Customization of NX CAM for a Non-traditional Application
1. 1
Customization of NX CAM
for a Non-traditional
Application
Fred Lauzus
CAM Programming Coordinator
2. 2
High Steel, A History of Innovation
Established in 1931
Pioneered welded steel
bridge girders
Invested in automation
Largest fabricator of steel
bridges in the U.S.
Continued investment in
new technologies
3. 3
High Steel invests in Unigraphics 17
Replacement for legacy CAM system
Associative parametric solid modeling
Integrated manufacturing
Customizable user interface
Powerful programming languages
Knowledge capture
4. 4
What is a Traditional NX Application?
Aerospace
Automotive
Electronics
Consumer products
Machined components
Milling
Drilling
Turning
Wire EDM
5. 5
What is a Non-traditional Application?
Civil Engineering
Architecture
Steel bridges
Burning
Punching
Marking
Anything NX doesn’t do well right “out-of-the-box”
6. 6
A bridge, so, what’s the big deal?
The misconceptions
Simple 2D geometry
Many common components
Primarily consists of “I” beams and other rolled shapes
Standardized structures
Just like a big Erector set
7. 7
A bridge? So, what’s the big deal?
The reality
Curved heavy steel plates
Complex 3D geometry
Primarily consists of
fabricated girders
High volume of unique
components
Way too big for an Erector
set
15. 15
Caricature Drawings
Drawing proportions not to scale
Features are exaggerated for visual clarity
Inaccurate proportions can conceal errors
16. 16
Caricature vs. CAM Model
Caricature required to
intuitively
communicate design
intent
Models created for
CAM are often the
first accurate part
representation
Caricature
CAM model
17. 17
Knowledge Fusion for Modeling
Girder Webs
Used with legacy Coordinate
Geometry (COGO) system
calculates shape of web
COGO outputs information
as an ASCII .exp expression
file
NX user inputs contract
number and girder
identification in dialog
created using UI Styler
KF program uses COGO
data to build a rules based
model in NX
Model can be modified using
same KF program to create
additional iterations
18. 18
Spreadsheet for Modeling Girder
Webs
Seed parts with spreadsheets
Used when no geometry data
is available from COGO
system
User inputs dimension values
from drawing into the NX
modeling spreadsheet in seed
part
Model is updated from
spreadsheet
Model can later be modified
using the spreadsheet to
create additional iterations
19. 19
Tabulated Drawings
A single illustration is used to
represent a family of parts
Modeling spreadsheet used to
generate large part families
20. 20
Knowledge Fusion for Modeling
Other Girder Components
Used for stiffeners, connection
plates, splice plates and other
girder components for which
there is no electronic data or
master models
User enters information from
drawing into dialog box
KF program builds
rules based model
Model can be modified
using same KF
program to create
additional iterations
21. 21
Use of Palettes
Seed parts
Manufacturing templates
Drawing templates
Family of parts components
22. 22
Knowledge Fusion for Modeling
Rolled Shapes
Used for cross frames,
connection angles, hand rail
brackets and other girder
components made from
rolled shapes for which
there are no master models
Shape profile dimensions
provided via Access
database
User selects a shape and
enters the length and end
miters in a dialog box
KF program builds rules
based model
23. 23
Geometry for Addressing Fabrication
Requirements
Material for secondary operations
Milling allowance
Grinding allowance
Run-out tabs for welding
Non-part tool path
Non-cutting tool path
(Non-cutting tool path?)
