. Change the quantity, if needed, by placing the cursor in the Quantity cell and

typing a value.


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6. You can also place the cursor in the Comment cell and type a comment.

7. To remove a component from the BOM table, place the cursor in the appropriate

row and click . To remove all the components, click .

To Retrieve Tool Parameters

1. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click File > Open Parameter File.

2. The system displays the browser window, which lists all the files with the .tpm

extension in the directory defined by the pro_mf_tprm_directory configuration

option. If the pro_mf_tprm_directory configuration option is not set, the search

starts in your current working directory.

3. Select a file name from the browser window and click Open.

4. The system searches the Tool Table for the Name of the tool being retrieved:

o If not found, the system appends the tool at the end of the Tool Table.

Number (pocket number) is incremented by 1 with respect to the last one

currently in the Tool Table. The Offset field is left blank.

o If the system finds a tool in the current Tool Table that has the same name

and the same parameters as the one being retrieved, it highlights the

appropriate Tool Table entry and displays its parameter values and section

sketch.

o If the name belongs to a tool that already exists in the current Tool Table

but has a different set of parameters, the system issues a warning and

queries whether you want to overwrite an existing tool. If you confirm, it

highlights the appropriate Tool Table entry and displays the tool’s new

parameter values and section sketch.

At the same time, the system looks for a .tpm file with the same name in the

Materials subdirectory corresponding to the stock material (as specified in the

Operation Setup dialog box). If found, it retrieves the cutting data stored in this

file into the appropriate Speeds & Feeds tab fields.

Note: When you retrieve a tool parameters’ file, its type must correspond to the

Type value in the Tool Setup dialog box; otherwise, the system will issue an

error message and the tool will not be retrieved.

To Add a Sketched Tool

You can use sketched tools for Free Form machining and for machining Top Round

features.

1. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click Edit > Sketch.

2. The system increments the pocket Number by 1 with respect to the last one

currently in the Tool Table and generates a default Name for the tool. The

Offset field is left blank.

3. Modify Name as desired.


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4. Click Sketcher.

5. The system starts the Sketcher user interface and opens a new window. Sketch

the tool section.

To Modify an Existing Tool

1. Highlight the appropriate entry in the Tool Table.

2. The system updates the lower portion of the Tool Setup dialog box to display

this tool’s parameters and section sketch.

3. Enter new values for the parameters that you want to modify.

4. Click Preview to display the tool’s section based on the new parameter values.

5. When satisfied, click Apply to update the Tooling database.

To Delete a Tool

1. Highlight the appropriate entry in the Tool Table.

2. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click Edit > Delete.

3. The system deletes the current table entry.

To Save Tool Parameters

1. Select the tool you want to save by highlighting the appropriate Tool Table entry.

2. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click File > Save tool.

3. The system saves the tool parameters in a text file called <name>.tpm, where

<name> is the tool Name, in the directory defined by the pro_mf_tprm_dir

configuration option. If you have supplied the cutting data, that is, the speeds

and feeds for the tool, this data is stored in a <name>.tpm file in the appropriate

Materials subdirectory.

To Create a Tool Model

1. Create a new Pro/ENGINEER model of type Part, and give it the name of the tool.

Reproduce the tool geometry by using the appropriate construction features

(protrusions, cuts, and so on).

2. Create a coordinate system to represent the tool origin, that is, the tool control

point. This is the point that will follow the tool path computed for machining a

feature. Make sure the z-axis of the coordinate system is pointing in the upward

direction (into the tool). Change the coordinate system’s name to "TIP" (use Set

Up, Name).

3. Establish associativity between the model’s dimensions and tool’s parameters.

There are two ways to do this:

o Modify appropriate dimension symbols to exactly correspond to the

parameter names. Choose Modify from the PART menu, then choose

DimCosmetics and Symbol. Select the feature to display dimensions,


38

then select dimension text and enter the new symbolic name, for example,

Cutter_Diam.

o Add parameters to the model with the names exactly corresponding to the

tool parameter names. This method is convenient when you want to define

the tool parameters directly in the tool assembly (for example,

Cutter_Diam for an insert drill, not for a drill bit).

Notes:

• In some cases, parameter names do not exactly match the labels in the Tool

Setup dialog box. For example, spaces are generally replaced with underscores.

Sometimes, the parameter name is truncated. To find out the exact parameter

name, look in a .tpm file for the appropriate type of tool.

• Parameter names are case-insensitive. For example, when modifying a dimension

symbol or adding a model parameter for Cutter Diameter, you can use Cutter_Diam, cutter_diam, or CUTTER_DIAM; the system will recognize either of

these strings as a tool parameter name.

• If an assembly is to be used as a tool model, you can modify dimension symbols

or add parameters to any of the component parts as well as to the assembly

itself.

Solid Tool Models

All Expert Machinist needs to know about a tool is its parameters. It creates a tool

path and displays the default tool based on the values in the .tpm file.

However, you can enhance the CL data display and interactively check for

interference by showing a "real" tool. In order to do this, design your tool as a

regular Pro/ENGINEER model (part or assembly), and then establish associativity

between this model’s dimensions and the tool parameters. When such a tool is used,

you will see the real tool model instead of the default tool simulation. This is also

another way to create your tool library.

Standard Library

If you have a Pro/LIBRARY license, you can also use the standard tool library of solid

tools. It contains common tools (mills, taps, and drills) of sizes corresponding to

ANSI standards. For more information, refer to the TOOLING LIBRARY Catalog.

To Use a Tool Model

To use a tool model in Expert Machinist, you have to retrieve the tool using the

Open Tool Library option. The system will look up the tool model and read

appropriate dimension values into the tool parameter file. In the Tool Preview

window of the Tool Setup dialog box, and when displaying a tool path, you will see

the actual tool model, not a default tool.

1. On the Tool Setup dialog box menu bar, click File > Open Tool Library.

2. Choose By Reference or By Copy:


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o By Reference—Direct associativity with the library model will be

established. You will not be able to modify the tool parameters for a

particular machine tool by using the Tool Setup dialog box. If the tool

model in the library is later modified, all the manufacturing data will be

updated upon regenerating the manufacturing process.

o By Copy—The tool information will be copied into the manufacturing

process. The tool parameters for a machine tool can be modified using the

Tool Setup dialog box; the library model will not be changed. If the library

model is later modified, it will not affect this manufacturing process. If

some of the parameters are missing in the tool model, the system will

prompt you for the missing values.

3. Select a tool model name from the browser window.

4. The system reads in the tool parameters from the model (the model name is

used as the tool Name). The system also includes the names of the component

parts and assemblies of the tool model in the BOM table, located on the BOM tab

of the Tool Setup dialog box.

Using Assembly as a Tool Model

If an assembly is used as a tool model, the system will search the assembly first,

and then all the component parts in the same order as they were assembled (that is,

the first component will be searched first), for the tool parameters and origin data.

Once a parameter is set, all values for the same parameter found later will be

ignored. In other words, the top-level assembly parameters take precedence over

component parameters, and after that the precedence is determined by the order of

assembly.

If, after all components are searched, some of the tool parameters are missing, an

error message will appear and you will be asked to select another tool (if using the

tool By Reference) or to supply the missing values (if using the tool By Copy).

Machining Features

About Machining Features

Machining features establish what material needs to be removed from the stock to

achieve the reference model geometry. Each closed volume of material to be

removed comprises a separate machining feature.

Define the machining features in the order you want them machined (one exception:

create an Entry Hole feature after you have created the closed feature that you need

it for). Use the proper machining feature type depending on the shape of the

volume, and on the combination of Hard and Soft Walls bounding this volume. Hard

Walls are surfaces of the reference model; Soft Walls are surfaces of the stock. The

bottom surface of the volume is called the feature Floor; again, it is called a Hard

Floor if this is a surface of the reference model and a Soft Floor if this is a surface of

the stock.

The following feature types are available:


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• Face—An open volume with a Hard Floor, completely surrounded by Soft Walls.

• Slab—An open volume with a Hard Floor, surrounded by Soft Walls. Unlike the

Face feature, the Slab may contain islands (bosses) on its Floor, or partial Hard

Walls.

• Pocket—A closed volume with a Hard Floor, completely surrounded by Hard

Walls. The Floor may contain protruding bosses (islands).

• Through Pocket—A closed volume with a Soft Floor, completely surrounded by

Hard Walls.

• Step—An open volume with a Hard Floor, surrounded by one continuous chain of

Hard Walls and one continuous chain of Soft Walls. The Floor may contain

protruding bosses (islands).

• Profile—An open volume with a Soft Floor, surrounded by one continuous chain

of Hard Walls and one continuous chain of Soft Walls.

• Channel—An open volume with a Hard Floor, surrounded by alternating chains of

Hard and Soft Walls.

• Slot—An elongated volume with a Hard Floor, completely surrounded by Hard

Walls, with full radii on two opposite ends.

• Through Slot—An elongated volume with a Soft Floor, which can be either

completely surrounded by Hard Walls, or have one chain of Soft Walls.

• Boss Top—Material left on top of a boss, for example, located inside a Pocket or

Step feature.

• Flange—An open volume with a Hard Floor, surrounded by Soft Walls, and

containing a single large boss or void in the middle, so that only a relatively thin

flange is being machined.

• O-Ring—A special case of a Slot feature, which has a Hard Floor and two chains

of Hard Walls at a constant offset from each other (that is, a cross section of this

feature is constant throughout). The hard walls can be of any shape as long as

they meet these requirements. In other words, this feature is a continuous closed

groove or slot.

• Rib Top—Material to be removed from the top of a rib. The top of the rib is the

Floor of the feature. It must be horizontal.

• Undercut—An open volume with a Hard Ceiling, to be machined by a Side Milling

tool. Once you specify a Ceiling, the system detects the Walls and Floor

automatically. You can adjust the feature depth.

• Top Chamfer—Material to be removed along a chain of horizontal chamfered

edges. The chamfered surfaces are the Floor of the feature.

• Top Round— Material to be removed along a chain of horizontal rounded edges.

The rounded surfaces are the Floor of the feature.

• Hole Group—A pattern of holes to be drilled.


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• Entry Hole—A hole predrilled before machining a closed volume (such as a

Pocket, Through Pocket, or Slot), to be used for the tool entry.

Once the features are defined, you can machine them, that is, create the appropriate

tool paths, at any time and in any order.

To Create a Machining Feature

1. On the top menu bar, click NC Create > Features and select the option

corresponding to the feature type. Or, click the icon corresponding to the feature

type on the toolbar.

The machining feature dialog box (for example, Pocket Feature) opens.

2. Define the elements of the machining feature dialog box, as needed. Usually, you

are required to select the Floor surfaces; other elements are optional.

3. Click OK to complete the feature, Cancel to quit. The Preview button lets you

check the feature geometry by highlighting the Hard Walls in red, Soft Walls in

cyan.

Creating Machining Features for No Stock Machining

Normally, when you create machining features, the system uses the stock definition

to determine the thickness of material to be removed. If an NC model has no stock,

you have to supply this value yourself. Therefore, whenever you create a machining

feature for a No Stock NC model, the feature dialog box will contain one or more

extra elements, depending on the type of the feature being created.

For features with a Hard Floor, such as Pocket or Step, the only extra element is

Adjust Feature Top. This element is required, that is, once you define the other

required elements, such as feature Floor, the system automatically selects the arrow

next to Adjust Feature Top and opens the Define/Adjust Feature Top dialog

box. You can define the feature top by supplying a thickness value from the feature

Floor, selecting a datum plane, or specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero

coordinate system.

For Through features, such as Through Pocket or Through Slot, you have to specify

both the top and the bottom of the material to be removed:

• By default, the system assumes that the top of the feature coincides with the top

edge of the feature walls. To adjust the top of the feature, click the arrow next to

Adjust Feature Top element. You can define the feature top by supplying an

offset value above the top of the feature Hard Walls, selecting a datum plane, or

specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero coordinate system.

• By default, the system assumes that the bottom of the feature coincides with the

bottom edge of the feature walls. To adjust the bottom of the feature, click the

arrow next to Adjust Feature Bottom element. You can define the feature

bottom by supplying an offset value below the bottom of the feature Hard Walls,

selecting a datum plane, or specifying the Z coordinate of the Program Zero

coordinate system.


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For Profile features, you also have to define both the top and the bottom of the

material to be removed, the same as for the other Through features. However, you

also have to specify the axial thickness of material to be removed, by using the

Offset Wall element and typing an offset value from feature Hard Walls. The default

value is 0.1" (in English units) or 3 mm (in metric units). You can type any value.

Note: When you create a Through Pocket or Through Slot feature for No Stock

machining, the system assumes that the whole feature is filled with material. If you

have a casting with a cored pocket, use Profile instead of Through Pocket, and

specify the appropriate Offset Wall value.

To Adjust Feature Boundaries

1. In the machining feature dialog box (for example, Pocket Feature), click .

The system reorients the model so that the XY-plane of the Program Zero

coordinate system is parallel to the screen. All the walls become Sketcher

entities; they are displayed in cyan.

2. Use the SKETCHER menu options to delete some entities or sketch new ones.

3. If the Intent Manager option is not selected, click Regenerate once the sketch

is completed.

4. Click Done to return to the machining feature dialog box.

5. Click Preview to display the feature. All the Sketcher entities that you created

while adjusting feature boundaries become the feature Walls. If you use edges of

the reference model, or sketch, these entities become Hard Walls. If you use

edges of the stock, these entities become Soft Walls. Use the Adjust Soft Walls

option to change the type of Walls, if needed.

