router-cim application notes - cim-tech post... · part irouter-cim application notes 1 ......

© 2010 Komo Machine, Inc.

Router-CIM Application Notes

Router-CIM Weeke ABD Post ProcessorI


Table of ContentsPart I Router-CIM Application Notes 1

Part II WoodWOP and Router-CIM 2

Part III Post Processor Installation 3

Part IV Selecting The Correct System 4

Part V Tool Numbers and Sample Knowledges 5

Part VI Router-CIM Considerations 9

Part VII Part Tutorial 10

................................................................................................................................... 111 Starting the drawing session

................................................................................................................................... 132 Making the Toolpaths

................................................................................................................................... 173 Creating a Sequence

Part VIII Using WoodWOP to Verify a Program 22

Router-CIM Application Notes 1


1 Router-CIM Application Notes

Weeke ABD Boring Doweling MachinePost Processor

Router-CIM Weeke ABD Post Processor2


2 WoodWOP and Router-CIM

WoodWOP and Router-CIM

The Weeke and Homag machines have WoodWOP software loaded on the machine tool and use thatsoftware to display and run the toolpath programs that Router-CIM creates. Router-CIM will createan .MPR file which is the file that WoodWOP uses for the purpose of creating a part on the machine.

There are some considerations to keep in mind when using Router-CIM with this post processor toinsure successful programs are created.

· Even though the Weeke or Homag can be point to point boring machines, there is no PatternRecognition used with this machine. WoodWOP will re-optimize the drill holes on it own and choosethe patterns that fit with the tools that are set up in the machine.

· There are several knowledges supplied with the system to allow you to make all different types ofcuts successfully with this post processor. Each of these are set with all the corresponding toolnumbers, and tasks set up to make the correct cut. Some of the data may be changed, but most willbe left intact to insure a successful cut.

· The material or blank size must be supplied to the program in order for WoodWOP to display theprogram correctly. There are several methods in Router-CIM to help you input those sizes, andfailure to do so will result in an .MPR file that will not work properly with WoodWOP.

· The knowledges for the Weeke or Homag cannot be used with other types of machine tools. TheWeek or Homag post is very specific to these machines and will not interact with other CNCmachines that use more conventional NC files.

WoodWOP and Router-CIM 3


3 Post Processor Installation

Post Processor Installation

Before starting the tutorial, we should be sure the post processor is installed properly. Follow thedirections here to install the post processor if it is not already installed.

Windows XP Pro & Windows Vista:To install Router-CIM Custom Application, insert the installation CD into the CD drive and click onSTART, then RUN and then either pick on or type: xx:setup.exe (xx is your CD drive letter) then pressOK or <enter>. This will copy the necessary files to the proper directories.We recommend that you use the default directory structure for Router-CIM which will install the mainfiles to the \Router-CIM directory and the working directory as \rcim_work. You can specify any drive,but if you change the directories you must specify the specific directory during install.

For Weeke ABD with standard tool calls, use the ABD Wizard.



4 Selecting The Correct System

Selecting the Correct SystemABD

When you start Router-CIM, the Configuration Wizard will appear and from here you may select amachine to program. We have provided you with the wizard file for the ABD. If you select Database,you should see the ABD as a choice in the list of machines to program. If you do not, it is typicallybecause the Router-CIM program is not installed in the default location and that is where the wizard islooking for the ABD.dwg file. It is set to look in C:\Router-CIM\Ncdwgs\ABD.dwg. If you installed tosome other drive or directory, then you can do one of two things. Either edit the wizard file, or simplymake a new one. To make a new wizard file, click on Import, then browse to the \Router-CIM\ncdwgs folder and selectthe ABD.dwg file that we created for you. A new wizard will be created using that drawing as a base.

To edit the existing wizard file, using Windows Explorer, browse to the \Router-CIM\Ncpost folder andopen the file ABD.wiz with NOTEPAD. Edit the last line to point to the drive and directory that youhave installed Router-CIM to. For instance if you installed to the D: drive, then change the line from:

("SOURCE DRAWING" ("C:\\Router-CIM\\Ncdwgs\\" "ABD")) to("SOURCE DRAWING" ("D:\\Router-CIM\\Ncdwgs\\" "ABD"))

then save the file. When you restart Router-CIM, you should find the Weeke as a choice in thedatabase list.

Selecting The Correct System 5


5 Tool Numbers and Sample Knowledges

TOOL NUMBERS and SAMPLE KNOWLEDGES

All the possible tool numbers for any of the possible tools are listed below. Follow the tool selectionslisted for your applicable tool numbers.There are also sample knowledges in the default knowledge drawing (Weeke.dwg) that will allow youto use the cycles with the cut tasks set up properly for the type of tools used.