24. 24
Geometry for Addressing Fabrication
Requirements
Run-out tabs for welding
Sketch lines for layout
Tab for retaining shape
29. 29
Mazak Vertical Machining Centers
Maximums
Motor 20 HP
Travel 80” x 32”
Minimums
Motor 15 HP
Travel 41” x 22”
Used for
Drilling holes
Milling edges
Milling slots
Milling faces
30. 30
Tools of the Trade: Milling/Drilling
Tools
Carbide insert end mills
Braised carbide tipped drills
Carbide insert spade drills
Carbide insert face mills
31. 31
Tools of the Trade: End Mills
Carbide inserts
Typical 1 1/2” diameter
Primarily used to true ends of
plates
Also used to mill obround
slots through plates
No customization required
“Out-of-the-box”
32. 32
Tools of the Trade: Face Mills
Carbide insert teeth
Typical 4” to 6” diameter
Used to true face of plate
and machine plate to
desired thickness
Also used to mill 45°
chamfers on edges
No customization required
“Out-of-the-box”
33. 33
Tools of the Trade: Braised Tip Drills
Braised carbide tip
Typical 15/16” diameter, up to
1 3/16” diameter
Used to drill holes through
plate up to 3” thick
Also used to drill pilot holes for
obround slots
Through the tip coolant
No spot drills used
34. 34
Tools of the Trade: Spade Drills
Carbide insert tip
Used for diameters 1 3/16”
and over
Used to drill holes through
plate 3” thick and over
Through the tip coolant
No spot drills used
35. 35
Tools of the Trade: Drills
Created custom tool in
manufacturing template
Based on standard drill
36. 36
Reposition move
Allows repositioning of part
in X axis to fabricate parts
that exceed the X axis travel
of the machine
Uses the Trans machine
control event as a start up
command
Created with manufacturing
template
All the math is done when
postprocessing
38. 38
Tools of the Trade: Burning Tools
Oxy-fuel cutting torch
Plasma arc cutter
Zinc powder marker
39. 39
Tools of the Trade: Plasma Cutters
Electric arc cutting process
200 amp current
Air injected
36,000° F plasma temperature
Used to cut plate up to 1” thick
40. 40
Tools of the Trade: Oxy-fuel Torches
Flame cutting process
Fueled by oxygen and natural gas mixture
Used to cut materials over 1” thick
Can be used for thinner material but at 1/5 the speed of
plasma
Frequently used in multiple torch arrangements for “gang
cutting”
41. 41
Tools of the Trade: Zinc Markers
Non-cutting flame process
Fueled by oxygen, natural gas mixture and powdered zinc
Deposits a line of zinc on the surface of a plate
Used to layout hole locations for manual drilling
Used to layout locations for attaching additional components
42. 42
Tools of the Trade: Burning Tools
Created custom tool type in
manufacturing template
Based on 5 parameter milling
tool
44. 44
Web Layout Utilities
Created a detailed
specification
Contracted a 3rd party
developer, SEA
Creates curves for non-
cutting layout moves
Creates supporting
operation, tool and program
objects
Provides additional bodies
as required
Uses User Defined Objects
(UDOs) as features
45. 45
Web Layout Utilities
Features are all associative
Can make use of formulas
and expressions
Can easily be edited
46. 46
Additional utilities
Camber blocking
Extracts elevations in 10’
increments
Places elevations on
separate drafting sheet
Used in shop during
fabrication
Operation re-sequencer
Displays all boundaries
in a selected program
User selects displayed
boundaries in desired
sequence
Operations are re-
sequenced in selected
order
47. 47
Peddinghaus Duplicator Punches
Proprietary Peddinghaus file
format
Material held by clamps and
travels on a roller table
3 punching tools
48. 48
Tools of the Trade: Punches & Dies
Round punch
Obround/Slot punch
Single hit punch
Used to create round holes
through plate up to 1 1/2” in
diameter or slots up to 1 1/2”
in length
Used on plates up to 5/8”
thick
49. 49
Tools of the Trade: Punches and
Dies
Custom tool created in
manufacturing template
Based on standard drill
50. 50
Tools of the Trade: Obround/Slot
Punches
Tool attribute used to pass
non-supported tool
information to postprocessor
Tool type
Length
Width
Orientation
51. 51
Tools of the Trade: Layout/Center
Punches
Conical tip on face of punch
Punch is only partially
depressed into plate
Used to create witness
marks for aligning mating
components
Also used to create center
punch locations for
secondary operations
52. 52
Tools of the Trade: Layout/Center
Punches