Example: Adjusting Feature Boundaries

The reference model in this example contains two superimposed slots that you want

to machine as three separate Slot features. To create the Slot features, you will have

to adjust feature boundaries.

Create the first Slot feature:

1. Select the bottom of the slot (1) as the Floor surface. The system creates a Slot

feature as shown in the following illustration.


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2. Click to adjust feature boundaries. The system reorients the model and

displays the Sketcher grid. All the feature walls become Sketcher entities; they

are displayed in cyan, with vertices highlighted in yellow. Delete the entities (2)

corresponding to the walls of the thin slot, as shown below.

3. Sketch two Tangent End arcs (3) to close the contour, as shown below.


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4. On the SKETCHER menu, click Done.

The system creates a Slot feature as shown in the next illustration. The Hard

Walls are highlighted in red.

To machine the thin slot, create two more Slot features, each with one Soft Wall:

1. Create the second Slot feature. Select the same surface (1) — the bottom of the

slot — as the Floor surface. The system creates the Slot feature consisting of two


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contours left after the first Slot, each with a Soft Wall, as shown in the next

illustration.

2. Click to adjust feature boundaries, and delete the entities corresponding to

one of the contours.

The system creates a Slot feature as shown in the next illustration. The Hard

Walls are highlighted in red, the Soft Wall in cyan.

3. Create the third Slot feature. Select the same surface (the bottom of the slot) as

the Floor surface. The system creates the Slot feature, with a Soft Wall,

containing the material left after creating the first two Slot features.


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To Adjust Soft Walls

1. In the machining feature dialog box (for example, Pocket Feature), click

next to the Adjust Soft Walls element.

The system highlights all the feature walls, both Hard and Soft, in magenta.

2. Use the following options on the SELECT SRFS menu:

o Add—Select feature wall surfaces to change them to Soft Walls.

o Remove—Select feature wall surfaces to change them to Hard Walls.

o Show—Highlight the Soft Walls in cyan. Hard Walls stay highlighted in

magenta.

3. Click Done/Return to return to the machining feature dialog box.

To Adjust Feature Depth

1. In the machining feature dialog box (for example, Profile Feature), click

next to the Adjust Feature Bottom element.

The system opens the Define/Adjust Feature Bottom dialog box.

2. Use the following options in the Define/Adjust Feature Bottom dialog box:

o Offset below walls—Type an offset value below the bottom of the stock

(or below the bottom of the feature Hard Walls, for No Stock machining).

o Use Datum Plane—Select or create a datum plane normal to the z-axis of


o Offset from Program Zero—Type a value along the z-axis of the Program

Zero coordinate system.

o None—The feature Floor coincides with the bottom of the stock. This option

is not available for No Stock machining.

3. Click Preview to highlight the surface currently defining the feature depth in

cyan.

4. Click OK to return to the machining feature dialog box.

To Adjust Feature Top

The Adjust Feature Top element appears only for No Stock machining, that is, for

NC models with no stock defined. For such models, you have to supply a value for

the thickness of material to be removed.

1. In the machining feature dialog box (for example, Profile Feature), click

next to the Adjust Feature Top element.

The system opens the Define/Adjust Feature Top dialog box.


47

2. Use the following options in the Define/Adjust Feature Top dialog box:

o Offset above floor—Type a value of material thickness from the feature

Floor. This option is available only for features with a Hard Floor, such as

Pocket or Step.

o Offset above walls—This option is available only for Through features,

such as Profile, Through Pocket, or Through Slot. By default, the offset

value is 0; that is, the feature top coincides with the top of the feature Hard

Walls. You can type a different offset value, to extend the feature above the

top boundary of the Hard Walls.

o Use Datum Plane—Select or create a datum plane normal to the z-axis of


o Offset from Program Zero—Type a value along the z-axis of the Program


3. Click Preview to display the currently defined feature top in cyan.

4. Click OK to return to the machining feature dialog box.

To Machine a Feature

1. On the toolbar, click . Another way to access this functionality is from the top

menu bar: click NC Create > Tool Paths > Machining.

2. Select the feature name in the Select Feature dialog box. As you place the

cursor over a feature name in the dialog box, the appropriate geometry is

highlighted on the screen. Click OK.

The system opens the appropriate machining dialog box, corresponding to the

feature type.

3. Specify the cutting tool, define the machining method and options, and type the

values in the machining dialog box, as needed. For more information on

machining a feature of specific type, get help for the machining dialog box

corresponding to the feature type.

Every machining dialog box contains a Tool Path Properties button. It opens

the Tool Path Properties dialog box, where you can specify feeds and speeds,

as well as general machining, entry/exit, and cut control options.

4. Click Play Path at the bottom of the dialog box to display the currently defined

tool path.

5. Once you have completely defined the tool path for the feature, you can save this

machining strategy as a template, and then apply the template to other features

of the same type.

To save the current machining strategy as a template, click next to the Tool

Path Name text box, then type the template name in the New Name text box

of the Save As dialog box and click OK.


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Note: When you save a machining strategy as a template, it is automatically

saved with the Prompt for a tool option; that is, the template contains no

cutting tool information and the system prompts you to select or define the

cutting tool at the time you apply the template. If you want to modify the

template to always use a specific tool, open the template in Template Manager

and change it there.

6. Click OK to complete machining the feature, Cancel to quit. If you want to use

the same settings to machine a similar type feature, click Next. This will finalize

the creation of the current tool path (equivalent to clicking OK), and then prompt

you to select a feature to be machined using the current settings, similar to the

Mimic Toolpath functionality.

To Set Tool Path Properties

1. In a feature machining dialog box (for example, Pocket Milling), click Tool Path

Properties.

The Tool Path Properties dialog box opens. It contains five tabbed pages: CL

Commands, Feed Rates, Clearance, Entry/Exit, and Cut Control. Each

tabbed page lists the options and values that define your machining strategy.

Initially, the Tool Path Properties dialog box contains either the default system

values, or, if you are placing a machining template or mimicking a Tool Path, the

values from the template or the original Tool Path, respectively.

2. On the appropriate tabs of the Tool Path Properties dialog box, select the

desired options and type values, as needed.

On the Feed Rates tab, each feed rate has two fields: the first one lists the

available methods of specifying this feed rate, the second one is a text box with

the actual value:

o RAPID—The system will output the RAPID command for these moves. The

corresponding Feed Rate text box is then empty and grayed out.

o Enter—Type the desired value in the corresponding Feed Rate text box.

o From Tool—The system retrieves the cutting data stored with the tool.

This option is available only if the tool contains associated cutting data. The

corresponding Feed Rate text box lists the retrieved value and is grayed

out.

The Speed setting on the CL Commands tab and the Depth of Cut and

Stepover settings on the Cut Control tab also have a From Tool option, which

utilizes the cutting data stored with the tool.

3. When you have changed all the necessary settings, click OK.

The system closes the Tool Path Properties dialog box and brings you back to

the feature machining dialog box, where you can verify you selections by clicking

Play Path.


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Automatic Placement of CL Commands

You can insert a customized CL command anywhere along the tool path by using the

PLAY PATH dialog box. However, if the tool path changes for some reason, the

customized CL command may end up in a wrong location. The Automatic Command

Placement functionality allows you to insert a CL command, or a block of commands,

before or after a specific event on the tool path (for example, before each pass, or

after the final retract), and to maintain its location through subsequent tool path

changes.

The CL Commands tabbed page of the Tool Path Properties dialog box provides

eight typical locations in a CL file where you might want to insert a customized CL

command:

• Before LOADTL—Before the LOADTL statement.

• After LOADTL—After the LOADTL statement.

• After SPINDL—After the SPINDL statement.

• After FROM—After the FROM statement. This option becomes available only if

you select the Use FROM checkbox in the FROM/HOME Statements section,

immediately above the Automatic Command Placement section.

• Before Each Pass—Before the approach move to each cutting pass on the tool

path.

• After Each Pass—After the retract move from each cutting pass on the tool

path.

• After Final Retract—After the final retract move on the tool path. This option is

not available if None is selected as the Final Withdrawal option on the

Clearance tabbed page of the Tool Path Properties dialog box.

• After GOHOME—After the GOHOME statement. This option becomes available

only if you select the Use GOHOME checkbox in the FROM/HOME Statements

section, immediately above the Automatic Command Placement section.

For each of these locations, you can specify a CL command, or a block of CL

commands, by clicking under the location label and then using the CL

Command dialog box. When you are finished, the first command in the block is

displayed in the text box under the location label.

To make the system output the specified commands at the desired location when

writing a CL file, select the checkbox next to the appropriate location label.

To Mimic a Tool Path

Use the Mimic Toolpath functionality when you have an existing tool path and want

to use the same settings on a similar type feature.

1. On the top menu bar, click NC Create > Tool Paths > Mimic a Toolpath.

2. Select the Tool Path feature name in the Select Feature dialog box. Click OK.


50

3. Select the feature name in the Select Feature dialog box (only features of the

same type as the one machined by the selected tool path are listed). As you

place the cursor over a feature name in the dialog box, the appropriate geometry

is highlighted on the screen. Click OK.

The system opens the appropriate machining dialog box, with all the settings in

this dialog (except the cutting tool name) copied from the original Tool Path

feature.

Note: Expert Machinist uses the concept of a modal tool; that is, once you

specify a cutting tool, all subsequent machining features will use this tool until

you explicitly change it. (Look in the Index for details on other modal settings in

Expert Machinist.) Therefore, when you mimic a tool path, the system does not

copy the tool information from the Tool Path feature that you mimic; instead, it

uses the modal tool.

4. Change the cutting tool and the selected options, and modify the parameters, if

needed.

5. Click Play Path at the bottom of the dialog box to display the currently defined

tool path.

6. Click OK to complete machining the feature. Once the new tool path is created, it

is completely independent from the original tool path.

Face Features

To Create a Face Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Face.

The Face Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Face1 (the system

increments the number for the next Face feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Floor—Select the Floor surface for the feature (that is, the

top surface of the reference model).

o Define Program Zero—Change the coordinate system used for feature

definition and machining.

2. Select the Floor surface. On the SELECT SRFS menu, click Done/Return.

3. Change Program Zero, if needed. Click next to the element to display the

current setting. The Preview button lets you check the feature geometry by

highlighting the Soft Walls in cyan.

4. Click OK to complete the feature, Cancel to quit.


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To Machine a Face Feature






The system opens the Face Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog box

contains three text boxes:

o Tool Path Name—The default name for the tool path file, such as

FACE1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion of

the tool path name). The system will use this file name for NC data output.

You can type a customized name. You can also click the Comments button

located under the Tool Path Name text box to type the Machine Strategy

Comments.

o Feature Name—The name of the feature being machined. This name is

displayed for information purposes only; you cannot change it. You can click

the Preview button located under the Feature Name text box to highlight

the feature geometry.

o Cutting Tool—The name of the cutting tool. When you use a Machine Tool

for the first time within the NC process, there is no active tool and the text

box displays None. For subsequent machining, the text box displays the

name of the active tool.

The middle portion of the Face Milling dialog box contains the options for

defining the Machining Method, and the lower portion lists the machining Options.

At the bottom of the dialog box there are four buttons: OK, Cancel, Next, and

Play Path.

3. Change the cutting tool, if needed. You have to specify a tool name if there is no

active tool.

If the Machine Tool has preset cutting tools, select the tool you want by clicking

on the drop-down arrow and selecting the tool name from the drop-down list.

To access the Cutting Tool Manager, click next to the Cutting Tool text

box. This functionality lets you create new tools and modify existing ones.

Click Show Tool below the Cutting Tool text box to display the currently

selected tool in a pop-up window.

4. Define the Machining Method and Options, as needed, by selecting options and

typing values in the middle and lower portions of the dialog box. Click Play Path

at the bottom of the dialog box to display the currently defined tool path.


the same settings to machine a similar feature, click Next.


52

The Face Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Face Milling dialog box contains the following

options.

Machining Mode

• Rough—Face down the stock and leave stock according to the Rough to value.

• Finish—Finish mill the reference model surface(s). When you select this option,

you can use the Finish Passes button to set up the number of finish passes and

the depth increments.

Cut Motion

These options define the cut direction:

• One Direction—The tool cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cut, the

tool returns to the opposite side, to start the next cut in the same direction.

• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Face feature, moving back

and forth. At the end of a pass, it retracts and moves to the beginning of the next

pass, unless the Reverse Multiple Passes option is selected.

• Spiral—Generates a spiral cutting path.

These options define where material is relative to the tool rotation:

• Climb—The tool is to the left of material (assuming clockwise spindle rotation).

• Conventional—The tool is to the right of material (assuming clockwise spindle

rotation).

Cut Angle—Defines the angle between the cut direction and the x-axis of the

Program Zero coordinate system for One Direction and Back and Forth cut motion

types. The default is 0, which means that the tool cuts parallel to the x-axis of the

Program Zero coordinate system. To change the cut direction, type the new value in

the Cut Angle text box.

Motion Between Cuts

These options describe the way the tool makes the horizontal connections between

the cutting motions:

• Clear Part—The tool clears the Soft Walls when exiting and entering the material

for each cut.

• Stay in Cut—The tool stays engaged in material between cuts.

• Clear Part on Last Cut—If Stay in Cut is selected, this option will make the

tool clear the part on the final cut of each pass.

These options describe whether the tool retracts when connecting the cutting

motions:

• Stay Down—The tool does not retract between the cut motions.