Drill Type Tool Number inRouter-CIM

Vertical Drilling reference to Side 1 "101"Vertical Drilling reference to Side 2 "102"Vertical Drilling reference to Side 3 "103"Vertical Drilling reference to Side 4 "104"

Horizontal Drilling on Face 1 "201"Horizontal Drilling on Face 2 "202"Horizontal Drilling on Face 3 "203"Horizontal Drilling on Face 4 "204"

Vertical Drills:Vertical Drills use tools 101-104 depending on which side you want referenced for the operation. Thereference should be set to the closest side the hole can be reached from, or the side that the rest ofthe pattern will be able to be reached from.

"101" is for Vertical Drills made from side 1 reference"102" is for Vertical Drills made from side 2 reference"103" is for Vertical Drills made from side 3 reference"104" is for Vertical Drills made from side 4 reference



Sample Knowledges:A sample knowledge is provided for each of the 4 edges referenced. Use these to start with as it setsthe cut tasks correctly.

To use the four different drill types place a number 1 - 4 in the Type field on the status page and thecode will place the following types in the Code:

Type 1 (LS) = "SLOW-FAST" to depthType 2 (SS) = “FAST-FAST” to depthType 3 (LSL) = "SLOW-FAST-SLOW" throughType 4 (SSS) = "FAST-FAST-FAST" through

If no code is placed in the ‘Type” field, the default of 1 will be created in the code. This is onlynecessary for vertical drills.

Drilling is now done according to the size of the tool selected, so NO error checking for a proper toolsize is available. Whatever tool is selected will drill the hole selected.

Horizontal Drills:The four edges of the part are drilled with 4 different tool numbers, depending on the face they are on. The tool numbers are extremely important to this setup, as are the tasks for the cut. You can changethe size of the tool, feed rate, etc. To use these tools you must draw a circle on the correct FACE ofthe part. There are tools in Router-CIM to help you create geometry on the correct face.

These tools are 201 to 204"201" is for drilling on Face #1."202" is for drilling on Face #2."203" is for drilling on Face #3.

Tool Numbers and Sample Knowledges 7


"204" is for drilling on Face #4.

Sample Knowledges:There are sample knowledges named Horizontal_1, Horizontal_2, Horizontal_3, and Horizontal_4 forexamples of how to set up these cycles.

GLUE and DOWELSTo use the Glue and Dowel functions, you can place a number in the Category slot on the ControlPanel. You can use the following numbers:0 = No Glue and No Dowel1 = Glue and Dowel2 = Dowel and No Glue

Tool Numbers and Sample Knowledges 9


6 Router-CIM Considerations

Router-CIM Considerations

During the Sequence, there are options boxes to set the material X dimension, the material Ydimension and the material thickness. If those are filled in, you will not be prompted for the size of thepanel. If they are not filled in then you will be prompted for each of the sizes with a screen pick. Youwill have to pick the opposite ends of the part to get the material size and you can either pick or enter anumber for the material thickness. You MUST have the panel sizes for the program to work correctly.If these are not in the program, it will not display on the machine control properly.

Router-CIM AutomationIn the Automation software, the cuts may be set to use ‘M’ for Material thickness. If you are using thispost processor in automation, you will not be prompted for the material sizes if you are nesting as thesheet X, Y, and Z dimensions will be read by the program. If you use the Code as Single Part option inRouter-CIM, the part dimensions will be read by the program and placed in the code automatically.



As mentioned there are several knowledges in the system to set up the cutting conditions for each typeof tool. You may edit these with the knowledge editor. From the control panel select the Edit button byKnowledge and you will see the following screen:

You can select a knowledge from this list and then either make it current, rename, or delete it. If youdelete it, and save the drawing there is no way to get the cut cycle settings back if they are modified. Be careful deleting wanted knowledges.

7 Part Tutorial

What follows will be a short tutorial on making a part program with the Weeke post processor systemin Router-CIM. It will use many of the built in knowledges to create the part program and there will alsobe some explanation of how to display the .MPR file in WoodWOP and show that the cuts are correct.

The part created will look like the picture below.

Part Tutorial 11


We will use horizontal drills on all 4 sides, vertical drills on the top.

All of these cuts will use the standard knowledges provided in the system.

7.1 Starting the drawing session

To begin, open the drawing named ABD_Metric.dwg from the C:\Rcim_work folder. It was placedthere during the installation of this system.

The part should look like this on the screen in AutoCAD:



Once the drawing is open, begin Router-CIM by selecting the first Router-CIM icon on the Router-CIMToolbar. The configuration wizard will appear.

Select Database and choose the ABD post from the list of post processors available. Then select OK

Part Tutorial 13


to finish loading Router-CIM.

7.2 Making the Toolpaths

To make the tool paths we will follow some basic Router-CIM commands. We will geoshape theentities, then apply a knowledge to make the cuts. Later on we will make a sequence and examinethe .MPR file and take a look at the program in WoodWOP.

