Wildfire2 Mold-NC Demo Script

Last Revised: 04/29/05

Setup:
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Unzip Wildfire2_Mold-NC_Demo.zip
Start Pro/E Wildfire2 in directory Demo_Start
Retrieve mold1.mfg
Settings; Tree_Filters; check Features; OK and close window
HIDE curve shutoff_limit and volume MAIN_VOL_TEMP
Retrieve 71010_design.prt from the Design sub-directory
Applications; Mold/Casting; Analysis; Mold Analysis; Draft Check; Saved
Analyses; Unblank
8. Open a rendered image of the Moen shower head from render folder

Start Demo:
3 Color Draft Check to ensure part is moldable:
SEE_MOVIE
1. Shade and spin- Intro: The part on the screen is a design in progress. It is a
preliminary version of the plastic back half of a Moen shower head seen here in
this rendering. We will step you through the design and machining of the mold
for this part. We will also make some major design changes along the way so that
you can see how all the deliverables, including the design part, mold inserts and
NC data update automatically as the part design progresses. There is no need to
wait until the design is released designers, tool makers, detailers and machinists
can all work simultaneously within the Pro/ENGINEER environment thereby
greatly reduces cycle time needed in a sequential design-detailing-machining
mold process.
SEE_MOVIE
2. Hidden line View 3. Under Mold Analyses Saved Analyses Select Draft Check; unblank

4. Note the vertical walls in yellow These are OK for our design. Show the draft
on the pins to be incorrect blue color in a sea of pink color needs to be fixed

5. Select draft on pin and EDIT to be -1; regenerate

6. Show that color is now pink like the rest of the model

7. Saved Analyses; Select Draft Check; Blank

8. Shaded View 9. Lets move on to the mold design Close Window

Mold Design Check for Undercuts

SEE_MOVIE
1. Retrieve mold1.mfg and explain you are now in the mold cavity creation mode.
2. Explain: The ref part in red is an inheritance model that will update
automatically if the design model is changed. Since it is an inheritance model,
changes such as shrinkage compensation and mold specific datums can be added
to the ref part without effecting the original design model. The workpiece, in
transparent green, will be the block that will be broken into the various inserts

required such as cavity block, core block, sliders, etc. The Pull Direction is the
main separation, or AB separation, for the mold. Pull Direction helps automate
the creation of inserts and parting surfaces.

3. Explain the process driven user interface for mold design and how it steps you
through the mold design process. Explain quickly, what the icons do: Assembly
and Orientation of the model in the mold; Shrinkage; the Workpiece; slider, lifter,
and other parting geometry; automatic parting line; automatic skirt parting
surface; splitting the workpiece into inserts using the parting geometry; creating
solid models of the split geometry; and mold opening sequencing.

Mold Design Check for Undercuts

1. Create an automatic slider volume to detect undercuts:
;Create;(accept
name)OK; Slider; Calculate Undercut Boundaries; move Quilt1 and
Quilt2 to the Include side; click the check mark to create the volumes.
OK>Done>Done
2. Hide the workpiece mold1_work.prt and show the trapped volumes that will
need side action sliders. Now we know hoe much material is trapped.

Mold Design - Create Sliders to Handle Undercuts and make NC Simpler and
Faster
SEE_MOVIE-1
SEE_MOVIE-2
SEE_MOVIE-3
1. Move the model tree Insert Here arrow after the final feature
SLIDER_UL_VOL and note that the PLUG_VOLUME and
SLIDER_UL_VOL appear.

2. Explain as follows: To make machining the cone-shaped, tab-riddled, part of the

shower head back easier, we decided to create a cylindrically shaped mold insert
called PLUG_VOLUME. This other insert is a slider to handle the undercut
from the tab on the left side of the part.
3. Create the right side slider: Lets create a slider that will handle the undercut on
the right side: hide the undercut volumes; unhide MOLD1_WRK.prt;
;
Create; right-s; sketch; extrude; done; done; pick the right side of the
MOLD1_WRK.prt as sketching plane; top is top of the MOLD1_WRK.prt

4. Hide MOLD1_WRK.prt
5. Create Sketch by Using Edge; Loop on the other slider

6. UpTo Surface; in model tree hide Slider Volume id. in order to show the
tab surface you will go up to

7. Show how the mold info column helps the user know what kinds of parting
geometry he is creating: settings; tree columns; mold_info
SEE_MOVIE

8. Now that all of our side action sliders and other inserts are created, lets create the
main parting surface for the mold

Mold Design Create the main Parting Line Silhouette Curve

SEE_MOVIE
1. Explain: First well define the main parting line for the model. In many cases,
more than one parting line can be used to split the mold. Once the parting line is
defined, the parting surface can be created automatically.
2. Hide Mold Volumes

3.