53

• Retract—The tool retracts at the end of a cut motion and goes to the beginning

of the next cut motion at retract height (as defined by the Clearance tab of the

Tool Path Properties dialog box).

The Tool Path Properties button opens the Tool Path Properties dialog box,

which provides access to lower-level control of the tool path, such as spindle and

coolant statements, speeds, feeds, clearances, entry/exit, and cut control options.

The Options section of the Face Milling dialog box contains the following options:

• Reverse Multiple Passes—If Back and Forth is selected, this option will

reverse the Cut Angle on successive passes. Use this option to perform

continuous back and forth machining between passes.

• Use Fixture Offset—Allows you to store the fixture transformation offset in a

register on your machine. Type the Fixture Offset register value in the text box to

the right. If you use this option, NC output will contain the SET/OFSETL

statements.

Example: Face Machining

If you select a tool with Cutter Diameter bigger than the width of the stock, the tool

will make a single cut at each depth, as shown in the illustration below.

Slab Features

To Create a Slab Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Slab.

The Slab Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:


54

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Slab1 (the system

increments the number for the next Slab feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Floor—Select the Floor surface for the feature.

o Adjust Feature Boundaries—Change the shape of the feature walls using

Sketcher.



o Adjust Soft Walls—Change Hard Walls to Soft and Soft Walls to Hard.

2. Select the Floor surface(s). On the SELECT SRFS menu, click Done/Return.

3. Use the other elements, if needed. Click next to the element to display the


highlighting the Hard Walls in red, Soft Walls in cyan.


Example: Creating a Slab Feature

To machine the top of the part shown in the illustration below, create a Slab feature.

Select the top face of the reference model (1) as the Floor surface.

The system creates a Slab feature as shown in the next illustration. The walls of the

two islands on the top face are Hard Walls; they are highlighted in red. The outer

boundaries of the stock are Soft Walls; they are highlighted in cyan.


55

To Machine a Slab Feature






The system opens the Slab Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog box



SLAB1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion of




Comments.









The middle portion of the Slab Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.




56










The Slab Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Slab Milling dialog box contains the following

options.

Roughing

Rough Slab—Remove the material inside the Slab feature using rough milling and

leaving stock according to the Floor Stock and Wall Stock values:

• Floor Stock—Stock to be left on the Floor surfaces.

• Wall Stock—Stock to be left on the Hard Walls.

Finishing

• Finish Floors—Finish mill the Floor surfaces. When you select this option, you

can use the Finish Passes button to set up the number of finish passes and the

depth increments.

• Back Off Walls—When you do rough milling and finish floors within the same

tool path, you can keep the tool off the walls by a specified additional distance

while the Floor is being finished. You can then finish the walls later. This option

becomes available when both the Rough Slab and Finish Floors options are

selected and the Finish Walls option is cleared. When you select this option,

type the back-off distance in the text box to the right.

• Finish Walls—Finish mill the Hard Walls. When you select this option, you can

use the Finish Cuts button to set up the number of finish cuts and the depth

increments.

• Use CUTCOM—NC output will contain the CUTCOM statements. You can

customize their format and locations by clicking the Tool Path Properties

button and using the Cut Control tab of the Tool Path Properties dialog box.

Cut Motion


• One Direction—The tool cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cutting

pass, the tool returns to the opposite side, to start the next pass in the same

direction.


57

• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Slab feature, moving back






rotation).


Program Zero coordinate system. The default is 0, which means that the tool cuts

parallel to the x-axis of the Program Zero coordinate system. To change the cut

direction, type the new value in the Cut Angle text box.

Clean Up Cut—Cleans up the Hard Walls after the rough cut and before the finish

cuts, to remove scallops left by the rough cut. Type the value for the minimal

amount of stock to be removed by this cut in the Stock text box to the right.

Connect Motions




for each cut.



motions:








The Options section of the Slab Milling dialog box contains the following options:







statements.


58

Pocket Features

To Create a Pocket Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Pocket.

The Pocket Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Pocket1 (the system

increments the number for the next Pocket feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher.









To Machine a Pocket Feature






The system opens the Pocket Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog

box contains three text boxes:


POCKET1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion

of the tool path name). The system will use this file name for NC data

output. You can type a customized name. You can also click the Comments

button located under the Tool Path Name text box to type the Machine

Strategy Comments.




59







The middle portion of the Pocket Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.












The Pocket Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Pocket Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough Pocket—Remove material inside the pocket using rough milling and leaving

stock according to the Floor Stock and Wall Stock values:

• Floor Stock—Stock to be left on the Floor of the pocket.

• Wall Stock—Stock to be left on the walls of the pocket.

Finishing

• Finish Floors—Finish mill the Floor of the pocket. When you select this option,

you can use the Finish Passes button to set up the number of finish passes and

the depth increments.

• Back Off Walls—When you do rough pocket milling and finish floors within the

same tool path, you can keep the tool off the walls by a specified additional

distance while the Floor is being finished. You can then finish the walls later. This


60

option becomes available when both the Rough Pocket and Finish Floors

options are selected and the Finish Walls option is cleared. When you select this

option, type the back-off distance in the text box to the right.

• Finish Walls—Finish mill the walls of the pocket. When you select this option,

you can use the Finish Cuts button to set up the number of finish cuts and the

depth increments.

• Corners Only—Clean up the corners with a smaller tool after removing material

from the pocket with a large tool.




Cut Motion

These options define the way the tool scans the horizontal cross-sections of the

pocket:

• One Direction—Cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cut, the tool

retracts and returns to the opposite side of the pocket, to start the next cut in

the same direction.

• Back and Forth—Continuously machines the pocket, moving back and forth.





rotation).






Clean Up Cut—Cleans up the walls of the pocket after the rough cut and before the

finish cuts, to remove scallops left by the rough cut. Type the value for the minimal


Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the pocket:

• Plunge—The tool enters the material vertically.

• Ramp—The tool enters at Ramp Angle to the x-axis of the Program Zero

coordinate system. You can customize the Ramp Angle by clicking the Tool

Path Properties button and using the Entry/Exit tab of the Tool Path

Properties dialog box.


61

• Helix—The tool enters along a helical path. You can customize the helical entry

by clicking the Tool Path Properties button and using the Entry/Exit tab of the

Tool Path Properties dialog box. Type the new values for the Helix Angle and

the Radius of the helix (the default for which is calculated by the system based

on the size of the part).

• Entry Hole—The tool enters along a predefined entry hole. To use this option,

you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature for this pocket.




The Options section of the Pocket Milling dialog box contains the following option:

Use Fixture Offset—Allows you to store the fixture transformation offset in a


the right. If you use this option, NC output will contain the SET/OFSETL statements.

Through Pocket Features

To Create a Through Pocket Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Thru Pocket.

The Through Pocket Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Thru Pocket1 (the

system increments the number for the next Through Pocket feature). You

can type a customized name.

o Define Feature Walls—Select the side surfaces to be machined.


Sketcher.




o Adjust Feature Bottom—Adjust the Floor depth of feature (by default, a

Through Pocket extends all the way through the stock). To specify a

different Floor depth, select a surface, a datum plane, or type a value along

the z-axis of the feature-level Program Zero coordinate system.

2. Select the walls of the pocket. Use the following commands on the SURF/LOOP

menu:

o Surface—Select the wall surfaces individually.


62

o Loop—Specify a closed loop of surfaces by selecting a face they surround.

If there is more than one loop of edges (for example, there is a hole in the

selected surface), you will be prompted to select an edge to use.

3. On the SURF/LOOP menu, click Done.

4. On the SELECT SRFS menu, click Done/Return.





Example: Creating a Through Pocket

The illustration below shows creating a Through Pocket feature by using the Loop

option on the SURF/LOOP menu:

1. Select the top surface.

2. Select an edge that belongs to one of the pocket walls.

The resulting Through Pocket feature is shown in the next illustration (Hard Walls are

shown in red):


63

To Machine a Through Pocket Feature






The system opens the Through Pocket Milling dialog box. The top portion of

the dialog box contains three text boxes:


THRU POCKET1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first

portion of the tool path name). The system will use this file name for NC

data output. You can type a customized name. You can also click the

Comments button located under the Tool Path Name text box to type the

Machine Strategy Comments.









The middle portion of the Through Pocket Milling dialog box contains the

options for defining the Machining Method, and the lower portion lists the

machining Options. At the bottom of the dialog box there are four buttons: OK,

Cancel, Next, and Play Path.


64


active tool.












The Through Pocket Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Through Pocket Milling dialog box contains

the following options.

Wall Machining

• Rough—Remove material inside the pocket using rough milling and leaving stock

on the walls of the pocket according to the Rough to value.

• Finish—Finish mill the walls of the pocket. When you select this option, you can


increments.




Cut Motion

These options define the way the tool scans the horizontal cross-sections of the

pocket:

• One Direction—Cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cutting pass, the

tool retracts and returns to the opposite side if the pocket, to start the next pass

in the same direction.

• Back and Forth—Continuously machines the pocket, moving back and forth.





rotation).


65






Clean Up Cut—Cleans up the walls of the pocket after the rough cut and before the

finish cuts, to remove scallops left by the rough cut. Type the value for the minimal


Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the pocket:












you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature for this pocket.




The Options section of the Through Pocket Milling dialog box contains the

following option:




Step Features

To Create a Step Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Step.

The Step Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Step1 (the system

increments the number for the next Step feature). You can type a

customized name.



66


Sketcher.




o Adjust Feature Bottom—Adjust the Floor depth of feature. Select a

surface, a datum plane, or type a value along the z-axis of the feature-level

Program Zero coordinate system.






To Machine a Step Feature






The system opens the Step Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog box



STEP1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion of




Comments.









The middle portion of the Step Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


67


active tool.












The Step Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Step Milling dialog box contains the following

options.

Roughing

Rough Step—Remove the material inside the Step feature using rough milling and




Finishing



depth increments.




becomes available when both the Rough Step and Finish Floors options are

selected and the Finish Walls option is cleared. When you select this option,

type the back-off distance in the text box to the right.



increments.





68

Cut Motion




• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Step feature, moving back

and forth.




rotation).

These options define the cutting direction:

• Follow Hard Walls—The tool follows the shape of the Hard Walls.

• Straight Line—The tool cuts straight at a constant angle to the Program Zero

coordinate system.


feature-level Program Zero coordinate system if Straight Line is selected. The

default is 0, which means that the tool cuts parallel to the x-axis of the Program Zero

coordinate system. To change the cut direction, type the new value in the Cut Angle

text box.




Connect Motions




for each cut.



motions:








The Options section of the Step Milling dialog box contains the following option:


69




Profile Features

To Create a Profile Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Profile.

The Profile Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Profile1 (the system

increments the number for the next Profile feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Walls—Select the side surfaces to be machined.


Sketcher.





Profile extends all the way through the stock). To specify a different Floor

depth, select a surface, a datum plane, or type a value along the z-axis of

the feature-level Program Zero coordinate system.

2. Select the Hard Walls. Use the following commands on the SURF/LOOP menu:












70

To Machine a Profile Feature






The system opens the Profile Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



PROFILE1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion




Strategy Comments.









The middle portion of the Profile Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.













71

The Profile Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Profile Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Wall Machining

• Rough—Remove material using rough milling and leaving stock on the Hard

Walls according to the Rough to value.

• Finish—Finish mill the Hard Walls. When you select this option, you can use the

Finish Cuts button to set up the number of finish cuts and the depth increments.




Cut Motion


• One Direction—The tool cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cutting

pass, the tool returns to the opposite side, to start the next pass in the same

direction.

• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Profile feature, moving

back and forth.




rotation).

These options define the cutting direction:

• Follow Hard Walls—The tool follows the shape of the Hard Walls.

• Straight Line—The tool cuts straight at a constant angle to the Program Zero

coordinate system.


feature-level Program Zero coordinate system if Straight Line is selected. The

default is 0, which means that the tool cuts parallel to the x-axis of the Program Zero

coordinate system. To change the cut direction, type the new value in the Cut Angle

text box.




Connect Motions




72


for each cut.



motions:








The Options section of the Profile Milling dialog box contains the following option:




Channel Features

To Create a Channel Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Channel.

The Channel Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Channel1 (the system

increments the number for the next Channel feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher.










73

Example: Creating a Channel Feature

To create a Channel feature, select its bottom surface (1) as the Floor surface, as

shown in the illustration below.

The system creates a Channel feature as shown in the next illustration. The Hard

Walls are highlighted in red; the Soft Walls are highlighted in cyan.

To Machine a Channel Feature






The system opens the Channel Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



74


CHANNEL1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion




Strategy Comments.









The middle portion of the Channel Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.












The Channel Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Channel Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough—Remove the material inside the Channel feature using rough milling and





75

Finishing



depth increments.




becomes available when both the Rough and Finish Floors options are selected

and the Finish Walls option is cleared. When you select this option, type the

back-off distance in the text box to the right.



increments.

• Corners Only—Clean up the corners with a smaller tool after removing material

from the pocket with a large tool.




Cut Motion


• One Direction—The tool cuts in one direction only, following the trajectory of

the Channel feature. At the end of each cut, the tool returns to the opposite side,

to start the next cut in the same direction.

• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Channel feature, following

its trajectory and moving back and forth.

• Spiral—Generates a cutting path where the tool starts from one Soft Wall, cuts

down the center of the Channel, and then makes alternating cuts to the left and

to the right from the first cut. When necessary, the cuts follow the Hard Walls to

remove all the material inside the Channel feature. Use this option if the walls of

the Channel feature are not parallel, or if it has more than two Soft Walls.




rotation).

