PowerMILL

13. NC Programs

13. NC Programs
Introduction
Once a series of toolpaths have been generated their names can be listed in an NC Program file to be post processed as an output file for a specific NC machine control. Any number of toolpaths can be included and reordered as required depending on the limitations of the particular NC machine along with the associated post processor. If the NC machine has a toolchange facility then toolpaths created with different cutter sizes can be listed together in the same NC Program. If the NC machine does not have a toolchange facility then only toolpaths created with the same cutter can be listed in the same NC Program.

Select Delete All and Reset Forms. Open the Project called Tapefile_1 from PowerMILL_data/projects. This project contains a number of toolpaths.

Output area
From the top toolbar, select Tools Customise Paths and select NC Program Output.

Click the left hand folder icon (Add path to top of list) to bring up the Select Path form and select C:\NCPrograms as shown, then close the form.
Note: The above destination directory NCPrograms must exist otherwise it will not be possible to output NC Program files.

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In the explorer, right click on NC Program Preferences

Click on the folder icon to bring up the Select Machine Option Filename form.

The selected option file determines which NC format is applied to the NC Program.

Select the heid.opt which writes the NC output file in Heidenhain machine language and press Open and Accept.

Creating the NC program

In the explorer, right click on NC Program Create NC Program

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13. NC Programs

Enter the name Job_646_top and Accept the form.

In the Explorer area click the +/- box by NC Programs to toggle a display of the contents (job_646_top) on or off. Some or all of the toolpaths can now be added to this Active - NC program.

Click on the Area Clearance icon with the left mouse button and keep it held down, drag the mouse and the icon will take on a ghosted appearance.

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Move onto the active NC program - (Job_646_top) and release the mouse button. In the explorer area click the +/- box by job_646_top to toggle a display of the contents (Roughing_16).

Drag the other toolpaths into the Active - NC program in the required machining order.

Individual toolpaths can be Removed from the NC Program list.

Right click over any of the toolpaths in the current NC Program to access the local options, but do not select any at this stage.

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The current status of the NC Program can be viewed along with its toolpaths and tools by selecting Settings from the local right click menu.

Right click on the Active - NC Program and select Settings.

Settings can be modified by first selecting a toolpath in the form. The relevant values are then modified before selecting Apply. It is often very useful to be able to alter items at this stage without having to go back and modify the original toolpath.

Apply and Close the form. Right click on the Active - NC Program in the explorer and select Write to create the NC Program file to disk (Note; if successful the icon turns green and an Information window appears providing a progress report).

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Any further toolpaths that are created are automatically added to the Active - NC program by default, so it can be useful to create and Activate an NC program prior to toolpath creation in order to save having to drag them in individually as a separate operation.

Activate the NC Program Job_646_top in the explorer. Create a 3D Offset Finishing toolpath using the 10_B tool and a Stepover of 1.
It may not always desirable to output all of the toolpaths together in one NC Program. As a result it is possible to create an Individual NC Program directly from a Toolpath entity.

To output this toolpath separately, right click on the Toolpath and select Create Individual NC Programs.

A new NC Program is created. Click on the + symbol to display its contents (one toolpath). Right click on the new NC Program - 1 and select Rename inputting Job_646_top_mod then right click again before selecting Write.

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Viewing and Editing NC code

When an NC Program is output to disk, it can be read into a simple text editor and edited when necessary.

From Windows Explorer, go to C:\NCPrograms (the path set at the start of this chapter) where the NC output files should be located. Double click on one of them to load the file into Wordpad.
The NC code will appear similar to that shown.

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