Patrick Turcotte Professor of Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Lansing Community College -METD Courses West Campus 2008

CAM Express Wizard

NX5

The purpose of this demonstration will allow CAD operators and casual machine operators to gain experience with CAM express Mill Wizard from

within the context of the Modeling environment.

1. Initiate model setup for an existing Solid2. Determine solid machinable features that are contained in a existing

part3. Begin a cutter pass through the use of the CAM express milling

Wizard4. Engage in selection of geometry, blank, and tooling required to

program a machine for manufacturing a part

CAM Express WizardsCAM Express Wizards-NX5-NX5By Patrick Turcotte Professor of Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Cam Express machining is available within the context of NX as manufacturing wizards as well as the user role found under industry applications. A wizard is a specialized macro or command script that enable users to perform easy setup and execution of various actions. Once a solid model has either been designed or imported to the NX software it can be quickly checked for machinability through the use of the manufacturing Wizards. The “Rest Milling Wizard” allows the user to develop cavities into a sequence of cutting operations on an existing part or IPW in part work piece. The “Express Milling Wizard” is used profile, select machine coordinate position, select tool, and define the blank to develop a rough pass on the selected part. The mold Zlevel Wizard allows the user to develop a milling sequence of operation for cutting mold cavities, and cores by executing the Zlevel , ZPlane, area milling technique of machine operation. The last wizard is the cavity Tool sequence wizard. This program will help the use apply the last tool used to prepare a cavity for the next cavity to be milled by optimization of the actual tool length to z move processing.

This document will present the most rapid method of setting up a part from within the context of the Modeling application of NX. This method is very useful to operators that need to quickly verify machinability during a milling operation. When parts are developed or imported into NX there is a method that allows users to quickly prepare the part for a variety of mill profile tasks. The express Milling wizard will be applied in this example. The left hand side of the tool when viewed during a modeling session has a tab for manufacturing wizards.

Mill WizardMill Wizard

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Quick start DialogQuick start Dialog

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Create Machine Coordinate SystemCreate Machine Coordinate SystemNote the machine coordinate system was initially located at the absolute position of the original design. In the case of preparing a part for machining it is essential to place the machine coordinate system at the first X,Y,Z spindle start position of the machine process. The start position is the first move of the spindle and is normally done as a rapid move. The spindle is than ready to begin the process of driving into the part stock from this first location. Make sure that the first position is defined where it clears the stock, as well as part holding devices.

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Machine Coordinate SystemMachine Coordinate System

The figure above displays a location which centers the tool at the center point of the slot. The next button will allow the user to continue the process of defining the milling operation to the next step .

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The machine coordinate system is used for the spindle rapid travel move to prepare for rough milling of the part. In this case the MCS will be located .2 mm above the first cut plane.

Selecting the Geometry to be MachinedSelecting the Geometry to be MachinedGeometry Step

By selecting the geometry the system will be expecting the user to select a solid body which will be the “work piece”.

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Move MCS (Machine Coordinate System) Move MCS (Machine Coordinate System)

Once the MCS is located to User specification save can be used in the following dialog.

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The machine coordinate system plays the most important role of providing locations for the coordinates needed for machine movements. The initial spindle location will be rapid travel to this location.

Geometry: is the part boundary, faces, or solid body to be milled

Blank: Material encapsulating the geometry to be machined

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Note the geometry will automatically be selected by the CAM express quick start. If the user decided to only select surfaces needed the edit work piece could be used.

Verify part selectionVerify part selection

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The part geometry that is currently selected in this step will display the edges as highlighted. It is possible to select features instead excepting the total selection of the Body. In other wizards such as cavity milling this would be the recommended procedure.

Blank GeometryBlank Geometry

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The blank geometry encapsulates the part geometry that is currently selected. In this step the blank will automatically be tightly fitted to surround the selected part. The “edit” button on this dialog will allow the user to expand the blank size to either a part offset distance, or a standard stock size that will be used before the first cut is made. It is important to leave enough material around the part to be cut to allow for holding and clamping. In most cases additional Tool clearance is required to prevent accidental destruction of the part. For this reason the blank geometry can be edited.

Edit BlankEdit BlankThe blank is the material that surrounds the part before it is cut. Standard blank sizes could be used as well as offset distance.

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As the Edit button is selected in the dialog of the CAM express milling wizard as the blank is being defined a box will appear with dynamic drag vectors. The box is the actual size of the blank, and the vectors that appear are located on the center of each face surrounding the perimeter of the part geometry. Note that the MCS is also displayed to denote the location of the spindle axis. The user can select a vector symbol and the material will be added to allow more clearance for the addition stock.

Create the toolCreate the tool

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The Tool name as well as the tool number can be retrieved from the library as well as created while in process. It is important to realize that the cutter diameter will become the most critical piece of information needed before generating the cutter path. By naming the Tool to my Tool (your Name) it will be easier to go back at some point and complete the cutter parameters. Cutter parameters are similar to those shown on the right of the dialog. The selection of the tool will depend on what machine is being used as well as even if the cutter exists in the tool crib on the shop floor. The parameters of the Tool are critical to determining the speeds and feeds as well as part finish required. Part geometry will also play an important role in determination of minimum clearance that exists between faces being machined.

Select the machine to post Select the machine to post Cam express as well as the manufacturing system has built in posts as well as online posts from the UGS.COM support web site. The post will format the program or cutter pass into the proper G codes and M codes needed for the specific machine type needed to control.

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Cutter diameterCutter diameter

Tool PassTool PassPage | 16

Cutter diameters can be either keyed in as general or can be selected from the Tool library. In this case since the part is metric a 20 mm generic no index able cutter will be used to perform the first passes.

MethodMethod

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The Object name will allow the Tool pass to be named to fit into an overall organized strategy of programmed moves that will remove material from the part. As material is removed finer and finer cuts , along with higher speeds will be used to achieve optimal finished surfaces.

Used only when in the Manufacturing Application

Cut depthCut depthPage | 18

There are various methods of traverse that can be used for configurations of the tool path as a pattern across each face. The pattern will help to minimize tool marks as well as optimize cutter position as material is removed by the cut. NX Cam Express allows the user to go back later and refine the method by selecting the type from a popup menu from within the context of the Manufacturing application. In this case the process will be bypassed in favor of saving time a generating a path. Note the figure on the right could be used later to determine a new method of machining.

GENERATE PathGENERATE Path

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Generate Button

Generate allows the path to be propagated across the selected geometry

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Replay

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To Replay Access the ManufacturingTo Replay Access the Manufacturing

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The Operation Navigator

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The operation navigator allows the select the program to replay.

The Yellow exclamation mark means that the program has not been posted. Select the program to activate tool bar in the manufacturing system.

Select verify tool path

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The verify tool path allows the user to replay the cutter pass over the selected workpiece. Once the tool path is generated the path can be verified. The various HAAS machines we use for post processors are; Mini Mill;Tool Room Mill;Mill Drill Center;VF2;TM1 also the lathes have there own posts as well. The post files can be found under the Program files folder/UGS/NX5/POSTBUILD/control/mill/ and the name of each post for each type and model of machine tool. The file name will be similar to this; HAAS_mini_mill.pui

Post Processor

https://plmapps.ugs.com/webkey/

http://ftp.ugs.com/unigraphics/pb_posts/post_index.htm

If the proper PUI file cannot be found or selected the IT technician will need to access the Web site to select the post for download.

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Post to download

Downloading the Post

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Add Checked

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Right click to Download zipped file

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Customer Support Site

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