Connect Motions




for each cut.



76


motions:





Start Wall

• Automatic—The Soft Wall where the tool starts cutting the material is chosen

automatically. Click next to the option to display the current Start Wall.

• Select—Select the Soft Wall where the tool starts cutting the material. Click

next to the option to select the Start Wall.




The Options section of the Channel Milling dialog box contains the following option:




Example: Channel Machining

This example shows machining the Channel feature shown in the illustration below.

Select the following options in the Channel Milling dialog box:

• Rough

• Spiral

• Clear Part

• Stay Down

• Automatic


77

The resulting tool path is shown in the next illustration. The tool starts from the

default Soft Wall, cuts down the center of the Channel, and then makes alternating

cuts to the left and to the right from the first cut. It traverses the Soft Walls and

does not retract between the cuts. When the tool reaches the widening of the

Channel, the cuts follow the Hard Walls to remove all the material inside the Channel

feature. When the tool encounters the third Soft Wall, it traverses this wall as well,

and does not retract between the cuts, according to the selected options.

Slot Features

To Create a Slot Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Slot.

The Slot Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Slot1 (the system

increments the number for the next Slot feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher. Use this option, for example, if you have two superimposed slots.






78





To Machine a Slot Feature






The system opens the Slot Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog box



SLOT1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion of




Comments.









The middle portion of the Slot Milling dialog box contains the options for

defining the Machining Method and Options, and the lower, collapsible, portion

provides the options for Advanced Slot Milling. At the bottom of the dialog box

there are four buttons: OK, Cancel, Next, and Play Path.


active tool.








79


typing values in the middle portion of the dialog box. The lower portion of the

dialog box contains the options for Advanced Slot Milling; use them if needed.

Click Play Path at the bottom of the dialog box to display the currently defined

tool path.



The Slot Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Slot Milling dialog box contains the following

options.

Roughing

Rough Slot—Remove the material inside the Slot feature using rough milling and

leaving stock on the Floor according to the Floor Stock value. Stock left on the Hard

Walls depends on the Advanced Slot Milling options selected.

Finishing



depth increments.



increments.




Cut Motion




rotation).

Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the slot:










80




you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature for this slot.




Options




The Advanced Slot Milling section of the Slot Milling dialog box contains the

following options:

• Single Center Cut (default)—The tool performs a single cut along the center of

the slot. When you use this option, the amount of material left on the walls of the

slot depends on the difference between the width of the slot and the cutter

diameter of the tool.

• Multiple Cut—The tool performs multiple cuts to remove the material inside the

slot. Use the Wall Stock text box to specify the stock allowance left on the Hard

Walls of the slot. When you use this option, the following additional options

become available:

o One Direction—The tool cuts in one direction only. At the end of each cut,

the tool retracts and returns to the opposite side if the slot, to start the

next cut in the same direction.

o Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the slot, moving back

and forth.

o Spiral—Generates a spiral cutting path.

Through Slot Features

To Create a Through Slot Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Thru Slot.

The Through Slot Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Thru_Slot1 (the

system increments the number for the next Through Slot feature). You can

type a customized name.

o Define Feature Walls— Select the side surfaces to be machined.


Sketcher. Use this option, for example, if you have two superimposed slots.


81





Through Slot extends all the way through the stock). To specify a different

Floor depth, select a surface, a datum plane, or type a value along the z-

axis of the feature-level Program Zero coordinate system.

2. Select the walls of the slot. Use the following commands on the SURF/LOOP

menu:











To Machine a Through Slot Feature






The system opens the Through Slot Milling dialog box. The top portion of the

dialog box contains three text boxes:


THRU_SLOT1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first










82





The middle portion of the Through Slot Milling dialog box contains the options

for defining the Machining Method, and the lower portion lists the machining

Options. At the bottom of the dialog box there are four buttons: OK, Cancel,

Next, and Play Path.


active tool.












The Through Slot Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Through Slot Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough Slot—Remove the material inside the Slot feature using rough milling.

Finishing



increments.




This option becomes available only when you select the Finish Walls option

above.

Cut Motion




83


rotation).

Start Position

This group of options can be used only if the Through Slot feature is completely

surrounded by Hard Walls. If the Through Slot feature contains a chain of Soft Walls

(there can only be one such chain), then the start position is determined

automatically based on the Soft Wall location and the Climb/Conventional setting.

If the Through Slot feature is completely surrounded by Hard Walls, then when you

select the Finish Walls option, the Start Position group of options becomes

available.

If the Use Default option is selected, the tool will start at a default position along

the through slot.

If you clear the Use Default checkbox, you can click next to it and select a

point anywhere on the edges surrounding the through slot. The tool will start at the

position closest to the selected point. Click to view the start position.

Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the slot:










on the size of the tool).


you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature for this slot.




Options





84

Boss Top Features

To Create a Boss Top Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Bosstop.

The Boss Top Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Boss_Top1 (the system

increments the number for the next Boss Top feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher.









Example: Creating a Boss Top Feature

To machine the NC Model in this example, create a Step feature, and select the

bottom of the cavity (1) as the Floor surface, as shown in the following illustration.

Machining the Step feature leaves the material on top of the protruding boss.


85

To machine the top of the boss, create a Boss Top feature. Select the top face of the

boss (2) as the Floor surface.

The system creates a Boss Top feature as shown in the next illustration. The Soft

Walls are highlighted in cyan.


86

To Machine a Boss Top Feature






The system opens the Boss Top Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



BOSS_TOP1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first













The middle portion of the Boss Top Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


87


active tool.












The Boss Top Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Boss Top Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Machining Mode

• Rough—Face down the boss top and leave stock according to the Rough to

value.

• Finish—Finish mill the boss top. When you select this option, you can use the

Finish Passes button to set up the number of finish passes and the depth

increments.

Cut Motion




• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Face feature, moving back







rotation).





88



Motion Between Cuts




for each cut.


• Clear Part on Last Cut—If Stay in Cut is selected, this option will make the

tool clear the part on the final cut of each pass.


motions:








The Options section of the Boss Top Milling dialog box contains the following

options:







statements.

Example: Boss Top Machining

This example shows machining the Boss Top feature shown in the illustration below.


89

Select a tool with Cutter Diameter bigger than the diameter of the boss (to make one

cut per pass).

Select the following options in the Boss Top Milling dialog box:

• Rough

• Finish

• One Direction

• Climb

• Clear Part

• Retract

Click Tool Path Properties > Cut Control and adjust Depth of Cut, as needed.

The resulting tool path is shown in the next illustration.


90

Flange Features

To Create a Flange Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Flange.

The Flange Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Flange1 (the system

increments the number for the next Flange feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher.









Example: Creating a Flange Feature


91

In the NC Model shown in the illustration below, the stock is a casting with a large

cavity in the middle of the top surface. To machine the top of the reference model

and avoid air machining, create a Flange feature. Select the top face of the reference

model (1) as the Floor surface.

The system creates a Flange feature as shown in the next illustration. The outer

boundaries of the stock are Soft Walls; they are highlighted in cyan.

To Machine a Flange Feature




92




The system opens the Flange Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



FLANGE1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion




Strategy Comments.









The middle portion of the Flange Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.












The Flange Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Flange Milling dialog box contains the

following options.


93

Roughing

Rough Flange—Remove the material inside the Flange feature using rough milling

and leaving stock according to the Floor Stock and Wall Stock values:


• Wall Stock—Stock to be left on the Hard Walls. If the Flange feature does not

have Hard Walls, this text box will be unavailable.

Finishing



depth increments.



increments. If the Flange feature does not have Hard Walls, this option and the

Finish Cuts button will be unavailable.




Cut Motion

These options define the cut motion pattern:

• Follow Outer Contour—The tool follows the outer contour of the Flange.

• Follow Inner Contour—The tool follows the inner contour of the Flange.




rotation).

Start Location

These options describe where the tool starts cutting:

• Start From Outer Contour—The tool starts at the outer contour of the Flange

and moves inward.

• Start From Inner Contour—The tool starts at the inner contour of the Flange

and moves outward. This option is not available if the inner contour is comprised

of Hard Walls.




The Options section of the Flange Milling dialog box contains the following option:


94




O-Ring Features

To Create an O-Ring Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > O-Ring.

The O-Ring Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as O-Ring1 (the system

increments the number for the next O-Ring feature). You can type a

customized name.



Sketcher.







highlighting the Hard Walls in red.


To Machine an O-Ring Feature






The system opens the O-Ring Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog


o Tool Path Name—The default name for the tool path file, such as O-

RING1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion of




95


Comments.









The middle portion of the O-Ring Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.












The O-Ring Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the O-Ring Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough Groove—Remove the material inside the O-Ring feature using rough milling

and leaving stock on the Floor according to the Floor Stock value.

Finishing



depth increments.


96



increments.




This option becomes available only when you select the Finish Walls option

above.

Cut Motion




rotation).

Start Position

If the Use Default option is selected, the tool will start at a default position along

the closed groove.

If you clear the Use Default checkbox, you can click next to it and select a

point anywhere on the edges surrounding the closed groove. The tool will start at the

position closest to the selected point. Click to view the start position.

Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the groove:







you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature.




The Options section of the O-Ring Milling dialog box contains the following option:




Example: O-Ring Machining

This example shows machining the O-Ring feature shown in the illustration below. To

create the O-Ring feature, select the bottom of the groove (1) as the Floor surface.


97

Select a tool with Cutter Diameter corresponding to the width of the groove (to make

one cut per pass).

Select the following options in the O-Ring Milling dialog box:

• Rough

• Climb

• Use Default

• Plunge

The resulting tool path is shown in the next illustration.

Rib Top Features

To Create a Rib Top Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Ribtop.

The Rib Top Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:


98

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as RibTop1 (the system

increments the number for the next Rib Top feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Floor—Select the Floor surface for the feature (the top of

the rib).


Sketcher.









Example: Creating a Rib Top Feature

Note: In this example, we are going to create Pocket features on both sides of the

rib prior to creating the Rib Top feature. This is not necessary. You can create the

Rib Top feature first (for example, if you want to machine it before machining the

Pockets); the geometry of the Rib Top feature is going to be exactly the same. When

you select the top of the rib, the system extends it vertically up regardless of

whether there is stock material to the sides of the rib or not.

To generate the proper features for machining this model, start by defining two

Pocket features on both sides of the rib:

1. Create a Pocket feature and select the bottom of the cavity (1) on one side of the

rib as the Floor surface. The system creates the Pocket feature, as shown in the

following illustration.


99

2. Create another Pocket feature and select the bottom of the cavity (2) on the

other side of the rib as the Floor surface. The system creates the second Pocket

feature.

3. Create a Rib Top feature and select the top of the rib (3) as the Floor surface.

The system creates a Rib Top feature as shown in the next illustration. The Hard

Walls are highlighted in red; the Soft Walls are highlighted in cyan.


100

To Machine a Rib Top Feature






The system opens the Rib Top Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



RIBTOP1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first portion




Strategy Comments.









The middle portion of the Rib Top Milling dialog box contains the options for



Play Path.


active tool.













101

The Rib Top Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Method section of the Rib Top Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough Rib Top—Remove the material from the top of the rib using rough milling

and leaving stock according to the Floor Stock and Wall Stock values:



Finishing



depth increments.




becomes available when both the Rough and Finish Floors options are selected

and the Finish Walls option is cleared. When you select this option, type the

back-off distance in the text box to the right.



increments.




Cut Motion




rotation).

Entry Wall

• Automatic—The Soft Wall where the tool starts cutting the material is chosen

automatically. Click next to the option to display the current Entry Wall.

• Select—Select the Soft Wall where the tool starts cutting the material. Click

next to the option to select the Entry Wall.


102

Rib Start Wall

If the Rib Top feature has an open configuration, you can use the following options to

specify which Soft Wall is opposite the Hard Wall of the rib, and thus define the

direction of machining the rib:

• Automatic—The Soft Wall defining the machining direction is chosen

automatically. Click next to the option to display the current Rib Start Wall.

• Select—Select Soft Wall that is opposite the Hard Wall of the rib to define the

machining direction. Click next to the option to select the Rib Start Wall.

Top Entry

These options describe the way the tool enters the material:












you must first create and machine an Entry Hole feature.




The Options section of the Rib Top Milling dialog box contains the following option:




Example: Rib Top Machining

To machine the model in this example, start with machining the two Pocket features

on either side of the rib (as shown in the following illustration), and then machine

the Rib Top feature.


103

The following illustration shows the tool path generated by the system for machining

the Rib Top feature.

Example: Open Rib Top Machining

The Rib Top feature in this example has an open configuration; that is, it has only

one Hard Wall. To machine this Rib Top feature, select the wall opposite the Hard

Wall (surface 1 in the following illustration) as the Rib Start Wall.


104

Undercut Features

To Create an Undercut Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Undercut.

The Undercut Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as Undercut1 (the system

increments the number for the next Undercut feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Ceiling—Select the Ceiling surface for the feature, that is,

the top surface of the undercut (similar to defining the Floor surface for

other feature types).


Sketcher.




o Adjust Feature Bottom—Adjust the Floor depth of feature (by default, an

Undercut extends down until the system finds a horizontal surface of the

reference part; if such a surface is not found, the Undercut extends all the

way through the stock). To specify a different Floor depth, select a surface,

a datum plane, or type a value along the z-axis of the feature-level




105





Example: Creating an Undercut

To machine the model shown in the illustration below, you have to create two Flange

features, a Boss Top, and an Undercut.

