Welcome
  This tutorial is going to show you how to use Pro|ENGINEER Mechanism animation to do a 3 axis milling machine simulation.

This tutorial will only show how to use an already build mechanism describing a 3 axis milling machine (HAAS or FADAL for example) with XY motion on the table and Z motion on the tool.

In this tutorial you will learn how to

  • Setup your NC toolpath to use it on the machine simulation
  • Use the post-processor provided with the machine to generate the data for the mechanism drivers
  • Pro|ENGINEER Mechanism Setup
    • Load the manufacturing models and the tool in your mechanism
    • Setup the drivers for the mechanism
  • Play the simulation
  

  Data for tutorial                                    2005 © PTC Product Management

NC Toolpath Setup

The main thing for your toolpath setup is to be sure that the ZERO program set for your operation matches the ZERO program on the machine tool mechanism.
   

In our case on the machine model the CSYS is called ZERO and is located on the top and center of the table. On the machining model it is also called ZERO and located on the bottom center of the fixture.
  1.  Open HAAS_IN.asm machine model
    You can notice that they are two coordinates SYSTEM available : ZERO and TIP
    ZERO will be used as zero program
    TIP will be used as the driving point of the tool
  2. Open MACHINING1.mfg
    This is the manufacturing model we will use for the tutorial.
  3. Select NC Sequence 6 , FINISHING_SLOPE , right mouse button and Play path.
    A solid tool was used for this toolpath : BEM_05_INCH.asm
  
 
  1. Open the BEM_05_INCH.asm, the solid tool model.
    Note the TIP CSYS typical of all solid tools.
  2. Measure the distance between the TIP CSYS and the HOLDER CSYS.
    It is 4 Inches .... we will use this data to prepare the assembly of the tool in the machine mechanism.

The toolpath does not require any special preparation.  Make sure you are using good feedrates as the machining time will be used to drive the mechanism animation. The special post-processor provided with this package will output the driver files for the mechanism using the machining time computer based on these feedrates.
CIRCLE and drilling CYCLEs will be generated in point to point data by the post-processor.

  

Generating Mechanism drivers data

 A special post-processor developed with GPOST and provided with the tutorial data is going to be used to generate the driver data. The post-processor will generate automatically 3 files :

  • AXIS_X.tab   .....  a serie of    time   xposition
  • AXIS_Y.tab   .....  a serie of    time   yposition
  • AXIS_Z.tab   .....  a serie of    time   zposition

The simulation using mechanisn can be done only for a single tool So you will need to generate the CL file either for one NC sequence or for a SET of sequence using the same tool.

The post-processor provided is called UNCX01.P01 . Make sure that your config.pro option gpostpp_dir  points to the directory where you have installed the tutorial data including the UNCX01.P01 and UNCX01.F01.

 From the MACHINING1.mfg window in Pro|ENGINEER

  1. Select the FINISHING_SLOPE NC sequence
  2. Right mouse button / Play Path
  3. In the CL player File / Save As MCD
  4. Select Output in the Post-processor Option panel
  5. Use default name finishing_slope , press OK
  6. Select UNCX01.P01 post-processor from the list of post-processor.
    The post-processor runs and create the data
  7. Press close   on the information window.
  8. Press close    on the Play Path window.
  
 Open your system window and check that the driver files (AXIS_X.tab , AXIS_Y.tab and AXIS_Z.tab) are created.

Pro|ENGINEER Mechanism Setup

 The machine mechanism has already been prepared with 3 linear motions : XY and Z.

  1. Open the HAAS_IN.asm
  2. The manufacturing model has already been assembled. Unhide VISE_FIXTURE_MACH  and CAVITY_SPLIT_MACH
 
 

Now let's assemble the solid tool. The first step is to check the TIP CSYS in the machine assembly. this is the TIP who is going to be driven by the toolpath.  We will assemble the tool holder in the spindle of the machine and the we need to be sure that the distance between the TIP CSYS and the spindle face is equal to the distance measured on the solid tool between the TIP CSYS and the HOLDER CSYS.

  1. Edit the TIP CSYS and check that the distance from the spindle face is 4 inches. If not modify the value and regenerate the model
  2. Assemble  BEM_05_INCH.asm using CSYS alignment : align TIP CSYS from tool to TIP CSYS from machine

We are now ready to work on the simulation. We need to update the driver data

  1. Switch to Mechanism :  Applications / Mechanism
  2. Select Define Servo Motors icon
  3. Double click on Servo_c in the Servo Motors panel
  4. Swich to Profile panel in the Servo Motor Defintion panel
  5. Update    the profile data from the new AXIS_X.tab file
    It can take some time based on the size of the file.
  6. Exit of the Servo Motor Definition panel, press OK
  7. Repeat the update for Servo_y and Servo_z
  8. Close    to exit of Servo Motors panel

We are now ready for the simulation.

 

Playing the toolpath

 To play the toolpath w just need to run analysis based on the servo data we have updated.

  1. Select Run Analysis icon
  2. Select square_test analysis in the Analyses panel
  3. Run   to process the analysis
    You can see the animation on the screen.
  4. Close   to exit of the Analyses panel.
  5. Select Playbacks
  6. Select Play Current Set   (square_test)
  7. After computing the frames, the Animate panel appears.
    1. Set to Maximum Speed
    2. Play Path