Creating a Machine Instruction Activity

This procedure describes how to create a machine instruction activity. A machine instruction activity is not created within NC Machine Tool Simulation; rather, it is created in one of the V5 machining workbenches and used by the NC Machine Tool Simulation workbench. 

The role of a machine instruction activity is to allow a parallel or peripheral axis machine to be used in a simulation. You can lock one of the parallel axes and specify the other axes that can move freely.

For information on rationale for locking axes, see About Parallel or Peripheral Axis Machines within a Simulation.
Before creating a machine instruction, open the Process1.CATProcess file within any V5 machining workbench. Assign the ParallelAxisMachineSample.CATProduct to the Part Operation.

  1. On the PPR tree, select Machine Program.1, and click Machine Instruction in the Auxiliary Operation toolbar.

    The Machine Instruction command appears on the Auxiliary Operation toolbar only if you have a license for NC Machine Tool Simulation as well as a V5 machining workbench. 
    The Machine Instruction dialog box appears with the Properties tab on top. 

    Machine Instruction activities on Turrets and Spindles

    1. Launch the machine instruction activity in mill-turn context, the Resource List combo box in the Machine Instruction dialog lists all the devices available, such as, Turrets and Spindles.

    1. Select the particular Turret on which the machine instruction activity has to be created.

    2. On selection, the Axis Control box shows the list of DOFs (Degree of freedom of a joint in a machine) in the Turret. you can now move the Turret to any particular location by selecting the appropriate DOFs.
      Note that Locking a turret is not possible.

    Machine Instruction activities on Interchangeable Milling Heads

    The command Machine Instruction can now be used for Interchangeable Milling Heads also. This command when launched in a Milling context will give Interchangeable Milling Heads along with the Milling Machine (assigned to the part operation) in the Resource List drop-down menu. You can select either Milling Machine or the required Interchangeable Milling Head to define machine instruction activity on the same.

    1. Launch the machine instruction activity in milling context.

    2. The Resource List combo box in the Machine Instruction dialog box lists all the available Interchangeable Milling Heads along with the Milling Machine.

    3. You can select either the Milling Machine or an Interchangeable Milling Head on which machine instruction activity has to be created. By default the Milling Machine is selected.

    4. The Selection Axis Control shows the list of DOFs in the Milling Machine/Interchangeable Milling Head. You can move the Milling Machine/Interchangeable Milling Head to any particular location by selecting the appropriate DOFs.

    One Machine Instruction can be used to lock joints of only one Interchangeable Machine Head.
    When the dialog box first appears, none of the axes are selected. If you enter a subsequent machine instruction, the dialog box opens with the axis set as they were for the previous machine instruction activity.

  2. Select the axis to lock.

    Once selected, the axis remains locked during the simulation until another machine instruction is encountered.

  3. Select one or more axes to move freely.

  4. (Optional) Enter a comment in the Comment box.

  5. Select a Position for Initial Machine Placement.

    Possible positions are:
    • List of machine home positions
    • Previous Machine Instruction (if defined)
    • Last point of previous machine operation
    • First point of next machine operation

  6. Select a Configuration (if available).

    If one or more configurations is available for the machine position, you can select a configuration.

  7. Click OK.

    The machine instruction activity is added to the PPR tree.
    If a generated transition path appears after the machine instruction is inserted, click Update Transition Path.  Otherwise, the machine instruction data is not taken into account in the transition path.
The Syntax tab shows the following instructions:
 
 

For rotary axes, the direction of rotation generated in the syntax is based on the NC Machine axes directions and follows this convention:

  • Counter Clockwise rotation is generated if the machine has to move along its positive direction i.e. from a lower value to a higher value.
  • Clockwise rotation is generated if the machine has to move from a higher to a lower value.
  The contextual commands available, when you select the Machine Instruction object, are:
 
  Tool Path Replay is not available because no tool path is created.
  Each machine instruction activity is specific to a machine. If a new machine is assigned to the Part Operation, the change of machine does not generate a warning. After a machine change, if you edit the machine instruction activity, you receive warning messages about compatibility issues, should any apply.
 

The Machine Instruction activity can be used to index spindles to specified values, for Mill-turn machines.
The spindle to be instructed can be selected from the Device List combo. Once the spindle is chosen, you can modify the DOF values of the spindle, as necessary, and can lock / unlock as needed.