In the following illustrations, each feature is being machined before the next feature

is created. This is done just for better clarity of the example. You can define all the

features first, and then create the tool paths to machine the features.

1. Create a Flange feature. Select the top surface of the flange (1) as the Floor

surface.


106

2. Create a Boss Top feature to remove material from the top of the central shaft.

Select the top surface of the shaft (2) as the Floor surface.

3. Create another Flange feature. Select the top surface of the base (3) as the Floor

surface. Note that the system detects the flange and leaves the material around

the lower portion of the shaft when it generates the feature geometry.


107

4. Create an Undercut feature. Select the bottom surface of the flange (4) as the

Ceiling surface. The system automatically detects the Floor surface and generates

the Undercut feature as shown in the following illustration.

To Machine an Undercut Feature







108

The system opens the Undercut Milling dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



UNDERCUT1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first













The middle portion of the Undercut Milling dialog box contains the options for

defining the Machining Strategy, and the lower portion lists the machining



3. Change the cutting tool, if needed. You have to use a tool of the type Side Mill.







4. Define the Machining Strategy and Options, as needed, by selecting options and





The Undercut Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Strategy section of the Undercut Milling dialog box contains the

following options.

Roughing

Rough Undercut—Remove the material inside the Undercut feature using rough

milling and leaving stock according to the Ceiling/Floor Stock and Wall Stock

values:


109

• Ceiling/Floor Stock—Stock to be left on the Ceiling and Floor surfaces.


These options define the number of cutting passes:

• Multiple Cuts—The tool makes multiple cutting passes, machining away all the

material and leaving stock on the Ceiling and Floor surfaces according to the

Ceiling/Floor Stock value. The first cutting pass is at the top of the Undercut

(taking into account the Cutter Width of the tool and the ceiling stock value). You

can control the distance between the passes by using the Depth of Cut option,

located on the Cut Control tabbed page of the Tool Path Properties dialog

box.

• Single Center Cut—The tool makes only one cutting pass, leaving equal

amounts of material on the Ceiling and Floor surfaces. If you select this option,

the Ceiling/Floor Stock text box becomes unavailable, because the amount of

stock left on the Ceiling and Floor surfaces is determined by the Cutter Width

parameter of the tool.

Finishing

• Finish Ceiling/Floor—Finish mill the Ceiling and Floor surfaces. When you select

this option, you can use the Finish Passes button to set up the number of finish

passes and the depth increments.



increments.




Cut Motion




• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the Undercut, moving back

and forth.




rotation).

Motion Between Cuts




110


for each cut.



motions:








The Options section of the Undercut Milling dialog box contains the following

option:




Using the Side Mill Tool

To machine an Undercut feature, you have to use a tool of the type Side Milling.

The parameters of a Side Milling tool (as shown in the following illustration) are:

1. Cutter Diameter

2. Length

3. Corner Radius

4. Cutter Width

5. Shank Diameter


111

When selecting a Side Milling tool to machine an Undercut feature, make sure that

the Cutter Width of the tool is smaller than the vertical depth of the Undercut, and

that the difference between Cutter Diameter/2 and Shank Diameter/2 is greater than

the horizontal depth of the Undercut. The following illustration shows a side view of a

Side Milling tool machining an Undercut.


112

Example: Machining an Undercut

To machine the Undercut feature shown in the previous illustration:

1. Set up a Side Mill tool. In the Tools Setup dialog box, create a new tool, change

Type to Side Milling and modify the tool parameters as needed. Make sure that

the difference between the Cutter Diameter and the Shank Diameter is greater

than the difference between the diameters of the flange and the lower portion of

the shaft on the model, so that the tool can reach in and machine the whole

Undercut. Also make sure that the Cutter Width of the tool is smaller that the

distance between the top of the rectangular base and the bottom of the flange.

2. In the Undercut Milling dialog box, use the default settings: Rough Undercut,

Multiple Cuts, One Direction, Clear Part, and Retract.

The resulting tool path is shown in the following illustration.

The tool makes two cutting passes: one at the top of the Undercut, machining the

Ceiling, the second at the bottom, machining the Floor. It leaves the specified

amounts of stock on the Ceiling, Floor, and Hard Walls.


113

The following illustration shows the side view of the model when the Side Mill tool

starts machining the Ceiling of the Undercut.

The next illustration shows the side view of the model after the first machining pass,

when the Side Mill tool starts machining the Floor of the Undercut.

Top Chamfer Features

To Create a Top Chamfer Feature

A Top Chamfer feature can consist of a single chamfered edge, a single chain of

chamfered edges (open on both ends), or a single closed loop of chamfered edges

(for example, on top of a Pocket feature).


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Top Chamfer.

The Top Chamfer Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as TopChamfer1 (the

system increments the number for the next Top Chamfer feature). You can



114

o Define Feature Floor—Select the Floor surface for the feature (the surface

of the chamfer).


Sketcher.




2. Select the Floor surface(s). If the Top Chamfer consists of a chain or a loop of

chamfered edges, select all the chamfered surfaces and click Done Sel. On the

SELECT SRFS menu, click Done/Return.





Example: Creating a Top Chamfer Feature

The model in this example has two Top Chamfer features: one consists of a single

chamfered edge, open on both ends, and the other is a closed loop of chamfered

edges located on top of a pocket.

1. To create the first Top Chamfer feature, select the surface of the chamfer (1) as

the Floor surface.

The system creates the Top Chamfer feature, as shown in the following

illustration.


115

2. To define the second Top Chamfer feature correctly, you have to create the

Pocket feature first, as shown in the following illustration. Select the bottom of

the pocket (2) as the Floor surface.

3. Create the second Top Chamfer feature and select all the chamfered surfaces

surrounding the pocket (3) as the Floor surfaces, as shown in the following

illustration.

The system creates the Top Chamfer feature, as shown in the following

illustration.


116

To Machine a Top Chamfer Feature






The system opens the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box. The top portion

of the dialog box contains three text boxes:


TOPCHAMFER1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first













The middle portion of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box contains the

options for defining the Machining Strategy, and the lower portion lists the



3. Change the cutting tool, if needed. You have to use a tool of the type

Chamfering, Drilling, or Countersink, with the Point Angle parameter of the tool

corresponding to the chamfer angle (for example, if you have a 45 degree

chamfer, use the tool with the Point Angle of 90).




117










The Top Round/Chamfer Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Strategy section of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box

contains the following options.

Roughing

Rough Top Feature— Remove the material over the round or chamfer using rough

milling and leaving stock on the Floor according to the Stock value (the stock is

measured in the direction normal to the surface of the round or chamfer).

Finishing

• Finish Feature—Finish mill the Floor surfaces. When you select this option, you


depth increments. All the increments are measured in the direction normal to the

surface of the round or chamfer.




This option becomes available only when you select the Finish Feature option

above.

Cut Motion




• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the round or chamfer, moving

back and forth.




rotation).


118

Connect Motions




for each cut.



motions:








The Options section of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box contains the

following option:




Using the Chamfering Tool

You can use a tool of the type Chamfering to machine a Top Chamfer feature.

The parameters of a Chamfering tool (as shown in the following illustration) are:

1. Cutter Diameter

2. Length

3. Point Diameter

4. Point Angle


119

By default, the Point Diameter is equal to 0, and the tool section looks as shown in

the following illustration. Instead of assigning a value to Point Diameter, you can

specify a value for Gauge Offset (5). This value does not affect the tool section

display, but it will be reflected in the tool path computation.


120

If the tool is big enough to completely machine the chamfer in one pass, it is

symmetrically located with respect to the chamfer. That is, the distance between the

top cutting edge of the tool and the top edge of the chamfer is the same as the

distance between the bottom edge of the chamfer and the bottom cutting edge of

the tool.

If the chamfer is too big to be machined in one pass, you can control the number

and location of passes by using the Tool Overlap options located on the Cut Control

tabbed page of the Tool Path Properties dialog box:

• From Tool—The tool overlap equals the Axial Depth value, retrieved from the

cutting data stored with the tool. This option is available only if the tool contains

associated cutting data.

• Enter—Type the value of tool overlap in the text box to the right.

The tool positions are shown in the following illustration. On the first (1) and all the

intermediate (2) passes, the top cutting edge of the tool is above the top of material

to be cut by a vertical distance of tool overlap (4). On the last pass (3), the bottom

cutting edge of the tool is below the bottom edge of the chamfer by the same

distance of tool overlap.


121

Top Round Features

To Create a Top Round Feature

A Top Round feature can consist of a single rounded edge, a single chain of rounded

edges (open on both ends), or a single closed loop of rounded edges (for example,

on top of a Pocket feature).


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Top Round.

The Top Round Feature dialog box opens with the following elements:

o Feature Name—The default feature name, such as TopRound1 (the system

increments the number for the next Top Round feature). You can type a

customized name.

o Define Feature Floor—Select the Floor surface for the feature (the surface

of the round).


Sketcher.




2. Select the Floor surface(s). If the Top Round consists of a chain or a loop of

rounded edges, select all the rounded surfaces and click Done Sel. On the

SELECT SRFS menu, click Done/Return.


122





Example: Creating a Top Round Feature

The model in this example has two Top Round features: one consists of a single

rounded edge, open on both ends, and the other is a closed loop of rounded edges

located on top of a pocket.

1. To create the first Top Round feature, select the surface of the round (1) as the

Floor surface.

The system creates the Top Round feature, as shown in the following illustration.

2. To define the second Top Round feature correctly, you have to create the Pocket

feature first, as shown in the following illustration. Select the bottom of the

pocket (2) as the Floor surface.


123

3. Create the second Top Round feature and select all the rounded surfaces

surrounding the pocket (3) as the Floor surfaces, as shown in the following

illustration.

The system creates the Top Round feature, as shown in the following illustration.


124

To Machine a Top Round Feature






The system opens the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box. The top portion

of the dialog box contains three text boxes:


TOPROUND1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first













The middle portion of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box contains the

options for defining the Machining Strategy, and the lower portion lists the



3. Change the cutting tool, if needed. You have to use either a tool of the type

Corner Rounding, with the Radius parameter of the tool equal to the radius of the

Top Round, or a sketched tool.











125



The Top Round/Chamfer Milling Dialog Box

The Machining Strategy section of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box

contains the following options.

Roughing

Rough Top Feature— Remove the material over the round or chamfer using rough

milling and leaving stock on the Floor according to the Stock value (the stock is

measured in the direction normal to the surface of the round or chamfer).

Finishing

• Finish Feature—Finish mill the Floor surfaces. When you select this option, you


depth increments. All the increments are measured in the direction normal to the

surface of the round or chamfer.




This option becomes available only when you select the Finish Feature option

above.

Cut Motion




• Back and Forth—The tool continuously machines the round or chamfer, moving

back and forth.




rotation).

Connect Motions




for each cut.



motions:



126







The Options section of the Top Round/Chamfer Milling dialog box contains the

following option:




Using the Corner Rounding Tool

To machine a Top Round feature, you have to use a tool of the type Corner

Rounding, or a sketched tool with the appropriate geometry.

The parameters of a Corner Rounding tool (as shown in the following illustration)

are:

1. Cutter Diameter

2. Shank Diameter

3. Overall Length

4. Length

5. Radius


127

The Radius parameter of the tool has to be equal to the radius of the Top Round (see

the following illustration).

Example: Top Round Machining

When a Top Round feature is located on top of a Pocket feature, machine the Pocket

feature first, as shown in the following illustration.

Then, change to a Corner Rounding tool and machine the Top Round feature. In this

example (see the following illustration), the tool makes one rough and one finish

pass. The offset between the passes is measured in the direction normal to the

surface of the round.


128

Hole Group Features

To Create a Hole Group Feature


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Hole Group.

The system opens the Drill Group dialog box. The top portion of the dialog box

contains two text boxes:

o Drill Group Name—The default feature name, such as DRILL_GROUP_0

(the system increments the number for the next Hole Group feature). You

can type a customized name.

o Program Zero Selection—The name of the coordinate system used for

machining. To change it, click next to the text box and select the new

coordinate system.

The middle portion of the Drill Group dialog box contains four tabulated pages

that provide means of Hole selection:

o Axes—Specify holes by selecting individual hole axes.

o Diameters—Specify holes by entering diameter value(s). The system

automatically includes all Hole or round Slot features of specified

diameter(s).

o Surfaces—Specify holes by selecting surfaces of the reference model. The

system automatically includes all Hole or round Slot features located on

selected surfaces.

o Parameters—Select holes with a certain parameter value.

2. Specify the holes to be drilled using any combination of methods listed above.

See Combining Selection Methods for information on how to use more than one

selection method for defining a Hole Group.

The Info button opens an information window that lists the rules currently used

in Hole selection.

The Preview button lets you view the currently selected holes by highlighting

them in red.


Combining Selection Methods

Selecting holes by Diameters, Surfaces, and Parameters implies specifying a rule

for hole selection. For example, if you specify a diameter value, the system will

search the model for the holes of this diameter and include them in the Hole Group.

If you select a surface, the system will include all holes on this surface. If you specify

a combination of rules, the system will look for holes that satisfy all of them; that is,

if you specify a diameter value and select a surface, the system will include only the

holes of the specified diameter that are located on the selected surface.


129

The Axes method lets you explicitly select and unselect hole axes, regardless of

other rules used in Hole selection.

To Select Holes by Axes

The Axes tab in the Drill Group dialog box enables you to select or unselect

individual hole axes.

Click Add and select hole axes to add them to the Hole Set.