; Preview; Mold blank

see the silhouette curve clearly

the ref_part MOLD1_REF.PRT so you can

4. Select which loops will be Included in the parting curve The excluded
curves show in blue

Mold Design Create Automatic Skirt Parting Surface Geometry

SEE_MOVIE
1. Based on this parting line we will now create the automatic skirt parting surface
2. Mold Unblank
the ref_part MOLD1_REF.PRT
3. Unhide the workpiece MOLD1_WRK.PRT and curve SHUTOFF_LIMIT
4.

; OK; select SILH_CURVE_1 out of the model tree; Done; Extension;

OK; Extension Directions; Add; MUST select using pick box 2 left; 2 right; 2
south; 1 north - For the south extend with the reference being the plane
EXTEND turn DATUMS on to see this plane

5. Create a shutoff using a shutoff plane, bounding curve, and a draft angle on the
extension ShutOff Ext; Boundary; Select; CurveChain; Select the Entire
Curve; Select All; Done; Draft Angle; 5; ShutOff Plane; select SHUTOFF
from model tree;Preview (show the draft angle); OK
SEE_MOVIE
6. Mold blank

the ref_part MOLD1_REF.PRT

7. Hide workpiece and the SHUTOFF_LIMIT curve to show the parting surface

8. Create a round on the upper edge of the parting surface: Insert; Round; .25
SEE_MOVIE

9. show and rotate surface

Mold Design Split Out Mold Insert Geometry

SEE_MOVIE
1. Hide the skirt surface; Unhide Main_Volume and Plug Volume
2. Explain: Here is the workpiece block with the ref_part subtracted from it this
feature is an automatically created feature called a reference part cutout

3. Create a Mold Volume split for the plug:

; One Volume; Mold Volume;
Done; Select Quilt:MAIN_VOLUME; move to Items Selected;close; Select the
PLUG_VOLUME; Select the Island that shows the PLUG_VOLUME in light
blue; done; OK; PLUG_SPLIT; OK

4. Show the MAIN_VOLUME with plug removed by hiding PLUG_VOLUME and

PLUG_SPLIT volume

5. Main Parting Surface Split: Create a Mold Volume split for the Cavity using the
MAIN_VOLUME and the skirt Parting Surface:
; One Volume; Mold
Volume; Done; Select Quilt:MAIN_VOLUME; move to Items Selected; close;
Select the skirt parting surface; Select the Island that shows the cavity (top)
highlighted; done; OK; CAVITY_SPLIT; OK
SEE_MOVIE

6. Shade the CAVITY_SPLIT volume: right button select the cavity_split; Volume
Operations; Shade; rotate so everyone can see underneath
7. Hide CAVITY_SPLIT volume and shade the model to show what remains.
Unhide left and right slider volumes. The sliders will now be split using the
MAIN_VOLUME

8. Repeat Steps 4 & 5 for left and right sliders removing from the MAIN_VOL.
Name the volumes SLIDER_LEFT_SPLIT & SLIDER_RIGHT_SPLIT. Here is
the finished result
SEE_MOVIE

Mold Design Extract Solid Inserts

SEE_MOVIE
1. Now its time to create the solid models using the split geometry:
; only
select the split out volumes and the MAIN_VOLUME; Advanced; Select_All;
Browse for a start part; OK notice the new components added to the model tree

Mold Design Mold Opening

SEE_MOVIE

1.

2.

3.

; Define Step; Define Move; Select the cavity block (top);OK; Select a
vertical edge; 5
; Define Step; Define Move; Select the plug; OK; Select a vertical edge; 7

; Define Step; Define Move; Select the core block (bottom); OK; Select a
vertical edge; - 5
4. Done

5. Mold Unblank
show ref part.

the ref_part MOLD1_REF.PRT and Mold Open

to

SEE_MOVIE

*********************************************************************
*********************************************************************

START OF MACHINING DEMO

to machine CAVITY_SPLIT.prt

Getting Ready for the machining part of the demo.

1- Set working directory to Machining (inside the Demo_Start directory)
from now on, all the demo will be done from this directory.
2- Open machining1.mfg

3- Hide all datums

NOTE: If you want to use this demo only for machining demonstration , you can
bypass all the mold design portions above, and carry the demo string from here. It
will show you machining, a change in the mold design which automatically
propagates to machining as well.
NOTE: Under the Machining directory that we will use for the demo from here
going forward, you have a Saved directory. It contains 2 subdirectories:
BEFORE-CHANGE and AFTER-CHANGE. These subdirectory contain
acompleted mold and machining assemblies, with all the toolpaths. If you run into
any trouble, you can quickly erase all in memory, change directory to one of
these, then open the required manufacturing assembly: mold1.mfg or
machining1.mfg.

