Create Smooth Noncutting Motions in Zlevel Operations

Siemens PLM Software

NX CAM 9.0.3: Create smooth noncutting motions in Zlevel operations Safe, Smooth, Efficient transitions between cut levels.

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About NX CAM NXTM CAM software has helped many of the world’s learning manufacturers and job shops produce better parts faster. You can also achieve similar benefits by making use of the unique advantages NX CAM offers. This is one of many hands-on demonstrations designed to introduce you to the powerful capabilities in NX CAM 9.0.3. In order to run this demonstration, you will need access to NX CAM 9.0.3. Visit the NX Manufacturing Forum to learn more, ask questions, and share comments about NX CAM.

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Hands-on Demonstration: Create smooth noncutting motions in Zlevel operations This enhancement allows you to easily create safe, smooth, efficient transitions between cut levels in Zlevel operations. These new options override many of the parameters that would otherwise need to be specified separately for Engage, Retract, and Transfer/Rapid moves.

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Prerequisites: 1. You will need access to NX CAM 9.0.3 in order to run this demonstration. 2. If you haven’t done so already, download and unzip create_smooth_noncutting_motions_in_Zlevel_operations.7z.

Demo: 1. Open smooth_noncutting_motions_in_Zlevel_1.prt in NX. 2. Double-click ZLEVEL_PROFILE to edit the operation. 3. Click Replay. The Non Cutting Moves between cut levels are not smooth.

4. Click Non Cutting Moves. 5. Click the Smoothing tab. 6. Click the Override with Smooth Connections check box

In most cases, the default smoothing values will give the desired results. In some cases, you may want to make minor adjustments to these values. 4

7. Click OK. 8. Click Generate.

9. Type 5.000 (mm) in the Maximum Distance box. This will increase the depth per cut so you can see the smoothing moves more clearly. 10. Click Generate.

You will first observe how the Smooth Length and Smooth Height options affect smoothing behavior. 11. Change the view orientation to left. 12. Click Non Cutting Moves.

Smooth Length determines the nominal spline length of open engages and retracts measured along cut direction. This value is not an absolute distance and may change as needed to avoid potential collisions. In the case of short connections (like the ones between cut levels) the system sets an optimized length that cannot be changed by the user.

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13. Type 100.0000 (%Tool) in the Smooth Length box. 14. Click OK. 15. Click Generate. The transitions, engages, and retracts are lengthened to become smoother.

Once the smoothest transition has been achieved, increasing the Smooth Length value will no longer lengthen the smooth transition. Smooth Height determines the nominal distance of the tool from the part at end of open engages and start of open retracts. This value is not an absolute distance and may change as needed to avoid potential collisions. In the case of short connections (like the ones between cut levels) increasing the smooth height without changing the smooth length would create a spline that moves further away from the part.

16. Change the view orientation to Front. 17. Click Non Cutting Moves. 18. Type 50.000 (%Tool) in the Smooth Height box. 19. Click OK.

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20. Click Generate.

21. Click Non Cutting Moves. Part Safe Clearance determines the nominal distance of the tool from the part at end of open engages and start of open retracts. This value is not an absolute distance and may change as needed to avoid potential collisions. In the case of short connections (like the ones between cut levels) increasing the smooth height without changing the smooth length would create a spline that moves further away from the part. To illustrate the behavior, you will first return Smooth Length and Smooth Height to their default values. 22. Type 50.0000 (%Tool) in the Smooth Length box. 23. Type 15.000 (%Tool) in the Smooth Height box. 24. Click OK. 25. Click Generate. 26. Click Verify. 27. Click the 3D Dynamic tab. 28. Click Step twice. Notice how the tool rapids into the IPW.

29. Click OK. 7

30. Click Non Cutting Moves. 31. Type 4.0000 (mm) in the Part Safe Clearance box. 32. Click OK. 33. Click Generate. 34. Click Verify. 35. Click Step twice. The tool no longer rapids into the IPW. Like Smooth Length and Smooth Height, this value is not an absolute distance, but determines smoothness relative to the cut depth.

36. Click OK. 37. Click Non Cutting Moves. The transition distance is the linear distance between cut levels measured along the part.

If the specified Max Stepover is greater than the transition distance, then smooth connections are used.

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If the specified Max Stepover is less than or equal to the transition distance, then Retract, Traversal, and Engage motions are used.

If the specified Region Distance is less than or equal to the transition distance, then Retract, Traversal along clearance, and Engage motions are used.

With Override with Smooth Connections turned on, the Engage options are set to Smooth and cannot be changed. 38. Click the Engage tab.

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The same applies to the Retract options. 39. Click the Transfer/Rapid tab. The following Transfer/Rapid options are set to Smooth and cannot be changed.

40. Click the Smoothing tab. Tolerance sets the allowed deviation of the output linear moves from a calculated smooth spline. As the tolerance decreases, the number of output steps in the tool path increases and the motion becomes smoother. 

Minimize Points approximates the calculated spline with a minimal number of straight steps. This method is recommended for old controllers.

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From Cutting uses the specified Intol and Outtol values for cutting moves to control the number of straight steps required for the stepover. This outputs a very smooth motion.

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Specify lets you specify a smoothing tolerance that generates the number of straight steps that you find acceptable. Use this method if the other two options do not satisfy your needs.

41. Click Cancel in the Non Cutting Moves dialog box. 42. Click Cancel to exit the operation dialog box. 43. Close the part without saving. 10

44. Open smooth_noncutting_motions_in_Zlevel_2.prt in NX. This example will show how Part Safe Clearance and Smooth Height behave on a more complex part.

45. Change the view orientation to Top and zoom in on the area shown below.

First, you will see how increasing the Part Safe Clearance allows the tool to engage safely. 46. In the Program Order View, select SMOOTH_HEIGHT_15_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE_1 and SMOOTH_HEIGHT_15_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE_2 to superimpose the tool paths. In areas where the first operation rapids into the IPW using a 1.000mm Part Safe Clearance (1), the second operation avoids this by using a 2.000mm Part Safe Clearance (2).

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Next, you will see how increasing the Smooth Length extends all of the smooth transitions. 47. Zoom out so you can see the entire part in the top view. 48. Select SMOOTH_HEIGHT_15_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE_1. 49. Select SMOOTH_HEIGHT_50_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE. 50. Select SMOOTH_HEIGHT_100_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE.

51. Change the view orientation to Front and select the same three operations to see the effect of increasing the Smooth Height.

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Lastly, you will see how you can specify the start point for the region on the Start/Drill Points tab. 52. Change the view orientation to Isometric. 53. Select SMOOTH_HEIGHT_100_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE. Notice that the start point is on the back side of the part.

54. Double-click SMOOTH_HEIGHT_100_PART_SAFE_CLEARANCE to edit the operation. 55. Click Non Cutting Moves. 56. Click the Start/Drill Points tab. This tab is new for Zlevel operations. The options on this tab are the same as those currently used in planar and cavity milling operations.

57. Click Specify Point. 58. Select the center of the edge indicated below.

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59. Click OK. 60. Click Generate.

61. Click OK to finish editing the operation. 62. Close the part without saving.

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