When you have a series of holes created as a Pro/ENGINEER pattern, it is not

necessary to select all the hole axes. Select Pattern to indicate that you want all the

pattern members to be drilled, then select any axis belonging to a pattern. You can

drill only some holes in the pattern using the Single option.

All axes currently included in the Hole Group are listed in the central list box. If you

have selected holes using a different method (for example, Diameters), the names

of these axes also appear on the Axes tab.

To remove a previously selected axis from the Hole Group, highlight its name in the

central list box and click Delete. Similar to adding axes, you can use the Pattern

option to remove a whole pattern of holes.

To Select Holes by Diameters

The Diameters tab in the Drill Group dialog box enables you to include all holes of

a specified diameter.

When you click Add, the Select Hole Diameter dialog box opens. It lists all the

hole diameters present in the model. Select a diameter from the list, or click Select

and select a cylindrical surface on the model to specify the diameter. The system

adds all holes of the specified diameter to the Hole Group.

The diameter values selected so far are listed in the central list box on the

Diameters tab. To remove all holes of a specified diameter, select its value in the

list box and click Delete. To remove some of the holes of a specified diameter, use

the Axes tab.

To Select Holes by Surfaces

The Surfaces tab in the Drill Group dialog box enables you to include all holes on

the selected surface.

Click Add and select surfaces to add all holes located on these surfaces to the Hole

Group.

The names of selected surfaces are listed in the central list box on the Surfaces tab.

To remove all holes located on a surface, select its name in the list box and click

Delete. To remove some of the holes on a surface, use the Axes tab.

To Select Holes by Feature Parameters

The Parameters tab in the Drill Group dialog box enables you to include holes that

have certain parameter values.

You can create and modify feature parameters in Part or Assembly mode.


130

When you go to the Parameters tab, the Feature Parameter list box contains a

list of all feature parameters associated with Hole and Cosmetic Thread features in

the model. When you select a parameter name in the list, the Value text box below

will contain a drop-down list of all the currently present values for this parameter.

1. Select a name of parameter in the Feature Parameter list box.

2. Select an operator from the drop-down list. For parameter types Integer and

Real, the operators available are: "=", "!=", ">", "<". For other parameter types,

the only operators available are: "=" and "!=".

3. Select a value from the drop-down list, or type a value.

4. Click Add.

5. The system displays the selected parameter and its value in the list box below

and includes all holes with the appropriate feature parameter values in the Hole

Group.

To Machine a Hole Group Feature






The system opens the Drilling Strategy dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



HOLE_PATTERN1_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first





o Feature Name—The name of the Hole Group being machined. You can

click the Add button located under the Feature Name text box to select

other Hole Group features present in the model. The Remove button lets

you remove previously selected Hole Group features. All the names of the

Hole Group features selected for machining are displayed in the Feature

Name text box. You can click the Preview button located under the

Feature Name text box to highlight the holes being machined.





The middle portion of the Drilling Strategy dialog box contains the options for

defining the Holemaking Method, and the lower portion lists the machining


131




active tool.







4. Define the Holemaking Method and Options, as needed, by selecting options and




the same settings to machine a similar type feature, click Next.

The Drilling Strategy Dialog Box

The Holemaking Method section of the Drilling Strategy dialog box contains the

following options.

Cycle Type

• Drill—Drill a hole. Depending on the Cycle Modifier option selected, the

following statement will be output to the NC file:

o Standard—CYCLE / DRILL

o Deep—CYCLE / DEEP

o Break Chip—CYCLE / BRKCHP

o Web—CYCLE / THRU (for multiple plates)

• Tap—Drill a threaded hole. Expert Machinist supports ISO standard thread

output. The CYCLE / TAP statement will be output to the NC file.

• Ream—Create a precision finish hole. The CYCLE / REAM statement will be

output to the NC file.

• Bore—Bore a hole to create a finish hole diameter with high precision. The CYCLE

/ BORE statement will be output to the NC file.

• Spotface—Drill a hole with an optional dwell at final depth to help assure a clean

surface at the bottom of the hole. The CYCLE / FACE statement will be output to

the NC file.

• Countersink—Drill a chamfer for a countersunk screw. The CYCLE / CSINK

statement will be output to the NC file. Select one of the Cycle Modifier options:


132

o Countersink—Type the desired diameter value in the Countersink text

box. Countersink diameter is the final diameter of the hole after drilling,

measured at the top of the chamfer. Tool parameter Point Angle defines the

chamfer angle.

o Edge Break—Type the desired value in the Edge Break text box. Tool

parameter Point Angle defines the chamfer angle.

o Auto Chamfer—When you select this option, the system automatically

finds all the chamfers with the angle matching the Point Angle of the

current tool, and makes the necessary calculations for drilling based on the

chamfer geometry.

Cycle Depth

These options define the depth of drilling:

• Auto—Depth of drilling is determined automatically, by referencing hole

geometry. If the selected axis is associated with several coaxial hole features, the

maximum depth will be selected as long as the tool fits inside the hole diameter,

as shown in the illustration below.

• Thru All—Drill a through hole, all the way through the stock. If you specify

a breakout distance for Through drilling on the Cut Control tab of the Drilling

Properties dialog box, the system adds this value when calculating depth.

• Constant—Drill to specified depth. Type the drill depth value in the textbox

below.

Measured Depth

These options define how the depth of drilling is measured with respect to the tool:

• Tool Shoulder—The drilling depth is measured with reference to the shoulder of

the tool.

• Tool Tip—The drilling depth is measured with reference to the tip of the tool.


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In the following illustration, the picture on the left shows drilling using Tool

Shoulder, and the picture on the right shows drilling using Tool Tip. In both

pictures, 1 indicates the outline of the hole being drilled and 2 indicates the

outline of the tool at the final drilling depth.

Offset Value—Type the tool offset value.

Register—Type the tool offset register number.

Hole Order

These options define the order of machining the holes:

• Shortest—The system determines which order of holes results in the shortest

machine motion time.

• One Direction—The system scans the holes with respect to the Program Zero

coordinate system, by incrementing the X coordinate and decrementing the Y. In

the following illustration, this scan type is shown in the left picture.

• Back & Forth—The system scans the holes with respect to the Program Zero

coordinate system, by incrementing the Y coordinate and going back and forth in

the X direction. In the following illustration, this scan type is shown in the middle

picture.

• Spiral—The system scans the holes clockwise starting from the hole nearest to

the Program Zero coordinate system. In the following illustration, this scan type

is shown in the right picture.

Start Hole—Lets you select the first hole to be machined if the Hole Order option is

Shortest or Spiral.

The Drilling Properties button opens the Drilling Properties dialog box, which

provides access to lower-level control of the tool path, such as spindle and coolant

statements, speeds, feeds, clearances, entry/exit, and cut control options. The Cut

Control tab contains options for adjusting hole depth:


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• Through Holes—Select this option to adjust the depth for through holes. Type

the adjustment value in the text box to the right.

• Blind Holes—Select this option to adjust the depth for blind holes. Type the

adjustment value in the text box to the right.

The Options section of the Drilling Strategy dialog box contains the following

option:




Example: Automatic Chamfer Machining

Create a Hole Group feature that includes all the holes shown in the following

illustration:

1. CHAMFER 45 x .2 (3 holes)



The fastest way to define this Hole Group is to select surface (4).

For the first Tool Path feature, use a tool with Point Angle 90. It will machine the 45-

degree chamfers, as shown in the following illustration.

For the second Tool Path feature, use a tool with Point Angle 120. It will machine the

30-degree chamfers, as shown in the next illustration.


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Entry Hole Features

To Create an Entry Hole Feature

Use an Entry Hole feature to specify an entry point when machining a closed feature

(Pocket, Through Pocket, or Slot). Even though you are going to machine the Entry

Hole before you machine the closed feature, create the Entry Hole feature after you

have created the closed feature that you need it for. You can use the same Entry

Hole for more than one feature, if needed.


menu bar: click NC Create > Features > Entry Hole.

The Entry Hole Feature dialog box opens. The top portion of the dialog box


o Entry Hole Name—The default feature name, such as ENTRYHOLE000 (the

system increments the number for the next Entry Hole feature). You can


o Feature Name—The name of the parent closed feature. The drop-down list

contains the names of all the features of appropriate type (Pocket, Through

Pocket, or Slot) currently present in the model. Select the parent feature

from the drop-down list.

o Program Zero—The name of the coordinate system used for machining

the parent feature. This name is displayed for information purposes only;

you cannot change it. You can click next to the text box to highlight

the coordinate system.

The lower portion of the Entry Hole Feature dialog box contains the Setup Entry

Hole options. At the bottom of the dialog box there are three buttons: OK,

Cancel, and Preview.

2. Type the diameter value in the Hole Diameter text box. This is the expected

size of the drill to use for drilling the Entry Hole.

3. Use the other options, if needed, to specify the hole location and depth. By

default, the Entry Hole is created in the approximate center of the parent feature,

and its depth equals the depth of the parent feature. The Preview button lets

you check the current location and depth of the Entry Hole.



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The Entry Hole Dialog Box

The Setup Entry Hole section of the Entry Hole dialog box contains the following

options.

Hole Diameter—The expected size of the drill to use for drilling the Entry Hole.

Type the diameter value in the text box.

Hole Location

• Place—Define the Entry Hole placement either automatically, or using the X and

Y coordinates of the Program Zero coordinate system.

• Corner—Define the Entry Hole placement with respect to a corner of the parent

feature.

Place Entry Hole

These options appear when the Place option is selected for Hole Location:

• Automatic—When this checkbox is selected, the hole is placed in the

approximate center of the parent feature. To specify a different placement, clear

this checkbox and type the desired values in the X Direction and Y Direction

text boxes below.

• X Direction—Type the X coordinate of the Entry Hole axis with respect to the


• Y Direction—Type the Y coordinate of the Entry Hole axis with respect to the


Corner Entry Hole

These options appear when the Corner option is selected for Hole Location:

• Corner—Click and select a corner of the parent feature (either an edge or a

rounded surface). In a rounded corner, if the radius of the hole is less than the

corner radius, the system places the Entry Hole coaxial with the corner round.

Otherwise (for example, in a sharp corner), the system places the Entry Hole

based on its diameter, tangent to the adjacent walls. To modify this placement,

use the Wall Offset option below.

• Wall Offset—Type the minimum offset of the Entry Hole from the walls adjacent

to the selected corner.

Entry Hole Depth

Define the Entry Hole depth using one of the two options:

• Floor Offset—Specify how far above the floor of the parent feature the Entry

Hole ends. By default, this offset is 0, and the Entry Hole depth equals the depth

of the parent feature.

• Enter Depth—Type the Entry Hole depth. By default, it is the depth of the parent

feature.


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To Machine an Entry Hole Feature






The system opens the Drilling Strategy dialog box. The top portion of the dialog



ENTRYHOLE000_TP1 (the system uses the name of the feature for the first





o Feature Name—The name of the Entry Hole being drilled. You can click

the Add button located under the Feature Name text box to select other

Entry Hole features present in the model. The Remove button lets you

remove previously selected Entry Hole features. All the names of the Entry

Hole features selected for machining are displayed in the Feature Name

text box. You can click the Preview button located under the Feature

Name text box to highlight the holes being drilled.





The middle portion of the Drilling Strategy dialog box contains the options for

defining the Holemaking Method, and the lower portion lists the machining




active tool.







4. Define the Holemaking Method and Options, as needed, by selecting options and




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the same settings to machine a similar type feature, click Next.

Free Form Machining

To Machine a Free Form Feature

Unlike other machining strategies in Expert Machinist, Free Form machining does not

require creating a feature and then machining it. You define the machining strategy

in one step by referencing model geometry (or sketching) and specifying the

machining method and options, as needed.

Note: You can also use the Free Form feature just to supply certain CL commands

between other tool paths, if needed. In this case, you do not have to specify a tool or

define the Drive Geometry. When the Freeform Milling dialog box opens, click Play

Path and insert the required CL commands.

1. On the toolbar, click .

The Freeform Milling dialog box opens. The top portion of the dialog box

contains two text boxes:


FREE_MILLING_TP1. The system will use this file name for NC data output.



Comments.





The middle portion of the Freeform Milling dialog box contains the options for

defining the Drive Geometry and the Machining Method, and the lower portion

lists the machining Options. At the bottom of the dialog box there are four

buttons: OK, Cancel, Next, and Play Path.

2. Change the cutting tool, if needed.





Note: Unlike other machining features, for Free Form machining you can use a

sketched tool.




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3. Define the Drive Geometry. The Drive Geometry defines the tool trajectory in the

XY-plane of the Program Zero coordinate system. You can:

o Next to Use Model Edges, click and select edges from the reference

model or from the stock. To verify your selection, click . The system

highlights the selected edges in cyan and indicates with an arrow which side

the tool will be on. Click Flip, if needed, to change the side.

o Click next to the Sketch label and sketch the trajectory of the tool in

the XY-plane of the Program Zero coordinate system.

4. Define the Cut Depth, that is, the height of the last tool pass. Click next to

Cut Depth and then use one of the CTM DEPTH menu commands:

o Specify Plane—Select a planar surface or create a datum plane parallel to

the XY-plane of the Program Zero coordinate system.

o Z Depth—Type a value along the z-axis of the Program Zero coordinate

system.






Note: When you create a Free Form tool path, the system removes the

appropriate stock material, the same as for the other feature types. However, for

Free Form features you can specify that the system does not create the

automatic material removal. To do this, set the configuration option

freeform_toolpath_matrem to no.

