Customization of NX CAM for a Non-traditional Application

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Customization of NX CAM for a Non-traditional

Application

Fred Lauzus CAM Programming Coordinator

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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

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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

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What is a Traditional NX Application?

Aerospace

Automotive

Electronics

Consumer products

Machined components

Milling

Drilling

Turning

Wire EDM

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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”

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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

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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

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Example:The Cooper River Bridge

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge Charleston South Carolina

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Main span of 1,546 feet (471 m)

Tower height 575 feet (175 m)

Height above river 186 feet (57 m)

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Total length of 13,200 feet (4.0 km)

Total steel 39,000 tons (35,400 metric tons)

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Nothing is straight Nothing is flat Nothing is symmetrical

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Total of 6,194 pieces

Requiring 4,861 CAM generated CNC programs

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Volume of Programs

39,000 programs generated in 2006

8 CAM programmers

Average 1 program every 3 minutes

Rapid turnaround is a must

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Why modeling for CAM?

Job shop environment

Limited master models

Caricature drawings

Tabulated drawings

Meet fabrication requirements

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Caricature Drawings

Drawing proportions not to scale

Features are exaggerated for visual clarity

Inaccurate proportions can conceal errors

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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

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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

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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

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Tabulated Drawings

A single illustration is used to represent a family of parts

Modeling spreadsheet used to generate large part families

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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

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Use of Palettes

Seed parts

Manufacturing templates

Drawing templates

Family of parts components

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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

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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?)

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Run-out tabs for welding

Sketch lines for layout

Tab for retaining shape

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Shark Fin Girders

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Custom engage and retract requirements

Curves used to define geometry

Spiral lead in

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Spiral lean in, 45° lead out

Used to prevent part movement while cutting

Leaves residual material to prevent corner “blow out”

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CNC Machines

17 machine control combinations

6 burning tables

5 VMCs

2 punches

1 angle line

1 drill line

1 plasma/punch

1 portable mill/drill

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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

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Tools of the Trade: Milling/Drilling Tools

Carbide insert end mills

Braised carbide tipped drills

Carbide insert spade drills

Carbide insert face mills

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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”

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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”

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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

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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

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Tools of the Trade: Drills

Created custom tool in manufacturing template

Based on standard drill

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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

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MG Burning Tables

Used for

Profile cutting

Component and/or hole layout

Maximums

Travel 152’ x 14’

9 Oxy-fuel torches

2 plasma cutters

Zinc marker

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Tools of the Trade: Burning Tools

Oxy-fuel cutting torch

Plasma arc cutter

Zinc powder marker

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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

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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”

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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

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Tools of the Trade: Burning Tools

Created custom tool type in manufacturing template

Based on 5 parameter milling tool

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Web Layout

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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

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Web Layout Utilities

Features are all associative

Can make use of formulas and expressions

Can easily be edited

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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

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Peddinghaus Duplicator Punches

Proprietary Peddinghaus file format

Material held by clamps and travels on a roller table

3 punching tools

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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

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Tools of the Trade: Punches and Dies

Custom tool created in manufacturing template


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Tools of the Trade: Obround/Slot Punches

Tool attribute used to pass non-supported tool information to postprocessor

Tool type

Length

Width

Orientation

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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

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Tools of the Trade: Layout/Center Punches

Custom tool created in manufacturing template


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Peddinghaus Plate Processing Line


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

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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" } }

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Peddinghaus Anglemaster Line



2 punching tools positioned 90° from each other

Shear for cutting parts to length

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Peddinghaus Beam Drill Line


Supports up to 18 tools using multiple passes

Depth is not programmable


3 drilling spindles positioned 90° from each other

Drills plates, angles, channels or “I” beams

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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

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EAM TEST_PROGRAM W12.3X0.4 B 1 3111.5 95.3 2063.8 158.8 0 0 0 15240 254 381 381 0 0 0 0 0 0 53 25400 53974.1010 25400 104774.1010 25400 155575.1010 25400 206375.1010 25400 257175.1010 76199 53974.1010 76199 104774.1010 76199 155575.1010 76199 206375.1010 76199 257175.1010 25400 26987.3010 25400 77787.3010 25400 128587.3010 25400 179387.3010 76199 26987.3010 76199 77787.3010 76199 128587.3010 76199 179387.3010 25400 26987.2010 25400 77787.2010 25400 128587.2010 25400 179387.2010 76199 26987.2010 76199 77787.2010 76199 128587.2010 76199 179387.2010 1498600 53974.1010 1498600 104774.1010 1498600 155575.1010 1498600 206375.1010 1498600 257175.1010 1447800 53974.1010 1447800 104774.1010 1447800 155575.1010

Peddinghaus Support

Proprietary OEM software interface

Proprietary data file format

File includes geometry information

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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

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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

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Custom Tool Library Utility

Written in User Function

Ported from legacy CAM system customization

Ability to creates operations using manufacturing templates

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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

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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 }

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Questions?

Documents

Customization of NX CAM for a Non-traditional Application