Enhanced cut area selection

Transcription

1 Siemens PLM Software Enhanced cut area selection NX CAM 9: How to define cut areas by selecting a seed face and bounding edges Answers for industry.

2 About NX CAM NX TM 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. In order to run this demonstration, you will need access to NX CAM 9. Visit the NX Manufacturing Forum to learn more, ask questions, and share comments about NX CAM. 2

3 Hands-on Demonstration: Enhanced cut area selection You can now define Cut Areas for fixed and variable contour operations by selecting a seed face and bounding edges that form closed loops. The seed face may be inside loops, outside loops, or between loops. In each case, the system automatically selects the faces outward from the selected seed face in all the directions, collecting faces until it encounters all the Bounding Edges that comprise the containment loops specified. Do you have a question? Post your questions or comments at the bottom of this Tech Tip article in the NX Manufacturing Forum. 3

4 Prerequisites: 1. You will need access to NX CAM 9 in order to run this demonstration. 2. If you haven t done so already, download and unzip Cut Area Selection by Edge-Bounded Region part.7z. You will find the.7z file attached directly to this Tech Tip article in the NX Manufacturing Forum. Demo: 1. Open 3D Containment Loops.prt in NX. 2. Double-click CONTOUR_AREA to edit the operation. 3. Select Specify Cut Area. 4. Select Edge Bounded Region from the Selection Method list. This option displays a new dialog box containing options that makes cut area definition easy. You will explore several different methods of defining containment loops and containing the cut area. Specify a seed face inside a single loop 1. Select the seed face indicated below. 2. Be sure the selection intent is set to Tangent Curves. 4

5 3. Select the bounding edge indicated below. The closed loop has been defined using all curves tangent to the one you selected. The Tangent Angle Tolerance value in the Edge Selection Settings section of the dialog box determines what the operation will recognize as tangent curves. 4. Click Preview Region. The cut area consists of the selected seed face and all faces selected outward to the containment loop. 5. Click OK. 6. Click Generate. 7. Click OK to complete the operation. 5

6 Specify a seed face between two containment loops 1. Double-click CONTOUR_AREA to edit the operation. 2. Select Specify Cut Area. 3. Expand the List section of the dialog box. 4. Click Remove so that the Number of Items column reads Select the seed face indicated below. 6. Select the bounding edge indicated below to define the exterior containment loop. 7. Select the bounding edge indicated below to define the interior containment loop. 6

7 8. Select Preview Region. 9. Click OK. 10. Click Generate. 11. Click OK to complete the operation. 12. Refresh to remove the displayed tool path. Contain the cut area using edges defined by a tangent edge angle 1. Display the Part Navigator and click the green check mark to remove Edge Blend (2). 7

8 By removing the edge blend, the normal vectors between the faces now form a 30 degree tangent angle. You can use this tangent angle to contain the cut area. 2. Display the Operation Navigator. 3. Double-click CONTOUR_AREA to edit the operation. 4. Select Specify Cut Area. 5. Expand the List section of the dialog box and click Remove so that the Number of Items column reads Select the seed face. 7. Select the four bounding edges. 8

9 The large red asterisks indicate gaps in the cut area and will appear until you have defined a closed area. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Generate. As you would expect, the entire area inside the bounding edge is cut. Now you will contain the cut area using the 30 degree tangent edge angle. 10. Select Specify Cut Area. 11. Expand the Region Options section of the dialog box. 12. Toggle Use Tangent Edge Angle On. 13. Type in the Angle Tolerance box. This value is less than the 30 degree angle between tangent faces. 14. Click OK. 15. Click Generate. The normal vectors between tangent faces exceed the specified 25 degree Angle Tolerance, therefore the adjacent face is not included in the cut area. 9

10 Rule: If the normal vectors between tangent faces equal or exceed the user specified Angle Tolerance, the adjacent face is not added to the contained area to be machined. 16. Click OK to complete the operation. 17. Refresh to remove the displayed tool path. Contain or traverse closed loops of edges such as holes or bosses You will now see how interior edges can be used to determine whether or not faces continue to be collected beyond the interior closed loop. 1. Display the Part Navigator and display Boss (6) and Edge Blend (7). 2. Display the Operation Navigator. 3. Double-click CONTOUR_AREA to edit the operation. 4. Click Generate. Notice that the tool path does not include the boss. 10

11 5. Select Specify Cut Area. The cut area does not include the boss. Notice the Number of Items in the list is Expand the Region Options section of the dialog box. 7. Toggle Traverse Interior Edges On. 8. Click OK. This action will re-collect the faces. 9. Select Specify Cut Area. Notice that the Number of Items is now 21. The interior edges formed by the boss are now traversed, allowing the boss to be included in the cut area. 10. Click OK. 11. Click Generate. The tool path cuts the entire region. 12. Click OK to complete the operation. 13. Close the part without saving. 11

12 Siemens Industry Software Headquarters Granite Park One 5800 Granite Parkway Suite 600 Plano, TX USA Americas Granite Park One 5800 Granite Parkway Suite 600 Plano, TX USA Europe Stephenson House Sir William Siemens Square Frimley, Camberley Surrey, GU16 8QD +44 (0) Asia-Pacific Suites , 43/F AIA Kowloon Tower, Landmark East 100 How Ming Street Kwun Tong, Kowloon Hong Kong About Siemens PLM Software Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division, is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services with seven million licensed seats and more than 71,000 customers worldwide. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Siemens PLM Software works collaboratively with companies to deliver open solutions that help them turn more ideas into successful products. For more information on Siemens PLM Software products and services, visit Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. Siemens and the Siemens logo are registered trademarks of Siemens AG. D-Cubed, Femap, Geolus, GO PLM, I-deas, Insight, JT, NX, Parasolid, Solid Edge, Teamcenter, Tecnomatix and Velocity Series are trademarks or registered trademarks of Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. All other logos, trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks used herein are the property of their respective holders. 8/