Making a Face Milling toolpath

SEE_MOVIE
1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Face; Done
2- Done again in SEQ SETUP menu to accept the default selection of Tool,
Parameters and Surfaces

3- From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 1 (FACE_3_INCH), then OK

4- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 1-facemill.mil, then Open,
then Done
5- From SURF PICK menu, select Done to accept the Model selection

6- Select the small top face (ledge) of part

7- Select OK.

8- Done; Play Path; Screen Play

9- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button;

10- You will see the following toolpath

Notice how the approach is right onto the material (with no safety). The tool is
leading to the material exactly with the leading edge. We want to approach farther
away from the material.
We will go to the parameters and add an approach distance to the cut.

11- Use the parameter icon from the top right

12- From the Param Tree dialog box, select the botton Advanced

13- Change the parameter START_OVERTRAVEL from 0 to 1, then close the

Param Tree dialog ( use the X on upper right of the dialog box)

14- Play Path; Screen Play

15- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button.

16- You will have a single motion to clear the used top of the part, as shown below:

17- Done Seq

Making a Roughing toolpath

SEE_MOVIE

1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Roughing; Done

2- Add a check mark to Tool in the SEQ SETUP menu (we want to change the
previous tool)
3- Done to accept the selection of Tool, Parameters and Window

4- From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 2 (BEM_1_INCH), then OK

5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 2-roughing.mil, then Open,
then Done
6- From DEFINE WIND menu, select Select Wind
7- Select WINDOW_ALL [Window] from the model tree (or select the window
that is shown on the top of the part there is only a single window)
8- Done; Play Path; Screen Play

9- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button.

10- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should take less than 10 seconds) and you
will have a toolpath as shown below:

11- Done Seq

Making a Re-Roughing toolpath

SEE_MOVIE
1234-

Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Re-Roughing; Done

From the NC SEQ LIST, select the 1: ROUGHING sequence
Done in SEQ SETUP menu to accept the default selection of Tool and Parameters
From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 3 (BEM_075_INCH), then OK

5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 3-re-rough1.mil, then Open,
then Done
6- Play Path; Screen Play
7- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button.
8- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should take less than 10 seconds) and you
will have a toolpath as shown below:

9- Done Seq

Making a 2nd Re-Roughing toolpath

SEE_MOVIE
1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Re-Roughing; Done

2- Fron the NC SEQ LIST, select the 2: Re-Roughing sequence

3- Done in SEQ SETUP menu to accept the default selection of Tool and Parameters
4- From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 4 (BEM_05_INCH), then OK

5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 4-re-rough2.mil, then Open,
then Done

6- Play Path; Screen Play

7- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button.
8- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should take less than 20 seconds) and you
will have a toolpath as shown below:

9- Done Seq

Making a Finishing toolpath (for the flat areas)

SEE_MOVIE
1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Finishing; Done
2- Add a check mark to Tool in the SEQ SETUP menu (we want to change the
previous tool)
3- Done to accept the selection of Tool, Parameters and Window

4- From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 5 (RAD_EM_1X025_INCH),

then OK

5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 5-finish-flat-1.mil, then Open,
then Done
6- From DEFINE WIND menu, select Select Wind
7- Select WINDOW_ALL [Window] from the model tree (or select the window
that is shown on the top of the part there is only a single window)
8- Done; Play Path; Screen Play
9- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button
10- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should take less than 10 seconds) and you
will have a toolpath as shown below:

11- We want to have better connections in the toolpath to take advantage of high
speed capabilities on our NC machine.
18- Use the parameter icon from the top right
19- From the Param Tree dialog box, change the parameter LACE_OPTION from
CURVE_CONNECT to ARC_CONNECT, then close the Param Tree dialog ( use
the X on upper right of the dialog box)

12- Replay the toolpath and show the connections as shown below.

13- Lets show different high-speed connection type.

20- Use the parameter icon from the top right
21- From the Param Tree dialog box, change the parameter LACE_OPTION from
ARC_CONNECT to LOOP_CONNECT, then close the Param Tree dialog ( use
the X on upper right of the dialog box)
22- Replay the toolpath and show the connections as shown below.

23- Done Seq

Making a Finishing toolpath (for all other areas)

SEE_MOVIE
1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Finishing; Done
2- Add a check mark to Tool in the SEQ SETUP menu (we want to change the
previous tool)
3- Done to accept the selection of Tool, Parameters and Window

4- From the Tools Setup dialog, select tool number 4 (BEM_05_INCH), then OK

5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 6-finish-all-2.mil, then Open,
then Done
6- From DEFINE WIND menu, select Select Wind
7- Select WINDOW_ALL [Window] from the model tree (or select the window
that is shown on the top of the part there is only a single window)
8- Done; Play Path; Screen Play
9- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button.

10- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should take less than 45 seconds) and you
will have a toolpath as shown below:

11- Done Seq

Making a Trajectory toolpath (for the upper ledge)

This is used to show some of the flexibility with trajectory toolpath. This is
OPTIONAL, and you can skip it if you have no time. It is however important to show
how powerful and flexible trajectory can be.
SEE_MOVIE
1- Machining; NC Sequence; New Sequence; Trajectory; Done

2- Add a check mark to Name in the SEQ SETUP menu (we want to specify a
sequence name)
3- Done to accept the selection of Name and Parameters
4- You will get the following prompt in the message area:
Enter NC Sequence name []:
Enter: ledge
5- From MFG PARAMS menu, select Retrieve, then 7-trajectory.mil, then Open,
then Done
6- You will be taken into the Sequence Customize UI
7- From the Customize window, select the Insert buttom to add an Automatic Cut.

8- From the INTERACT PATH menu, select Edge; Done

9- From the EDGE FIT menu, select Height then accept the other defaults and select
Done
10- Select Tangent Chain, then select the top edge (Shown in Yellow in the picture
below):

11- Okay to accept the direction from right to left as shown below:

12- In SLOT OFFSET meny, select Left then Done

13- From INT CUT menu, select Play Path. Rotate to show how the tool starts and
ends exactly on geometry. We want to modify the cut to extend a little outside
material.
14- From INT CUT menu, select Ends
15- From CUT ENDS menu, select Start, then check mark Specify then Done
16- Stretch the start of cut out a little as shown below:

17- From the END DIM TYPE menu, select Ext Length

18- You will get the following prompt in the message area:
Enter extension length []:
Enter: 0.5
19- From CUT ENDS menu, select End, then check mark Specify then Done
20- Stretch the end of cut out a little
21- From the END DIM TYPE menu, select Ext Length
22- You will get the following prompt in the message area:
Enter extension length []:
Enter: 0.1
23- From CUT ENDS menu, select Done/Return
24- From INT CUT menu, select Done Cut
25- From the Customize window, select OK
26- Play Path; Screen Play
27- From the Play Path dialog at the bottom right of the screen, select the Play
Forward button
28- The toolpath will rapidly compute (it should be immediate) and you will have a
toolpath as shown below:

29- Done Seq

Run Vericut:
SEE_MOVIE
1- CL Data; Output; Operation; OP010; File; Done; (Select op010-orig.ncl from
the open dialog); OK; Done Output
2- NC Check; CL file; (Select op010-orig.ncl from the open dialog); Done
3- After Vericut window opens up, zoom into the machining area using icon
on top
4- Setup Motion in Vericut using icon

5- Start verification using player icon

on top

on the bottom right

*********************************************************************
*********************************************************************

The Big Change

SEE MOVIE
1. Retrieve 71010.prt
2. Suppress all features named: Clear1 to Clear7
3. Resume all features after Clear7

4. Talk about the dramatic changes to the part. Especially how the location hole at
the front of the will require a change in the parting line. Also, the new hole will
require closure in the parting surface. Finally, the hump topology has changed
and ribs and standoffs have been added under the part.
5. Close the part window and retrieve (FROM THE MACHINING
DIRECTORY) mold1_.mfg - (NOTICE the name of the file. It has
underscore in it. This model is tied to the NC model we do this so that you can
jump directly to showing the big change without having to recreate the mold
model every time)
6. Oops, we forgot to add shrinkage to the model. How much trouble would this be
if your mold was already designed. How about if you changed to a material with

a different shrink rate:

check

; 1+s; select CS1 (inside mold1_ref_.prt); .02;

SEE_MOVIE
7. The model will regenerate.
8. Show the exploded mold.
9. Then open the ref_part and show the shrinkage of 1.02 in X,Y and Z

SEE_MOVIE

NOW LETs UPDATE the NC data

1. Close the mold window and Open (FROM THE MACHINING
DIRECTORY or from session) machining1.mfg
2. Show and explain how the mold insert changes now automatically appear in the
machining assembly (look at the new channel and the different pocket shape.

3. Run Vericut to show the new machining (AND THIS ENDS YOUR DEMO)
SEE_MOVIE
4. Ctrl-G to regenerate
5. CL Data; Output; Operation; OP010; File; Done; (Select op010-changed.ncl
from the open dialog); OK; Done Output
6. NC Check; CL file; (Select op010-changed.ncl from the open dialog); Done
7. Cldata; NC Check; CL file; (Select op010-final.ncl from the open dialog); Done
8. After Vericut window opens up, zoom into the machining area using icon
on top
9. Setup Motion in Vericut using icon

10. Start verification using player icon

on top

on the bottom right