Your Ad Here


Topsolid CAM online Help Index

Purpose

Purpose

A part’s machinable areas are not all accessible within one work coordinate system operation.  In such a case, the user can create the part through specific operations (several work coordinate system).  These operations imply a dismantling and a re-assembling operation in different positions.  A machine with rotating axes, table, divisor and tilting head can also be used allowing the user access to all areas on the part.  Moreover, no dismantling operation is needed in this case.  Better part quality and shorter creation time are thus ensured.

In order to control a 4 and 5 axes machine, the user must be familiar with all the angular positions necessary for total creation of the part.

To do this, various function allowing the user to automatically or manually detect the part’s machinable areas, are present within TopSolid'Cam.  This operation is relative to the machine tool selected by the user.

A reference, defining the side’s normal, is associated with each planar side of the model.  The reference is then analyzed in order to determine the manner in which the machine’s rotating axes must turn so that the machine’s spindle axis and the reference’s Z axis are collinear.

The same applies to all “hollow” (holes) cylinder sides.

Positioning operations are meant to automatically calculate the angular positions necessary for rotating axes present on 4 and 5 axes machine tools with numerical commands, with collinear spindle axis and reference’s Z axis.

The following figure shows the machinable area for a machine with a circular table and a tilting head, defined as follows:

Angular calculation for the work coordinate system necessary for creating the part is performed based on this definition.

The following figure shows work coordinate system automatically determined by TopSolid'Cam, relative to the sides of the part to be created and to the angular possibilities of the machine tool..

A set of additional parameters is associated with each work coordinate system:

Origin point

All machining coordinates refer to this origin point.  Nevertheless, it is possible to assign the current positioning to another existing positioning, so that the machining coordinates are transferred on this work coordinate system.

Origin Offset Function (G54, G55, ....)

For each table or spindle rotation, an original offset function is called to obtain precise part creation.

Lead In and Out Points

Lead in and out points can be defined to prevent possible collisions between the part and the tool.

Comment

By default, the comment calls back the positioning’s angular positions.

Reference coordinate system for Angular Calculation

Angular calculations are performed, assuming that the reference coordinate system is a normalized coordinate system.

 

Angular calculations are performed, relative to the machine tool’s capacity.  If it is a 5 axis type machine, a side might be created, using 2 different angle combinations.  In such a case, the user can choose the preferred combination

 

List

The set of calculated work coordinate system can be displayed in a dialogue box, as shown below.

The following figures shows the various circular table and machine spindle positions, relative to the different work coordinates system defined

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Notes on the Topological Analysis

Please note that TopSolid'Cam’s topological analysis automatically determines the type of machining operation applicable to a side, relative to its nature.  This analysis also takes the machine’s configuration into account.  Very often, when the machine is equipped with one or several rotating axes, a side can be machined using several methods, depending on whether the tool uses its extremity or works laterally, for example.

Machining operations are always offered, relative to the current positioning.  In other words, the positioning that is active when the side is specified for the topological analysis engine’s launching.  When the side defined, at this stage, contains a positioning different from that of the active one, TopSolid'Cam allows the user to change sides.  Other machining operations are thus offered.

Topsolid CAM online Help Index

Your Ad Here