The Freeform Milling Dialog Box

The Drive Geometry section of the Freeform Milling dialog box contains the

following elements.

• Program Zero—Change the coordinate system used for machining, if desired.

• Drive Geometry—Define the tool trajectory in the XY-plane of the Program Zero

coordinate system:

o Use Model Edges—Select edges from the reference model or from the

stock.

o Sketch—Sketch the trajectory of the tool in the XY-plane of the Program


• Cut Depth—Define the height of the last tool pass.

The Machining Method section of the Freeform Milling dialog box contains the

following options.


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Direction of Cut

These options are available when you define Drive Geometry by selecting model

edges. They define where material is relative to the tool rotation:



rotation).

Tool Side

These options are available when you define Drive Geometry by sketching. They

define where the tool is relative to the sketch:

• Left—The tool is to the left from the sketch.

• Right—The tool is to the right from the sketch.

• On—The tool follows the sketch. Use the Material Side options to specify cutter

compensation.

Material Side

These options define how to apply cutter compensation when the tool follows the

sketch:

• Left—Material is to the left.

• Right—Material is to the right.

Cut Ordering

These options define the order of machining if you specify multiple cuts and passes:

• X-Y First—The tool makes all the cuts at a specific depth and then moves to the

next depth.

• Z First—The tool makes multiple passes to depth and then goes to the next cut.

The Multiple Cuts button opens the Finish Cuts dialog box, where you can set up

the number and depth of finish cuts.

The Multiple Passes button opens the Finish Passes dialog box, where you can set

up the number of finish passes and the depth increments.




The Options section of the Freeform Milling dialog box contains the following

options:

• Use Cutcom—NC output will contain the CUTCOM statements. You can






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statements.

Tool Path Display and Output

About Displaying the Tool Path

You can display the tool motion and a simulation of the tool before you complete

creating a tool path, to verify the tool path and make a visual check for interference

with fixtures. You can also display the tool motion, along with a tool simulation, for

existing tool paths, and for a whole operation. All simulated tool dimensions

represent the parameters defined during tool setup.

Whenever you display tool motion for a tool path or an operation, the system opens

the PLAY PATH dialog box. The collapsible upper portion of this dialog box lists the

cutter location (CL) data for the tool path or operation, as it would be output to a CL

data file through Output > Create CL File. You can save this CL data in a CL file or

an MCD file directly from the PLAY PATH dialog box, by clicking the appropriate

option in the File menu.

The lower portion contains the following buttons: Play Forward, Play Back, Stop,

Fast Forward and Rewind, as well as Go To Next CL Record and Go To

Previous CL Record. It also contains the buttons for positioning the cutting tool and

for accessing the Tool Clearance functionality, and a slider to adjust the display

speed.

When displaying the tool motion, you can make the tool stop at certain points by

adding break points. You can also insert customized CL commands, such as the

specific postprocessor words required for correct NC output, at desired locations

within the CL file. When you save the CL data, these commands will be output to the

CL file. If you add a tool motion command, the corresponding motion will be also

shown in the tool path display on the screen.

To Display the Tool Path

You can display tool motion for a single tool path or for a whole operation. To display

tool motion for an operation, select the operation name in the Model Tree window. To

display tool motion for a single tool path, select the name of the corresponding tool

path in the Model Tree window.

Note: When you are machining a feature, or creating a Free Form tool path, you can

display the tool path as it is currently defined by clicking the Play Path button at the

bottom of the dialog box.

1. In the Model Tree window, select the operation or the Tool Path that you want to

display. Click the right mouse button and select Tool Path Player from the pop-

up menu. Or, on the top menu bar, click NC Create > Output > Tool Path

Player.

The system opens the PLAY PATH dialog box and displays the cutting tool

simulation in the initial location.

2. Click the Play Forward button to start playing the tool motion.


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The system starts scrolling through the CL data file, moving the tool to reflect its

current position on the screen. The solid red line represents the tip of the cutter

as it cuts the material.

3. Click the Stop button to stop the tool motion display. The tool also stops upon

reaching a break point placed in the CL file (indicated by a red downward arrow

appearing to the left of the CL record). Use the other tool positioning options in

the PLAY PATH dialog box, as needed.

4. You can save the current tool path to a CL or an MCD file. To do this, click File >

Save or File > Save As MCD, respectively.

5. To finish displaying the tool motion and close the PLAY PATH dialog box, click

Close.

The PLAY PATH Dialog Box

Whenever you display tool motion for a tool path or an operation, the system opens

the PLAY PATH dialog box.

The collapsible upper portion of this dialog box lists the cutter location (CL) data for

the tool path or operation, as it would be output to a CL data file through Output >

Create CL File. You can save this CL data in a CL file or an MCD file directly from

the PLAY PATH dialog box, by clicking the appropriate option in the File menu.

The lower portion contains the following buttons:

Button Name Description

Play Back Display the tool motion going back

from the current position of the tool.

Stop Stop displaying the tool path.

Play Forward Display the tool motion going forward

from the current position of the tool.

Go To Previous

CL Record

Go to the previous CL record in the

file.

Rewind Rewind to the start of the tool path.


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Fast Forward Fast forward to the end of the tool

path.

Go To Next CL

Record

Go to the next CL record in the file.

The Tool Clearance button lets you access the Measure functionality, to compute

tool interference, and clearance. If a solid tool model is used, its geometry can be

selected for measuring. If the tool is defined by parameters, it will be temporarily

converted into a "dummy" part, with geometry based on the appropriate tool

parameters.

The Position Cutting Tool button lets you select a point on the tool path to position

the cutting tool. To position the cutting tool at a certain CL data line, click NCL File

> Position Tool.

At the bottom of the dialog box, there is a slider to adjust the display speed. Moving

the slider to the right makes the display faster; moving it to the left slows the

display.

The Close button closes the PLAY PATH dialog box.

To Add a Break Point

When displaying the tool motion, you can make the tool stop at certain points by

adding break points in the CL file listing.

1. In the CL data listing, select a line where you want the tool to stop.

2. Click NCL File > Add break point.

3. The system indicates the break point by placing a red downward arrow to the left

of the selected CL line.

When you play the tool motion, the tool stops upon reaching the break point line.

You can, for example, click Tool Clearance at this point, to measure tool

interference or clearance. To resume playing the tool path, click the Play Forward

button again.

Manipulating Break Points

When you add break points in a CL file listing, the system indicates them by placing

a red downward arrow to the left of the appropriate CL line. When you play the tool

path, the tool stops upon reaching the break point line in the CL data listing.

To display the tool motion without stopping at break points, click NCL File >

Suppress all break points. The break point information, however, will be retained;

when you click NCL File > Resume all break points, all the break points will

reappear.

To delete an existing break point, select the appropriate line in the CL data listing,

then click NCL File > Delete break point.


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To Position the Tool

When you play the tool path, the position of the cutting tool on the screen

corresponds to the position of the cursor in the CL data listing in the top portion of


To change the tool position, use one of the following methods:

• Click the Position Cutting Tool button in the lower portion of the PLAY PATH

dialog box and select a point on the tool path to position the cutting tool.

• Select a line in the CL data listing, then click NCL File > Position Tool to

position the tool at this line.

To Insert a CL Command

You can insert a customized CL command anywhere along the tool path. Use this

functionality to add the specific postprocessor words required for correct NC output.

Note: If you want the customized CL command to be located before or after a

specific event on the tool path (for example, before each pass, or after the final

retract), and to maintain its location even if the tool path changes, use the Automatic

Command Placement functionality. You can access it through the Tool Path


1. Click NCL File > Insert CL Command.

The CL Command dialog box opens.

2. To select location for the CL command, click and select either a point on the

tool path on the screen or a line in the CL file listing.

3. Specify the command contents using one of the following methods:

o Place the cursor in the Command text box and type the command, line-by-

line. Note that this method does not provide syntax checking.

o Click Menu and compose the command by selecting appropriate keywords

from the syntax menus and typing values in response to the system

prompts.

o Click File and read in a file containing the CL command lines. The browser

window will appear to let you select the file name. The expected file

extension is .cmd.

Notes:

o You can edit the contents of the Command text box at any point by placing

the cursor in it and using the keyboard.

o If you supply more than one command line, they will be treated as a

"block", that is, you will be able to move, copy, or delete only the whole

block of command lines.


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4. The Preview button inserts the command line(s) in the CL file at the selected

location to let you preview the result. Click OK to insert the command at selected

location, Cancel—to quit inserting the command.

Using Parameters in CL Commands

When typing values for CL commands, you can input model parameters, preceded by

an ampersand(&) sign. If there is a corresponding parameter defined in relations, its

value will be used in the CL command. If the parameter is not found, the system will

prompt you for the parameter’s type and value, and this parameter will be added to

the relations. This way, the CL command can be changed at the top level (through

Relations).

To Delete a CL Command

You can only delete user-defined CL commands, that is, the CL commands previously

added by using the Insert CL Command option.

1. Select a user-defined CL command.

2. Click NCL File > Delete CL Command.

3. The system deletes the selected command from the CL file listing.

To Redefine a CL Command

You can only redefine user-defined CL commands, that is, the CL commands

previously added by using the Insert CL Command option.

1. Select a user-defined CL command.

2. Click NCL File > Redefine CL Command.

The CL Command dialog box opens.

3. To select a new location for the CL command, click and select either a point

on the tool path on the screen or a line in the CL file listing.

4. To edit the command contents, use one of the following methods:

o Place the cursor in the Command text box and edit the command. Note

that this method does not provide syntax checking.

o Place the cursor in the Command text box and delete the current contents.

Then, click Menu and compose the command by selecting appropriate

keywords from the syntax menus and typing values in response to the

system prompts.

o Place the cursor in the Command text box and delete the current contents.

Then, click File and read in a file containing the CL command lines. The

browser window will appear to let you select the file name. The expected

file extension is .cmd.

Note: If you do not delete the contents of the Command text box before using

the Menu or File option, you will create additional command lines. From then on,


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these lines will be treated as a "block", that is, you will be able to move, copy, or

delete only the whole block of command lines.

5. The Preview button lets you preview the result. Click OK to complete redefining

the command, Cancel—to quit.

To Save CL Data in a File

When you display the tool motion for a tool path or operation, you can save the

current CL data in a CL file or an MCD file directly from the PLAY PATH dialog box:

1. On the top menu bar of the PLAY PATH dialog box, click File.

2. Click one of the following options:

o Save—Output CL data to a CL file, with the name corresponding to the

name of the Tool Path feature.

o Save As—Output CL data to a CL file with a different name. Type the new

name in the browser window.

o Save As MCD—Postprocess CL data and output it as an MCD file. The Post

Processor Options window opens. Select the desired options and click

Output.

To Output a CL File

You can output the Cutter Location (CL) data for a single tool path or for a whole

operation to a CL data file. To output an operation, select the operation name in the

Model Tree window. To output a tool path, select the name of the corresponding tool

path in the Model Tree window.

1. In the Model Tree window, select an operation or a Tool Path feature. Click the

right mouse button and select Output Tool Path from the pop-up menu. Or, on

the top menu bar, click NC Create > Output > Create CL File.

The system opens the Save As dialog box, with the default name of the output

file shown in the New File text box.

2. To accept the default name, click OK. Or, type a different file name in the New

File text box of the Save As dialog box and click OK.

The system generates the CL file and saves it to disk.

Note: To output NC codes for a tool path or an operation, use the Create NC Code

command. You can also save the tool path in either CL or MCD format directly from


To Output NC Codes

You can output the Cutter Location (CL) data for a single tool path or for a whole

operation to a CL data file. This CL data file will then have to be postprocessed to

generate an MCD file, containing the proper NC codes.

You can also output the NC codes for a tool path or operation directly to an MCD file.

To output an operation, select the operation name in the Model Tree window. To


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output a tool path, select the name of the corresponding tool path in the Model Tree

window.

1. In the Model Tree window, select an operation or a Tool Path feature. Then, on

the top menu bar, click NC Create > Output > Create NC Code.

2. Select one of the following commands:

o Automatic—The system uses the default postprocessor associated with the

machine tool (specified at the time of Machine Tool Setup).

o Select Post—The system lists the available postprocessors. Select the

postprocessor to use.

The Save As dialog box opens, with the default name of the output file shown in

the New File text box.

3. To accept the default name, click OK. Or, type a different file name in the New

File text box of the Save As dialog box and click OK.

The Post Processor Options window opens.

4. Select the desired options and click Output.

The system generates the MCD file and saves it to disk.

Note: You can also save the tool path in either CL or MCD format directly from the

PLAY PATH dialog box.

Template Machining

About the Template Manager

If your company has certain frequently used machining strategies, you can

streamline the machining process by creating templates corresponding to these

machining strategies, and then applying the right template when machining a

feature.

A machining strategy is a way to machine a feature: it contains all the machining

options and values that you would normally define in a machining dialog box (such

as Pocket Milling or Step Milling), as well as all the tool path properties. It can

also contain the name of the tool to use, or prompt for the tool at the time you apply

the template.

A template may contain one or more strategies for machining the same type of

feature. Once you define the strategies (by selecting the desired options and typing

values, as needed), save the template. Then, once you have created a feature in

Expert Machinist, you can machine it by applying an existing template.

Template Manager is a separate application, which can be run from within Expert

Machinist or as a stand-alone. Before you can run the Template Manager, your

system administrator has to download the appropriate JRE files and do the setup

according to the instructions on the Customer Web page.

To start the Template Manager, do one of the following:


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• On the top menu bar in the Expert Machinist window, click NC Setup >

Template Manager.

