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Suggested Technique for Creating a Pro/PROCESS for Manufacturing Model


Pro/PROCESS for MFG is a Pro/ENGINEER module that defines the part machining process steps, material removal, fixtures and parameter informations. A process is essentially a sequence of "steps" which define the different stages of manufacturing a part. This suggested technique will demonstrate how to create a Pro/PROCESS for a Manufacturing model. To access the Pro/PROCESS for MFG mode select File, New and from New dialog box select Manufacturing under Type menu and Process Plan under Sub-Type menu. Give a name for the process, the file which is generated for the process is a ".mfg" file.
Procedure
  1. To start the Pro/Process for MFG, operation for the manufacturing process has to be defined. To perfrom this select Mfg Sequence from MANUFACTURING MENU and Step from MFG SEQUENCE menu. Check mark the Name and Workcell and pick Done Oper from DEFINE OPER menu. Enter mfg operation name when the system prompts. In this case the operation name is given as OP10. Select General, Done under CELL TYPE menu and pick Done from CELL SETUP menu and Done Oper from DEFINE OPER menu.
  2. Create a Manufacturing Model step by selecting Mfg Model from STEP TYPE menu. Manufacturing model steps allow you to assemble workpieces and reference models through several options, including general manufacturing assemblies. Assembly of workpieces and reference models can be performed throughout the manufacturing process. When the STEP: Mfg Model dialog box appears, the Components element is selected automatically from the dialog box and Add Model is highlighted by default under COMP SEL menu. Select Assemble and Ref Model under MFG MDL and MFG MDL TYPE menu respectively. Select and open a reference model from Open dialog box. The reference model is shown in Figure 1.

    Figure 1


  3. Next select Assemble and Workpiece under MFG MDL and MFG MDL TYPE menu respectively and open the workpiece. Assemble the workpiece and reference model using the usual assembly constraints and select Done from COMP SEL menu. The assembled manufacturing model is shown in Figure 2.

    Figure 2


  4. Next select Name and Define from STEP: Mfg Model dialog box, if a new name is required to be specified for the process step. Choose the Comments element from the dialog box and pick Define and enter a description in the editor window which will appear and select OK. In this case, the description is given as "Select and Inspect the Proper size machine stock". Then proceed to enter a Time Estimate and a Cost Estimate. In this case,time estiamte and cost estimate is given as 0.5 and 25. This step will have no simplified representation. Once all the desired elements of the step has been defined as shown in Figure 3, select OK from the dialog box.

    Figure 3


  5. The next step that will be defined in this process is a Fixture Step. Before creating a fixture step an operation has to be defined with a different workcell. To perform this, select Operation from MFG SEQUENCE menu, pick New Operation and Check mark the Name,Workcell and Mach Csys and pick Done Oper from DEFINE OPER menu. Enter mfg operation name when the system prompts. In this case the operation name is given as OP20 which is default. Select Create from WORK CELL menu and pick Mill, 3 Axis and Done from CELL TYPE menu and Done from CELL SETUP menu. Then from MACH CSYS menu Select is highlighted by default and pick the co-ordinate system CS_COVER as shown in Figure 4. Select Done Oper from DEFINE OPER menu.

    Figure 4


  6. Select Step, New Step from the STEP LIST menu, and choose Fixture from STEP TYPE menu. Fixture steps allow you to assemble, create, disassemble, and reassemble fixture components. When the FIXTURE STEP dialog box appears select Name and Define if a new name is required to be specified for the Fixture setup process step. Next choose Components element and pick Define from FIXTURE STEP dialog box. Then from FIXT COMP menu select Assemble. Select and open a Vise assembly from Open dialog box. Assemble the manufacturing model and Vise assembly using the usual assembly constraints and select Done/Return from FIXT COMP menu. The assembled vise assembly and manfacturing model is shown in Figure 5.

    Figure 5


  7. Choose the Comments element from the dialog box and pick Define and enter a description in the editor window which will appear and select OK. In this case, the description is given as "Assemble the Fixture (in configuration op10)". Then proceed to enter a Time Estimate and a Cost Estimate. In this case, time estiamte and cost estimate is given as 0.25 and 15. Once all desired elements of the step have been defined as shown in Figure 6, select OK from the dialog box.

    Figure 6


  8. The next step that will be defined in this process is a Machine Step. Machine steps include milling, turning, hole making and WEDM. To perform this, select Step, New Step and Machine from STEP TYPE menu. Choose Profile and Done from MACH AUX menu. Machine Step: Profile Milling Sequence dialog box appears. Select Name, Comments and Define them accordingly. In this case the description is given as "Profile the outer surface of the part". Select Tool element and Define from the dialog box and specify a tool from the Tool Setup dialog box. In this case the tool is defined as 1inch diameter flat end mill (1_000FEM) with 4 inch height. Then select File, Done from Tool dialog box. Next select the Parameter element and Define from the dialog box to specify required parameters for Profile Milling sequence. Next select References element and Define from the dialog box. By default, Retract and Surfaces will be checked in SEQ SETUP menu. From the Retract Selection dialog box specify the retract plane as Along the Z Axis by giving a value or by selecting a datum plane. Select the Mill Surface from SURF PICK menu and select profile surfaces for milling or choose mill surface from the model by selecting Model from SURF PICK menu. Then proceed to enter a Time Estimate and a Cost Estimate. In this case, time estiamte and cost estimate is given as 0.15 and 10 respectively. Once all desired elements of the step have been defined as shown in Figure 7, select OK from Machine Step: Profile Milling Sequence dialog box.

    Figure 7


  9. Next select Create from MATR REMOVAL menu and Automatic, Done from MAT REMOVAL menu. Then choose Auto Sel from ADD OPER menu and Confirm from CONFIRMATION menu, Done from INTRSCT OPER menu and Done/Return from MATR REMOVAL menu. Machined manufacturing model with the wireframe and shaded image is shown in Figure 8 and 9.

    Figure 8

    Figure 9


  10. The next steps that will be involved in this process are Face Milling and Volume Milling sequences. Define the Tools, Parameters and References for this steps and create the steps as shown in Figure 10 for face milling and Figure 11 for volume milling. Follow the same techniques as described in #Steps 5&6 to achieve the objective.

    Figure 10

    Figure 11


  11. The finished Manufacturing process for this setup is shown inf Figure 12.

    Figure 12


  12. The final step of the process will be Step 6, a "general" step. General steps are used to create miscellaneous operations that contain no geometry. From the STEP:General dialog box, select Type and Define. Check off Clean from the GEN STEPS menu as the type of step to use. Other possible steps are Caulk, Drain, Fill, Lubricate, Paint, Torque, and Verify. Select Done from the GEN STEPS menu, and enter any other desired optional elements for the step. When finished, select OK from the dialog box.
  13. In a drawing, step information can be accessed with Pro/REPORT. The repeat region below in Figure 13 shows the important information for each step. The report symbols used to make the table were mfg.actoper.step.name, mfg.actoper.step.tool_id, mfg.actoper.step.time_estimate. The final symbol were created by using the User Defined option and entering in "time_estimate". The Notes were created using the report symbol& mfg.actoper.step.description

    Figure 13



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