Tutorials:-Working with Power MILL " PART I" To Generate the Programs(G-coded & M-coded) For Various CNC Machines.

Sourbh

7 Aug, 2013 11:53 PM

After Step 12 here the Remain Things you Have to do...:-

1. Step 1:

   Creating a Finishing Strategy

   •In the explorer right mouse click on the BN12 tool and in the local menu select Activate.
   •From the Main toolbar select the Toolpath Strategies icon.
   •Select the Finishing Tab.

   Select the option Raster Finishing to open the following form.
   •Input Name Bn12-a1
   •Edit the Stepover value to 1.0
   •Click the Apply tab to process the machining strategy
   The Raster Finishing pattern is projected down Z onto the component taking into account tool geometry and machining settings.
   Note:- The toolpath link moves, clear of the job are not displayed in this illustration for clarity
   

   

2. Step 2:

   Toolpath Simulation (Animation and ViewMILL)

   PowerMill provides 2 means of simulating toolpaths. The first animates the tool and displays the path followed by the tool tip. The second provides a shaded image of the stock material being reduced.
   1 - Animation

   •In the explorer right mouse click on the roughing toolpath D12t1-a1 and from the pop-up menu click Activate to make the toolpath active (ticked).
   Note: The Active toolpath is displayed in bold text and prefixed with a > symbol.
   •In the explorer right mouse click on the roughing toolpath D12t1-a1 again and from the menu click Simulate from start.
   •The Toolpath Simulation toolbar will be displayed at the top of the screen. This displays the name of the toolpath and tool, together with buttons to control the simulation.
   The operations performed by each of the buttons are as follows:
   Play - starts the simulation and plays it in continuous mode.
   Pause - pauses the simulation.
   Step Forward - steps the simulation by tool moves. The faster the speed (defined using Speed Control) the bigger the step. Click the Step Forward button again to see the next move or click the Play button to resume continuous mode.
   Step Back - steps the simulation back by tool moves. Click the Play button to resume continuous mode.
   Search Forward - steps the simulation to the next toolpath segment. Click the Search Forward button again to see the next component or click the Play button to resume continuous mode.
   Search Backward - steps the simulation back to the previous toolpath segment. Go to End - moves to the end of the toolpath.
   Go to Beginning - moves to the start of the toolpath.
   Speed Control - controls the speed of the animation. The fastest setting is by having the slider at the right, the slowest at the left.
   Unload - stops the simulation and dims all the 'play' buttons.
   NB. Resting the mouse pointer over any button will also raise a tool-tip describing the button function.

   •Animate the toolpath using the controls listed.
   •Actvate the finishing toolpath Bn12-a1 and repeat the animation process.
   •Unload the toolpath when complete.

   

3. Step 3:

   2 – ViewMILL

   •Activate roughing toolpath D12t1-a1 and select it in the simulation toolbar.
   • Raise the ViewMILL toolbar by selecting View>Toolbars>ViewMILL from the top toolbar
   The ViewMILL toolbar will be displayed, although initially all the icons will be greyed out.
   Click the first button to Toggle ViewMILL Window and enter ViewMILL mode .
   The ViewMILL toolbar will then highlight.
   Click the fourth button to select a plain shaded image.
   •Select the tool icon to display the tool followed by the Play icon .
   In ViewMILL the machining of the material block is simulated as shown above.

   •When the above simulation is finished, in the Simulation Toolbar, select the finishing toolpath BN12-a1 followed by the tool icon and Play icon again, to view the continued simulation of material removal by the finishing toolpath.
   •In the Simulation toolbar select the ViewMILL Exit icon to exit the ViewMILL session.

   

4. Step 4:

   NC Programs (Post-Processing and Ncdata Output)

   • In the main pull down menus select Tools - Customise Paths to open the PowerMILL Paths form (shown below right).

   • In the Powermill Paths form select the option NC Programs Output.

   This dictates where the post-processed, ncdata files are output ready for download to a machine tool controller.

   • Right mouse click the Add path to top of list icon and in the Select Path form browse to the required location C:\temp\NCPrograms and select OK.

   • In the explorer right mouse click over NC Programs to open the following sub-menu.

   NC Preferences enable the user to control the content of output files for download to a Machine Tool.

   • In the NC Programs sub-menu select Preferences to open the following form.

   The Output Folder defaults to the location already defined in Tools- Customise Paths.

   • In the above form click on the Machine Option File icon (arrowed) and in the resultant form select heid400 before clicking Open.

   • On return to the NC Preferences form select the Apply tab to action the settings and then Accept the form.
   • In the explorer right mouse click over NC Programs and from the sub-menu select Create NC Program.

   An empty NC Program will appear in the explorer ready to have machining strategies assigned to it. The NC Program form will also open in the Graphics area.

   • In the explorer move the cursor over the toolpath D12t1-a1 and while holding down the left mouse key drag a ghosted image onto the NC Program named 1.
   A copy of the toolpath name will appear in the NC Program indicating that it has been assigned as part of the output file
   •In the explorer drag a copy of the finishing toolpath name BN12-a1 onto the NC Program named 1 and click on the small, adjacent boxed plus sign.
   The toolpath names are listed in the NC Program ready to be post-processed.
   •In the NC Program form displayed in the graphics area, select the Write tab to start the post processing operation. The following Information form will open providing the user with a progress and confirmation summary.
   •Close both the NC Program and Information forms and using the windows explorer move to C:\temp\NCPrograms and note the existence of the ncdata output file 1.tap
   

   

5. Step 5:

   Saving the Project

   •Left mouse Click on the 2nd icon along the Main toolbar to open the Save Project As form.

   If the Project has been Saved before then the Project will be updated without the following form being opened.

   •In the Save Project As form, in the Save in box browse to D:\users\training\coursework\PowerMILL and in Save as type enter the name GettingStarted-1.
   •Left mouse click in the Save tab to store the Project to a named external directory (the form will close automatically).
   •In the Main toolbar select File – Delete All followed by Tools – Reset Forms.
   The content of the explorer will be deleted and all forms will be reinstated to factory, default settings. The externally stored copy of the Project (GettingStarted-1) can be reopened as required.
   

   

6. Step 6:

   Thanks and Enjoy..!!!