Creating a Mill-Turn Machine

You can also add and remove turrets and spindles to/from a Mill-Turn Machine. You can then define a Mill-Turn machine according to your needs.

Limitations

Two categories of turrets are supported for Mill-Turn machines.

• Rotational turrets with multiple tool mount points, with all tools attached during machining.

  These turrets must be modeled with X, Z, and C axes (C being the indexing rotary axis). These turrets cannot have any additional axes.

• B-axis/4-axis milling head with one tool mount point, with the possibility of a tool change during simulation.

  These are modeled with multiple DOFs - normally X, Y, Z, B.

Spindles are modeled with only one rotary DOF and one work-piece mount point. This DOF will be used during simulation for indexing the job.

Using New Spindle, New Turret, New Mill-Turn Machine

The New Spindle command allows you to create and define a new spindle in a product document. This command adds a new mechanism to the document.
The New Turret command allows you to create and define the kinematics of a new turret in a product document. This command adds a new mechanism to the document to define the kinematics for the newly created turret.

The New Mill-turn machine   command allows you to create a new mill-turn machine in a product document. Once a mill-turn machine is created, you can add or remove turrets and spindles to the newly created mill-turn machine. It does not allow you to create new turrets or spindles in this document. To create new turrets or spindles, you have to do so in a separate product document context using the New Turret and New Spindlee commands previously explained.

Insert Turret, Insert Spindle

The Insert Turret and Insert Spindle commands, which are active in a mill-turn machine context, allow you to retrieve and add previously created turrets or spindles to a mill-turn machine.

Remove Spindle, Remove Turret

The Remove Spindle and Remove Turret commands, which are active in a mill-turn machine context, allow you to remove already added turrets and spindles from a mill-turn machine.

Mount Points

The Create Mount Points command is used with the Spindle and Turret functionality.

Selecting the New button, launches the Station Name dialog box, where you can assign a name to the mount point.

Use the compass to place the mount point where you want it. This can be changed through Properties, if necessary.

To set the orientation and privileged plane, right-click the compass.

Once you add Spindles and Turrets, which have been previously created and saved, to the context of the Mill-Turn Machine, you can position them as required, using the standard techniques of compass interaction. Once all the spindles and turrets are appropriately positioned in the context of the mill-turn machine, you can then save the mill-turn CATProduct.

Like Milling machines, there will be a command in the contextual menu Edit NC Resources. This will ONLY be available on the main Mill-Turn Machine CATProduct and not on individual turrets and spindles. This will display the Machine Editor dialog box.