Custom tool created in
manufacturing template
Based on standard drill
53. 53
Peddinghaus Plate Processing Line
Proprietary Peddinghaus file
format
Separate subprogram files
required for plasma profiles
UDE used for controlling
trap door
Material travels in X axis
3 punching tools
Plasma cutting head
Trap door for dropping parts
or scrap
54. 54
Peddinghaus Plate Processing Line
Created operation in
manufacturing template
Created UDE for controlling
trap door in ude.cdl
Placed UDE for trap door in
operation dialog
EVENT trap_door
{
UI_LABEL "Trap Door"
PARAM open_trap_door
{
TYPE b
DEFVAL "TRUE"
UI_LABEL "Open Trap Door"
}
}
55. 55
Peddinghaus Anglemaster Line
Proprietary Peddinghaus file
format
Material travels in X axis
2 punching tools positioned
90° from each other
Shear for cutting parts to
length
56. 56
Peddinghaus Beam Drill Line
Proprietary Peddinghaus file
format
Supports up to 18 tools
using multiple passes
Depth is not programmable
Material travels in X axis
3 drilling spindles positioned
90° from each other
Drills plates, angles,
channels or “I” beams
57. 57
Peddinghaus Beam Drill Line
Planes via MCS objects
MCS orientations predefined
in manufacturing template
Seed parts contain pre-
defined MCS objects
Can drill up to 3 axis
simultaneously
59. 59
PLATE
P10X1
P
1 2540 254 254 0 0 0 0 5080 254 0 0 317.5 0 0 381 0 0
13
25400 50799.1020
25400 203200.1020
76200 50799.1020
76200 203200.1020
127000 50799.1020
127000 203200.1020
177800 50799.1020
177800 203200.1020
228600 50799.1020
228600 203200.1020
25400 127000.1010
203200 127000.1030
Peddinghaus Support
Sequence controlled by
proprietary OEM
software
Automatic reposition
and multi-pass
No G code used
60. 60
Peddinghaus Support: Non-tool path
Expressions used to pass
shape dimensions to post
Part attributes used to pass
shape description to post
Tool attributes used to pass
unsupported tool information
to post
61. 61
Custom Tool Library Utility
Written in User Function
Ported from legacy CAM
system customization
Ability to creates operations
using manufacturing templates
62. 62
Custom Postprocessors
Written with Post Builder
Custom commands written
in TCL to enhance
functionality
Error handling routines built
in to detect common user
errors
Creates HTML formatted file
for shop documents while
posting G code
63. 63
Postprocessor Error Checks
Postprocessors are
assigned a machine type in
their .def file
Program objects are
assigned a corresponding
type with a MACHINE
attribute
Postprocessors compare
post type and program type
If the types don’t match,
posting is aborted and an
error message is displayed
MACHINE peddimat
INCLUDE { $UGII_CAM_USER_DEF_EVENT_DIR/ude.cdl }
FORMATTING
{
WORD_SEPARATOR
END_OF_LINE
SEQUENCE sequence_number 10 10 1 9999
MACHINE burner
INCLUDE { $UGII_CAM_USER_DEF_EVENT_DIR/ude.cdl }
FORMATTING
{
WORD_SEPARATOR
END_OF_LINE
SEQUENCE sequence_number 5 2 1 9999
MACHINE mill
INCLUDE { $UGII_CAM_USER_DEF_EVENT_DIR/ude.cdl }
FORMATTING
{
WORD_SEPARATOR
END_OF_LINE
SEQUENCE sequence_number 100 5 1 9999
if { $mom_machine_name != $mom_attr_PROGRAMVIEW_MACHINE }
64. 64
Postprocessor Error Checks
Postprocessors have lists of
supported tool types for their
machines
Tool objects are assigned a
corresponding type with a
TYPE attribute
Postprocessors compare
supported type list and tool
type
If the types don’t match,
posting is aborted and an
error message is displayed
65. 65
Custom Postprocessing Utility
Written in user function
Batch posting of multiple
files
Concurrent posting of
multiple programs per file
Plots related CAD drawings
to PDF files via GhostScript
Sorts code files into folders
based on machine selected
Parses part file name to
build code file name
Displays resulting files
Postprocessing user interface
66. 66
HTML Based Shop Documentation
Can be viewed in a web browser
Automatically created during postprocessing
Includes hyperlinks to associated documents and drawings
HTML document
CNC code file
Design drawing
CAM drawing
67. 67
Summary
Standardize default settings
Customer defaults
Seed parts
Manufacturing templates
Family of parts
Save-As iterations
Spreadsheets
Automation of repetitive
tasks
Knowledge Fusion
User function
Customize user interface
K.I.S.S.
User palettes
Custom tool bars
Pass custom information to
posts
Part attributes
Operation attributes
Tool attributes
