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Suggested Technique for Creating an Open Cutline Surface Milling
Sequence Using Auto Inner Cut Lines and Synchronization Lines
This Suggested Technique describes how to utilize the Cutline options
Auto Inner Cutline along with defining Synchronization Lines
to create an Open Cutline Surface milling tool path on the model shown in
Figure 1.
Surfaces to be machined will be selected from the reference model, cut
lines will be selected from single edges on the reference model and the
synchronization lines will be selected as a tangent chain of edges from
the reference model.
Procedure
- To begin creation of the tool
path, the type of NC sequence must be chosen. Select Machining,
NC Sequence, New Sequence, Surface Mill, and
Done. This presents the NC SEQUENCE and SEQ SETUP menu which
contain all the options necessary to define the NC sequence.
Figure 1
- Select an appropriate tool,
coordinate system and retract plane using the Tool, Coord
Sys and Retract options respectively, if they have not been
previously established.
- NC sequence parameters must be
established before the tool path can be created. Critical parameters are
shown in Figure 2.
SCAN_TYPE |
TYPE_1 |
LACE_OPTION |
LINE_CONNECT |
REMAINDER_SURFACE |
NO |
TOLERANCE |
0.001 |
STEP_OVER |
0.0625 |
PROF_STOCK_ALLOW |
0 |
Figure 2
- The next item that must be
defined is the surfaces to be machined. For this example select
Model and Done from the SURF PICK menu and select the
surfaces shown in Figure 3. Once the surfaces have been selected, select
Done Sel, Done, and Done/Return.
Figure 3
- Immediately after completing the
surface selections, the CUT DEFINITION User interface will appear. In
the CUT DEFINITION User Interface select Cutline for the Cut
Type, next select Machine Srfs for the Cut Line References,
Open Ends for the Cut line type. To define the first cut line
select the Plus (+) button. From the ADD/REDEFINE CUTLINE User
Interface select From Edges, since there are multiple edges to
select for each cut line which belong to the surfaces selected for
machining, use the default Boundary Chain option. Select the "c"
shaped segments using From-To option as shown in Figure 4. Once
the edges have been selected, select Done Sel, Done, and
OK. Define the end cut line the same way as the start cut line
has been defined. To Preview the cut lines simply select each cut
line from the Cut Line Setup list, this will highlight the selected cut
line on the model.
Figure 4
- The DIRECTION can be controlled
from the CUTLINE DEFINITION User Interface using the Cutting
Direction button. The direction of machining is determined by the
red flip arrow displayed at the beginning of the first defined cut line.
- The last items to be defined are
the synchronization lines. Since this geometry has edges that define the
surface boundaries, use them to define the synchronization lines rather
than using points. Start by selecting the Options tab at the top of the
CUT DEFINITION User Interface which reveals the section needed to define
the synchronization lines. Next check of the option labeled Auto
Inner Cutline to allow Pro/NC to calculate the Inner Cut lines.
To define the synchronization lines select the green + button
from the SYNCHRONIZE CUT LINES section of the OPTIONS Tab. From the
SYNCHRONIZATION User Interface select From Edges, and using
Tangent Chain, select one of the edges shown in Figure 5. By
selecting one edge segment with this option, Pro/NC finds all tangent
edges attached to it in one single selection. Accept this selection by
choosing Done and repeat the process for the other
synchronization line. Use the Preview option in the
SYNCHRONIZATION User Interface to ensure the proper edges were selected.
Figure 5
- The resultant tool path is shown
in Figure 6. Notice how the tool cuts back in forth along the surfaces.
This is because the LACE_OPTION NC sequence parameter has been set to
LINE_CONNECT.
Figure 6
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