Vertical DrillsTo make the vertical drill cuts in the top of the part, first geoshape the holes on the top of the part. Thepart will now look like this:

Now return to the Control Panel and select the Vertical_1 knowledge from the knowledge list:



Notice that the Vertical_1 knowledge uses Tool "101". This is to reference Side 1, which is the bottomside of the part on the screen. The other notable items are that the feedrate is in meters per minuteand the safety plane is set to 10.0mm above the part. In this particular case we are using "A" for theTotal Cut Depth because the holes have thickness and do not go all the way through the part.

Select CUT and pick the bottom row of drill holes that were geoshaped. The cuts will be made on thepart and the drawing will now look like this:

Next select the Vertical_3 knowledge (because the opposite side of 1 is 3) and then select CUT and

Part Tutorial 15


pick the top row of drill holes that were geoshaped. The cuts will be made on the part and the drawingwill now look like this:

Horizontal DrillsThe next items to cut will be the horizontal drills on the 4 sides of the part. Begin by geoshaping theholes. The drawing will now look like this:

You can geoshape the holes on multiple sides of the part all at the same time. You cannot, however,cut with a horizontal or 4th axis tool on more than one side at a time.To use Glue and Dowels in these holes, we will make sure that there is a "1" in the Category positionon the Control Panel for the knowledge (it should be there by default).

With that in mind, select the Horizontal_1 knowledge and pick the CUT button. Then select the threehorizontal holes on the front edge of the part. The drawing should now look like this:



Next select the Horizontal_2 knowledge and pick the CUT button. Select the three horizontal holes onthe Left side of the part (edge 2). The drawing should now look like this:

Next select the Horizontal_3 knowledge and pick the CUT button. Select the three horizontal holes onthe Left side of the part (edge 3). The drawing should now look like this:

Part Tutorial 17


Last select the Horizontal_4 knowledge and pick the CUT button. Select the three horizontal holes onthe Right side of the part (edge 4). The drawing should now look like this:

Next we will create a Sequence that ties the cuts into an MPR file for WoodWOP.

7.3 Creating a Sequence

Creating a Sequence

Creating a Sequence in Router-CIM for the Weeke is pretty simple. Since the Weeke will re-optimizethe tool paths, there is really nothing to do but select all the tool paths, set the part size, and let Router-CIM create the MPR file.

From the Router-CIM Control Panel, select the Sequence button:



Once Sequence is selected, you will be prompted to Select Objects. Select all the tool paths, eitherwith a window or by picking on the tool paths. Make sure all the tool paths are selected. You will seethe following prompts:

Select Cut Cycles to SequenceSelect objects: Specify opposite corner: 36 foundSelect objects:

Press ENTER to select all the items. The NC Sequence Builder will appear. You should see ABD asthe post name to the right of the Make NC Code checkbox:

Part Tutorial 19


Select the Options button under Information Development. The Sequence Options window willappear:



This window will allow us to set the necessary options to make the MPR file. In the Material XDimension, enter 500.0. In the Material Y Dimension, enter 300.0. This is the size of the part inmillimeters. In the Material Thickness box, enter 19.0.

Part Tutorial 21


Select OK in the NC Code Options window, then OK in the NC Sequence Builder. The Sequence willbe created on the screen:

The NC Code (.MPR file) will also appear on the screen:



This MPR file that shows up will be somewhat unrecognizable as it is in a proprietary format, andformatted for the ABD machine.

The last step is to open WoodWOP and the MPR file you created to make sure there are no errors inthe file.

8 Using WoodWOP to Verify a Program

Using WoodWOP to Verify a Program

You can use WoodWOP as a method to verify the part programs created by Router-CIM. If the partdoes not display properly in WoodWOP, then it is likely that the machine will not cut the part properly.

To verify a part program, open WoodWOP and select File >> Open >> and select the part programcreated in the last example. This is C:\Rcim_work\ABD_Metric.MPR.

Using WoodWOP to Verify a Program 23


Once the part is opened, you will see the shape in WoodWOP, and it should show all the mainfeatures you cut with Router-CIM:

You can see from the picture that there are horizontal holes, and the direction looks correct based onthe direction of the points of the drills. The same can be said of the vertical holes.

If you select one of the Horizontal holes, the cuts will display in the cut list. If there are mistakes in anyof the tool paths, the cuts will show up in red, and will be very obvious. In this case the cut is correct:



If you select one of the Vertical drill icons in the list the cut will highlight, and show all the segments ofthe cut as in the next image:

There are, of course, many more options available in WoodWOP, but that is beyond the scope of thistutorial. The main point here is that if you have an MPR file, you should be able to verify whether or

Using WoodWOP to Verify a Program 25


not the part program will run ok.

Komo CIM-Tech11 Industrial Blvd.

Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Toll Free Support:(800) 528-4570

router-cim application notes - cim-tech post... · part irouter-cim application notes 1 ......

Documents