Rant & Rave

[Cambmac]

Is it just me?


I've been using Pro-e manufacturing for some time now and I have never had a trouble free job. Most of the work is moulds which takes time to do all the calculations, then don't you just love it when after 20 minutes it states "Tool path could not be calculated, please check setup". That's if it doesn't crash out!


Again I know it must be me but . .


I started with just one workcentre in the library but when I call on it, pro-e adds some extra numbers to it. I now have hundreds of workcentres.


Two pockets with a hole in the bottom of each. The CL path showed the drill retracting clear of each pocket. The actual path sent the drill straight through the side of the pocket.( I have since learned to push the 'suface check' button but false cuts can happen anywhere.)


Tool start & end positions when surface milling. In sketch mode there is no cutter path shown so how can I extend a cut?


I've sketched around the outside & inside of a shape then suface milled using cutlines from outer to inner (Param = spiral). The result? Six of the cuts take a shortcut and pass over the centre of the inner ring.


After creating a window (set to keep cutter inside window) then a roughing sequence. Why does the cutter go outside the window?


I could go on for longer but I would just like to know if anybody else is tearing their hair out?One last thing, hasanybody got autosave or do you automatically say yes to the 'do you want to quit' prompt and lose the lot?

 

[Don.Rhea]

That is why I'm still an APT programmer.

 

[peterbrown77]

1. Generally speaking, odd behavior in Volume milling is tied to model accuracy. Not 100% of the time, but it does have an impact. Make certain that the ref model and workpiece accuracy are the same. Tightening up the model accuracy (Edit>Setup>Accuracy>Absolute) for the model and workpiece willincrease compute time but give better results. (Sequence tolerance controls the number of output points.)


2. If the CL Path and CL data show the tool retracting to the clearance plane between holes, you should look at your postprocessor to see if it is working correctly.


Finally, I think the config you are after is prompt_on_exit - this asks you to save objects before ending a session.


Regards

 

[Don.Rhea]

If you find it is a postprocessor problem, I can help.


Reply to: [email protected]

 

[chf65]

Hi Canmbac,


I hope I will not sound like a wise ass here, but we are experiencing very unusual behavior if indeed you are using the product as intended. A lot of the issues you mentioned will be hard for anybody to figure out without more description, but I would like to give my take on some items:


- "Most of the work is moulds which takes time to do all the calculations, then don't you just love it when after 20 minutes it states "Tool path could not be calculated, - please check setup". "
This is the biggest problem I see out there. You should be able to get this feedback right away. Users trying to create 100000 slices before figuring out whether their parameters setup work. Always make a first trial on a sequence with at least 1/10th the number of cuts/slices to see what you are getting and to fine tune your settings before ever selecting the proper setp_depth and step_over data.


- "I started with just one workcentre in the library but when I call on it, pro-e adds some extra numbers to it. I now have hundreds of workcentres."
You probably kept the default MACH01 name to your workcenter. The Workcell UI default to MACH01 when you create a new workcell, and therefore, when you read you workcell, the number is already taken an da new one is assigned. Just change the .gph file to a unique number, and do not keep saving the workcells. It will always be the same name in your mfg assembly.


- "After creating a window (set to keep cutter inside window) then a roughing sequence. Why does the cutter go outside the window?"
I have never seen the toolpath go wildly outside the mill window, but I think you may be referring to the tool approaching material from outside the window. This is the only case I can think of for a tool moving outside the mill window.
Some of the relatively newer scans (such as Constant_load and follow_contour) are designed to take into account where the material is and not to plunge when not necessary (approach from the sade when needed). If using TRIM_TO_WP, the material boundaries are deduced and the tool approach from outside the material. This is also the case if you specifically define Approach walls for other scan types.


On a more general note, for toolmaking, I highly recommend using the Roughing, re-roughing and finishing sequences.Properly used, they arequite fast and robust.Just do not crank up the tolerances unnecessarily.


Unfortunately, users are left for their own resources to try to figure out how to make use of them. Worse yet, all available trainingis a rehash of old methodologies, made to work with the newer releases, rather than using the new technique in the software.


I hope this helps,


Charles