• In the system window, type the name of the Template Manager executable:

<loadpoint>/apps/mfgapps/java/bin/template_run

where <loadpoint> is the Pro/ENGINEER load point.

Note: You can also create a template by machining a feature and then saving the

machining strategy, as it is defined by the selected options and specified values, as a

template.

To save the current machining strategy as a template from the machining dialog box,

click next to the Tool Path Name text box and specify the template name.

To Create a New Template

1. In the Template Editor window, select the feature type by clicking on one of the

Features icons, located in the lower-left portion of the window. These icons

correspond to the icons in the Expert Machinist toolbar that you use for creating

features.

Once you select an icon, the picture to the right of the icons, which contains a

schematic visualization of the feature type, changes to reflect the selected

feature type.

2. Click below the feature type icons, or click the New icon located in the

top toolbar of the Template Editor window.

The system loads the appropriate template and starts creating the first strategy.

The strategy has a default name based on the feature type (for example, Step0).

You can change the name by typing it in the Strategy Name text box.

3. Select the desired option from the Machining Tool group:

o Prompt for a tool—The template contains no cutting tool information. At

the time you apply the template, the system prompts you to select or

define the cutting tool.

o Specify a tool—Type the name of the cutting tool in the text box. The tool

name is stored with the template. At the time you apply the template,

make sure the appropriate cutting tool exists on the machine tool currently

in use.

4. Use the other options, as needed, to define the machining strategy. The options

on the first tab correspond to those that appear in a machining dialog box of this

type (for example, if you define a Step strategy, the options on the Step tab are

the same as you would get in a Step Milling dialog box). The Properties tab

contains the same tabs and options as the Tool Path Properties dialog box.


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5. Once a machining strategy is defined, you can add another strategy to the same

template. This way, you can, for example, define a rough milling and a finish

milling strategy within the same template. When you apply a template with more

than one strategy, the system creates the appropriate number of tool paths. To

add a new strategy to the template, click Edit > New Strategy. Then define the

new strategy as described above.

6. When finished defining the machining strategies, save the template by clicking

File > Save. This will save the template with a .tpl extension.

Note: The name of a .tpl file can not be longer than 31 characters and must all

be lowercase. You can specify a default directory for storing .tpl files by setting

the configuration option mfg_template_dir.

7. Click in the lower-left corner of the dialog box to return to the main page

of the Template Editor dialog box and define another template, for a different

type of feature.

8. To exit the Template Editor, click File > Exit.

To Convert an Existing TPL Template File to XML Format

The template files are currently saved in the XML format. In Beta version, templates

were saved in the TPL format. Currently, both formats are supported within the

Expert Machinist. However, if you created some templates in Beta version and want

to save them for future use, it is recommended that you translate them into the XML

format by following the procedure below.

1. Click File > Translate > TPL To XML.

2. Click … next to the From text box and select the name of the template file in the

browser window. The path and name appear in the From text box.

3. Click … next to the To text box, select the path and type new name of the

template file in the browser window. The path and name appear in the To text

box.

4. Click OK.

The system converts the TPL file to XML format.

To Place a Template

Once you have created a template for a certain feature type, you can machine

features of this type by applying the template. You have to define the feature before

you apply a template to it.

1. On the top menu bar, click NC Create > Tool Paths > Place Template.

The system opens the browser window listing all template files in the directory

specified by the configuration option mfg_template_dir, or, if not set, in the

current directory.

2. Select the template file in the browser window.


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4. If the template was created using the Prompt for a tool option, the system

prompts you to select or define a cutting tool.

If the template was created using the Specify a tool option, and the cutting tool

does not exists on the machine tool currently in use, the system issues an error

message and aborts placing the template. Define the appropriate cutting tool and

apply the template again.

Once the template is successfully placed, the system creates the appropriate tool

path and removes the stock material corresponding to the feature geometry.

Miscellaneous

To Manipulate Features Using the Model Tree

You can manipulate existing features, for example, redefine or delete them, directly

from the Model Tree window by using a pop-up menu. For machining features, this

pop-up menu also provides the options of creating a tool path or placing a template;

and for tool paths, the options of displaying the tool path on the screen or outputting

it to a file.

To manipulate a feature from the Model Tree:

1. Select the feature name in the Model Tree window.

If you select a machining feature, the system highlights the feature geometry on

the screen. If you select an operation, the system highlights the geometry of all

the machining features that belong to this operation.

2. Click the right mouse button.

The system opens a pop-up menu. The options in this menu correspond to the

type of selected feature.

3. Select the desired option.

The system starts the appropriate user interface.

Options Available from the Model Tree

When you select a machining feature in the Model Tree window, the system

highlights the feature geometry on the screen. If you select an operation, the system

highlights the geometry of all the machining features that belong to this operation.

Depending on the type of feature selected in the Model Tree, the pop-up menu



151

Selected

Feature

Type

Pop-Up Menu

Options

System Action

Machine Redefine Opens the Machine Tool Setup

dialog box, to let you redefine the

current machine tool.

Tool Path Player Opens the PLAY PATH dialog box, to

display tool motion for the whole

operation.

Output Tool Path Starts the user interface for

outputting the operation to a file

(equivalent to clicking NC Create >

Output >Create CL File).

Redefine Opens the Operation Setup dialog

box, to let you redefine the current

operation.

Operation

Delete Starts the user interface for deleting

a feature and its children. The

children of an operation include all

the machining features that belong to

that operation and their associated

tool paths.

Create Toolpath Opens the appropriate dialog box for

machining this type of feature.

Place Template Starts the user interface for placing a

machining template (equivalent to

clicking NC Create > Tool Paths >

Place Template).

Redefine Opens the appropriate feature dialog

box (for example, Pocket Feature),

to let you redefine the current

feature.

Machining

feature


a feature and its children. The

children of a machining feature

include its associated tool path(s).


152

Mimic a Toolpath Starts the user interface for using the

settings from an existing Tool Path

feature to machine another feature of

the same type (equivalent to clicking

NC Create > Tool Paths > Mimic a

Toolpath).


display the current tool path.


outputting the tool path to a file



Redefine Opens the appropriate machining

type dialog box (for example, Pocket

Milling), to let you redefine the

current tool path.

Tool Path


a feature and its children.


display the current tool path.


outputting the tool path to a file



Redefine Opens the Freeform Milling dialog

box, to let you redefine the current

Free Form feature.

Free Form

feature


a feature and its children.

To Toggle Material Display

The stock is displayed in green, to make it easily distinguishable from the reference

part geometry, which is displayed in the default Geometry system color (usually,

white).

By default, the stock model is displayed in its current machined state; that is, it is

shown as the entire model, less any material that has been removed by a tool path.

Another option for stock display is to show it as it would exist if all currently defined

machining features were completely machined. This way, you can easily view the

material that is left to be machined off, and create appropriate machining features.

To toggle between the two ways of viewing the stock material:


153

1. On the toolbar, click .

The system displays the stock in such a way that only the "extra" material left to

be machined off is shown in green. The system temporarily removes from the

stock model all the material corresponding to the currently defined features.

Whenever the edges of the stock coincide with the edges of the reference model,

they are shown in Geometry color.

2. To toggle back to the all-green stock display, click once more.

155

Index

4

4-axis machining in Expert Machinist

specifying output options ............ 21

specifying rotary clearance.......... 16

specifying rotation axis ............... 21

using long tools ......................... 31

4-axis machining in Expert Machinist

.................................... 16, 21, 31

B

Boss Top

creating.................................... 84

machining................................. 86

Boss Top ................................84, 86

C

Channel

creating.................................... 72

machining................................. 73

Channel..................................72, 73

CL data

deleting a command................. 145

including postprocessor words ... 144

redefining a command .............. 145

saving to file ........................... 146

using parameters..................... 145

CL data ..................................... 144

cutting tools

adding a new tool ...................... 34

bill of materials.......................... 35

deleting .................................... 37

materials setup.......................... 33

modifying..................................37

retrieving ..................................36

saving parameters......................37

setting up..................................31

sketched tools............................36

specifying speeds and feeds.........35

using solid tools ................... 37, 38

using the Chamfering tool..........118

using the Corner Rounding tool ..126

using the Side Mill tool ..............110

cutting tools ......34, 35, 110, 118, 126

E

Entry Hole

creating ..................................135

machining ...............................137

Entry Hole...........................135, 137

Expert Machinist

creating a process ....................... 2

creating an NC Model ................... 3

modal settings ............................ 1

process overview......................... 1

retrieving a process ..................... 2

Expert Machinist ............................ 2

F

Face

creating ....................................50

machining .................................51

Face ...................................... 50, 51

features in Expert Machinist


156

additional elements for No Stock

machining .............................. 41

adjusting boundaries .................. 42

adjusting depth ......................... 46

adjusting feature top for No Stock

machining .............................. 46

adjusting Soft Walls ................... 46

Boss Top .................................. 84

Channel.................................... 72

creating.................................... 41

Entry Hole .............................. 135

Face......................................... 50

Flange...................................... 90

Free Form............................... 138

Hole Group ............................. 128

machining................................. 47

O-Ring ..................................... 94

Pocket...................................... 58

Profile ...................................... 69

Program Zero............................ 19

Rib Top..................................... 97

Slab ......................................... 53

Slot.......................................... 77

Step......................................... 65

Through Pocket ......................... 61

Through Slot ............................. 80

Top Chamfer ........................... 113

Top Round .............................. 121

types of machining features ........ 39

Undercut ................................ 104

using the Model Tree ................ 150

features in Expert Machinist41, 46, 58,

80, 94, 97, 104, 113, 121

fixtures

activating ..................................29

creating ....................................27

deleting ....................................30

modifying..................................29

using ........................................30

fixtures.............................27, 29, 30

Flange

creating ....................................90

machining .................................91

Flange ................................... 90, 91

Free Form machining ...................138

H

Hole Group

combining selection methods .....128

creating ..................................128

machining ...............................130

pattern selection ......................129

selecting holes by axes .............129

selecting holes by diameter .......129

selecting holes by feature

parameters ...........................129

selecting holes on a surface .......129

Hole Group..........................128, 130

M

machine tools

creating ....................................20

default post ...............................21

machine tools ......................... 20, 21

machining

Index

157

Boss Top .................................. 86

Channel.................................... 73

Entry Hole .............................. 137

Face......................................... 51

Flange...................................... 91

Free Form............................... 138

Hole Group ............................. 130

mimicking a tool path................. 49

No Stock machining ..................... 3

O-Ring ..................................... 94

Pocket...................................... 58

Profile ...................................... 70

Rib Top................................... 100

saving as template..................... 47

setting Tool Path Properties......... 48

Slab ......................................... 55

Slot.......................................... 78

Step......................................... 66

Through Pocket ......................... 63

Through Slot ............................. 81

Top Chamfer ........................... 116

Top Round .............................. 124

Undercut ................................ 107

using settings for next tool path... 47

using the Model Tree ................ 150

machining 3, 48, 49, 81, 94, 100, 107,

116, 124

N

NC model

creating...................................... 3

creating separately ...................... 5

creating stock ............................. 8

manipulating .............................. 5

No Stock machining ..................... 3

replacing a reference model.......... 6

NC model...................................... 3

No Stock machining

adjusting feature top ..................46

creating features ........................41

creating the NC model ................. 3

No Stock machining............. 3, 41, 46

O

operations

Program Zero ............................19

setup........................................16

operations....................................16

O-Ring

creating ....................................94

machining .................................94

O-Ring.........................................94

P

Pocket

creating ....................................58

machining .................................58

Pocket .........................................58

PPRINT ........................................24

PPRINT table ................................25

Profile

creating ....................................69

machining .................................70

Profile.................................... 69, 70

Program Zero


158

defining .................................... 18

feature level.............................. 19

operation level .......................... 19

z-axis orientation....................... 19

Program Zero............................... 18

R

rapid feed rate

set up ...................................... 21

rapid feed rate ............................. 21

Rib Top

creating.................................... 97

machining............................... 100

Rib Top ................................ 97, 100

S

simulated tool path ..................... 141

Slab

creating.................................... 53

machining................................. 55

Slab.......................................53, 55

Slot

creating.................................... 77

machining................................. 78

Slot .......................................77, 78

Step

creating.................................... 65

machining................................. 66

Step ......................................65, 66

stock

creating...................................... 8

material display ....................... 152

modifying allowances ................. 14

modifying outline .......................15

retrieving ................................... 3

stock ............................................ 8

T

templates

creating ..................................148

placing....................................149

saving.....................................148

saving machining strategy ...........47

Template Manager....................147

using the Model Tree ................150

templates.................... 147, 148, 149

Through Pocket

creating ....................................61

machining .................................63

Through Pocket....................... 61, 63

Through Slot

creating ....................................80

machining .................................81

Through Slot .......................... 80, 81

tool change time ...........................21

tool path

adding break points ..................143

displaying the tool motion .........141

outputting CL data....................146

outputting NC codes .................146

positioning the tool ...................144

saving to file............................146

tool path .............................141, 142

tool travel limits............................21

Top Chamfer

Index

159

creating.................................. 113

machining............................... 116

using the Chamfering tool ......... 118

Top Chamfer ................ 113, 116, 118

Top Round

creating.................................. 121

machining............................... 124

using the Corner Rounding tool.. 126

Top Round .................. 121, 124, 126

U

Undercut

creating ..................................104

machining ...............................107

using the Side Mill tool ..............110

Undercut..................... 104, 107, 110

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